You can replace a failed battery in a DE6000H storage system.

About this task

Each DE6000H controller canister includes a battery that preserves cached data if the AC power fails. If the Recovery Guru in ThinkSystem System Manager reports either a Battery Failed status or a Battery Replacement Required status, you must replace the affected battery.

Before you begin
What you’ll need

  • A replacement battery.

  • An ESD wristband, or you have taken other antistatic precautions.

  • Labels to identify each cable that is connected to the controller canister.

  • A management station with a browser that can access ThinkSystem System Manager for the controller. (To open the System Manager interface, point the browser to the controller’s domain name or IP address.)

Step 1: Place controller offline (duplex)

If you have a duplex configuration, place the affected controller offline so you can safely remove the failed battery. The controller that you are not placing offline must be online (in the optimal state).

Perform this task only if your storage array has two controllers (duplex configuration).
Steps

  1. From ThinkSystem System Manager, review the details in the Recovery Guru to confirm that there is an issue with a battery and to ensure no other items must be addressed first.

  2. From the Details area of the Recovery Guru, determine which battery to replace.

  3. Back up the storage array’s configuration database using ThinkSystem System Manager..

    If a problem occurs when you remove a controller, you can use the saved file to restore your configuration. The system will save the current state of the RAID configuration database, which includes all data for volume groups and disk pools on the controller.

    • From ThinkSystem System Manager:

      1. Select Support  Support Center  Diagnostics.

      2. Select Collect Configuration Data.

      3. Click Collect.
        The file is saved in the Downloads folder for your browser with the name, configurationData-<arrayName>-<dateTime>.7z.

    • Alternatively, you can back up the configuration database by using the following CLI command:

      1. Download SMcli from ThinkSystem System Manager and set up SMcli command execution environment.

      2. Execute the following SMcli command:`save storageArray dbmDatabase sourceLocation=onboard contentType=all file="filename";`
        In this command, filename is the file path to which you want to save the database. Enclose the file name in backslash following double quotation marks (\"). For example: file="C:\Program Files\CLI\logs\dbmdata.zip"
        This command does not automatically append a file extension to the saved file. You must specify a file extension when entering the file name.
        Notes:

        • Under PowerShell, enclose the file name following two quotation marks(""), for example, file=\""data.zip\"".

        • Execution environment requires setting JAVA_HOME environment variable, and JRE8 or later.

        • See Command Line Interface (CLI) Reference and follow the complete command syntax for this operation

  4. Collect support data for your storage array using ThinkSystem System Manager.

    1. Select Support  Support Center  Diagnostics.

    2. Select Collect Support Data.

    3. Click Collect. The file is saved in the Downloads folder for your browser with the name, support-data.7z.

  5. If the controller is not already offline, take it offline now using either ThinkSystem System Manager or the SMcli tool.

    • From ThinkSystem System Manager:

      1. Select Hardware.

      2. If the graphic shows the drives, select Show back of shelf to show the controllers.

      3. Select the controller that you want to place offline

      4. From the context menu, select Place offline, and confirm that you want to perform the operation.

        If you are accessing ThinkSystem System Manager using the controller you are attempting to take offline, a ThinkSystem System Manager Unavailable message is displayed. Select Connect to an alternate network connection to automatically access ThinkSystem System Manager using the other controller.

    • To use SMcli under system terminal:

      1. Download SMcli from ThinkSystem System Manager and set up SMcli command execution environment.

      2. Execute one of the following SMCli commands:

        • For controller A: set controller [a] availability=offline;

        • For controller B: set controller [b] availability=offline;

          The system attempts to take the controller offline.

          Notes:

        • Execution environment requires setting JAVA_HOME environment variable, and JRE8 or later.

        • See Command Line Interface (CLI) Reference and follow the complete command syntax for this operation.

  6. Wait for ThinkSystem System Manager to update the controller’s status to offline.

    Do not begin any other operations until after the status has been updated.

Step 2: Remove controller canister

Before you can remove the failed battery, you must remove the controller canister.

Steps

  1. Put on an ESD wristband or take other antistatic precautions.

  2. Label each cable that is attached to the controller canister.

  3. Disconnect all of the cables from the controller canister.

    To prevent degraded performance, do not twist, fold, pinch, or step on the cables.

  4. If the host ports on the controller canister use SFP+ transceivers, leave them installed.

  5. Confirm that the Cache Active LED on the back of the controller is off.

  6. Squeeze the latch on the cam handle until it releases, and then open the cam handle to the right to release the controller canister from the shelf.

    The following figure is an example of a DE6000H (2U24) controller shelf:

    28 dwg e2824 remove controller canister maint e5700

    (1) Controller canister

    (2) Cam handle

    The following figure is an example of a DE6000H (4U60) controller shelf:

    28 dwg e2860 add controller canister maint e5700

    (1) Controller canister

    (2) Cam handle

  7. Using two hands and the cam handle, slide the controller canister out of the shelf.

    Always use two hands to support the weight of a controller canister.

    If you are removing the controller canister from a DE6000H (2U24) controller shelf, a flap swings into place to block the empty bay, helping to maintain air flow and cooling.

  8. Turn the controller canister over, so that the removable cover faces up.

  9. Place the controller canister on a flat, static-free surface.

Step 3: Remove failed battery

After removing the controller canister from the controller shelf, remove the battery.

Steps

  1. Remove the controller canister’s cover by pressing down on the button and sliding the cover off.

  2. Confirm that the green LED inside the controller (between the battery and the DIMMs) is off.

    If this green LED is on, the controller is still using battery power. You must wait for this LED to go off before removing any components.

    28 dwg e2800 internal cache active led maint e5700

    (1) Internal Cache Active LED

    (2) Battery

  3. Locate the blue release latch for the battery.

  4. Unlatch the battery by pushing the release latch down and away from the controller canister.

    28 dwg e2800 remove battery maint e5700

    (1) Battery release latch

    (2) Battery

  5. Lift up on the battery, and slide it out of the controller canister.

  6. Follow the appropriate procedures for your location to recycle or dispose of the failed battery.

    To comply with International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations, never ship a lithium battery by air unless it is installed within the controller shelf.

Step 4: Install new battery

After removing the failed battery, install a new one.

Steps

  1. Unpack the new battery, and set it on a flat, static-free surface.

    To comply with IATA safely regulations, replacement batteries are shipped with a state of charge (SoC) of 30 percent or less. When you reapply power, keep in mind that write caching will not resume until the replacement battery is fully charged and it has completed its initial learn cycle.

  2. Orient the controller canister so that the slot for the battery faces toward you.

  3. Insert the battery into the controller canister at a slight downward angle.

    You must insert the metal flange at the front of the battery into the slot on the bottom of the controller canister, and slide the top of the battery beneath the small alignment pin on the left side of the canister.

  4. Move the battery latch up to secure the battery.

    When the latch clicks into place, the bottom of the latch hooks into a metal slot on the chassis.

    28 dwg e2800 insert battery maint e5700

    (1) Battery release latch

    (2) Battery

  5. Turn the controller canister over to confirm that the battery is installed correctly.

    Possible hardware damage — The metal flange at the front of the battery must be completely inserted into the slot on the controller canister (as shown in the first figure). If the battery is not installed correctly (as shown in the second figure), the metal flange might contact the controller board, causing damage to the controller when you apply power.

    • Correct — The battery’s metal flange is completely inserted in the slot on the controller:

      28 dwg e2800 battery flange ok maint e5700

    • Incorrect — The battery’s metal flange is not inserted into the slot on the controller:

      28 dwg e2800 battery flange not ok maint e5700

Step 5: Re-install controller canister

After installing the new battery, reinstall the controller canister into the controller shelf.

Steps

  1. You reinstall the cover on the controller canister by sliding the cover from back to front until the button clicks.

  2. Turn the controller canister over, so that the removable cover faces down.

  3. With the cam handle in the open position, slide the controller canister all the way into the controller shelf.

    28 dwg e2824 remove controller canister maint e5700

    (1) Controller canister

    (2) Cam handle

    28 dwg e2860 add controller canister maint e5700

    (1) Controller canister

    (2) Cam handle

  4. Move the cam handle to the left to lock the controller canister in place.

  5. Reconnect all the cables.

Step 6: Place controller online

For a duplex configuration, place the controller online, collect support data, and resume operations.

Perform this task only if your storage array has two controllers.
Steps

  1. As the controller boots, check the controller LEDs and the seven-segment display.

    The figure shows an example controller canister. Your controller might have a different number and a different type of host ports.

    When communication with the other controller is reestablished:

    • The seven-segment display shows the repeating sequence OS, OL, blank to indicate that the controller is offline.

    • The amber Attention LED remains lit.

    • The Host Link LEDs might be on, blinking, or off, depending on the host interface. e5700 hic 3 callouts maint e5700

      (1) Host Link LEDs (Controllers without two base-board ports on the rear do not have the LEDs.)

      (2) Attention LED (Amber)

      (3) Seven-segment display

  2. Bring the controller online using ThinkSystem System Manager:

    • From ThinkSystem System Manager:

      1. Select Hardware.

      2. If the graphic shows the drives, select Show back of shelf.

      3. Select the controller you want to place online.

      4. Select Place Online from the context menu, and confirm that you want to perform the operation.

        The system places the controller online.

    • Alternatively, you can bring the controllers online by using the following CLI commands:

      For controller A: set controller [a] availability=online;

      For controller B: set controller [b] availability=online;

      Notes:

      • Execution environment requires setting JAVA_HOME environment variable, and JRE8 or later.

      • See Command Line Interface (CLI) Reference and follow the complete command syntax for this operation.

  3. When the controller is back online, confirm that its status is Optimal, and check the controller shelf’s Attention LEDs.

    If the status is not Optimal or if any of the Attention LEDs are on, confirm that all cables are correctly seated, and check that the battery and the controller canister are installed correctly. If necessary, remove and reinstall the controller canister and the battery.

    If you cannot resolve the problem, contact technical support.

  4. If needed, collect support data for your storage array using ThinkSystem System Manager.

    1. Select Support > Support Center > Diagnostics.

    2. Select Collect Support Data.

    3. Click Collect.

      The file is saved in the Downloads folder for your browser with the name, support-data.7z.

What’s next?

Your battery replacement is complete. You can resume normal operations.