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Front view

The front view of the server varies by model. Depending on the model, your server might look slightly different from the illustrations in this topic.

Front view with sixteen 2.5-inch front drive bays (model 2)


Front view with sixteen 2.5-inch front drive bays (model 2)

Front view with twenty-four 2.5-inch front drive bays


Front view with twenty-four 2.5-inch front drive bays

Front view with 2.5-inch front drive bays (backplane-less)


Front view with 2.5-inch front drive bays (backplane-less)

Front view with 3.5-inch front drive bays (backplane-less)


Front view with 3.5-inch front drive bays (backplane-less)

Front components overview

Drive bays

The drive bays on the front and rear of your server are designed for hot-swap drives. The number of the installed drives in your server varies by model. When you install drives, follow the order of the drive bay numbers.

Drive bay filler

The drive bay filler is used to cover a vacant drive bay. The EMI integrity and cooling of the server are protected by having all drive bays occupied. The vacant drive bays must be occupied by drive bay fillers or drive fillers.

Drive LEDs

Each hot-swap drive comes with an activity LED and status LED and the signals are controlled by the backplanes. Different colors and speeds indicate different activities or status of the drive. The following illustration shows the LEDs on a hard disk drive or solid-state drive.

Figure 1. Drive LEDs
Drive LEDs

Drive LEDStatusDescription
1 Drive activity LED (left)Solid greenThe drive is powered but not active.
Blinking greenThe drive is active.
2 Drive status LED (right)Solid yellowThe drive has an error.
Blinking yellow (blinking slowly, about one flash per second)The drive is being rebuilt.
Blinking yellow (blinking rapidly, about four flashes per second)The drive is being identified.

External diagnostics connector

The connector is for connecting an external diagnostics handset. For more about its functions, see External diagnostics handset.

Front I/O module

The front I/O module provides controls, connectors, and LEDs. The front I/O module varies by model. For more information, see Front I/O module.

PCIe slots

The PCIe slots are on the rear or front of the server, and your server supports up to 12 PCIe slots. For more information, see PCIe slots and PCIe adapters.

Pull-out information tab

The Lenovo XClarity Controller network access label is attached on the pull-out information tab. The default Lenovo XClarity Controller hostname and the IPv6 Link Local Address (LLA) are provided on the tab.

For more information, see Set the network connection for the Lenovo XClarity Controller.

Rack latches

If your server is installed in a rack, you can use the rack latches to help you slide the server out of the rack. You also can use the rack latches and screws to secure the server in the rack so that the server cannot slide out, especially in vibration-prone areas.

VGA connector

The VGA connectors on the front and rear of the server can be used to attach a high-performance monitor, a direct-drive monitor, or other devices that use a VGA connector.

Ethernet connectors

Figure 2. OCP module (two connectors)
OCP module (two connectors)

Figure 3. OCP module (four connectors)
OCP module (four connectors)

The OCP module provides two or four extra Ethernet connectors for network connections. By default, any of the connectors on the OCP module can function as a shared management connector.