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E-Series storage systems

Cable the hardware - EF50 and EF80

Contributors netapp-lisa
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After you install your EF50 or EF80 storage system hardware, cable the inter-controller mirroring and host network connections. (You cable the management ports later in the Complete storage system setup section.)

About this task

  • The term I/O module is used to refer to the host interface cards (HICs) in this procedure.

  • The cabling graphics have arrow icons showing the proper orientation (up or down) of the cable connector pull-tab when inserting a connector into a port.

    As you insert the connector, you should feel it click into place; if you do not feel it click, remove it, turn it over and try again.

    Cable pull tab direction

Step 1: Cable the inter-controller mirroring connections

Cable the controllers to each other to enable inter-controller mirroring. Inter-controller mirroring connections ensure full system redundancy and are used for cache mirroring and I/O shipping. The cabling is the same for EF50 and EF80 storage systems.

Note No matter the speed of the inter-controller mirroring I/O modules installed in your storage system (100 GbE or 200 GbE, as supported by your storage system), you use the included 200 GbE cables. If the speed of the inter-controller mirroring I/O modules is 100 GbE, the connection operates at the lower speed (100 GbE).
Steps

  1. Connect the controllers together:

    1. Cable controller A port e4a to controller B port e4a.

    2. Cable controller A port e4b to controller B port e4b.

      200 GbE Ethernet cables

      100 gbe ethernet cable used for mirroring connections

      ef50 and ef80 controller to controller mirroring connection cabling

Step 2: Cable the host connections

Cable the host connections for your storage system according to your network topology: direct attached or fabric attached.

About this task

  • Depending on your storage system model, the type of host I/O modules installed in the storage system can be Ethernet or Fibre Channel (FC). The cabling examples in this procedure show both types of host I/O modules as supported by the storage system models.

  • Cabling examples do not show 4-port 64Gb FC HBAs in host 1 and host 2; however, if you have these installed, you cable every other port in the same manner as shown for the 2-port HBAs.

Direct-attached topology

The following examples show cabling a storage system to the hosts using a direct-attached topology.

EF50 with two 4-port 64Gb FC I/O modules
About this task

  • The cabling example shows host I/O modules in slots 1 and 2. This is the maximum number of host I/O modules supported for the EF50 storage system. However, only the host I/O module in slot 1 is required; the host I/O module in slot 2 is optional.

    If your storage system has one host I/O module installed, you can ignore the cabling to the additional host I/O module and only cable to the installed host I/O module.

  • A direct-attached storage system has two separate paths for redundancy: path A and path B.

    • Path A connectivity is shown with blue cabling and blue ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host to controller A ports a and c.

    • Path B connectivity is shown with red cabling and red ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host to controller B ports a and c.

  • Although the cabling example shows I/O module ports a and c connected to the hosts, you can use ports a and b or ports c and d.

Steps

  1. Cable the hosts to the controllers:

    1. Cable host 1 path A (blue) HBA ports to controller A's a ports (1a and 2a).

    2. Cable host 1 path B (red) HBA ports to controller B's a ports (1a and 2a).

    3. Cable host 2 path A (blue) HBA ports to controller A's c ports (1c and 2c).

    4. Cable host 2 path B (red) HBA ports to controller B's c ports (1c and 2c).

      64 Gb/s FC cables

      64 Gb fc cable

      EF50 direct-attached topology to hosts using two 4 port 64gb fc io modules

EF80 with three 2-port 200 GbE I/O modules
About this task

  • The cabling example shows host I/O modules in slots 1, 2, and 3. This is the maximum number of host I/O modules supported for the EF80 storage system. However, only the host I/O module in slot 1 is required; host I/O modules in slot 2 and slot 3 are both optional.

    If your storage system has fewer host I/O modules installed, you can ignore the cabling to the additional host I/O modules and only cable to the installed host I/O modules.

  • A direct-attached storage system has two separate paths for redundancy: path A and path B.

    • Path A connectivity is shown with blue cabling and blue ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host to controller A ports a and b.

    • Path B connectivity is shown with red cabling and red ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host to controller B ports a and b.

Steps

  1. Cable the hosts to the controllers:

    1. Cable host 1 path A (blue) HBA ports to controller A's a ports (e1a, e2a and e3a).

    2. Cable host 1 path B (red) HBA ports to controller B's a ports (e1a, e2a and e3a).

    3. Cable host 2 path A (blue) HBA ports to controller A's b ports (e1b, e2b and e3b).

    4. Cable host 2 path B (red) HBA ports to controller B's b ports (e1b, e2b and e3b).

      200 GbE cables

      200 GbE cable

      EF80 direct-attached topology to hosts using three 2 port 200gbe ib io modules

EF80 with three 4-port 64Gb FC I/O modules
About this task

  • The cabling example shows host I/O modules in slots 1, 2, and 3. This is the maximum number of host I/O modules supported for the EF80 storage system. However, only the host I/O module in slot 1 is required; host I/O modules in slot 2 and slot 3 are both optional.

    If your storage system has fewer host I/O modules installed, you can ignore the cabling to the additional host I/O modules and only cable to the installed host I/O modules.

  • A direct-attached storage system has two separate paths for redundancy: path A and path B.

    • Path A connectivity is shown with blue cabling and blue ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host to controller A ports a and c.

    • Path B connectivity is shown with red cabling and red ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host to controller B ports a and c.

  • Although the cabling example shows I/O module ports a and c connected to the hosts, you can use ports a and b or ports c and d.

Steps

  1. Cable the hosts to the controllers:

    1. Cable host 1 path A (blue) HBA ports to controller A's a ports (1a, 2a and 3a).

    2. Cable host 1 path B (red) HBA ports to controller B's a ports (1a, 2a and 3a).

    3. Cable host 2 path A (blue) HBA ports to controller A's c ports (1c, 2c and 3c).

    4. Cable host 2 path B (red) HBA ports to controller B's c ports (1c, 2c and 3c).

      64 Gb/s FC cables

      64 Gb fc cable

      EF80 direct-attached topology to hosts using three 4 port 64gb fc io modules

Fabric-attached topology

The following examples show cabling a storage system to the hosts using a fabric-attached topology.

EF50 with two 4-port 64Gb FC I/O modules
About this task

  • The cabling example shows host I/O modules in slots 1 and 2. This is the maximum number of host I/O modules supported for the EF50 storage system. However, only the host I/O module in slot 1 is required; the host I/O module in slot 2 is optional.

    If your storage system has one host I/O module installed, you can ignore the cabling to the additional host I/O module and only cable to the installed host I/O module.

  • A fabric-attached storage system has two separate switch paths for redundancy: switch 1 path and switch 2 path.

    • Switch 1 path connectivity is shown with blue cabling and blue ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host through switch 1 to controller A's and controller B's a and c ports.

    • Switch 2 path connectivity is shown with red cabling and red ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host through switch 2 to controller A's and controller B's b and d ports.

Steps

  1. Connect the hosts to the switches.

    You can use any ports on the switches.

    1. Cable host 1 and host 2 switch 1 path (blue) HBA ports to switch 1.

    2. Cable host 1 and host 2 switch 2 path (red) HBA ports to switch 2.

  2. Connect the switches to the controllers:

    1. Cable switch 1 (blue) to controller A's a and c ports (1a, 2a, 1c, and 2c).

    2. Cable switch 1 (blue) to controller B's a and c ports (1a, 2a, 1c, and 2c).

    3. Cable switch 2 (red) to controller A's b and d ports (1b, 2b, 1d, and 2d).

    4. Cable switch 2 (red) to controller B's b and d ports (1b, 2b, 1d, and 2d).

      64 Gb/s FC cables

      64 Gb fc cable

      EF50 fabric-attached topology using two 4 port 64gb fc io modules

EF80 with three 2-port 200 GbE I/O modules
About this task

  • The cabling example shows host I/O modules in slots 1, 2, and 3. This is the maximum number of host I/O modules supported for the EF80 storage system. However, only the host I/O module in slot 1 is required; host I/O modules in slot 2 and slot 3 are both optional.

    If your storage system has fewer host I/O modules installed, you can ignore the cabling to the additional host I/O modules and only cable to the installed host I/O modules.

  • The cabling example shows three HBAs on each host. If your hosts have less than three HBAs, you can ignore the cabling to the additional HBAs and only cable to the installed HBAs.

  • A fabric-attached storage system has two separate switch paths for redundancy: switch 1 path and switch 2 path.

    • Switch 1 path connectivity is shown with blue cabling and blue ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host through switch 1 to controller A's and controller B's a ports.

    • Switch 2 path connectivity is shown with red cabling and red ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host through switch 2 to controller A's and controller B's b ports.

Steps

  1. Connect the hosts to the switches:

    You can use any ports on the switches.

    1. Cable host 1 and host 2 switch 1 path (blue) HBA ports to switch 1.

    2. Cable host 1 and host 2 switch 2 path (red) HBA ports to switch 2.

  2. Connect the switches to the controllers:

    1. Cable switch 1 (blue) to controller A's a ports (e1a, e2a, and e3a).

    2. Cable switch 1 (blue) to controller B's a ports (e1a, e2a, and e3a).

    3. Cable switch 2 (red) to controller A's b ports (e1b, e2b, and e3b).

    4. Cable switch 2 (red) to controller B's b ports (e1b, e2b, and e3b).

      200 GbE cables

      200 GbE cable

      EF80 fabric-attached topology using three 2 port 200gbe io modules

EF80 with three 4-port 64Gb FC I/O modules
About this task

  • The cabling example shows host I/O modules in slots 1, 2, and 3. This is the maximum number of host I/O modules supported for the EF80 storage system. However, only the host I/O module in slot 1 is required; host I/O modules in slot 2 and slot 3 are both optional.

    If your storage system has fewer host I/O modules installed, you can ignore the cabling to the additional host I/O modules and only cable to the installed host I/O modules.

  • The cabling example shows three HBAs on each host. If your hosts have less than three HBAs, you can ignore the cabling to the additional HBAs and only cable to the installed HBAs.

  • A fabric-attached storage system has two separate switch paths for redundancy: switch 1 path and switch 2 path.

    • Switch 1 path connectivity is shown with blue cabling and blue ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host through switch 1 to controller A's and controller B's a and c ports.

    • Switch 2 path connectivity is shown with red cabling and red ports on the hosts and controllers. It connects HBA ports on each host through switch 2 to controller A's and controller B's b and d ports.

Steps

  1. Connect the hosts to the switches:

    You can use any ports on the switches.

    1. Cable host 1 and host 2 switch 1 path (blue) HBA ports to switch 1.

    2. Cable host 1 and host 2 switch 2 path (red) HBA ports to switch 2.

  2. Connect the switches to the controllers:

    1. Cable switch 1 (blue) to controller A's a and c ports (1a, 2a, 3a, 1c, 2c, and 3c).

    2. Cable switch 1 (blue) to controller B's a and c ports (1a, 2a, 3a, 1c, 2c, and 3c).

    3. Cable switch 2 (red) to controller A's b and d ports (1b, 2b, 3b, 1d, 2d, and 3d).

    4. Cable switch 2 (red) to controller B's b and d ports (1b, 2b, 3b, 1d, 2d, and 3d).

      64 Gb/s FC cables

      64 Gb fc cable

      EF80 fabric-attached topology using three 4 port 64gb fc io modules

What's next?

After cabling the inter-controller mirroring and host connections for your storage system, power on your storage system.