Removing a disk drive enclosure from a rack

Use this procedure to help you physically remove a disk drive enclosure that is mounted in a rack. Because methods for the attachment of enclosures to a rack vary by model, this procedure provides only conceptual removal steps.

1. Power off the enclosure.
2. If a service position exists for your enclosure, place the enclosure in its service position.
3. If the enclosure was installed with shipping or bracing brackets, complete the following steps:
   1. Remove any screws that attach the brackets to the rack.
   2. Remove any screws that attach the brackets to the enclosure.
   3. Carefully lift the brackets from the enclosure and remove them from the rack.
      CAUTION:
      Shipping and bracing brackets can be heavier than expected. Use more than one person to lift and move the brackets.
4. Disconnect the enclosure from all devices and power as follows:
   1. At the rear of the enclosure, disconnect power cords, any I/O bus cables that connect the enclosure to adapters, and other cables that might be present.
   2. At the front of the enclosure, disconnect any UPIC cables and other cables that might be present.
5. Note the location of all screws that provide for the attachment of the enclosure, the mounting hardware, and the rack to each other.
   If the bezel covers screws on the left and right ends of the front enclosure panel, remove those bezels.
6. Identify which screws secure the enclosure in position, which screws are weight-bearing screws, and which screws serve more purposes.
   To remove the enclosure safely, you must understand the functions of all screws that are used to install the enclosure. Evaluate the screws in the following order:

   1. Make a note of which screws are securing screws. You can identify a securing screw as any screw that fastens the enclosure chassis to any other fixture, such as the rack or a rail. Even if a screw attaches the chassis to another fixture that bears weight, it remains a securing screw and not a weight-bearing screw. If a screw secures only a mounting hardware item to the rack, it is not a securing screw. Check both the front and rear of the enclosure for securing screws. During the enclosure installation task, screws to secure the enclosure were the last screws to be installed. Therefore, they are the first screws that you are directed to remove later in this task to enable the detachment of the enclosure.
      Note: The enclosure might be installed in a shell that is, in turn, installed to a rack or rails. If so, then any screw that fastens the enclosure to the shell is a securing screw. Also, any screw that fastens the shell to the rack or rails is a securing screw.
      Exception: If the enclosure is installed on slide-out rails, the securing screws that attach the enclosure to the rails might also be weight-bearing screws. These models were installed in a two-step process that used rail-mounting guides. In the first step, the guides were temporarily attached to the sides of the enclosure. In the second step, the guides were removed after the enclosure was lifted onto the rails and securing screws were installed. For the purposes of this procedure, identify these screws as the weight-bearing screws that you are directed to remove later in this task.
   2. Make a note of which screws are enclosure weight-bearing screws. You can identify a weight-bearing screw as any screw that fastens a rail to the rack, unless the screw is already identified as a securing screw. The type of rail, such as a stationary rail or a slide-out rail, is not a factor in identifying weight-bearing screws. During the enclosure installation task, screws to attach weight-bearing mounting hardware to the rack were installed before the enclosure was lifted onto the rails and secured. Therefore, you will be directed to remove them later in this task only after the enclosure is safely removed.
   3. Make a note of any remaining screws that are used in the installation of the enclosure. These screws serve other purposes and are the last screws that you are directed to remove later in this task.
7. If the enclosure is installed on slide-out rails and you identified the securing screws as weight-bearing screws in step 6.a, review the following options for the removal of the enclosure. Then, complete the option that is best for your situation:
   1. If you have the original rail-mounting guides and screws that were used during the installation of the enclosure, complete the following steps:
      1. Attach the rail-mounting guides to the sides of the enclosure by using the screws that are provided for the original installation.
      2. Remove the screws that you identified in the Exception note of step 6.a as weight-bearing screws.
      3. Using three people, lift the enclosure from the rails and place it carefully in the space that you cleared. If the enclosure cannot be lifted because it is still attached to the rails, return to step 6 to identify more screws that might need to be removed.
      4. Continue with step 12.
   2. If you do not have the original rail-mounting guides and screws that were used during the installation of the enclosure, complete the following steps:
      1. Position three people at the front and sides of the enclosure to bear its weight and hold it steady during the removal of weight-bearing screws.
      2. Remove the screws that you identified in the Exception note of step 6.a as weight-bearing screws in the slide-out rails. Order the removal of screws so that the last two screws to be removed are ones that are installed at diagonal points on opposite rails.
      3. Using the same three people who are holding the enclosure, lift the enclosure from the rails and place it carefully in the space that you cleared. If the enclosure cannot be lifted because it is still attached to the rails, return to step 6 to identify more screws that might need to be removed.
      4. Continue with step 12.
8. If the enclosure is installed in a shell, complete the following steps:
   1. If a cable retention bracket is present, remove the thumb screw that attaches the bracket to the shell, and remove the bracket.
   2. Remove any securing screws that fasten the enclosure to the shell.
   3. Slide the enclosure into a position where it can be removed. Using one or two people to handle the enclosure safely, slide the enclosure out from the shell.
   4. If more enclosures must be removed from the shell, repeat steps 8.a through 8.c to remove the enclosures.
   5. Remove all remaining securing screws that fasten the shell to the rack or rails.
   6. Lift the shell out from the rack and place it carefully in the space that you cleared.
   7. Continue with step 12.
9. Remove all screws that you identified in step 6.a as securing screws.
   When this step is complete, the enclosure is no longer secured to the rack or to any mounting hardware.

   CAUTION:

   Be careful in this step to remove only the screws that prevent the enclosure from being detached from the rack or mounting hardware. If you believe that a particular screw might be weight-bearing, do not remove it.
10. Perform a test lift of the enclosure with three people to determine how many people are required to handle the enclosure safely.
    CAUTION:

    The heaviest of enclosures require three people for safe lifting. Using fewer people than are required to lift an enclosure can result in injury.
11. Slide the enclosure into a position where it can be removed.
    Lift the enclosure out from the rack and place it carefully in the space that you cleared. If the enclosure is still attached, return to step 6 to identify more screws that might need to be removed.

    Note: Depending on the method of attachment, you might be required to open latches to fully detach the enclosure from the rack and mounting hardware.
12. If you are required to remove the rails, you can remove them safely now.
    The procedure to remove rails includes some of the following common steps at one or both ends of the rail:

    1. Fold down any hinge brackets that are located where the rail attaches to the rack.
    2. Remove all screws that you identified in step 6.b as weight-bearing screws that attach the rail to the rack.
    3. Push any spring-loaded seating pins in the ends of the rails back through their rack holes.
    4. Open latches or loosen fasteners on the rail to detach the rail.
    5. Perform any additional action that is required to retract and remove the rail.
13. Remove any remaining screws that you identified in step 6.c, and remove any remaining mounting hardware from the rack.
14. Store all mounting hardware, brackets, bezels, and the shell for future use.