Preinstallation Guidelines
Airflow Considerations
The switch comes with fan modules and power supply units that have either port-side intake or port-side
exhaust airflow for cooling the switch. If you are orienting the switch with the FC ports facing a cold aisle,
make sure that the switch has a port-side intake fan and power supply modules with red colorings. If you are
orienting the switch with the fan and power supply modules facing a cold aisle, make sure that the switch has
port-side exhaust fan and power supply units with blue colorings. All fan modules and power-supply modules
must have the same direction of airflow.
Connection Guidelines for AC-Powered Systems
To connect to the Cisco MDS 9124V-K9 switch AC power supply units to the site power source, follow these
guidelines:
• For power redundancy, each power supply should be connected to a separate power feed (at a minimum,
separate branch circuits).
• Circuits should be sized according to local and national codes.
• The AC power receptacles that are used to power the chassis must be the grounding type. The grounding
conductors that connect to the receptacles should connect to protective earth ground in the service
equipment.
Installation Guidelines
Follow these guidelines when installing the switch:
• Each new switch requires a license. See the
Cisco MDS 9000 Family NX-OS Licensing Guide
for
instructions on installing a license.
• Plan your site configuration and prepare the site before installing the switch.
• Ensure that there is adequate space around the switch to allow for servicing the switch and for adequate
airflow. The airflow requirements are listed the
section.
• Ensure that you are positioning the switch in a rack so that it takes in cold air from the cold aisle and
exhausts air to the hot aisle. For more information, see the
section.
• Ensure that the air-conditioning meets the heat dissipation requirements listed in the
section.
• Ensure that the cabinet or rack meets the requirements listed in the
section.
• Ensure that the chassis is adequately grounded. If the switch is not mounted in a grounded rack, we
recommend that you connect both the system ground on the chassis and the site power ground to an earth
ground.
• Ensure that the site power meets the power requirements listed in the
section.
If available, you can use an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect against power failures.
Cisco MDS 9124V-K9 Switch Hardware Installation Guide
18
Installing the Cisco MDS 9124V-K9 Switch
Preinstallation Guidelines