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Hitachi Vantara Knowledge

Installation site considerations

Be sure your site has sufficient space to accommodate the storage system.

Space requirements

Be sure your site has sufficient space to accommodate the storage system.

When preparing the space required for your storage system, be sure the site:

  • Is large enough to hold the new storage system and other equipment.
  • Provides minimum clearance around the storage system for service access and to verify proper weight distribution on the computer room floor.
  • Includes correctly positioned floor cutouts for the storage system's power and data cables.

To verify there is sufficient space for the storage system, document your site's floor plan, including the locations of:

  • Structural support columns and other immovable objects
  • Walls
  • All existing equipment, cabinets, racks, networking equipment, and other systems
  • Where the new storage system will be installed
  • Floor and electrical cutouts
  • Interconnecting cables and power cords, including lengths
  • Floor vents

The space requirements must take into consideration the total floor clearance required for the storage system. This includes:

  • The space required by the equipment
  • Service clearance - the floor space required to access the storage system.
  • Additional space required to distribute the equipment weight on your computer room's raised floor. The amount of additional space required depends on your floor load rating.
  • Additional space required to view the storage system LEDs on the front and rear panels.

Floor load ratings

The floor space at the installation site must support the combined weight of the following components:

  • Controller
  • Drive trays
  • Rack
  • All associated equipment

To verify adequate load-bearing capacity, plan for the maximum configuration. The following table lists the weight for maximum configurations. The table also applies to third-party racks. The weights below do not include the rack itself, so add the weight of the rack to the values shown below. The maximum allowable weight in the Hitachi rack is 2,000 pounds (907 kg). For more information about racks, see the Hitachi Universal V2 Rack Reference Guide.

Table 1: CBSS and physical SVP

Component

Drive trays

Weight

CBSS controller

7 SFF drive trays 1245.6 lbs

(565 kg)

7 LFF drive trays 1239.0 lbs

(562 kg)

7 FMD drive trays 1373.4 lbs

(623 kg)

4 dense intermix drive trays 1563.1 lbs

(709 kg)

Physical SVP

N/A 39.5 lbs

(17.9 kg)

Table 2: CBSL and physical SVP

Component

Drive trays

Weight

CBSL 7 SFF drive trays 1294.1 lbs

(567 kg)

7 LFF drive trays 1243.4 lbs

(564 kg)

7 FMD drive trays 1377.9 lbs

(625 kg)

8 dense intermix drive trays 3075.4 lbs

(1395 kg)

Physical SVP N/A 39.5 lbs

(17.9 kg)

Table 3: CBLM and physical SVP

Component

Drive trays

Weight

CBLM 16 SFF drive trays 2597.1 lbs

(1178 kg)

CBLM 16 LFF drive trays 2581.6 lbs

(1171 kg)

CBLM 16 FMD drive trays 2940.9 lbs

(1334 kg)

CBLM 8 dense intermix drive trays 3075.4 lbs

(1395 kg)

Physical SVP N/A 39.5 lbs

(17.9 kg)

Table 4: CBLM and physical SVP

Component

Drive trays

Weight

CBLM 24 SFF drive trays 3243 lbs

(1471 kg)

CBLM 24 LFF drive trays 3223.2 lbs

(1462 kg)

CBLM 24 FMD drive trays 3734.6 lbs

(1694 kg)

CBLM 12 dense intermix drive trays 4515.1 lbs

(2048 kg)

Physical SVP N/A 39.5 lbs

(17.9 kg)

Table 5: CBLH and physical SVP

Component

Drive trays

Weight

CBLH 48 SFF drive trays 6236.9 lbs

(2829 kg)

CBLH 48 LFF drive trays 6195 lbs

(2810 kg)

CBLH 48 FMD drive trays 7167.2 lbs

(3251 kg)

CBLH 24 dense intermix drive trays 8194.6 lbs

(3717 kg)

Physical SVP N/A 39.5 lbs

(17.9 kg)

Third-party racks

VSP Gx00 models and VSP Fx00 models support third-party racks that meet Hitachi Vantara specifications.

  • VSP Gx00 models and VSP Fx00 models support any 4-post, EIA310-D compliant rack, which must have adequate airflow and weight capacity.
  • PDUs must be mounted with no serviceability issues. The PDU receptacles must face rearward (not toward each other). The area behind the storage system and between the vertical 19-inch mounting posts must be free of PDUs and cable loops.

Using dense intermix drive trays with third-party racks

When mounting DB60 dense intermix drive trays in third-party racks, observe the following guidelines and refer to the following figure.

  • Use anti-tilt floor plates or ceiling-mounted fixing brackets to stabilize racks.
  • Use a rack that is at least 1040 mm deep to accommodate the dense intermix drive tray and cable-management arms.
  • Dense tray rail kits require square mounting holed racks.
  • If a dense intermix drive tray is mounted above shelf RU32, you must use ladders to service the dense intermix drive tray safely.

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Raised and non-raised floors

Your storage system can be installed on a raised or non-raised floor.

A raised floor consists of load-bearing floor panels laid in a horizontal grid above a building floor. The raised floor is supported by adjustable vertical pedestals to provide an underfloor space for distributing cables, power outlets, and other services.

Installing the storage system on a raised floor is preferred because it:

  • Provides efficient cooling.
  • Makes it easy to accommodate cabling layouts.
  • Prevents tripping hazards because cables are routed below the raised floor.

If your site has a raised floor, consider the following factors:

  • The raised floor must be built of noncombustible materials.
  • Treat concrete subfloors to prevent them from releasing dust.
  • Confirm there is positive air pressure below the raised floor to verify adequate airflow.
  • The raised floor clearance must be adequate to accommodate cables. Remove all unused cables from the area below the raised floor to prevent these areas from becoming dust and dirt traps.
  • Eliminate sharp edges on floor cutouts to avoid damage to cables.
  • Apply sealant to raised-floor cable openings to prevent chilled air from escaping.
  • For metallic raised floor structures, it is a safety hazard to expose metal or highly conductive material at ground potential to the walking surface.

Although raised floors are preferred, the storage system can be installed on non-raised floors. In these environments, overhead cabling can be used to provide power to the storage system. Installation planning, cable length, and rack location in relation to the cable openings on the rack are critical to installations that use overhead cabling.

Floor covering and cutouts

Do not use carpeting, including antistatic varieties, because they can shed dust over time that can cause problems with the storage system.

If your computer room has carpeting, place static discharge mats so that personnel must walk across them before touching any part of the storage system. Failing to comply with this precaution can damage the equipment through static discharge.

If your computer room uses floor cutouts to route power and data cables, position the cutouts toward the center of the rack. If this is not possible, position the cutouts off-center from the rack as long as the cutout is within the allowable range and allows smooth routing and entrance of cables. Check the relationship between the position of the cutout and the cable openings on the rack.

Meeting environmental conditions

For optimal performance, the storage system requires controlled environmental conditions.

Hitachi recommends that you maintain a controlled environment, with a high degree of cleanliness and close control of temperature and humidity. The storage system operating environment must be free from continuous vibration, dust, and other environmental contaminants.

Keep the location as free of airborne particulates as possible. To eliminate obvious sources of particulates, do not permit anyone to eat, drink, or smoke near the storage system. Do not place the storage system close to a copier or printer that can emit toner and paper dust.

If the site will be undergoing construction that involves sawing, welding, or drilling, protect the storage system from concrete, metal particles, and other debris during construction.

Maintaining the optimal temperature

The site must provide sufficient airflow capacity to remove the heat generated by the storage system.

Prior to installation, verify that the site has a cooling system that can support all thermal emissions.

The level of cooling required for the storage system is not the same as the air conditioning used in offices and homes. Air-conditioning systems in offices and homes provide comfort for the low heat and higher moisture generated by the human body. In contrast, electronic equipment generates high dry-heat output that is moisture-free.

Your storage system can tolerate temperature and humidity fluctuations if the specified ranges are followed. Exceeding the maximum temperature and humidity ranges for any period of time, however, can affect storage system performance adversely. To ensure that the ambient temperature near the intake at the front of the storage system does not exceed system specifications, verify that the location where the storage system will be installed has a cooling system that can support all thermal emissions.

Note Do not store or install the equipment in an environment with temperatures of 104ºF (40ºC) or higher because battery life will be shortened.

Air enters the storage system at the front and exits through the rear. Be sure the front of the storage system is neither blocked nor exposed to heated air blown from nearby equipment.

If conditions at the site change (for example, new units are added or the system is moved), airflow checks should be made.

If the site has a raised floor, the room must have positive air pressure below the floor to verify adequate airflow. Remove all unused cables from the area below the raised floor to prevent these areas from becoming dust and dirt traps.

Earthquake considerations

Consider whether earthquake-restraining equipment is needed for your storage system installation.

In seismic-prone regions, use the appropriate flooring, racks, and fasteners to restrain the storage system during earthquakes, prevent human injury, and limit potential damage to system components.

 

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