- Introduction
- Installation and Configuration
- System Controllers
- Platform and Domain Configuration
- Memory and I/O Configuration
- Domain Administration
- Platform Security
- Error Analysis and Diagnosis
- Dynamic Reconfiguration
- Hot-Swappable PCI Adaptors
- About the Author
- Acknowledgments
- Related Resources
- Ordering Sun Documents
- Accessing Sun Documentation Online
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Installation and Configuration
Although the installation and setup is typically performed by fully trained Sun Services staff, and most of the environmental configuration is clearly documented in the materials delivered with the system, it is worthwhile to cover some of the major issues. The best practices described in this section can significantly reduce interruption-of-service installation time as well as benefit the overall reliability, serviceability, and availability of systems.
Installation
It is considered best practice to read the Site Planning Guide and Hardware Installation Guide, and to complete the suggested checklists, hostname/network planning templates, and installation requirements prior to the delivery of the system.
NOTE
Before installation, leave the system in its packaging for 24 hours where its will be installed. This practice adjusts the system slowly to the room temperature and avoid thermal shock.
System installation uses the installation scripts and checklists, designed to standardize the install process. The Enterprise Installation Services (EIS) CD, created by the Enterprise Services Division, contains all scripts and procedures needed for the installation. It is considered best practice to perform the installation by using the procedures on this CD.
TIP
Use the installation procedures documented in the EIS portfolio, which contains the EIS CD, EIS documentation, and EIS installation checklists.
NOTE
The EIS portfolio is available only to Sun Services staff.
Hardware Placement
The Sun Fire 15K server needs extra exterior clearance for access to its components. It is best practice to allow at least four feet (approximately 1.3 meters) of clearance on all sides of the system. Also, this helps the heat to dissipate, which affects the overall ambient air temperature within the range as specified in the Site Planning Guide. Maintaining this temperature range can help improve system availability. It is recommended that the clearance on all sides of the system be a minimum of four feet (approximately 1.3 meters).
TIP
Provide at least a four-feet (approximately 1.3 meters) clearance on all sides of the system.
Input/Output (I/O) Cable Routing
All cables should be routed in a way that provides clearance for removing and replacing fan trays, AC power supplies, and air filters that are accessed from the lower front and rear of the Sun Fire 15K server chassis. Use Velcro style cable ties or something equivalent to attach and bundle the I/O cabling. Where possible, route the cables along the sides and center of the frame. Ensure enough extra cable in the internal cable length to provide movement and clearance when servicing these parts.
TIP
Allow enough extra cable in the internal cable length to provide movement and clearance when accessing and servicing the hardware components.
Grounding
Sun Fire 15K servers and their associated peripheral cabinets achieve ground potential through AC power receptacles. Consistent grounding must be provided to and from each power distribution unit (PDU). All AC PDU configurations must share the same earth-ground potential. Additional ground straps are recommended if the PDU ground, earth ground, and ground strap attachment points are uniform or are known to be at the same ground potential. It is not necessary or recommended to attach the server and any associated peripheral cabinets to one another using the grounding straps. Any grounding strap attachments should connect from the uniform-ground grid to the cabinets separately. If unknown, it is best practice not to provide additional grounding.
TIP
Share the same earth ground. No additional grounding is required.
Air Conditioning
For the Sun Fire 15K server, a raised floor facility provides the best conditions for directing conditioned air and for routing power and I/O cabling. All Sun Fire servers can be installed in non-raised floor environments; however, this is not considered best practice and can be detrimental to the operation of these servers.
Optimal environmental conditions are consistent across the product line and are defined as follows:
72º (22º) ambient temperature
45-50% relative humidity
No more than 10º (5.5º) or 10% relative humidity change per hour of operation
Also, as with access requirements, the Sun Fire 15K server has further cooling considerations. If using under-floor cooling, perforated-floor tiles should be properly placed to allow under-floor cooling to feed the air inputs of the chassis design. Acceptable floor layouts are documented in the Site Planning Guide. Failure to follow these guidelines will most likely result in the system overheating and could possibly result in intermittent hardware failures.
TIP
Use a raised floor environment. Follow the cooling detailed in the Site Planning Guide.
Air Filter Replacement
Blockage of air intakes is a common root cause of overheating, which leads to intermittent system failures. All air intakes and filters within the server chassis should be checked regularly. Best practices for Sun Fire 15K servers dictate that the filters should be replaced at three-month intervals. The Sun Fire 15K server air filter is designed into the frame so that replacement can occur without a platform outage. The Service Manual shows the filter replacement procedure.
The Sun Fire 15K systems have three front and three rear air filters, which allow approximately 3500 CFMs per system, that require periodic cleaning or replacing. To prevent restricted air flow and possible equipment failure, perform this procedure either when the filters contain trapped particles or every three months.
TIP
In normal environments, replace the filters at three-month intervals.
Power Configuration
Sun Fire servers are designed with power redundancy that provides internal dual-power grids that can be connected to individual uninterrupted power supply (UPS) or PDU sources. The Sun Fire 15K server is shipped with six bulk-power supplies, redundant AC input power connections, and 12 AC power cords. Illustrations of the possible system-power connections are shown in the Site Planning Guide.
The best practice is to provide the dual-grid AC power configuration as shown in the Site Planning Guide.
For 220/380V 3 phase Y AC power configurations, the Sun Fire 15K server can be supplied with this 3 phase AC PDU split into three (red, yellow, and blue) single phase sources. The optimum configuration would be for each single-phase source to provide four 30-amp AC connections to the Sun Fire 15K server.
Each of the 12 power cords to the Sun Fire 15K system have no phase, frequency, or voltage interdependencies. The only requirements are that the voltage and frequency be within the specified values and that the wall service be installed according to electrical code. For example, one cord can be 200V, 50Hz, and another can be 240V, 60 Hz. The power system is designed to current share within 10%, even with this extreme voltage, frequency, and phase unbalance. The phase-phase or phase-neutral connections can be configured in any order to the 12 power cords.
The best practice for this configuration is to connect the AC sources to the bulk power supplies so that no one single phase impacts the availability of a power supply. It could be connected as follows.
|
Front |
Back |
|
|
PS2 PS1 PS0 |
PS5 PS4 PS3 |
|
|
AC1 |
red blue yellow |
red blue yellow |
|
AC0 |
yellow red blue |
yellow red blue |
TIP
Use dual-grid redundant configuration.