Before you begin your installation

Information you need to understand

Before you install one or more disk shelves in a rack, you need to understand the following information:

Disk shelf numbering
Loop IDs
Supported disk drives

Disk shelf numbering

Each disk shelf in a loop must have a unique ID. A valid shelf ID is from 1 through 6, with disk shelf 1 connected to the storage appliance. The default for an invalid shelf ID is 7. If you install a second or third loop of disk shelves, the disk shelf IDs in each loop must start at 1. The ID of a single disk shelf should be 1.

Each disk shelf is shipped with its assigned ID set on its back panel. You must ensure that the disk shelf has the correct ID number on the label. The ID label is on the right side of the disk shelf, as shown in the following illustration.

NetApp sets the disk shelf IDs at the factory on configured systems, using an ID switch on the back panel. If you order additional disk shelves, you must set the disk shelf ID yourself.

Note
If you enter a shelf ID that is not from 1 through 7, the drive addresses default to those of a shelf with the ID switch set to 7 even though the shelf ID indicator in the front operation panel displays a dash (-).

The example in the following illustration shows a DS14mk2 AT with the disk shelf ID set to 1.

Loop IDs

In addition to identifying the disk shelf ID and the direction of the drive bays, the ID label on the right side of the disk shelf includes the loop ID. The loop ID identifies the disks in the disk shelf. The last sheet of the quick reference cards that come with your disk shelf shows the seven disk shelf IDs and their corresponding loop IDs.

Supported disk drives

The DS14mk2 AT supports 250-GB and 320-GB disk drives. See the System Configuration Guide at http://now.netapp.com for more information on supported drives and platforms.