Drive backplane installation rules and order
This section contains information on the drive backplane installation rules and order.
Server models with 2.5-inch drive bays
The server supports up to six 2.5-inch drive backplanes.
Figure 1. Backplane numbering
| Drive backplane | Drive bay | Supported drive backplanes | Supported drives |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Backplane 1 | 0 to 7 |
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| 2 Backplane 2 | 8 to 15 | ||
| 3 Backplane 3 | 16 to 23 | ||
| 4 Backplane 4 | 24 to 31 |
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| 5 Backplane 5 | 32 to 39 | ||
| 6 Backplane 6 | 40 to 47 |
Note
The AnyBay backplane currently supports NVMe drives only. Support for SAS/SATA drives or NVMe + SAS/SATA drives will be enabled via a firmware update in Q4 of 2025.
| Installation priority | Backplane type | Backplane placement priority |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.5-inch AnyBay 8-bay drive backplane | 1, 3, 2 |
| 2 | 2.5-inch SAS/SATA 8-bay drive backplane | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
Note
The server supports the following backplane combinations:
1 backplane: 1 x SAS/SATA backplane or 1 x AnyBay backplane
2 backplanes: 2 x SAS/SATA backplanes, 2 x AnyBay backplanes, or combination of both
3 backplanes: 3 x SAS/SATA backplanes, 3 x AnyBay backplanes, or combinations of both
6 backplanes: 6 x SAS/SATA backplanes, or combinations of both
A maximum of 3 AnyBay backplanes are supported.
Server models with E3.S bays
The server supports up to eight E3.S backplanes (backplanes 1 to 8) and three 2.5-inch drive backplanes (backplanes 9 to 11).
Figure 2. Backplane numbering
| Drive backplane | E3.S 1T bay | E3.S 2T bay | 2.5-inch SAS/SATA bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Backplane 1 | 0 to 3 | 1, 3 | |
| 2 Backplane 2 | 4 to 7 | 5, 7 | |
| 3 Backplane 3 | 8 to 11 | 9, 11 | |
| 4 Backplane 4 | 12 to 15 | 13, 15 | |
| 5 Backplane 5 | 16 to 19 | 17, 19 | |
| 6 Backplane 6 | 20 to 23 | 21, 23 | |
| 7 Backplane 7 | 24 to 27 | 25, 27 | |
| 8 Backplane 8 | 28 to 31 | 29, 31 | |
| 9 Backplane 9 | 32 to 39 | ||
| 10 Backplane 10 | 40 to 47 | ||
| 11 Backplane 11 | 48 to 55 |
Note
E3.S 1T bays support E3.S 1T drives.
E3.S 2T bays support CXL memory modules (CMMs).
| Backplane type | Backplane placement priority |
|---|---|
| E3.S backplane for E3.S 1T bays | 1+2, 1+2+3+4, 1+2+3+4+5+6, 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8 |
| E3.S backplane for E3.S 2T bays | 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8 |
| 2.5-inch SAS/SATA 8-bay drive backplane | 9, 10, 11 |
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