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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

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

About this task

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

  • 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 orientation example

  • If cabling to an optical switch, insert the optical transceiver into the controller port before cabling to the switch port.

Step 1: Connect the storage controllers to your network

Cable the controllers to your ONTAP cluster. This procedure differs depending on your storage system model and I/O module configuration.

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

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

Steps

  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
Switched cluster cabling

Use the 100 GbE cable to connect ports e1a to e1a and ports e7a to e7a.

Steps

  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

Step 2: Cable the host network connections

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.

Steps

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

    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

Step 3: Cable the management network connections

Use the 1000BASE-T RJ-45 cables to connect the management (wrench) ports on each controller 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.

Step 4: Cable the shelf connections

The following cabling procedures show how to connect your controllers to a storage shelf. Choose one of the following cabling options that matches your setup.

For the maximum number of shelves supported for your storage system and for all of your cabling options, see NetApp Hardware Universe.

Option 1: One NS224 storage shelf

Connect each controller to the NSM modules on the NS224 shelf. The graphics show controller A cabling in blue and controller B cabling 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: Two NS224 storage shelves

Connect each controller to the NSM modules on both NS224 shelves. The graphics show controller A cabling in blue and controller B cabling 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.