SUPER MICRO Computer sc827 User Manual

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SUPER

SC827 Chassis Series

®

SC827H-R1200B SC827H-R1400B

SC827T-R1200B SC827T-R1400B

USER’S MANUAL

1.0

SC827 Chassis Manual

The information in this User’s Manual has been carefully reviewed and is believed to be accurate.
The vendor assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be contained in this document,
makes no commitment to update or to keep current the information in this manual, or to notify any
person or organization of the updates. Please Note: For the most up-to-date version of this

manual, please see our web site at www.supermicro.com.

Super Micro Computer, Inc. ("Supermicro") reserves the right to make changes to the product
described in this manual at any time and without notice. This product, including software, if any,
and documentation may not, in whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or
reduced to any medium or machine without prior written consent.

IN NO EVENT WILL SUPERMICRO BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL,
SPECULATIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO
USE THIS PRODUCT OR DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGES. IN PARTICULAR, SUPERMICRO SHALL NOT HAVE LIABILITY FOR ANY
HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, OR DATA STORED OR USED WITH THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING THE
COSTS OF REPAIRING, REPLACING, INTEGRATING, INSTALLING OR RECOVERING SUCH
HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, OR DATA.

Any disputes arising between manufacturer and customer shall be governed by the laws of Santa
Clara County in the State of California, USA. The State of California, County of Santa Clara shall
be the exclusive venue for the resolution of any such disputes. Super Micro's total liability for all
claims will not exceed the price paid for the hardware product.

California Best Management Practices Regulations for Perchlorate Materials: This Perchlorate
warning applies only to products containing CR (Manganese Dioxide) Lithium coin cells. “Perchlorate
Material-special handling may apply. See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate”

WARNING: Handling of lead solder materials used in this
product may expose you to lead, a chemical known to
the State of California to cause birth defects and other
reproductive harm.

Manual Revision 1.0
Release Date: October 1, 2009

Unless you request and receive written permission from Super Micro Computer, Inc., you may not
copy any part of this document.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies
referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark
holders.

Copyright © 2009 by Super Micro Computer, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

ii

Preface

About This Manual

This manual is written for professional system integrators and PC technicians. It

provides information for the installation and use of the SC827 2U chassis. Installa-

tion and maintenance should be performed by experienced technicians only.

Supermicro’s SC827 2U chassis features a unique and highly-optimized design

for multi-note dual processor platforms. The chassis is equipped with 1200W or

1400W Gold Level, high-efciency power supply for superb power savings. High-

performance fans provide ample optimized cooling for the four motherboard nodes

and the twelve hot-swappable hard drives offer maximum storage capacity in a 2U

form factor.

This document lists compatible parts available when this document was published.

Always refer to the our Web site for updates on supported parts and congura-

tions.

Preface

iii

SC827 Chassis Manual

Manual Organization

Chapter 1 Introduction

The rst chapter provides a checklist of the main components included with this

chassis, and describes the main features of the SC827 chassis. This chapter also

includes contact information.

Chapter 2 System Safety

This chapter lists warnings, precautions, and system safety. You should thoroughly

familiarize yourself with this chapter for a general overview of safety precautions

that should be followed before installing and servicing this chassis.

Chapter 3 Chassis Components

Refer here for details on this chassis model including the fans, bays, airow shields,

and other components.

Chapter 4 System Interface

Refer to this chapter for details on the system interface, which includes the functions

and information provided by the control panel on the chassis as well as other LEDs

located throughout the system.

Chapter 5 Chassis Setup and Maintenance

Follow the procedures given in this chapter when installing or removing components,

or reconguring your chassis.

Chapter 6 Rack Installation

Refer to this chapter for detailed information on chassis rack installation. You should

follow the procedures given in this chapter when installing, removing or reconguring

your chassis into a rack environment.

iv

Preface

Compatible Backplanes

This section lists compatible cables, power supply specications, and compatible

backplanes. Not all compatible backplanes are listed. Refer to our Web site for the

latest compatible backplane information.

Appendix A Chassis Cables

Appendix B Power Supply Specications

Appendix C SAS-827T Backplane Specications

Appendix D SAS-827B Backplane Specications

v

SC827 Chassis Manual

Table of Contents

Preface

About This Manual .............................................................................................iii

Manual Organization ..........................................................................................iv

Chapter 1 Introduction

1-1 Overview ......................................................................................................... 1-1

1-2 Shipping List .................................................................................................... 1-1

Part Numbers .................................................................................................. 1-1

1-3 Contacting Supermicro .................................................................................... 1-2

1-4 Returning Merchandise for Service................................................................. 1-3

Chapter 2 System Safety

2-1 Overview ......................................................................................................... 2-1

2-2 Warnings and Precautions ..............................................................................2-1

2-3 Preparing for Setup ......................................................................................... 2-1

2-4 Electrical Safety Precautions ..........................................................................2-1

2-5 General Safety Precautions ............................................................................ 2-3

2-6 System Safety ................................................................................................. 2-3

Chapter 3 Chassis Components

3-1 Overview ......................................................................................................... 3-1

3-2 Components .................................................................................................... 3-1

3-3 Where to get Replacement Components ........................................................ 3-2

Chapter 4 System Interface

4-1 Overview ......................................................................................................... 4-1

4-2 Control Panel Buttons ..................................................................................... 4-2

4-3 Control Panel LEDs ........................................................................................ 4-2

4-4 Drive Carrier LEDs .......................................................................................... 4-3

Chapter 5 Chassis Setup and Maintenance

5-1 Overview ......................................................................................................... 5-1

5-2 Chassis Cover ................................................................................................. 5-2

5-3 Installing and Removing Hard Drives ............................................................. 5-3

5-4 Removing and Installing the Backplane .......................................................... 5-7

Removing the Backplane ................................................................................ 5-7

Installing the Backplane .................................................................................. 5-9

5-5 Installing the Motherboard ............................................................................ 5-10

Compatible Motherboards ............................................................................. 5-10

Permanent and Optional Standoffs ............................................................... 5-10

5-6 Installing and Replacing Adapter Cards........................................................ 5-13

vi

Preface

Add-on Card/Expansion Slot Setup .............................................................. 5-14

Installing the Riser Card ............................................................................... 5-15

5-7 Installing the Air Shrouds .............................................................................. 5-17

Air Shrouds ................................................................................................... 5-17

5-8 Checking the Airow ..................................................................................... 5-18

Installation Complete ..................................................................................... 5-18

5-9 System Fans ................................................................................................. 5-19

Optional Fan Congurations .........................................................................5-19

5-10 Power Supply ............................................................................................... 5-21

Power Supply Replacement .......................................................................... 5-21

Chapter 6 Rack Installation

6-1 Overview ......................................................................................................... 6-1

6-2 Unpacking the System .................................................................................... 6-1

6-3 Preparing for Setup ......................................................................................... 6-1

Choosing a Setup Location ............................................................................. 6-1

6-4 Warnings and Precautions ..............................................................................6-2

Rack Precautions ............................................................................................ 6-2

General Server Precautions ............................................................................ 6-2

6-5 Rack Mounting Considerations ....................................................................... 6-3

Ambient Operating Temperature ..................................................................... 6-3

Reduced Airow .............................................................................................. 6-3

Mechanical Loading ........................................................................................ 6-3

Circuit Overloading .......................................................................................... 6-3

Reliable Ground .............................................................................................. 6-3

6-6 Rack Mounting Instructions ............................................................................. 6-4

Identifying the Sections of the Rack Rails ...................................................... 6-4

Locking Tabs ................................................................................................... 6-5

Releasing the Inner Rail ................................................................................. 6-5

Installing The Inner Rails on the Chassis ....................................................... 6-6

Installing the Outer Rails on the Rack ............................................................ 6-7

Standard Chassis Installation ......................................................................... 6-8

Optional Quick Installation Method .................................................................6-9

Appendix A Cables, Screws, and other Accessories

Appendix B SC827 Power Supply Specications

Appendix C SAS-827T Safety Guidelines

Appendix D SAS-827B Backplane Specications

vii

SC827 Chassis Manual

Notes

viii

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 1

Introduction

1-1 Overview

Supermicro's SC827 (2U Twin2) chassis is designed to optimize performance per

Watt and per dollar with four independent hot-pluggable DP computing nodes ef-

ciently organized into a 2U form factor. Each node provides three 3.5" hard drives

for RAID 5 data protection, and is contained in a convenient module to facilitate easy

system upgrades, installation and maintenance. The SC827 chassis is equipped

with high-efciency optional 1 + 1 Gold Level redundant power supplies (93%),

power-efcient server board and optimized cooling subsystems. The 2U Twin2 is the

best choice for HPC, datacenter and cost-effective blade-type applications.

1-2 Shipping List

Part Numbers

Please visit the following link for the latest shiping lists and part numbers for your par-

ticular chassis model http://www.supermicro.com/products/chassis/2U/?chs=827

SC827 Chassis

Model

SC827T-R1200W No Dual CPU 12x SAS/SATA 4x LP

SC827H-R1200W Yes Dual CPU 12x SAS/SATA 4x LP

SC827T-R1400W No Dual CPU 12x SAS/SATA 4x LP

SC827H-R1400W Yes Dual CPU 12x SAS/SATA 4x LP

MB Node

Hot-Swap

Feature

CPU HDD I/O Slots

1-1

Power

Supply

1200W Re-

dundant

1200W Re-

dundant

1400W Re-

dundant

1400W Re-

dundant

SC827 Chassis Manual

1-3 Contacting Supermicro

Headquarters

Address: Super Micro Computer, Inc.

980 Rock Ave.

San Jose, CA 95131 U.S.A.

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail] (General Information)

[e-mail] (Technical Support)

Web Site: www.supermicro.com

Europe

Address: Super Micro Computer B.V.

Het Sterrenbeeld 28, 5215 ML

's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail] (General Information)

[e-mail] (Technical Support)

[e-mail] (Customer Support)

Asia-Pacic

Address: Super Micro Computer, Inc.

4F, No. 232-1, Liancheng Rd.

Chung-Ho 235, Taipei County

Taiwan, R.O.C.

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Web Site: www.supermicro.com.tw

Technical Support:

Email: [e-mail]

Tel: [phone]

1-2

Chapter 1: Introduction

1-4 Returning Merchandise for Service

A receipt or copy of your invoice marked with the date of purchase is required be-

fore any warranty service will be rendered. You can obtain service by calling your

vendor for a Returned Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. When returning

to the manufacturer, the RMA number should be prominently displayed on the

outside of the shipping carton, and mailed prepaid or hand-carried. Shipping and

handling charges will be applied for all orders that must be mailed when service

is complete.

For faster service, RMA authorizations may be requested online (http://www.

supermicro.com/support/rma/).

Whenever possible, repack the chassis in the original Supermicro carton, using the

original packaging material. If these are no longer available, be sure to pack the

chassis securely, using packaging material to surround the chassis so that it does

not shift within the carton and become damaged during shipping.

This warranty only covers normal consumer use and does not cover damages in-

curred in shipping or from failure due to the alteration, misuse, abuse or improper

maintenance of products.

During the warranty period, contact your distributor rst for any product problems.

1-3

SC827 Chassis Manual

Notes

1-4

Chapter 2: System Safety

Chapter 2

System Safety

2-1 Overview

This chapter provides a quick setup checklist to get your chassis up and running.

Following the steps in order given should enable you to have your chassis setup and

operational within a minimal amount of time. This quick set up assumes that you are

an experienced technician, famailiar with common concepts and terminology.

2-2 Warnings and Precautions

You should inspect the box the chassis was shipped in and note if it was damaged

in any way. If the chassis itself shows damage, le a damage claim with carrier

who delivered your system.

Decide on a suitable location for the rack unit that will hold that chassis. It should

be situated in a clean, dust-free area that is well venilated. Avoid areas where heat,

electrical noise and eletromagnetic elds are generated.

You will also need it placed near at least one grounded power outlet. When cong-

ured, the SC827 chassis includes one power supply.

2-3 Preparing for Setup

The SC827 chassis includes a set of rail assemblies, including mounting brackets

and mounting screws you will need to install the systems into the rack. Please read

this manual in its entirety before you begin the installation procedure.

2-4 Electrical Safety Precautions

Basic electrical safety precautions should be followed to protect yourself from harm

and the SC827 from damage:

Be aware of the locations of the power on/off switch on the chassis as well •

as the room’s emergency power-off switch, disconnection switch or electrical

outlet. If an electrical accident occurs, you can then quickly remove power from

the system.

2-1

SC827 Chassis Manual

Do not work alone when working with high voltage components.•

Power should always be disconnected from the system when removing or in-•

stalling main system components, such as the serverboard, memory modules

and the DVD-ROM and oppy drives (not necessary for hot swappable drives).

When disconnecting power, you should rst power down the system with the

operating system and then unplug the power cords from all the power supply

modules in the system.

When working around exposed electrical circuits, another person who is fa-•

miliar with the power-off controls should be nearby to switch off the power, if

necessary.

Use only one hand when working with powered-on electrical equipment. This •

is to avoid making a complete circuit, which will cause electrical shock. Use

extreme caution when using metal tools, which can easily damage any electrical

components or circuit boards they come into contact with.

Do not use mats designed to decrease electrostatic discharge as protection from •

electrical shock. Instead, use rubber mats that have been specically designed

as electrical insulators.

The power supply power cord must include a grounding plug and must be •

plugged into grounded electrical outlets.

Serverboard battery: CAUTION - There is a danger of explosion if the onboard •

battery is installed upside down, which will reverse its polarities This battery

must be replaced only with the same or an equivalent type recommended by

the manufacturer. Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer’s

instructions.

DVD-ROM laser: CAUTION - this server may have come equipped with a •

DVD-ROM drive. To prevent direct exposure to the laser beam and hazardous

radiation exposure, do not open the enclosure or use the unit in any uncon-

ventional way.

2-2

Chapter 2: System Safety

2-5 General Safety Precautions

Keep the area around the chassis clean and free of clutter.•

Place the chassis top cover and any system components that have been re-•

moved away from the system or on a table so that they won’t accidentally be

stepped on.

While working on the system, do not wear loose clothing such as neckties and •

unbuttoned shirt sleeves, which can come into contact with electrical circuits or

be pulled into a cooling fan.

Remove any jewelry or metal objects from your body, which are excellent metal •

conductors that can create short circuits and harm you if they come into contact

with printed circuit boards or areas where power is present.

After accessing the inside of the system, close the system back up and secure •

it to the rack unit with the retention screws after ensuring that all connections

have been made.

2-6 System Safety

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is generated by two objects with different electrical

charges coming into contact with each other. An electrical discharge is created to

neutralize this difference, which can damage electronic components and printed

circuit boards. The following measures are generally sufcient to neutralize this

difference before contact is made to protect your equipment from ESD:

Do not use mats designed to decrease electrostatic discharge as protection from •

electrical shock. Instead, use rubber mats that have been specically designed

as electrical insulators.

Use a grounded wrist strap designed to prevent static discharge.•

Keep all components and printed circuit boards (PCBs) in their antistatic bags •

until ready for use.

Touch a grounded metal object before removing any board from its antistatic •

bag.

Do not let components or PCBs come into contact with your clothing, which may •

retain a charge even if you are wearing a wrist strap.

2-3

SC827 Chassis Manual

Handle a board by its edges only; do not touch its components, peripheral chips, •

memory modules or contacts.

When handling chips or modules, avoid touching their pins.•

Put the serverboard and peripherals back into their antistatic bags when not •

in use.

For grounding purposes, make sure your computer chassis provides excellent •

conductivity between the power supply, the case, the mounting fasteners and

the serverboard.

2-4

Chapter 3: Chassis Components

Chapter 3

Chassis Components

3-1 Overview

This chapter describes the most common components included with your chassis.

Some components listed may not be included or compatible with your particular

chassis model. For more information, see the installation instructions detailed later

in this manual.

3-2 Components

Chassis

The SC827 chassis includes twelve hot-swappable hard drive bays. For more

information, visit our Web site at: http://www.supermicro.com.

Backplane

Each SC827 chassis comes equipped with either a SAS-827B or SAS-827T back-

plane. For more information regarding compatible backplanes, view the appendices

found at the end of this manual.

Fans

The SC827 chassis accepts four system fans. System fans for the SC827 chassis

are powered from the motherboards or the HDD backplane. On SC827H model

chassis, the two fans on each side are controlled by two motherboards, so that

when one of the motherboard nodes is removed, the second motherboard will

continue to control both fans. In the SC827T chassis, each fan is controlled by one

motherboard, so if a motherboard drawer is removed, the fan associated with that

motherboard will not continue to operate.

Mounting Rails

The SC827 includes a set of quick-release rails, and can be placed in a rack for

secure storage and use. To setup your rack, follow the step-by-step instructions

included in this manual.

3-1

SC827 Chassis Manual

Power Supply

Each SC827 chassis model includes a high-efciency 80 Plus Gold Level power

supply, rated at 1200 or 1400 Watts. In the unlikely event your power supply fails,

replacement is simple and can be accomplished without tools.

Air Shroud

The SC827 chassis requires mylar air shrouds for each node to direct the airow

where cooling is needed. The air shroud will differ for different motherboards. If using

a motherboard which is not the default in the chassis, refer to the optional parts in

the Appendix of this manual, or the Supermicro Web site at www.supermicro.com

to puchase the proper air shroud.

3-3 Where to get Replacement Components

Although not frequently, you may need replacement parts for your system. To

ensure the highest level of professional service and technical support, we strongly

recommend purchasing exclusively from our Supermicro Authorized Distributors /

System Integrators / Resellers. A list of Supermicro Authorized Distributors / System

Integrators /Reseller can be found at: http://www.supermicro.com. Click the Where

to Buy link.

3-2

Chapter 4: System Interface

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Chapter 4

System Interface

4-1 Overview

There are several LEDs on the control panel and on the drive carriers to keep you

constantly informed of the overall status of the system. SC827 models include four

control panels on the handles of the chassis which control each of the systems.

This chapter explains the meanings of all LED indicators and the appropriate re-

sponse you may need to take.

Figure 4-1: Chassis Control Panel

4-1

SC827 Chassis Manual

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4-2 Control Panel Buttons

Power: The main power button on each of the four control panels is •

used to apply or remove power from the power supply to each of the

four systems in the chassis. Turning off system power with this but-

ton removes the main power, but keeps standby power supplied to the

system. Therefore, you must unplug system before servicing. The poer

button has a built-in LED which will turn green when the power is on.

UID: When used with a UID compatible motherboard, the UID button is used •

to turn on or off the blue light function of the LED. This is built into the front

side of the UID button and at the rear end of each motherboard node, for those

motherboards which support it. Once the blue light is activated, the unit can be

easily located in very large racks and server banks.

4-3 Control Panel LEDs

The four control panels are located on the front handle of the SC827 chassis. Each

control panel has two additional LEDs. These LEDs provide you with critical informa-

tion related to different parts of the system. This section explains what each LED

indicates when illuminated and any corrective action you may need to take.

Alert: This LED is illuminated when an alert condition occurs. •

A solid red light indicates an overheat condition in the system.

A ashing red light which ashes in one second intervals indicates a fan

failure.

A ashing red light which ashes in four second interfals indicates a power

failure. When notied of an alert, check the routing of the cables and make

sure all fans are present and operating normally. You should also check to

make sure that the chassis covers and air shrouds are installed. Finally, veri-

fy that the heatsinks are installed properly. This LED will remain ashing or on

4-2

Chapter 4: System Interface

as long as the temperature is too high or a fan does not function properly.

NIC: Indicates network activity on either LAN1 or LAN2 when flashing •

.

4-4 Drive Carrier LEDs

The SC827 chassis uses SAS/SATA drives.

SAS/SATA Drives

Each SAS/SATA drive carrier has two LEDs.

Blue: Each Serial ATA drive carrier has a blue LED. When illuminated, this blue •

LED (on the front of the SATA drive carrier) indicates drive activity. A connection

to the SATA backplane enables this LED to blink on and off when that particular

drive is being accessed.

Red: The red LED to indicate an SAS/SATA drive failure. If one of the SAS/SATA •

drives fail, you should be notied by your system management software.

SCSI Drives

This chassis does not support SCSI drives at this time.

4-3

SC827 Chassis Manual

Notes

4-4

Chapter 5: Chassis Setup and Maintenance

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Chapter 5

Chassis Setup and Maintenance

5-1 Overview

This chapter covers the steps required to install components and perform mainte-

nance on the chassis. The only tool you will need to install components and perform

maintenance is a Phillips screwdriver.

Overview•

Chassis Cover•

Installing and Removing Hard Drives•

Removing and Installing the Backplane•

Installing the Motherboard•

Add-on Card/Expansion Card Setup•

Adapter Card Replacement•

Installing the Air Shrouds•

Checking the Chassis the Air Flow•

Review the warnings and precautions listed in the manual be­fore setting up or servicing this chassis. These include infor­mation in Chapter 2: System Safety and the warning/precau­tions listed in the setup instructions.

5-1

SC827 Chassis Manual

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5-2 Chassis Cover

1

Remove two

screws

3

1

Figure 5-1: Removing the Chassis Cover

Before operating the SC827 chassis for the rst time, it is important to remove the

protective lm covering the top of the chassis, in order to allow for proper ventila-

tion and cooling.

Removing the Chassis Cover and Protective Film

2

Check Ventilation

Openings

4

1

Remove the two screws which secure the top cover onto the chassis as 1.

shown above.

Lift the top cover up and off the chassis.2.

Peel off the protective lm covering the top cover and the top of the chassis3.

Check that all ventilation openings on the top cover and the top of the chassis 4.

are clear and unobstructed.

Warning: Except for short periods of time, do NOT operate the
server without the cover in place. The chassis cover must be in

place to allow proper airow and prevent overheating.

5-2