Installing the Switch in a 4-Post Rack

Before you begin

  • Inspect the switch shipment to ensure that you have everything you ordered.
  • Make sure that the switch rack-mount kit includes the following parts:
    • Front rack-mount brackets (2)
    • Rear rack-mount brackets (2)
    • Slider rails (2)
    • M4 x 0.7 x 8-mm Phillips countersink screws (12)
  • The rack is installed and secured to its location.

About this task

To install the switch, you must attach the front and rear mounting brackets to the switch, install the slider rails on the rear of the rack, slide the switch into the slider rails, and secure the switch to the front of the rack. Typically, the front of the rack is the side that is easiest to access for maintenance.

Procedure

  1. Install two front-mount brackets to the switch as follows:
    1. Determine which end of the chassis is to be located in the cold aisle as follows:
      • If the switch has port-side intake modules (fan modules with red coloring), position the switch so that its ports are in the cold aisle.
      • If the switch has port-side exhaust modules (fan modules with blue coloring), position the switch so that its fan and power-supply modules are in the cold aisle.
    2. Position a front-mount bracket so that four of its screw holes are aligned to the screw holes on the side of the chassis.
      Note:

      You can align any four of the holes in the front rack-mount bracket to four of the six screw holes on the side of the chassis. The holes that you use depend on the requirements of your rack and the amount of clearance required for interface cables (3 in. [76 mm] minimum) and module handles (1 in. [25 mm] minimum).

      • 1 & 4. Four M4 screws
      • 2 & 3. Front rack-mount bracket
    3. Secure the front-mount bracket to the chassis using the four M4 screws and tighten each screw to 12 in-lb (1.36 N·m) of torque.
    4. Repeat Step 1 for the other front rack-mount bracket on the other side of the switch, and be sure to position that bracket the same distance from the front of the switch.
  2. Install the two rear rack-mount brackets on the chassis, as follows:
    1. Align the two screw holes on a rear rack-mount bracket to the middle two screw holes in the remaining six screw holes on a side of the chassis if you are aligning the guide to holes that are near the port connections end of the chassis.
    2. Attach the guide to the chassis using two M4 screws. Tighten the screws to 12 in-lb (1.36 N·m) of torque.
    3. Repeat Step 2 for the other rear rack-mount bracket on the other side of the switch.
  3. If you are not installing the chassis into a grounded rack, you must attach a customer-supplied grounding wire to the chassis, as explained in Grounding the Switch. However, if you are installing the chassis into a grounded rack, you can skip this step.
  4. Install the slider rails into the rack or cabinet, as follows:
    1. Determine which two posts of the rack or cabinet you should use for the slider rails. Of the four vertical posts in the rack or cabinet, two will be used for the front-mount brackets attached to the easiest-accessed end of the chassis, and the other two posts will have the slider rails.
    2. Position a slider rail at the desired level on the back side of the rack and use two 12-24 screws or two 10-32 screws, depending on the rack thread type, to attach the posts to the rack. Tighten the 12-24 screws to 30 in-lb (3.39 N·m) of torque, and tighten the 10-32 screws to 20 in-lb (2.26 N·m) of torque.
    3. Repeat Step 3 to attach the other slider rail to the other side of the rack.

      To make sure that the slider rails are at the same level, you should use a level tool or tape measure, or carefully count the screw holes in the vertical mounting posts.

  5. Insert the switch into the rack and attach it as follows:
    • 1. Fan-tray end of the chassis.
    • 2. Customer-supplied rack-mount screw.
    1. Holding the switch with both hands, position the two rear rack-mount brackets on the switch between the rack or cabinet posts that do not have slider rails attached to them.
    2. Align the two rear rack-mount guides on either side of the switch with the slider rails installed in the rack. Slide the rack-mount guides onto the slider rails, and then gently slide the switch all the way into the rack until the front rack-mount brackets come in contact with two rack or cabinet posts.
    3. Holding the chassis level, insert two screws (12-24 or 10-32, depending on the rack type) into each of the two front rack-mount brackets (using a total of four screws), and into the cage nuts or threaded holes in the vertical rack-mounting posts.
      Note:

      If you attached a grounding cable to the chassis, you will need to bend one of the rack-mount posts slightly to allow the grounding lug to go behind the post.

    4. Tighten the 10-32 screws to 20 in-lb (2.26 N·m), or tighten the 12-24 screws to 30 in-lb (3.39 N·m).
  6. If you have attached a grounding wire to the chassis grounding pad, connect the other end of the wire to the facility ground.