Expansion Adapters • Installing or Replacing Expansion
Adapters • Replacing Units on an
NVRAM Adapter
This section:
- Lists the expansion adapters used
- Specifies whether the expansion adapters used require preparation
- Specifies the location of the expansion slots on the PowerVault 720N, 740N, and 760N
filers
- Describes the procedures for removing and installing expansion adapters
To ensure compatibility, performance, and reliability, you must obtain filer expansion
adapters from Dell.
Expansion Adapters Used
The following expansion adapters are used in the PowerVault 720N, 740N, and 760N
filers:
- NVRAM adapter
- Fibre Channel adapters
- Network interface adapters (NIAs)
Slot Assignments for Expansion Adapters
If you are adding expansion adapters, see Dell PowerVault 720N, 740N, and 760N
Installation and Troubleshooting for the following information:
- Expansion slots that are available on your filer
- Supported adapters
- Expansion slot assignments
Only install supported expansion adapters in the assigned expansion slot.
Preparing Expansion Adapters
The network and FC-AL adapters do not require preparation before you install them in
the filer. However, you must prepare the NVRAM adapter before installing it in the filer.
Preparations include adding memory or replacing batteries on the NVRAM adapter before
installing the adapter in the filer.
This section describes the steps involved in replacing an expansion adapter or
installing a new expansion adapter.
To remove existing expansion adapters, perform the following steps.
 |
CAUTION: Always use the halt command to perform a proper shutdown. |
- Shut down the filer and turn off power to the filer.
- Turn off the power to the disk shelves.
- Lift up the clip lock and unplug the AC power cord from the filer power supplies.
- Note which cables (if any) are connected to the connectors on the faceplate of the
expansion adapter before disconnecting the cables.
- To open the PCB carrier, follow Steps 4 and 5 of the procedure described in Opening the PCB Carrier.
- Put on the antistatic wrist strap and attach the grounding leash to an acceptable
grounding unit.
- Remove the screw holding the expansion adapter faceplate to the back panel bracket and
save it for reinstalling the adapter.
- Pull upward on the top edge of the expansion adapter and lift it out of the chassis, as
shown.
- If you are not installing a replacement adapter, install a slot cover using the screw
you saved in Step 8.
If you are replacing units on the NVRAM adapter, proceed to Replacing Units on an NVRAM Adapter.
If you are installing a replacement adapter, proceed to the next section.
To install an expansion adapter, perform the following steps:
- If there is a new adapter: Pull it out of the antistatic bag. If this
adapter is a replacement, put the adapter you are replacing into the same antistatic bag.
If you are installing a new NVRAM adapter: Remove the plastic insulator
sheet between the lithium batteries and the metal clips.
This insulator prevents the batteries from draining while the adapter is stored.
- If the adapter you are installing cannot fit into the assigned expansion slot, remove
the bracket in the middle of the PCB carrier. The bracket is attached to the PCB carrier
by a pair of screws on each side, as shown in the following figure.
- Holding the adapter by its top edge, with the faceplate near your left hand, lower the
adapter into the slot until its connector edge meets the grooves in the expansion slot, as
shown in the figure under Step 8 of the previous procedure.
The faceplate of the adapter should be in position against the back panel, and should
cover the endplate slot on the back panel.
- Press carefully on the top edge of the adapter until the edge connector is seated in the
expansion slot.
- Replace the faceplate screw to secure the adapter to the back panel.
- Reconnect the cables, if any, to the external connectors on the replacement expansion
adapter.
- Push in the PCB carrier and tighten the eight thumbscrews on the back panel.
- Plug the AC power cord into the AC power cord receptacle on the power supply and secure
it with the clip lock.
- Turn on the filer and disk shelves.
This section provides information about the following procedures:
- Adding or replacing NVRAM SIMMs
- Changing the lithium batteries
You can upgrade memory or replace the batteries on an NVRAM adapter before installing
it in the filer.
The PowerVault 720N, 740N, and 760N filers have the following NVRAM configurations.
| Filer |
NVRAM configuration |
| 720N |
Bank 0 occupied by two 4-MB NVRAM SIMMs for 8 MB of NVRAM. |
| 740N and 760N |
Banks 0, 1, 2, and 3 occupied by eight 4-MB NVRAM SIMMs for 32 MB of NVRAM. |
The following figure shows the location of the NVRAM SIMM slots.
 |
| 1 |
Bank 0 |
| 2 |
Bank 1 |
| 3 |
Bank 2 |
| 4 |
Bank 3 |
| 5 |
NVRAM SIMM slots |
|
The following figure illustrates a typical NVRAM SIMM.
 |
| 1 |
SIMM connector |
| 2 |
Locator notch |
|
How to Remove NVRAM SIMMs
To remove the NVRAM SIMMs, perform the following steps:
- Starting with the first occupied SIMM slot closest to the bottom edge of the adapter,
press and hold down the mounting tabs with your thumbs while lifting the SIMM with your
index fingers. The following figure illustrates how to remove a SIMM.
 |
| 1 |
Bank 0 |
| 2 |
Bank 1 |
| 3 |
Bank 2 |
| 4 |
Bank 3 |
| 5 |
SIMM mounting tab |
|
- Place the SIMMs that you removed in an antistatic bag.
- Proceed to How to Install NVRAM SIMMs.
To install the NVRAM SIMMs, perform the following steps:
- Hold the SIMM at the top corners to avoid damaging the components or the edge connector,
and turn the SIMM so that its locator notch is toward the lithium batteries.
- Starting with the first unoccupied slot closest to the top edge of the NVRAM adapter,
align the SIMM over the slot and then tilt the top edge of the SIMM at a slight angle
toward the top edge of the NVRAM adapter. The following figure illustrates how to align a
SIMM to insert it in a slot.
 |
| 1 |
Bank 0 |
| 2 |
Bank 1 |
| 3 |
Bank 2 |
| 4 |
Bank 3 |
| 5 |
lithium batteries |
| 6 |
NVRAM adapter, top edge |
| 7 |
Locator notch |
|
- Insert the SIMM at an angle into the slot.
The SIMM should slide into the slot easily if you carefully push down and rock the SIMM,
side to side, into position. If the SIMM does not slide into the slot, realign the SIMM
with the slot and try again.
|
CAUTION: Visually inspect the SIMM to verify that it is evenly aligned and
fully inserted into the slot; otherwise, the SIMM could bend or break when pushed to the
locked position. |
- Push downward on the top edge of the SIMM until the mounting tabs close over the SIMM to
lock it in place. The following figure illustrates how to lock an NVRAM SIMM in place in
its slot.
- Return to How to Install an Expansion
Adapter to complete the installation.
How to Replace the NVRAM Lithium Batteries
The NVRAM adapter has two lithium batteries. Replacing the NVRAM lithium batteries
consists of the following two procedures:
The lithium batteries on the NVRAM adapter differ from the lithium battery used on the
motherboard. The batteries for the NVRAM adapter and the motherboard cannot be
interchanged.
Battery Locations
The following figure shows the battery locations.
To protect data integrity during a power failure, replace both lithium batteries when
the filer indicates that the batteries are low.
To remove the NVRAM lithium batteries, perform the following steps.
|
CAUTION: Do not bend the metal clip because this can damage the connection
between the battery and the NVRAM adapter. |
- Lift up the lithium battery while pushing the battery toward the open side of the
battery holder. You can insert a nonconducting tool, such as a credit card, to help lift
the battery. The following figure illustrates how to remove a battery from a battery
holder.
 |
| 1 |
Battery holder, open side |
| 2 |
Metal clip |
|
- Dispose of the old batteries according to the manufacturer's instructions that come with
the replacement batteries.
To install the NVRAM lithium batteries, perform the following steps.
 |
WARNING: There is danger of a new battery exploding if it is replaced
incorrectly. Replace the battery only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer. Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer's
instructions. |
- Turn the battery so that the side marked with a "+" is up.
- Push the battery under the metal clip through the open side of the battery holder so
that the battery sits flush inside the battery holder.
- Return to How to Install an Expansion
Adapter to complete the installation.
