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Remove the middle drive cage and drive backplanes

Follow instructions in this section to remove the middle 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.

  • Before you remove or make changes to drives, drive controllers (including controllers that are integrated on the system board assembly), drive backplanes or drive cables, back up all important data that is stored on drives.

  • Before you remove any component of a RAID array (drive, RAID card, etc.), back up all RAID configuration information.

  • If one or more NVMe solid-state drives are to be removed, it is recommended to disable them beforehand via the operating 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 Remove the server from rack.
    2. Remove the top cover. See Remove the top cover.
    3. Remove the system fan cage for easier operation. See Remove the system fan cage.
    4. Disconnect cables from the middle drive backplanes.
  2. Remove the middle drive cage.
    Note
    The illustration shows removing the middle 2.5-inch drive cage. The procedure is the same for removing the middle 3.5-inch drive cage.
    Figure 1. Removing the middle drive cage
    Removing the middle drive cage
    1. Rotate the drive cage handle to open it.
    2. Remove the drives from the drive cage.
    3. Pull and twist plunger pins to release the drive cage.
    4. Carefully lift the drive cage up from the chassis.
  3. Remove the middle drive backplane.
    Note
    Depending on the specific type, your backplane might look different from the illustration.
    Figure 2. Removing the middle 2.5-inch drive backplane
    Removing the middle 2.5-inch drive backplane
    1. Slightly pivot the release latches outwards in the direction as shown.
    2. Rotate the backplane from the top to disengage it from the pins on the drive cage.
    3. Carefully lift the backplane out of the drive cage.
    Figure 3. Removing the middle 3.5-inch drive backplane
    Removing the middle 3.5-inch drive backplane
    1. Open the release latches in the direction as shown.
    2. Rotate the backplane from the top to disengage it from the pins on the drive cage.
    3. Carefully lift the backplane out of the drive cage.

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 (2.5-inch)

Watch the procedure on YouTube (3.5-inch)