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Remove the front drive backplane

Follow the instructions in this section to remove the front 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drive backplane.

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.

Procedure

  1. Make preparation for the 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 the installed drives and fillers (if any) from the drive bays. See Remove a 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hot-swap drive.
    3. Remove the top cover. See Remove the top cover.
    4. Remove the system fan cage for easier operation if needed. See Remove the system fan cage.
  2. Record the cable connections on the backplane and then disconnect the cables from the backplane.
  3. Remove the front drive backplane.
    Note
    Depending on the specific type, your backplane might look different from the illustration.
    Figure 1. Removing the front 2.5-inch drive backplane
    Removing the front 2.5-inch drive backplane
    1. Lift the release tabs.
    2. Rotate the backplane from the top to disengage it from the two pins on the chassis.
    Figure 2. Removing the front 3.5-inch drive backplane
    Removing the front 3.5-inch drive backplane
    1. Pull out the plungers and slightly slide the backplane to the side as shown.
    2. Rotate the backplane down to release it from the four hooks on the chassis. Then, carefully lift the backplane out of the chassis.

After you finish

If you are instructed to return the component or optional device, follow all packaging instructions, and use any packaging materials for shipping that are supplied to you.

Demo video

Watch the procedure on YouTube