POWERSTORE 3.

0
CABLING

PARTICIPANT GUIDE

PARTICIPANT GUIDE
 PowerStore 3.0 Cabling

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Table of Contents

PowerStore 3.0 Cabling 4

Introduction 4

PowerStore Back-End Cabling 5

PowerStore Back-End NVMe Cabling 5
ENS24 Expansion Enclosure Cabling Practice 9
PowerStore Back-End SAS Cabling 9
PowerStore Back-End SAS Cabling Practice 13

Front-End Cabling 14
PowerStore Front-End Cabling Best Practices 14
PowerStore T Front-End Cabling 15
PowerStore X Front-End Cabling 19
PowerStore Front-End Cabling Practice 22

Power Cable and Connectivity 23

Power Cord Cabling 23
Connectivity Status and the key LEDs 24
PowerStore Cabling Key Points 26

Power Cabling Knowledge Check 28

Practice Using the Worksheets 1 of 3 28
Practice Using the Worksheets 2 of 3 28
Practice Using the Worksheets 3 of 3 29

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 PowerStore 3.0 Cabling

PowerStore 3.0 Cabling

Introduction

This course introduces the cabling for the PowerStore midrange storage
product line, including:
 Back-End Cabling—SAS and NVMe cabling between base and
expansion enclosures.
 Front-End Cabling, including best practices, cabling PowerStore T
to a management switch and two data switches, and PowerStore X
to two data switches.
 Power Cabling for base and expansion enclosures.
 Verifying Connectivity—identify the LEDs that should light when
power and connectivity are successful.

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 PowerStore Back-End Cabling

PowerStore Back-End Cabling

PowerStore Back-End NVMe Cabling

Follow the cabling guidelines in the Installation and Service Guide on

the PowerStore Hub. Appliances that are purchased with NVMe
expansion enclosures include 2-meter length cables. To avoid
performance issues, cables cannot be longer than 3 meters.

The maximum number of NVMe expansion enclosures that are supported

with the base enclosure is 3. Each base enclosure supports two redundant
connections to an expansion enclosure.

PowerStore 1200, 3200, 5200, 9200

Hardware requirements:
 2-port card with two 100 GbE QSFP ports
 Embedded Module v2 required
 Cable options:

 QSFP28 to QSFP28 – 100 GbE, 4-lane at 25 G per lane, passive, 2

meters
 QSFP28 to QSFP28 – 100 GbE, 4-lane at 25 G per lane, passive, 3
meters

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 PowerStore Back-End Cabling

PowerStore 1200 with 3 NVMe Expansion Enclosures

1. PowerStore Model 1200, 3200, 5200 or 9200

2. 2-port card
3. ENS24 Expansion Enclosure
4. ENS24 Expansion Enclosure
5. ENS24 Expansion Enclosure

PowerStore 500

Hardware requirements:
 4–port card
 Uses NVMe ports 2 and 3
 Cable options:

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 PowerStore Back-End Cabling

 QSFP28 to SFP28 – 25 GbE, 2-lane at 25 G per lane, passive, 2

meters
 QSFP28 to SFP28 – 25 GbE, 2-lane at 25 G per lane, passive, 3
meters

PowerStore 500 with three NVMe Expansion Enclosures

1. PowerStore Model 500

2. 4-port card
3. ENS24 Expansion Enclosure
4. ENS24 Expansion Enclosure
5. NVMe Expansion Enclosure

Labeling

PowerStore cable labels include these pieces of information:

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 PowerStore Back-End Cabling

NVMe label for back-end cabling

1. The appliances being connected: In this example, it is base enclosure

(NODE) to expansion enclosure (EXP 1).
2. The From port: Attach the label to the cable end plugged into the
From port. In this example, base enclosure, Node A, port 2.
3. The To port: The other end of the cable is plugged into the To port. In
this example, expansion enclosure AM 2, port 1.

PowerStore cabling with labels example

PowerStore with Expansion Enclosures Cabling Steps

Cabling steps:
 Apply the provided cable labels to each end of the cables.
 Ensure that the Cable Management Arms (CMAs) are fully open and in
the service position.

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 PowerStore Back-End Cabling

 Open the CMA baskets and loosen the velcro straps.

 Route the data cables through the CMAs.
 Route the power cables through the CMAs.
 Plug each power cable into the expansion enclosure power supply and
secure the cord with the retention bail at the connector.
 Close all the baskets and tighten the Velcro on the arms to prevent the
cables from slipping.

ENS24 Expansion Enclosure Cabling Practice

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

PowerStore Back-End SAS Cabling

General Best Practices

Back-End SAS cabling is the same, regardless of PowerStore model.

 Use 2-meter cables to connect the base enclosure to the expansion

enclosure easily.
 Use 1-meter cables to connect expansion enclosures to other
expansion enclosures.
 The maximum number of expansion enclosures that are supported is
3.
 Each base enclosure supports two redundant connections to the
expansion enclosure, Link Control Card (LCC) A and LCC B.
 Do not connect A port to A port nor B port to B port.

– For example, do not connect node A port A with LCC A port A.

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 PowerStore Back-End Cabling

Labeling

Label example

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 PowerStore Back-End Cabling

PowerStore cable labels include these pieces of information:

1. The appliances being connected: In this example, it is base enclosure

(NODE) to expansion enclosure (EXP) 1. On other labels, you might
see:
 EXP 1 - EXP 2: Connecting two expansion enclosures.
 NODE - EXP Last: Connecting the base enclosure to the last
expansion enclosure in a chain.
2. The From port: Attach the label to the cable end plugged into the
From port. In this example, base enclosure, Node A, port B.
3. The To port: The other end of the cable is plugged into the To port. In
this example, expansion enclosure Link Control Card LCC side A,
port A.

The From and To ports are duplicated so the information is still visible
when the label is wrapped around the cable.

The labels at each end of a single cable are inverses of each other. The
From port on one cable end equals the To port on the other cable end.

PowerStore cabling with labels example

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 PowerStore Back-End Cabling

PowerStore with Two Expansion Enclosures Example

PowerStore with two expansion SAS enclosures

PowerStore with Two Expansion Enclosures Cabling Steps

Cabling steps:
1. Label mini-SAS HD cables with the provided labels. Cable the
following cables, if applicable:
a. Node to first expansion enclosure
b. Node to last expansion enclosure
c. Expansion enclosure to expansion enclosures
2. Cable both I/O modules on the base enclosure to the Link Control Card
(LCC) on the first expansion enclosure.
a. Connect node A, SAS port B to LCC A, port A on the expansion
enclosure.
b. Connect node B, SAS port B to LCC B, port A on the expansion
enclosure.

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 PowerStore Back-End Cabling

3. Cable both I/O modules on the base enclosure to the LCCs on the last
expansion enclosure in the stack:
a. Connect node A, SAS port A to LCC B, port B on the last expansion
enclosure.
b. Connect node B, SAS port A to LCC A, port B on the last expansion
enclosure.
4. Cable expansion enclosure to expansion enclosure:

a. Connect LCC A, port B on the first expansion enclosure to LCC A,

port A on the next expansion enclosure.
b. Connect LCC B, port B on the first expansion enclosure to LCC B,
port A on the next expansion enclosure.

Important: See the Installation and Service Guide on the

PowerStore Hub for complete cabling details. It includes
cabling an expansion enclosure to an existing expansion
enclosure to extend a back-end bus.

PowerStore Back-End SAS Cabling Practice

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

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 Front-End Cabling

Front-End Cabling

PowerStore Front-End Cabling Best Practices

Follow these best practices for front-end cabling:

1. Provide redundancy. Connect and configure front-end ports
symmetrically across the two nodes. This practice allows high
availability and connectivity during node failure.
2. Balance the workload. For best performance, use all front-end ports
that are installed in the system, so that work is spread across as many
resources as possible.

NVMe-oF is over the Fibre Channel cables, so the front-end cabling is the
same regardless of the protocol, NVMe-oF or FC, used.

Caution: Do not cable all ports of a 4-port card to the

same switch. Cable alternate ports and switches. For
example, cable port 0 to switch 1, port 1 to switch 2, port 2
to switch 1, port 3 to switch 2. Cabling all the ports of a 4-
port card to the same switch generates an alert.

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 Front-End Cabling

Example of PowerStore T cabling using VLTi

Important: Always see the product reference guides for

specific cabling procedures.

PowerStore T Front-End Cabling

PowerStore T uses a management switch and two data switches. Cable

them using these guidelines.

Important: These examples represent cabling a

PowerStore T for initial configuration and post configuration
management and data operations. As there are many
possible configurations, see the product guides for specific
details for the system.

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 Front-End Cabling

Management and Discovery

 Use two Cat 6 Ethernet RJ-45 cables to connect the PowerStore

nodes to the management switch:
 PowerStore Node A management port to the management switch
 PowerStore Node B management port to the management switch
 Use two 100 GigE QSFP28 direct attach cables for the uplink
connection between data switches and the management switch:
 Data switch 1 to management switch
 Data switch 2 to management switch
 Use one Cat 6 Ethernet RJ-45 cable to connect discovery laptop to the
management switch.

Example of PowerStore Management and Discovery Connections

Storage

 Use four 25 GigE Twinax direct attach cables to connect the

PowerStore nodes to the data switches:

 PowerStore Node A embedded port 0 to the data switch 2

 PowerStore Node A embedded port 1 to the data switch 1

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 Front-End Cabling

 PowerStore Node B embedded port 0 to the data switch 1

 PowerStore Node B embedded port 1 to the data switch 2

Example of Storage Cabling on PowerStore T

Interconnectivity

 Use two 100 GigE QSFP28 direct attach cables to connect both data
switches.
 These connections are used for switch interconnectivity, using one of
these methods:

 VLTi, configured using LACP

 Dynamic LAG, configured using a port channel

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 Front-End Cabling

Example of PowerStore cabling VLTi

OOB Management

Use three Cat 6 Ethernet RJ-45 cables to connect the management ports
on the backs of each switch to the OOB management network.

Example of Out of Bound Management Cabling on the PowerStore T

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 Front-End Cabling

Core Switch Uplink

Use two 10 GigE SFP optical cable to provide the core switch uplinks.

Use a 25 GbE cable, if appropriate for the switch and system

configuration.

Example of Core Uplinks on PowerStore T

PowerStore X Front-End Cabling

PowerStore X uses two data switches. PowerStore X management traffic

uses the storage network. Cable them using these guidelines.

Important: This cabling represents the bare minimum

cabling that is required to cable a PowerStore X system for
initial configuration. As there are many possible
configurations, see the product guides for specific details for
the system.

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 Front-End Cabling

Management and Storage

 Use four 25 GigE Twinax direct attach cables to connect the

PowerStore nodes to the data switches:

 PowerStore Node A embedded port 0 to the data switch 2

 PowerStore Node A embedded port 1 to the data switch 1
 PowerStore Node B embedded port 0 to the data switch 1
 PowerStore Node B embedded port 1 to the data switch 2

Example of PowerStore X cabling

Interconnectivity

 Use two 100 GigE QSFP28 direct attach cables to connect both data
switches.
 These connections are used for switch interconnectivity, using one of
these methods:

 VLTi, configured using LACP

 Dynamic LAG, configured using a port channel

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 Front-End Cabling

Example of VLTi cabling on PowerStore X

Switch Management

Use two Cat 6 Ethernet RJ-45 cables to connect the management ports
on the backs of each switch to the management network.

Example of switch management cabling on PowerStore X

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 Front-End Cabling

Core Switch Uplink

Use two 10 GigE SFP optical cable to provide the core switch uplinks.

Example of core uplink cabling on PowerStore X

PowerStore Front-End Cabling Practice

The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.

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 Power Cable and Connectivity

Power Cable and Connectivity

Power Cord Cabling

Power connection of the base and expansions enclosures

Attach the power cables when you are ready for the system to start up.
The system starts when power is connected.

1. First, power on the expansion enclosures:

a. Plug the power cables into the expansion enclosure.
b. Close the retainer bail over the power connector.
c. Plug in to the nearest PDU on the rack.
2. Then power on the base enclosure:

a. Plug the power cables into the base enclosure.

b. Close the retainer bail over the power connector.
c. Plug in to the nearest PDU on the rack.

Deep Dive: See Miscellaneous: 40U-P Cabling PDU and

Jumper Info on SolVe for more information about the
recommendations for power cord cabling when using the
Titan 40U-P Cabinet PDU.

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 Power Cable and Connectivity

Connectivity Status and the key LEDs

When PowerStore is cabled and powered up, there are LEDs to watch for,
to ensure that everything is functioning as expected.

Base Enclosure LED

Verify that the base enclosure LED is amber, indicating it is ready for initial
configuration.

Base enclosure LED:

 Blinks amber four times per second when in discovery state.
 Solid blue indicates that initial configuration has been completed.

Base enclosure front view

Node LEDs

Verify that the nodes are connected and working by checking the power
and fault LEDs.

Node power LED:

 Steady green means that the node is on.
 Blinking green means that the node is in standby mode.

Base enclosure rear view

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 Power Cable and Connectivity

Node fault LED:

 Off means that no fault has occurred.
 Amber indicates a fault.
 Blue indicates that the node is running in degraded mode.
 Blue and amber alternating slowly (3 seconds) means that the
system is not initialized and has no management IP.
 Blue and amber alternating quickly (1 second) means that the node
is in service mode.

Port LEDs

Each port features its own set of link LEDs and activity LEDs.

Port link LED:

 Green means that the link is up and running at high speed.
 Amber means that the link is up and running at degraded speed.
 Off means that the link is down.

Base enclosure rear view

Port activity LED:

 Amber blinking means that there is port activity.
 Off means no port activity.

SAS LEDs

Verify that the nodes are connected and working by checking the power
and fault LEDs.

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 Power Cable and Connectivity

SAS port LED:

 Blue means that the port link is up.
 Off means that no link has been established.

Base enclosure rear view

PowerStore Cabling Key Points

PowerStore back-end cabling:

 Each base enclosure supports two redundant connections to the
expansion enclosure.
 The maximum number of expansion enclosures supported is 3.

PowerStore front-end cabling:

 Provide redundancy. Connect and configure front-end ports
symmetrically across the two nodes. This practice allows high
availability and connectivity during node failure.
 Balance the workload. For best performance, use all front-end ports
that are installed in the system, so that work is spread across as many
resources as possible.
 Do not cable all ports of a 4-port card to thesame switch. Alternate
ports and switches. For example, cable port 0 to switch 1, port 1 to
switch 2, port 2 to switch 1, port 3 to switch 2. Cabling all the ports of a
4-port card to the same switch generates an alert.
 See the product guides for specifics on cabling for the configuration of
the system.

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 Power Cable and Connectivity

Power cable and connectivity:

 First, power on the expansion enclosures and then the base enclosure.
 When PowerStore is cabled and powered up, watch for the key LEDs,
to ensure that everything is functioning as expected.

See the Installation and Service Guide (for PowerStore

1000, 1200, 3000, 3200, 5000, 5200, 7000, 9000, and
9200) and Installation and Service Guide (for
PowerStore 500T) on the PowerStore Info Hub for more
information.

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 Power Cabling Knowledge Check

Power Cabling Knowledge Check

Practice Using the Worksheets 1 of 3

After the PowerStore is cabled and powered up, what does the color of
some Key LEDs signify?

Find the answers to the questions using the Key LEDs guide.

Find the answers to the questions using the Key LEDs guide or the
documents listed below:
 Hardware Information Guide (for PowerStore 1000, 1200, 3000,
3200, 5000, 5200, 7000, 9000, and 9200) on PowerStore Info Hub
 Hardware Information Guide (for PowerStore 500) on PowerStore
Info Hub

Base enclosure rear view

1. What does the blue color of the Node LED indicate?

a. The system is not initialized and has no management IP.
b. The node is in service mode.
c. The node is running in degraded mode.
d. No fault has occurred.

Practice Using the Worksheets 2 of 3

After the PowerStore is cabled and powered up, what does the color of
some Key LEDs signify?

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 Power Cabling Knowledge Check

Find the answers to the questions using the Key LEDs guide or the
documents listed below:
 Hardware Information Guide (for PowerStore 1000, 1200, 3000,
3200, 5000, 5200, 7000, 9000, and 9200) on PowerStore Info Hub
 Hardware Information Guide (for PowerStore 500) on PowerStore
Info Hub

Base enclosure rear view

2. What does the amber color of the Port Link LED indicate?
a. The link is down.
b. The link is up and running at degraded speed.
c. The link is up and running at high speed.
d. There is no port activity.

Practice Using the Worksheets 3 of 3

After the PowerStore is cabled and powered up, what does the color of
some Key LEDs signify?

Find the answers to the questions using the Key LEDs guide or the
documents listed below:
 Hardware Information Guide (for PowerStore 1000, 1200, 3000,
3200, 5000, 5200, 7000, 9000, and 9200) on PowerStore Info Hub
 Hardware Information Guide (for PowerStore 500) on PowerStore
Info Hub

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 Power Cabling Knowledge Check

Base enclosure front view

3. When the Base Enclosure LED blinks amber four times per second,
what does it indicate?
a. The system is in off state.
b. The system is in discovery state.
c. The initial configuration of the system has been completed.
d. The system is in a fault.

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PowerStore 3.0 Cabling