Install the 2.5-inch front drive backplane

Use this information to install the 2.5-inch front drive backplane.

About this task

The server supports up to three 2.5-inch drive backplanes of below types. Depending on the backplane type and quantity, the installation location of the backplanes varies.

2.5-inch SAS/SATA 8-bay backplane
2.5-inch AnyBay 8-bay backplane
2.5-inch NVMe 8-bay backplane

Note

The AnyBay backplane and NVMe backplane listed above use the same physical circuit board. The difference is which connectors on the backplane are cabled: NVMe and SAS/SATA, or just NVMe.

The following table lists the supported backplane combinations. Install the backplane according to your server configuration.

Figure 1. Drive backplane numbering

Backplane quantity	Backplane `1`	Backplane `2`	Backplane `3`
1	SAS/SATA 8-bay NVMe 8-bay AnyBay 8-bay
2	SAS/SATA 8-bay	SAS/SATA 8-bay
	SAS/SATA 8-bay	NVMe 8-bay AnyBay 8-bay
	AnyBay 8-bay	NVMe 8-bay
	NVMe 8-bay	NVMe 8-bay
3	SAS/SATA 8-bay	SAS/SATA 8-bay	SAS/SATA 8-bay
	SAS/SATA 8-bay	SAS/SATA 8-bay	AnyBay 8-bay NVMe 8-bay
	SAS/SATA 8-bay	NVMe 8-bay	NVMe 8-bay
	NVMe 8-bay	NVMe 8-bay	NVMe 8-bay

Attention

Read Installation Guidelines to ensure that you work safely.
Power off the server and disconnect all power cords for this task.
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.

Procedure

Touch the static-protective package that contains the new backplane to any unpainted surface on the outside of the server. Then, take the new backplane out of the package and place it on a static-protective surface.
Connect the cables to the backplane. See Internal cable routing.
Install the 2.5-inch drive front backplane.
Note
Depending on the specific type, your backplane might look different from the illustration.
Figure 2. 2.5-inch drive backplane installation
1. Align the bottom of the backplane with the slots on of the chassis.
2. Rotate the backplane to the vertical position and align the holes in the backplane with the pins on the chassis and press the backplane into position. The release tabs will secure the backplane in place.

After you finish

Reinstall all the drives and fillers (if any) into the drive bays. See Install a hot-swap drive.
Reinstall the fan cage. See Install the system fan cage.
Reinstall the air baffle if you have removed it. See Install the air baffle.
Complete the parts replacement. See Complete the parts replacement.
If you have installed an Anybay backplane with U.3 NVMe drives for Trimode, enable U.3 x1 mode for the selected drive slots on the backplane through the XCC Web GUI. See U.3 NVMe drive can be detected in NVMe connection, but cannot be detected in Tri-mode.

Demo video

Watch the procedure on YouTube

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