- Recommendations for Applying Preferred Practices
- Principals of Mission-Critical Implementations
- Physical Environment
- Internal Network Planning
- External Network Planning
- System Controller Configuration
- Platform and Domain Administration
- Security
- Error Analysis and Diagnosis
- Platform and Domain Configuration
- Dynamic Reconfiguration
- References
- Related Resources
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Physical Environment
Although the physical environment is well documented in the Sun Fire 15K/12K server's product documentation, it is worth reviewing some important points regarding this subject.
The data center floor must be designed and laid out to meet the physical dimensions and weight of the Sun Fire 15K/12K server frame. It is important to fully understand all the requirements documented in the Sun Fire 15K Site Planning Guide and to have Sun Support Services review the proposed site to make sure it meets the requirements documented in the planning guide before the physical installation is scheduled.
The first task when implementing the physical set up of a Sun Fire 15K/12K server is to layout a diagram and a set of specifications. This diagram should include the newly purchased components of the architecture and their physical requirements (such as access routes, cooling, power, grounding, floor strength, space, and cabling). Be sure to include not only the Sun Fire 15K/12K server frames, but also the racks that support the servers used for boot arrays. The next task is to start the installation with Sun Services. This task should be scheduled after the physical environment has been fully installed and tested.
Planning for Cabling
When planning for cabling, account for all components and add extra cables to account for redundancy in case of failure. This will alleviate some of the headaches that might occur later if there are cable failures or when expansion of the system components is required. Cabling should include all network, communication, power, and I/O for all racks. All cables should be labeled clearly and installed with a cable binder to keep them well organized. Cables should be installed with the adequate amount of slack to prevent them from being damaged, especially when installing fiber cables. Cables should be placed in positions that allow ample room and easy access for removing and servicing internal components of the platform.
In addition, decide on a naming standard for labeling all cables early in the implementation planning phase of the project. A detailed cabling worksheet or spreadsheet is a good document to develop to help in the design and planning of this activity. The document should include the type (fiber or cooper), connection type (FC or SC), quantities, and lengths of the cables and what racks they connect to. There might be restrictions placed on the type of cabling used for certain types of components, so follow specific product documentation and specifications closely.
Ensure that adequate clearance is maintained between the Sun Fire 15K/12K frames and other equipment. Reference the Sun Fire 15K Site Planning Guide for these specifications. Make sure there is adequate room for servicing, when needed. Remember, it is not recommended or supported, that you install or place any non Sun Fire 15K components in the Sun Fire 15K cabinets.
Planning for Cooling
As with other physical components in a Sun Fire 15K/12K frame, the cooling system is monitored and adjusted by system controllers. If system controllers are offline or if fans have failed, the remaining fans will be run at maximum speed to make sure they compensate for the failure. Regardless of the ability of the server to compensate for airflow and fan redundancy, you must plan for and maintain adequate facility resources. If the cooling environment is not maintained, the server could shut down automatically. The cooling required for each frame depends on the internal configuration of components within a frame. Because the internal server configuration affects the power consumption and the heat produced for each frame, it is important that you carefully calculate the required cooling using the spreadsheet within the Sun Fire 15K Site Planning Guide. To satisfy all types of conditions, install cooling capacity for the maximum anticipated configuration so that upgrades of the cooling system will not be required as internal components of the server or additional servers are added later.
We recommend that you install Sun Fire 15K/12K frames on a raised-floor configuration with perforated tiles. The Sun Fire 15K/12K uses air flow from the bottom of the frame to the top of the frame, internally, and the raised floor and perforated tiles can generate the proper air flow. For more information about the environmental specifications for air flow and temperature, refer to the Sun Fire 15K Site Planning Guide.
In addition, fill any open slots on the Sun Fire 15K frame with filler panels to ensure proper air flow and cooling. The design of the Sun Fire 15K allows you to replace components such as air filters without any service interruption, and these should be checked and replaced regularly.
Configuring Power Supplies
You can configure Sun Fire 15K/12K servers with up to six hot-swapable single phase AC power supplies, and twelve independent power cords. We recommend that you install and test all six power supplies and twelve power cords before placing a server into service. This will alleviate extra maintenance and testing later if the server is expanded and requires the extra power.
Because Sun Fire 15K/12K servers support a dual-power grid design and n+1 power supplies, 100 percent redundancy can always be achieved. Therefore, in a fully loaded frame, these servers can operate with full functionality with less than the maximum of six power supplies. Nonetheless, we recommend that you turn on all power supplies to utilize the extra redundancy. There is a power planning worksheet in the Sun Fire 15K Site Planning Guide to help you calculate the specific power requirements for individual installations. For power configuration drawings of both single- and dual-redundant requirements, as well as voltage and circuit requirements, reference the Sun Fire 15K System Site Planning Guide, Chapter 3 "Facility and System Requirements."
Within each AC power supply, there are redundant and equal halves for connecting two AC input cords. To alleviate the possibility of incurring repeated power interruptions and fluctuations, which, in turn, could cause a higher rate of component failures, ensure that the power feeds being used come from separate dedicated distribution panels with a constant and stable UPS source.
Installing Sun Fire 15K/12K servers requires additional mirrored domain boot devices such as the Sun StorEdge_ S1 array. These arrays are typically located in separate 72-inch racks, which also require dual redundant circuits. The power requirements for racks should be documented in the rack manufacturer's data specs.
All Sun Fire 15K/12K servers are properly grounded through the power cables and additional grounding cables are not provided with the system. Although not required, adding extra grounding might improve the ability to dissipate current more efficiently. It is important to check that the data center's grounding rails or grounding potential is the same as the grounding potential of the server's power cables. For more information about these procedures, refer to the Sun Fire 15K Installation and De-Installation Guide and the Sun Fire 15K Site Planning Guide.