Cabling a maximum cluster configuration in an equipment rack

How to cable the Channel A loops between your filer and disk shelves in a maximum 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 one of the FC-AL adapters 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 Connect disk shelf 0 to disk shelf 1 by
  • Connecting the DB-9 connector of the FC-AL shelf-to-shelf cable to the Output/Terminator connector of the LRC card labeled Channel A on disk shelf 0
  • Connecting the other DB-9 connector of the FC-AL shelf-to-shelf cable to the Input connector of the LRC card labeled Channel A on disk shelf 1

    Note: Apply a label in the middle of the cable.


3 Repeat Step 2 by connecting disk shelf 1 to disk shelf 2, and so on, for the number of disk shelves that you have in this loop.
4 Terminate the daisy-chain by putting a terminator on the LRC card Output/Terminator connector on the last disk shelf.
5
For an F630 filer
Repeat Steps 1 through 4 for all FC-AL adapters labeled Channel A on the filer.
For an F740 and an F760 filer
For all remaining FC-AL adapters labeled Channel A on the 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.


Continue by repeating Steps 2 through 4.

6 Repeat Steps 1 through 5 for the partner filer.
For an F630 filer
The cabling for one possible example of a maximum configuration appears as shown in the following figure.

For an F740 filer
The cabling for one possible example of a maximum configuration appears as shown in the following figure.

For an F760 filer
The cabling for one possible example of a maximum configuration appears as shown in the following figure.

7 Proceed to "How to cable the Channel B loops between your disk shelves in a maximum configuration."

How to cable the Channel B loops between your disk shelves in a maximum configuration

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

Step Action
1 Connect disk shelf 0 to disk shelf 1 by
  • Connecting the DB-9 connector of the FC-AL shelf-to-shelf cable to the Output/Terminator connector of the LRC card labeled Channel B on disk shelf 0
  • Connecting the other DB-9 connector of the FC-AL shelf-to-shelf cable to the Input connector of the LRC card labeled Channel B on disk shelf 1

    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 1 by connecting disk shelf 1 to disk shelf 2, and so on, for the number of disk shelves that you have in this loop.
3 Terminate the daisy-chain by putting a terminator on the LRC Output/Terminator connector on the last disk shelf.
4 Repeat Steps 1 through 3 for all FC-AL adapters labeled Channel B on the filer.
5 Repeat Steps 1 through 5 for the partner filer.
For an F630 filer
The cabling for one possible example of a maximum configuration appears as shown in the following figure. (The Channel A cabling you did previously is also shown.)

For an F740 filer
The cabling for one possible example of a maximum configuration appears as shown in the following figure. (The Channel A cabling you did previously is also shown.)

For an F760 filer
The cabling for one possible example of a maximum configuration appears as shown in the following figure. (The Channel A cabling you did previously is also shown.)

6 Turn on the filers and the disk shelves. Among the system messages are the following:
Loop on adapter 7 is open.
If adapter is in use, check cabling and seating of LRC 
cards in FC shelves.
isp2100_init: Initialization failed on FC adapter in slot 
7.

 
Only 1 Fibre Channel adapter was detected with attached 
disks, but there are 2 Fibre Channel adapters on the 
system. Check the cables and the connections for the 
adapters and disks.

 
No disks were detected on Fibre Channel port B; this node 
will be unable to takeover correctly.

Note: These messages occur because the Channel B loop has not been completed.


7 Proceed to "How to connect the filers in a maximum configuration.""

How to connect the filers in a maximum 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 one of the FC-AL adapters 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: Identify the striped label that you applied in the middle of each shelf-to-shelf cable for the Channel B loop. Apply a label on each end of the filer-to-shelf cable.


    Repeat this step for the partner filer. The section "How to cable the Channel B loop between the filer and disk shelf 0 in a maximum configuration" on the next page illustrates how to complete the Channel B loops to the partner filer.
6 At the console of each filer, enter boot to run the filers.

How to cable the Channel B loop between the filer and disk shelf 0 in a maximum configuration

The following series of figures illustrates how to complete the Channel B loops to the partner filer for one possible example of a maximum configuration. The assumption is that the cabling between the cluster interconnect adapters is complete.


Note: These figures only show how to complete the Channel B loops 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

This configuration has four FC-AL adapters in each filer, with two FC-AL adapters on each filer labeled Channel A and two FC-AL adapters on each filer labeled Channel B.

The dashed red line in this figure between the disk shelf on the lower right and the filer on the left illustrates the first completed Channel B loop in this cluster.

The dashed blue line in this figure between the disk shelf on the upper right and the filer on the left illustrates the second completed Channel B loop in this cluster.

The dashed yellow line in this figure between the disk shelf on the lower left and the filer on the right illustrates the third completed Channel B loop in this cluster.

The dashed green line in this figure between the disk shelf on the upper left and the filer on the right illustrates the fourth completed Channel B loop in this cluster.

For an 740 filer

This configuration has three FC-AL interfaces in each filer, with two FC-AL interfaces on one filer labeled Channel A and one FC-AL interface on each filer labeled Channel B, and with two FC-AL interfaces on the other filer labeled Channel B and one FC-AL interface on each filer labeled Channel A.

The dashed blue line in this figure between the disk shelf on the left and the filer on the right illustrates the first completed Channel B loop in this cluster.

The dashed red line in this figure between the disk shelf in the middle and the filer on the right illustrates the second completed Channel B loop in this cluster.

The dashed green line in this figure between the disk shelf on the lower right and the filer on the left illustrates the third completed Channel B loop in this cluster.

For an F760 filer

This configuration has four FC-AL interfaces in each filer, with two FC-AL interfaces on each filer labeled Channel A and two FC-AL interfaces on each filer labeled Channel B.

The dashed blue line in this figure between the disk shelf on the upper right and the filer on the left illustrates the first completed Channel B loop in this cluster.

The dashed red line in this figure between the disk shelf on the lower right and the filer on the left illustrates the second completed Channel B loop in this cluster.

The dashed green line in this figure between the disk shelf on the upper left and the filer on the right illustrates the third completed Channel B loop in this cluster.

The dashed yellow line in this figure between the disk shelf on the lower left and the filer on the right illustrates the fourth completed Channel B loop in this cluster.


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

Part No. 210-02343
File: hw_setu6.htm
Last updated: 02/25/99 17:35:18