of 3.5 inches or 8.9 cm rack units of vertical rack space. Measure the proposed rack location before
mounting the chassis in the rack.
• Before using a particular rack, check for obstructions (such as a power strip) that could impair rack-mount
installation. If a power strip does impair a rack-mount installation, remove the power strip before installing
the chassis, and then replace it after the chassis is installed.
• Allow sufficient clearance around the rack for maintenance. If the rack is mobile, you can push it back
near a wall or cabinet for normal operation and pull it out for maintenance (installing or moving cards,
connecting cables, or replacing or upgrading components). Otherwise, allow 19 inches (48.3 cm) of
clearance to remove field-replaceable units.
• Maintain a minimum clearance of 3 inches on the front and back sides of the chassis for the cooling air
inlet and exhaust ports, respectively. Avoid placing the chassis in an overly congested rack or directly
next to another equipment rack; the heated exhaust air from other equipment can enter the inlet air vents
and cause an overtemperature condition inside the router.
To prevent chassis overheating, never install a Cisco Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series
Edge Platforms in an enclosed space that is not properly ventilated or air
conditioned.
Caution
• Always install heavier equipment in the lower half of a rack to maintain a low center of gravity to prevent
the rack from falling over.
• Install and use the cable-management brackets included with the Cisco Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge
Platforms to keep cables organized and out of the way of the cards and processors. Ensure that cables
from other equipment already installed in the rack do not impair access to the cards or require you to
disconnect cables unnecessarily to perform equipment maintenance or upgrades.
• Provide an adequate chassis ground (earth) connection for your router chassis.
Verifying Rack Dimensions
Before you install the chassis, measure the space between the vertical mounting flanges (rails) on your
equipment rack to verify that the rack conforms to the measurements shown in the following figure.
Figure 6: Verifying Equipment Rack Dimensions
Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms Hardware Installation Guide
28
Installing the Router
Verifying Rack Dimensions
