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Install and maintain

Cable the hardware - AFF A70 and AFF A90

Contributors dougthomp netapp-jsnyder netapp-martyh
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After you install the rack hardware for your AFF A70 or AFF A90 storage system, install the network cables for the controllers, and connect the cables between the controllers and storage shelves.

Before you begin

Check the illustration arrow in the cabling diagrams for the proper cable connector pull-tab orientation.

Cable pull tab orientation example

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

  • If connecting to an optical switch, insert the small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver into the controller port before cabling to the port.

Step 1: Connect the storage controllers to your network

Connect the storage controllers to your host network.

Before you begin

Contact your network administrator for information about connecting the storage system to the switches.

About this task

These procedures show common configurations. Keep in mind that the specific cabling depends on the components ordered for your storage system. For comprehensive configuration and slot priority details, see NetApp Hardware Universe.

Option 1: Connect the controllers to a switchless ONTAP cluster

Connect your storage controllers to each other to create the ONTAP cluster connections, and then connect the Ethernet ports on each controller to your host network.

Steps

  1. Use the the Cluster/HA interconnect cable to connect to connect ports e1a to e1a and ports e7a to e7a.

    Note The cluster interconnect traffic and the HA traffic share the same physical ports.

    1. Connect port e1a on Controller A to port e1a on Controller B.

    2. Connect port e7a on Controller A to port e7a on Controller B.

      Cluster/HA interconnect cables

      Cluster HA cable
    Two-node switchless cluster cabling diagram

  2. Connect the Ethernet module ports to your host network.

    The following are some typical host network cabling examples. See NetApp Hardware Universe for your specific system configuration.

    1. Connect ports e9a and e9b to your Ethernet data network switch as shown.

      Note For maximum system performance for cluster and HA traffic, do not use ports e1b and e7b ports for host network connections. Use a separate host card to maximize performance.

      100 GbE cable

      100Gb Ethernet cable
      Cable to 100 Gb Ethernet network

    2. Connect your 10/25 GbE host network switches.

      4-ports, 10/25 GbE Host

      10/25 Gb cable
      Cable to 100Gb Ethernet network

  3. Use the 1000BASE-T RJ-45 cables to connect the controller management (wrench) ports to the management network switches.

    RJ45 cables

    1000BASE-T RJ-45 cables

    Connect to your management network
Important Do not plug in the power cords yet.
Option 2: Connect the controllers to a switched ONTAP cluster

Connect your storage controllers to the cluster network switches to create the ONTAP cluster connections, and then connect the Ethernet ports on each controller to your host network.

Steps

  1. Make the following cabling connections:

    Note The cluster interconnect traffic and the HA traffic share the same physical ports.

    1. Connect port e1a on Controller A and port e1a on Controller B to cluster network switch A.

    2. Connect port e7a on Controller A and port e7a on Controller B to cluster network switch B.

      100 GbE cable

      100 Gb cable
      Cable cluster connections to cluster network

  2. Connect the Ethernet module ports to your host network.

    The following are some typical host network cabling examples. See NetApp Hardware Universe for your specific system configuration.

    1. Connect ports e9a and e9b to your Ethernet data network switch as shown.

      Note For maximum system performance for cluster and HA traffic, do not use ports e1b and e7b ports for host network connections. Use a separate host card to maximize performance.

      100 GbE cable

      100Gb Ethernet cable
      Cable to 100Gb Ethernet network

    2. Connect your 10/25 GbE host network switches.

      4-ports, 10/25 GbE Host

      10/25Gb Ethernet cable
      Cable to 10/25Gb Ethernet network

  3. Connect the controller management (wrench) ports to the management network switches with 1000BASE-T RJ-45 cables.

    RJ-45 cables

    1000BASE-T RJ-45 cables

    Connect to your management network
Important Do not plug in the power cords yet.

Step 2: Connect the storage controllers to the storage shelves

The following cabling procedures show how to connect your controllers to one shelf and to two shelves. You can directly connect up to four shelves to your controllers.

Option 1: Connect to one NS224 storage shelf

Connect each controller to the NSM modules on the NS224 shelf. The graphics show cabling from each of the controllers: Controller A cabling is shown in blue and Controller B cabling is shown in yellow.

100 GbE QSFP28 copper cables

100 GbE QSFP28 copper cable
Steps

  1. Connect controller A port e11a to NSM A port e0a.

  2. Connect controller A port e11b to port NSM B port e0b.

    Controller A e11a and e11b to a single NS224 shelf

  3. Connect controller B port e11a to NSM B port e0a.

  4. Connect controller B port e11b to NSM A port e0b.

    Controller B e11a and e11b to a single NS224 shelf

Option 2: Connect to two NS224 storage shelves

Connect each controller to the NSM modules on both NS224 shelves. The graphics show cabling from each of the controllers: Controller A cabling is shown in blue and Controller B cabling is shown in yellow.

100 GbE QSFP28 copper cables

100 GbE QSFP28 copper cable
Steps

  1. On controller A, connect the following ports:

    1. Connect port e11a to shelf 1, NSM A port e0a.

    2. Connect port e11b to shelf 2, NSM B port e0b.

    3. Connect port e8a to shelf 2, NSM A port e0a.

    4. Connect port e8b to shelf 1, NSM B port e0b.

      Controller-to-shelf connections for controller A

  2. On controller B, connect the following ports:

    1. Connect port e11a to shelf 1, NSM B port e0a.

    2. Connect port e11b to shelf 2, NSM A port e0b.

    3. Connect port e8a to shelf 2, NSM B port e0a.

    4. Connect port e8b to shelf 1, NSM A port e0b.

      Controller-to-shelf connections for controller B

What's next?

After you’ve cabled the hardware for your AFF A70 or AFF A90 system, you power on the AFF A70 or AFF A90 storage system.