Control enclosure environmental requirements

Before you install a system, your physical environment must meet certain requirements.

These requirements include verifying that adequate space is available and power and environmental conditions are met.

Safety notices

Use the following general safety information for all rack-mounted devices.

DANGER
Observe the following precautions when working on or around your IT rack system:
  • Heavy equipment–personal injury or equipment damage might result if mishandled.
  • Always lower the leveling pads on the rack cabinet.
  • Always install stabilizer brackets on the rack cabinet.
  • To avoid hazardous conditions due to uneven mechanical loading, always install the heaviest devices in the bottom of the rack cabinet. Always install servers and optional devices starting from the bottom of the rack cabinet.
  • Rack-mounted devices are not to be used as shelves or work spaces. Do not place objects on top of rack-mounted devices.
    An unstable rack with a shelf with an object on it
  • Each rack cabinet might have more than one power cord. Be sure to disconnect all power cords in the rack cabinet when directed to disconnect power during servicing.
  • Connect all devices installed in a rack cabinet to power devices installed in the same rack cabinet. Do not plug a power cord from a device installed in one rack cabinet into a power device installed in a different rack cabinet.
  • An electrical outlet that is not correctly wired could place hazardous voltage on the metal parts of the system or the devices that attach to the system. It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that the outlet is correctly wired and grounded to prevent an electrical shock. (R001 part 1 of 2)
CAUTION:
  • Do not install a unit in a rack where the internal rack ambient temperatures will exceed the manufacturer's recommended ambient temperature for all your rack-mounted devices.
  • Do not install a unit in a rack where the air flow is compromised. Ensure that air flow is not blocked or reduced on any side, front, or back of a unit used for air flow through the unit.
  • Consideration should be given to the connection of the equipment to the supply circuit so that overloading of the circuits does not compromise the supply wiring or overcurrent protection. To provide the correct power connection to a rack, refer to the rating labels located on the equipment in the rack to determine the total power requirement of the supply circuit.
  • (For sliding drawers) Do not pull out or install any drawer or feature if the rack stabilizer brackets are not attached to the rack. Do not pull out more than one drawer at a time. The rack might become unstable if you pull out more than one drawer at a time.
  • (For fixed drawers) This drawer is a fixed drawer and must not be moved for servicing unless specified by the manufacturer. Attempting to move the drawer partially or completely out of the rack might cause the rack to become unstable or cause the drawer to fall out of the rack. (R001 part 2 of 2)
Important: In addition, remember:
  • The rack design must support the total weight of the installed enclosures and incorporate stabilizing features suitable to prevent the rack from tipping or being pushed over during installation or normal use.
  • The rack must not exceed the maximum enclosure operating ambient temperature of 35-degrees C (95-degrees Fahrenheit). Air is drawn through the control enclosure by fans in each node canister and each power supply.

    In particular, the rack front and rear doors must be at least 60% perforated to enable sufficient airflow through the enclosure. If there is less airflow, additional mechanisms are required to cool the enclosure. An appropriate IBM® rack configuration would be the 7014-T42 IBM Rack Model T42, with standard rear door and feature code 6069 Front Door For 2.0 Meter Rack (High Perforation).

  • The rack must have a safe electrical distribution system. It must provide overcurrent protection for the enclosure and must not be overloaded by the total number of enclosures installed. The electrical power consumption rating that is shown on the nameplate should be observed.
  • The electrical distribution system must provide a reliable ground for each enclosure in the rack.

Power requirements for each power supply

Ensure that your environment meets the following power requirements. To aid in power and cooling requirements planning, Table 1 lists the rating of each power supply unit (PSU) by enclosure.

The power that is used by the system depends on various factors, including the number of enclosures and drives in the system and the ambient temperature.

Table 1. Power specifications per power supply
Model and type Part number Input power requirements Maximum input current Maximum power output
FlashSystem 9500 control enclosure 2000 W

200-240 V single phase AC

At a frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz

IEC C20 standardized

 10 A 2000 W
The power and thermal measurements that are shown in Table 2 were obtained in the specific operating environment and under the conditions described. These measurements are presented as an illustration; measurements that are obtained in other operating environments might vary. Conduct your own testing to determine specific measurements for your environment.
Table 2. Power consumption examples per enclosure
Model and type Configuration Total power consumption Caloric value (BTU/hr)
IBM Storage FlashSystem 9500 1 enclosure with 40 of 4.8 TB FCM 3.0 NVMe drives, 12 of 32 Gb FC adapters, and 3 TB of memory, working at 100% throughput (16K 70/30 with 50% cache hits) 2,037.6 W 6952.5
1 enclosure with 36 of 19.2 TB FCM 3.0 NVMe drives, 12 of 32 Gb FC adapters, and 3 TB of memory, working at 100% throughput (16K 70/30 with 50% cache hits) 2,486.8 W 8485.3

Each enclosure contains four PSUs for redundancy. The total power consumption value is the sum of the power that is drawn by each PSU.

Environmental requirements

System airflow is from the front to the rear of each enclosure:
  • Airflow passes between drive carriers and through each enclosure.
  • Air exhausts from the rear of each canister.
Ensure that your environment falls within the ranges that are shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Temperature requirements
Environment Ambient temperature Altitude Relative humidity Maximum wet bulb temperature
Operating 5°C to 35°C
(41°F to 95°F)		 0 - 3048 m
(0 - 10000 ft)		 8% to 80% noncondensing 23°C (73°F)
Non-operating 1°C to 50°C
(34°F to 122°F)		 -305 to 12192 m
(-1000 to 40000 ft)		 8% to 80% noncondensing 27°C (80°F)
Storage 1°C to 60°C
(34°F to 140°F)		 5% to 80% noncondensing 29°C (84°F)
Shipping -40°C to 60°C
(-40°F to 140°F)		 5% to 100% condensing, but not precipitating
Note: Above 950 m altitude, de-rate maximum ambient temperature 1°C per 300 m.

Capacity of exhaust

Ensure that the installation site meets the airflow requirements that are listed as following:

Table 4. Airflow requirements for FlashSystem
Storage configuration Cubic feet per minute (CFM)Nominal temperature

(23°C) (73.4°F)

 Maximum temperature

(35°C) (95°F)
1 control enclosure with 48 FCM drives 240 430

Dimensions and weight requirements for rack installation

Ensure that space is available in a standard 19" rack that is capable of supporting the enclosure. The rack rail kit supports racks with either threaded round or square rail mounting holes. The following table lists the dimensions and weights of the enclosures.
Table 5. Physical characteristics of the enclosures
Enclosure Height Width Depth Maximum weight
Drive ready (without drives) Fully configured (with drives)
IBM Storage FlashSystem 9500 control enclosures with 48 drive slots 174 mm (6.85 in.) 446 mm (17.56 in.) 826 mm (32.51 in.) 25.18 kg (55.51 lb) 69.32 kg (152.82 lb)
The following table shows the rack space requirements for the control enclosure in tabular form.
Table 6. Rack space requirements for the FlashSystem 9500 control enclosure
Minimum rail length Maximum rail depth
670 mm (26.38 in.) 870 mm (34.25 in.)

Additional space requirements

Ensure that these additional space requirements, as shown in Table 7, are available around the enclosures.

Table 7. Clearances
Location Additional space requirements Reason
Left and right sides 50 mm (2 in.) Cooling air flow
Back
Minimum: 100 mm (4 in.)
Cable exit

Acoustical Declaration with Noise Hazard Notice

Caution for high level of acoustical noise
Table 8. Declared noise emission values in accordance with ISO 9296
Declared noise emission values in accordance with ISO 9296
Product description
9846-AF7
9846-AF8
9848-AF7
9848-AF8
 Declared A-weighted sound power level, LWA,m (B) Declared A-weighted emission sound pressure level, LpA,m(dB)1-7 Statistical adder for verification, Kv (B)
  Operating Idling Operating Idling Operating Idling
Principal configuration:
Single 2U FlashSystem 9100 enclosure in a rack
25 degrees C, 500m
 7.8(6) 7.8(6) 74 74 0.3 0.3
Maximum configuration:
Single 2U FlashSystem 9100 enclosure in a rack
27 degrees C, 500m
 8.0(6) 8.0(6) 77 77 0.3 0.3
Maximum configuration:
Single 2U FlashSystem 9100 enclosure in a rack
Maximum fan speeds, Worst-case ambient
 8.6(6) 8.6(6) 83 83 0.3 0.3
Note:
  1. Declared level LWA,m is the upper-limit A-weighted sound power level; Declared level LPA,m is the mean A-weighted sound pressure level measured at the 1-meter bystander positions.
  2. The statistical adder for verification, Kv, is a quantity to be added to the declared mean A-weighted sound power level, LWA,m such that there will be a 95% probability of acceptance, when using the verification procedures of ISO 9626, if no more than 6.5% of the batch of new equipment has A-weighted sound power levels greater than (LWA,m+Kv).
  3. The quantity LWA,c(formerly called LWA,d), can be computed from the sum of LWA,mand Kv.
  4. All measurements made in conformance with ISO 7779 and declared in conformance with ISO 9296.
  5. B, dB, abbreviations for bels and decibels, respectively. 1 B = 10 dB
  6. Notice: Government regulations (such as those prescribed by OSHA or European Community Directives) might govern noise level exposure in the workplace and might apply to you and your server installation. The actual sound pressure levels in your installation depend upon various factors, including the number of racks in the installation; the size, materials, and configuration of the room where you designate the racks to be installed; the noise levels from other equipment; the room ambient temperature, and employees' location in relation to the equipment. Further, compliance with such government regulations also depends upon various extra factors, including the duration of employees' exposure and whether employees wear hearing protection. IBM recommends that you consult with qualified experts in this field to determine whether you are in compliance with the applicable regulations.

Shock and vibration specifications for enclosures

Table 9 and Table 10 provide the shock and vibration testing results for your system.

Table 9. Shock testing results
Shock categories Test level Performance
Operational 5 g 10 ms 1/2 Sine <= 25 g 10 ms
Non-operational 30 g 10 ms 1/2 Sine <= 75 g 11 ms
Table 10. Vibration testing results
Vibration categories Test level Performance
Operational 0.21 grms 5-500 Hz Random Throughput loss <= 10% FCAL <= 0.68 grms
Non-operational 1.04 grms 2-200 Hz Random <= 3.12 grms
Shipping 0.3 g 2-200 Hz Sine <= 5 g
Rotational vibration Normal operation performance measurements in enclosure with no external vibration. Throughput loss for all drives of the same type within performance profile.