Adding a control enclosure to an existing system

To add a control enclosure to an existing system (release 8.7.0 and earlier), you must first install it in the rack.

About this task

Note: This topic is applicable for 8.7.0 and earlier software versions as from version 8.7.1, FlashSystem grid replaces I/O groups as the method to scale-out using FlashSystem.

When SAN is being used, connect the new control enclosure to the system through a zone that you configure in the SAN. When you are using RDMA over Ethernet, you must assign IP addresses. When you are connecting the Fibre Channel adapters directly, you can bypass network setup.

Procedure

To add a control enclosure to an existing system, complete the following steps.

  1. The SSR installs the FlashSystem 9200 control enclosure and completes cabling.
  2. Connect the canisters directly, connects them to the storage area network, or connects them to a 25 Gbps or faster Ethernet network.
    1. To directly connect the new control enclosure to a control enclosure with an existing system, see Planning for I/O connections.
    2. To connect the new control enclosure that uses the SAN, see Connecting Ethernet cables to the node canisters and Connecting Fibre Channel cables to the control enclosure.
  3. For SAN connections, complete all SAN configuration before installation and see Cable reference about the cabling requirements.

    The correct zoning provides a way for the Fibre Channel ports to connect to each other.

  4. In the management GUI, select Monitoring > System. On the System -- Overview page, select Add Enclosure. When a new enclosure is cabled correctly to the system, the Add Enclosure action automatically displays on the System -- Overview page. If this action does not appear, review the installation instructions to ensure that the new enclosure is cabled correctly. You can also add an enclosure by selecting Add Enclosure from the System Actions menu.
  5. Complete the instructions in the Add Enclosures wizard until the control enclosure is added to the system.
  6. If exactly two control enclosures are in the system, you must set up a quorum disk or application outside of the system. If the two control enclosures lose communication with each other, the quorum disk prevents both I/O groups from going offline. For more information, see Quorum.