Installing or replacing expansion adapters

About this section

This section describes the steps involved in replacing an expansion adapter or installing a new expansion adapter. Replacing an expansion adapter consists of the following procedures:

Removing an existing expansion adapter
Installing an expansion adapter

If you are installing or replacing an additional SCSI adapter, you also need to follow the procedure in Connecting the additional SCSI adapter to PORT B.

Expansion adapters used

The NetApp F700 series filers use the following expansion adapters:

NVRAM adapter
Fibre Channel adapters
SCSI adapters for disk storage and external tape devices
Network interface cards/adapters (NICs)
Cluster interconnect adapter
Note
The F700 Series Hardware Guide lists the supported network interfaces.

Slot assignments for expansion adapters

If you are adding expansion adapters to your F700 filer, the NetApp System Configuration on the NetApp on the Web (NOW) Web page at http://now.netapp.com provides current configurations for the following information:

Expansion slots that are available on your filer
Supported adapters
Expansion slot assignments
Caution
Only install supported expansion adapters in the assigned expansion slot. To ensure compatibility, performance, and reliability, you must obtain expansion adapters for your filer from Network Appliance or an authorized reseller.

Removing an existing expansion adapter

To remove the existing expansion adapters, complete the following steps.

Step	Action
1	Note which cables (if any) are connected to the ports on the back panel of your filer before disconnecting the cables. Caution Do not connect or disconnect SCSI cables while your filer is powered up. You could cause permanent damage to the SCSI adapters in your NetCache Appliance.
2	Open the PCB carrier. Follow the procedure in Opening the PCB carrier.
3	If you are replacing or removing the differential wide SCSI adapter for disk shelves, disconnect the internal SCSI ribbon cable from the internal connector on the top edge of the differential wide SCSI adapter. The following figure shows the location of the internal connector on the top edge of the adapter.
4	Remove the screw holding the expansion adapter faceplate to the back panel bracket and save it for reinstalling the adapter.
5	Pull upward on the top edge of the expansion adapter and lift it out of the chassis, as shown.
6	If you are...	Then...
	Not installing a replacement expansion adapter	Install a slot cover using the screw you saved in Step 4.
	Installing a replacement expansion adapter	Proceed to Installing an expansion adapter.
	Replacing units on the NVRAM adapter	Proceed to Replacing units on an NVRAM adapter.

Installing an expansion adapter

To install an expansion adapter, complete the following steps.

Step	Action
1	If you are...	Then...
	Installing a new adapter	Take it out of the antistatic bag. (If this is a replacement adapter, put the adapter you are replacing into the same antistatic bag.)
	Installing a new NVRAM adapter	Remove the plastic insulator sheet between the lithium batteries and the metal clips. This insulator prevents the batteries from draining while the adapter is stored.
	Installing a new SCSI adapter and there is a SCSI adapter in an adjacent expansion slot	Disconnect the internal SCSI ribbon cable from the internal connector on the top edge of that SCSI adapter and fold the cable over the top of the back panel. This step makes it easier to see what you are doing when you install the new SCSI adapter and its internal cable.
	Reinstalling an existing adapter	Proceed to Step 2. You reinstall adapters when you replace the motherboard or if you are replacing units on the NVRAM adapter.
2	Holding the adapter by its top edge, with the faceplate near your left hand, lower the adapter into the slot until its connector edge meets the grooves in the expansion slot. The faceplate of the adapter should be in position against the back panel, and should cover the endplate slot on the back panel.
3	Press carefully on the top edge of the adapter until the edge connector is seated in the expansion slot.
4	Replace the screw to secure the adapter faceplate to the back panel.
5	If you are...	Then...
	Replacing a SCSI adapter	Reconnect the SCSI ribbon cable to the internal connector on the top of the adapter and proceed to Step 7.
	Installing an additional SCSI adapter	Proceed to Connecting the additional SCSI adapter to PORT B before continuing with the rest of this procedure.
6	If you removed the cables to the ports on the back panel of your filer, reconnect all the cables.
7	Proceed to Closing the PCB carrier.

Connecting the additional SCSI adapter to PORT B

This procedure is only for when you are installing an additional SCSI adapter.

To connect the additional SCSI adapter to PORT B of the recommended expansion slot, complete the following steps.

Note
On the back panel of the filer there is a B PORT corresponding to the number of the expansion slot in which you installed the SCSI adapter.

Step	Action
1	Remove the PORT B metal knock-out plate on the back panel by inserting a screwdriver (from the inside of the PCB carrier) into the center hole and pushing out the knock-out plate. In the following figure, the PORT B metal knock-out plate is labeled 7B.
2	Discard the knock-out plate.
3	Locate the SCSI ribbon cable (included with the new SCSI adapter). This ribbon cable has a shielded external SCSI-2 connector on one end and an unshielded internal SCSI-2 connector on the other end.
4	Insert the shielded external SCSI-2 connector on the SCSI ribbon cable into the PORT 7B opening from the inside of the PCB carrier.
5	Insert the two screw locks from the outside of the carrier back panel and tighten them to secure the cable connector in the PORT 7B opening. Caution To avoid cross-threading the screw locks, start the screw locks by hand and then tighten them carefully using a 3/16 socket wrench.
6	Press the unshielded internal SCSI connector of the ribbon cable onto the internal SCSI connector on the top edge of the SCSI adapter in expansion slot 7.
7	Reconnect the internal SCSI ribbon cable that you disconnected in Installing an expansion adapter to the top edge of the SCSI adapter in expansion slot 8.
8	Return to Installing an expansion adapter to complete installing the additional SCSI adapter.