Cabling a minimum cluster configuration in an equipment rack

How to cable the Channel A loops between your filer and disk shelves in a minimum configuration

To cable the Channel A connections of your cluster, follow these steps.

Step Action
1
For an F630 filer
Connect the filer to disk shelf 0 by
  • Connecting the HSSDC connector on the FC-AL filer-to-shelf cable to the FC-AL adapter labeled Channel A on the filer
  • Connecting the other DB-9 connector on the FC-AL filer-to-shelf cable to the Input connector of the LRC card labeled Channel A on disk shelf 0

    Note: Apply a label of the selected color on each end of the cable.

For an F740 and an F760 filer
Connect the filer to disk shelf 0 by
  • Connecting a DB-9 connector on the FC-AL filer-to-shelf cable to the onboard FC-AL interface on the filer
  • Connecting the other DB-9 connector on the FC-AL filer-to-shelf cable to the Input connector of the LRC card labeled Channel A on disk shelf 0

    Note: Apply a label of the selected color on each end of the cable.

2 Terminate the loop by putting a terminator on the LRC Output/Terminator connector.
3 Repeat Steps 1 through 3 for the partner filer.
For an F630 filer
The cabling for the minimum configuration should be as shown in the following figure.

For an F740 and an F760 filer
The cabling for the minimum configuration should be as shown in the following figure.

4 Proceed to "How to terminate the Channel B loops in a minimum configuration."

How to terminate the Channel B loops in a minimum configuration

To terminate the Channel B connections of the disk shelves in your minimum cluster configuration, follow these steps.

Step Action
1 Place a terminator on the LRC Output/Terminator connector of the Channel B LRC card.

Caution: Do NOT complete the Channel B loop to the partner filer. If you complete the Channel B loop to the partner filer and reboot, the filers try to take ownership of both sets of disks and cause permanent damage to your file systems.

2 Repeat Step 2 for the partner filer. (The Channel A cabling that you did previously is also shown.)
For an F630 filer
The result is as shown in the following figure.

For an F740 and an F760 filer
The result is as shown in the following figure.

3 Proceed to "How to connect the filers in a minimum configuration."

How to connect the filers in a minimum configuration

To connect the filers, follow these steps.

Step Action
1 Run a cf status command on each filer. The resulting output should be as follows: 
cluster monitor not initialized.

Interconnect is down.
2 Using the 4m cluster interconnect cable, connect the X port of the cluster interconnect adapter on one filer to the X port on the partner filer. Perform a cf status on each filer. The resulting output should be as follows: 
cluster monitor not initialized.

Y link is down.

Note: The cluster interconnect adapter has two ports; the X port is above the Y port.

Caution: Verify that you connected the cable to the Y port. Connecting to the wrong port disables the takeover feature.

3 Using the 4m cluster interconnect cable, connect the Y port of the cluster interconnect adapter on one filer to the Y port on the partner filer. Perform a cf status on each filer. The resulting output should be as follows: 
cluster monitor not initialized.

Note: The cluster interconnect adapter has two ports; the Y port is below the X port.

Caution: Verify that you connected the cable to the Y port. Connecting to the wrong port disables the takeover feature.

4 At the consoles of each filer, enter halt to shut down the system.
5 Connect the filer to the Channel B LRC card on disk shelf 0 of the partner filer by
  • Connecting the HSSDC end of the FC-AL filer-to-shelf cable to the FC-AL adapter labeled Channel B on the filer
  • Connecting the DB-9 end of the FC-AL filer-to-shelf cable to the Input connector of the LRC card labeled Channel B on disk shelf 0 of the partner filer

    Note: Apply a label on each end of the filer-to-shelf cable.

6 Repeat Step 5 for the partner filer.

Note: These figures only show how to complete the Channel B loop to the partner filer; they do not show the cabling between the cluster interconnect adapters in both filers. The cabling between the cluster interconnect adapters is not shown in these figures to reduce the possible confusion resulting from the number of cables involved.

For an F630 filer
The following figure illustrates the completed cabling for the Channel B loops in a minimum configuration.

7
For an F740 and an F760 filer

The following figure illustrates the completed cabling for the Channel B loops in a minimum configuration.

8 At the console of each filer, enter boot to run the filers.

Copyright © 1999, Network Appliance, Inc. All rights reserved.

Part No. 210-02343
File: hw_setu5.htm
Last updated: 02/25/99 17:35:18