Apple XSERVE RAID Service Manual

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Service Source

Xserve RAID

Xserve RAID and Xserve RAID (SFP)

Updated: 25 May 2004

© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Service Source

Basics

Xserve RAID

© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.

Overview

Xserve RAID is a storage system that provides high-performance, scalable data access
and management. It was designed to work with Xserve but is also compatible with desktop
computers back to the Power Mac G4 (Digital Audio), as long as the computer has system
software OS X (version 10.2.3 or later). A host adapter card must be installed in these
computers to allow connection to the Xserve RAID system.

Overview

Xserve RAID offers dual independent RAID controllers, up to 14 hot-pluggable hard
drives, and two hot-pluggable power supplies. Also featured are several connection
options, including dual 2-gigabit fibre channel HSSDC2 or SFP ports, dual Ethernet ports
(for managing the system remotely), and dual uninterruptible power supply (UPS) ports.
The system is 5.25 inches (3U) high and can be mounted in a rack with four mounting
posts.

Important: Due to the weight of the unit, two people are necessary for unpacking, lifting,

mounting, or replacing the Xserve RAID system in a rack. Do not attempt to lift or move
the system without help from another person.

Xserve RAID Basics - 1

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Features

Key features of Xserve RAID include:

• 3U enclosure (5.25 inches high)

• rack optimized

• dual independent RAID controllers, each with a minimum of 128 megabytes (MB) of
RAM cache

• up to 14 hot-swappable ATA-100 Apple Drive Modules, each with a minimum of 180
gigabyte (GB) capacity

• dual hot-swappable power supplies

• dual AC power connections

• dual hot-swappable cooling modules

• dual 2-gigabit (Gb) fibre channel HSSDC2 (original Xserve RAID) or SFP (Xserve
RAID (SFP)) ports, supporting point-to-point and fabric (switched) connections

• dual Ethernet ports for remote management of the system

• dual ports for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) management

• Mac OS X compatibility (version 10.2 or later)

• Apple Fibre Channel PCI card (sold separately) with dual fibre channel connectors for
host system

• optional dual battery backup for controller cache

• optional service parts kit

• optional drive modules

Rack Mount

Xserve RAID is designed to be mounted in a rack; however, rack mounting is optional.
Because of the weight of the system, lifting or transferring Xserve RAID from a rack
requires two people.

For information on mounting Xserve RAID in a rack, see the

2 - Xserve RAID Basics

Xserve RAID Setup Guide

Features

Quick-Swap Modules

Several modules can be easily replaced in Xserve RAID without removing the system from
its rack. Most of these modules are both redundant and hot-swappable. The following table
is a quick reference to these modules:

Table 1: Quick-Swap Modules

Module Hot-swappable? Redundant?

ATA Drives Yes Depends on RAID config

Power Supplies Yes Yes

Cooling modules Yes Yes

Battery Modules Yes Yes

Controller Modules No: System must be shut

down first

No: Upper controller
manages left seven drives;
lower controller manages
right seven drives

Identifier Light/Button

The identifier light on the Xserve RAID front panel turns on when internal sensors or a
systems administrator detects a problem with the unit. The light can also be turned on by
pressing the identifier button. This indicator will help you locate which Xserve RAID in a
rack needs servicing.

Note: A duplicate identifier light/button is on the unit’s back panel.

Hot-Pluggable A TA Drives

Xserve includes fourteen hard drive bays at the front of the server, each of which supports
a hot-pluggable ATA/100 drive module available only from Apple. You can replace or install
hard drives while the server is running; you do not need to shut down or open the server
first. A status light on the front of each drive indicates when it is safe to remove the drive
without losing data. For more information, see “Hard Drive” in the Take Apart chapter.

RAID Controller Modules

Xserve RAID includes two controller modules, each with a minimum of 128 MB RAM. The
top controller manages the seven drive modules on the system’s left side (viewed from the
front of the system); the bottom controller manages the seven drive modules on the right.
Each controller module consists of the controller card, processor, and memory.

Features

Xserve RAID Basics - 3

Power Supplies

Xserve RAID includes two redundant power supplies, each with an AC power connection.
When one power supply is not operational, the other provides power for the entire system.
You can replace or install a power supply while the system is running. If one power supply
is removed from the system, it must be reinstalled or replaced with a working one as soon
as possible to prevent the drive modules from overheating.

Cooling modules

Xserve RAID includes two redundant cooling modules. If one cooling module is not
operational, the other provides cooling for the entire system. You can replace or install a
cooling module while the system is running. If one cooling module is removed from the
system, it must be reinstalled or replaced with a working one as soon as possible to avoid
an over-temperature condition, which causes the system to shut down.

Backup Batteries

Xserve RAID may include up to two optional, redundant backup batteries, which protect
data in the controllers’ cache in the event of a power interruption. The Xserve RAID power
supplies charge the battery modules when they are installed in the system. The batteries
can be replaced or installed while the system is running.

To check a battery’s charge when the module is out of the system, press the button on the
underside of the module. All four green LEDs light when the battery module is fully
charged. You can also use the monitoring or admin software to determine the battery’s
charge. See “Remote Monitoring” in the Troubleshooting chapter.

For proper operation of the battery, check the status lights on the front of the module. See
“Status Lights” in the Troubleshooting chapter.

Host Adapter Card

The Apple Fibre Channel card is a 7-inch PCI card designed for use with Xserve RAID
systems. The card is installed in a host system so that it can connect, using one or two
fibre channel cables, to the controller cards in Xserve RAID. The host card provides fibre
channel communication in both directions simultaneously at up to 2 gigabits per second
(Gb/sec). If the card is used in an Xserve, it must be installed in the top PCI slot of the
dual-slot riser card.

If host adapter cards are installed in each of two host systems, they can both connect to
the same Xserve RAID: one host to the top controller card (for access to the left seven
drives) and the other host to the bottom controller card (for access to the right seven
drives).

4 - Xserve RAID Basics

Features

Ports

The standard configuration of Xserve RAID includes the following ports on the back panel:
two 2-gigabit fibre channel ports (HSSDC2 in the original Xserve RAID and SFP in
Xserve RAID (SFP)) , two gigabit Ethernet ports, and two ports for uninterruptible power
supply (UPS) management.

System administrators or service providers can connect a laptop computer or terminal to
the Ethernet ports and then use command-line tools to change settings on the server.

Note: For a diagram of the ports location, see “Back Panel” in the Views chapter.

Diagnostics

Two types of diagnostics are available for Xserve RAID:

• status lights

• remote monitoring

For more information, see “Diagnostic Tools” in the Troubleshooting chapter.

Features

Xserve RAID Basics - 5

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Service Source

Take Apart

Xserve RAID

© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.

General Information

Tools

No tools are required for removing or installing the following parts: hard drive, power
supply, cooling module, controller module, and backup battery. Other parts require only a
Phillips screwdriver. If the system is locked, you will also need the Allen wrench key that
came with the system.

Before Opening Xserve RAID

Unlocking Xserve RAID

If the system is in the locked position (the yellow security LED on the front panel is on),
use the Allen key that came with the system to unlock it.

Shutting Down

You must shut down the system before replacing or installing all parts except the hard
drives, power supplies, cooling modules, and backup batteries. Before shutting down, be
sure to alert users that the system will be unavailable for a period of time.

Warning: After shutting down the system, you must wait a few minutes before servicing it

to allow internal components to cool.

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Precautions

Follow these steps to avoid damage from ESD before working inside Xserve RAID.

1. Shut down the system.

2. Unplug all external cables except the power cords.

3. Touch the Xserve RAID metal case to discharge static electricity.

4. Unplug the power cords.

5. With the help of another person, remove the system from the rack, and place it on a

6. Put on an ESD wrist strap.

7. To avoid static electricity building back up in your body, do not walk around the room

General Information

flat surface, preferably covered by an ESD mat.

until after you have finished working and closed the system.

Xserve RAID Take Apart - 1

Hard Drive Module

Xserve RAID includes fourteen hard drive bays at the front of the system. Drives come as
modules attached to carriers; they are removed from or installed in the system as a unit.

Note: Blank drive carriers, which may fill some of the hard drive bays, follow the same

take-apart procedure as hard drives. If you are replacing a blank carrier with a drive
module, instruct the system’s administrator to keep the blank for possible future use. Blank
carriers must be installed in all empty bays to maintain proper airflow through the system.

Tools

No tools are required for this procedure.

Preliminary Steps

Before you begin, make sure the drives are in the unlocked position. No other preliminary
steps are required. You can replace or install hard drives while Xserve RAID is running;
you do not need to shut down or open the unit first.

Note: There are two LED indicators on the front of each drive.

• The right LED shows drive status: a green light indicates the drive is good; a yellow or
red light indicates the drive should be replaced or removed and reinserted.

• The left LED shows drive activity: when the light is blinking, the system is reading from
or writing to the drive. To avoid losing data, never remove a drive when the lower LED
is blinking.

WARNING: Drives must be in the unlocked position before you attempt to remove a drive.

If the drives are locked, pulling on the drive to remove it could damage the drive handle.

Part Location

2 - Xserve RAID Take Apart

Hard Drive Module

Procedure

1. Make sure the drive being replaced is not in use by any application and that removing

it will not disrupt the RAID scheme in use.

2. Press the handle on the front of the drive module so that the handle pops out.

3. Wait for the right LED on the drive to go out. Then grasp the drive handle, and pull the

drive module out of the system.

Important :To maintain proper airflow, do not leave a drive bay empty. If you permanently

remove a drive, replace it with a blank drive module.

Hard Drive Module

Xserve RAID Take Apart - 3

Power Supply

Xserve RAID includes two redundant power supplies. When one power supply is not
operational, the other provides power for the entire system.

Tools

No tools are required for this procedure.

Preliminary Steps

No preliminary steps are required. You can replace or install a power supply while the
system is running; you do not need to shut down or open Xserve RAID first.

Part Location

4 - Xserve RAID Take Apart

Power Supply

Procedure

1. For the power supply you want to replace, unplug the power cord from the power

source.

2. Lift the clip that holds the power cord in place and remove the cord from the back of

the power supply.

3. Press in the small latch on the power supply handle, and pull down to unlock it. Then

holding the handle, pull the power supply straight out the back of the system.

Power Supply

Warning: Do not reach inside the system when removing a power supply or when the

power supply is out of the system.

Important: When you remove a power supply from the system, be sure to replace it with a

working power supply as soon as possible to prevent the system from overheating.

Xserve RAID Take Apart - 5

Cooling module

Xserve RAID includes two redundant cooling modules. If one cooling module is not
operational, the other provides cooling for the entire system.

Tools

No tools are required for this procedure.

Preliminary Steps

No preliminary steps are required. You can replace or install a cooling module while the
system is running; you do not need to shut down or open Xserve RAID first.

Part Location

6 - Xserve RAID Take Apart

Cooling module

Procedure

1. Press apart the two latches on the back of the cooling module.

2. Holding the cooling module by the latches, pull it straight out the back of the Xserve

RAID enclosure.

Important: When you remove a cooling module from the system, be sure to replace it with

a working cooling module as soon as possible to prevent the system from overheating.

Cooling module

Xserve RAID Take Apart - 7

Controller Module

Xserve RAID includes two controller modules. The top controller manages the seven drive
modules on the system’s left side (viewed from the front of the system); the bottom
controller manages the seven drive modules on the right.

Tools

No tools are required for this procedure.

Preliminary Steps

You must shut down the system, using the admin or monitoring software, before removing
or installing a controller module.

Part Location

8 - Xserve RAID Take Apart

Controller Module

Procedure

1. Press apart the two latches on the back of the controller module.

2. Holding the controller module by the latches, pull it straight back out of the enclosure.

Controller Module

Xserve RAID Take Apart - 9

Battery Module

Xserve RAID may include up to two optional, redundant backup battery modules, which
protect data in the controllers’ cache in the event of a power interruption.

The battery module consists of a battery cell, battery recharger board, battery light pipe,
and battery cable. This procedure explains how to remove the battery module from the
enclosure.

Tools

No tools are required for this procedure.

Preliminary Steps

No preliminary steps are required. You can replace or install a battery module while the
system is running; you do not need to shut down or open Xserve RAID first.

Part Location

10 - Xserve RAID Take Apart

Battery Module

Procedure

1. Squeeze together the two latches on the back of the battery module, and holding it by

the handle, pull it straight back.

2. Remove the battery module from the Xserve RAID enclosure.

Note: When first installed, a new battery module will take several hours to charge
completely. The system must be turned on to charge the battery.

Important :To maintain proper airflow, do not leave a battery bay empty. If you

permanently remove a battery module, replace it with a blank battery cover, inserted as
illustrated.

Battery Module

Xserve RAID Take Apart - 11

Removing Xserve RAID from the Rack

You must remove Xserve RAID from its rack to access all parts except the hard drive,
power supply, cooling module, controller module, processor, memory, and backup battery.

Important: Due to the weight of the system, do not attempt to lift or move the system
without help from another person.

Tools

The only tool required for this procedure is a Phillips screwdriver.

Preliminary Steps

See “Before Opening Xserve RAID” at the beginning of this chapter.

Procedure

1. Remove the two screws that secure the system to the front rail of the rack.

12 - Xserve RAID Take Apart

Removing Xserve RAID from the Rack