Installing an external USB docking station and removable disk drive with the system power turned on

Find information about installing an external Universal Serial Bus (USB) disk enclosure and removable disk drive with the system power turned on.

Keep in mind the following guidelines when you install the USB external docking station (docking station) for a removable disk drive:
  • A rack shelf is not included with feature code EU04.
  • The docking station can be rested on a flat surface in a rack or on a table top next to a rack.
  • Ensure that the device is on a flat surface, is right side up, and is not likely to be bumped, dropped, or otherwise damaged or jolted.
  • If the docking station is placed by itself on a rack shelf, it has space on the sides of the device. No filler panels are provided with the docking station.
  • If the docking station is placed on a rack shelf, ensure that the docking station has sufficient air flow. Also ensure that it does not affect the air flow of the other systems in the rack.
  • Do not block the fan on the back of the docking station.
  • The external USB disk drive can be installed while the system is powered on and needs to be configured following the installation.

To install the docking station, complete the following steps:

  1. Attach the electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap.
    Attention:
    • Attach an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap to the front ESD jack, to the rear ESD jack, or to an unpainted metal surface of your hardware to prevent the electrostatic discharge from damaging your hardware.
    • When you use an ESD wrist strap, follow all electrical safety procedures. An ESD wrist strap is used for static control. It does not increase or decrease your risk of receiving electric shock when using or working on electrical equipment.
    • If you do not have an ESD wrist strap, just prior to removing the product from ESD packaging and installing or replacing hardware, touch an unpainted metal surface of the system for a minimum of 5 seconds.
  2. Place the docking station on a flat service. Use the previous guidelines when selecting a location.
  3. Attach one end of the external USB cable (F) to the back of the external docking station.
    Figure 1. Attaching USB and power supply cables
    Attach external USB cable and power supply cable
  4. Attach the other end of the external USB cable (F) to an external, integrated USB port.
  5. Attach the power supply cord (E) to the back of the external docking station and plug it into a power source. In addition to the external power supply cord, there are also universal adapters to be used as needed.
  6. After the docking station is powered on, insert the disk drive into the docking station. A green indicator light appears when the disk drive is placed into the dock correctly.
  7. Configure the removable disk drive by performing the following steps:
    1. For the AIX® operating system, log in as root user.
    2. At the command line, type cfgmgr and press Enter.
    3. To verify that the system recognizes the device, enter lsdev -Cc usbms.
    Note: The Linux operating system automatically configures the drive as a disk drive that has a name in the format sdx, for example, sda, sdb, and sdc. To verify that the system recognizes the device, enter lsusb. To find the device that is associated with the USB disk drive, enter lsscsi.
  8. Verify the installed part.
    • If you replaced the part because of a service action, verify the installed part. For instructions, see Verifying a repair.
    • If you installed the part for any other reason, verify the installed part. For instructions, see Verifying the installed part.
Parent topic: Media devices for the 8408-44E or 8408-E8E


Last updated: Thu, June 01, 2017