Rack requirements and recommendations

A dedicated rack is recommended to house the scaled-out building blocks, due to the complexity of the cabling and wiring, the amount of rack space that is needed, and the power and infrastructure needed.

Note: Installing components in the specified rack locations allows you to add additional building blocks without disrupting service to existing building blocks.

Rack and PDU requirements

Use the following rack and power distribution unit (PDU) requirements to make appropriate selections for the scaled out system.

42U of rack space
42U of rack space is needed to scale out four building blocks.
Standard 19-inch rack width
The standard rack width is 19 inches.
Standard 1000 mm rack depth
The typical rack depth that is used in most data centers is 1000 mm.
Note: Contact IBM® if a shorter rack depth is needed.
Adequate airflow
Provide adequate air inlet and air exhaust to the rack to ensure proper temperatures and operation of the components.
  • Sealed racks are unsupported.
  • Racks with front and back doors must provide ample air paths into and out of the rack.
  • The use of filler plates is not supported as they inhibit air flow to the Fibre Channel switches.
See the FlashSystem V9000 thermal specifications to determine the amount of heat that must be dissipated from the rack.
Four PDU slots to support 60A feeds
Four power distribution unit (PDU) slots are required to support 60A feeds to both sides of the rack. One side can be designated for power feed A, while the other side can be designated for power feed B.
Intelligent PDUs
Intelligent PDUs are used to control and monitor power remotely.
1G Ethernet port for each PDU
A 1G Ethernet port provides remote access to the PDU.
Integrated web server or CLI for each PDU
A PDU web-based GUI or CLI included with the PDU allows monitoring and configuration over the web. No proxy server is needed to provide access.
Twelve C13 or C14 outlets on each PDU
Each PDU must have at least 12 C13 or C14 outlets to support a fully scaled out system.
Single phase or 3-phase input voltage
As appropriate. 60A feeds are preferred for convenience.

Rack and PDU suggestions

The following racks can support a scaled out system.

  • 9363-4PX
  • 7953-94X
  • 7965-94Y
  • 7014-T42

The following PDUs can support a scaled-out system. The 60A and 30A feeds are single phase (1P).

  • 46M4004
  • 46M4005
Note: If a 9846-92F or 9848-92F SAS expansion enclosure is installed in the system, a C19 PDU is required.

7014-T42 rack specifications

The following tables provide dimensions and service clearances for the 7014-T42 rack:

Table 1. 7014-T42 rack dimensions
Properties Dimensions
Height 2015 mm (79.3 in.)
Capacity 42 usable EIA units
Width without side panels 623 mm (24.5 in.)
Width with side panels 644 mm (25.4 in)
Depth with back door only 1042 mm (41.0 in.)
Depth with back door and front door 1098 mm (43.3 in.)
Table 2. 7014-T42 rack service clearances
Clearance Dimension
Front 915 mm (36 in.)
Back 915 mm (36 in.)
Sides 915 mm (36 in.)
Recommended minimum vertical service clearance from floor is 2439 mm (8 ft).

OEM rack guidelines

The front rack opening must be 451 mm wide + 0.75 mm (17.75 in. + 0.03 in.). Rail-mounting holes must be 465 mm + 0.8 mm (18.3 in. + 0.03 in.) apart on center (horizontal width between vertical columns of holes on the two front-mounting flanges and on the two rear-mounting flanges), as shown in the following figure:

Figure 1. Rack dimensions as viewed from top of rack
This figure shows the rack dimensions as viewed from top of rack

If an OEM rack is used to house the scaled system, evaluate the rack based on the following guidelines to avoid potential issues when you install the scaled system:

Important: There must be an open space of at least 203 mm (8.0 inches) between the inner ends of the rack rails and the back of the rack
  • The front and rear mounting flanges in the rack or cabinet must be 719 mm (28.3 in.) apart. The internal width that is bounded by the mounting flanges must be at least 494 mm (19.45 in.), for the IBM rails to fit in your rack or cabinet.
  • The rack or cabinet must be capable of supporting an average load of 15.9 kg (35 lb) of product weight per EIA unit.
  • The front rack opening must be 451 mm wide + 0.75 mm (17.75 in. + 0.3 in.), and the rail-mounting holes must be 465 mm + 0.8 mm (18.3 in. + 0.03 in.) apart on center (horizontal width between vertical columns of holes on the two front-mounting flanges and on the two rear-mounting flanges).
  • There are no restrictions on the location of side walls and corner posts relative to the internal mounting space.

These requirements and specifications are provided as an aid to help you understand the requirements to install the scalable system into racks. The customer is responsible for verifying with their rack manufacturer that any non-IBM racks comply with IBM specifications.

The rack or cabinet must meet the EIA Standard EIA-310-D for 19-inch racks published August 24, 1992. The EIA-310-D standard specifies internal dimensions such as the width of the rack opening (width of the chassis), the width of the module mounting flanges, the mounting hole spacing, and the depth of the mounting flanges. The EIA-310-D standard does not control the overall external width of the rack.