Requirements and guidelines for completing the hardware location chart

The hardware location chart represents the rack into which the SAN Volume Controller nodes are installed. Each row of the chart represents one Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) 19-inch rack space.

When you design the rack for the SAN Volume Controller, use the hardware location chart to record the physical configuration of your system.

You can download the hardware location chart from the following Web site:

www.ibm.com/storage/support/2145

When you complete the information in the hardware location chart, consider the following requirements:

• Do not exceed the maximum power rating of the rack and input power supply.
• A SAN Volume Controller node is one EIA unit high. Therefore, for each SAN Volume Controller node that is to be installed, fill in the row that represents the position that the SAN Volume Controller node is to occupy.
• The 2145 UPS is two EIA units high and supported for 2145-4F2 nodes only. Therefore, for each 2145 UPS, fill in two rows.
• The 2145 UPS-1U is one EIA unit high. Therefore, for each 2145 UPS-1U, fill in one row.
• The redundant ac-power switch is one EIA unit high. Therefore, for each redundant ac-power switch, fill in one row.
• The IBM® System Storage® Productivity Center hardware is two EIA units high: one EIA unit for the server and one EIA unit for the keyboard and monitor.
• The depth of the SAN Volume Controller 2145-8A4 node is less than other components and nodes by approximately 127 mm or 5 inches. Do not locate the 2145-8A4 node in the rack between components or nodes of greater depths; otherwise, it will not be possible to attach cables to the 2145-8A4 node. The same restriction applies to the 2145 UPS-1U, which is of comparable depth.
• If there are any hardware devices already in the rack, record this information on the chart.
• Fill in rows for all other units that will be present in the rack, including Ethernet hubs and fibre-channel switches. Hubs and switches are usually one EIA unit high, but check with your supplier.
• A cluster can contain no more than eight SAN Volume Controller nodes.
• Install the SAN Volume Controller nodes in pairs to provide redundancy and concurrent maintenance.
• The IBM service representative does not install the Ethernet hub or the fibre-channel switches. You must arrange for either the suppliers or someone in your organization to install those items. Provide the installer with a copy of the completed hardware location chart.

In addition to the requirements for completing your information in the hardware location chart, consider also the following guidelines and recommendations.

• Position SAN Volume Controller nodes so that information on the display screen is easily viewed and so that the controls that are used to navigate the display menu are easily reached. Place SAN Volume Controller nodes in EIA 11-36.
• To view the front panels of the SAN Volume Controller node while you perform maintenance procedures, place the IBM System Storage Productivity Center in close proximity to the SAN Volume Controller cluster. To ensure that the IBM System Storage Productivity Center is at a convenient height for viewing the monitor and using the keyboard, place the IBM System Storage Productivity Center in EIA 17-24. Position the IBM System Storage Productivity Center server, the keyboard, and the monitor unit close to each other. Ensure you allow access to the CD drive that is located in the server while the keyboard and monitor unit are pulled out and are open. To allow the monitor to open, do not place the keyboard and monitor unit directly below a SAN Volume Controller node.
• To reduce the chance of a simultaneous input power failure at both uninterruptible power supply units, either use the redundant ac-power switch or connect each uninterruptible power supply unit to a separate electrical power source on a separate branch circuit.