Remove the front M.2 drive cage and drive backplanes

Follow the instructions in this section to remove the front M.2 drive cage and drive backplanes.

About this task

Attention

• Read Installation Guidelines and Safety inspection checklist to ensure that you work safely.

• Power off the server and peripheral devices and disconnect the power cords and all external cables. See Power off the server.

• Prevent exposure to static electricity, which might lead to system halt and loss of data, by keeping static-sensitive components in their static-protective packages until installation, and handling these devices with an electrostatic-discharge wrist strap or other grounding system.

Figure 1. Front M.2 drive backplanes

1 M.2 controller board

2 M.2 boot backplane

Procedure

1. Make preparations for this task.
   1. If the server is installed in a rack, slide the server out on its rack slide rails to gain access to the top cover, or remove the server from the rack. See Server replacement.
   2. Remove all hot-swap M.2 drive assemblies installed in the front M.2 drive cage. See Remove rear hot-swap M.2 interposer and drive assembly.
   3. Remove the top cover. See Remove the top cover.
   4. Disconnect the power and signal cables from the M.2 backplanes.
2. (Optional) For configurations with E3.S drives or CXL memory modules (CMMs), remove the front M.2 drive cage with cage frame from the chassis.
   1. Open the latch to disengage the drive cage with frame.
   2. Slide the drive cage with frame out of the chassis.
   Figure 2. Removing the front M.2 drive cage with cage frame
   
   
3. Remove the front M.2 drive cage.
   • For configurations with 2.5-inch drives at front of the server, remove the front M.2 drive cage from the chassis.
   • For configurations with E3.S drives or CMMs, remove the front M.2 drive cage from the cage frame.
   1. Press the release latch with a flat-head screwdriver to disengage the drive cage.
   2. Slide the drive cage out to remove it.
   
   
   

   Figure 3. Removing the front M.2 drive cage from the cage frame
   
   
4. Remove the front M.2 controller board from the drive cage.
   1. Loosen the two screws that secure the controller board.
   2. Remove the controller board from the drive cage.
   Figure 4. Removing the front M.2 controller board
   
   
5. Remove the front M.2 boot backplane from the drive cage.
   1. Loosen the two screws that secure the backplane.
      Figure 5. Removing the front M.2 boot backplane
      
      
   1. Pivot the left side of backplane away from the drive cage.
   2. Remove the backplane from the drive cage.
   Figure 6. Removing the front M.2 boot backplane