Components of a storage system

In general, a storage system includes a main unit, which is the hardware device that receives and sends data, and disk shelves, which hold disks and associated hardware.

The NetApp storage system consists of the following components:

• The storage system main unit, or chassis, is also known as the storage engine. It is the hardware device that receives and sends data. This unit also houses the storage system components and detects and gathers information about the hardware and the hardware configuration, the storage system components, operational status, hardware failures, and error conditions.

  For information about environmental error codes, see the Diagnostics Guide on the NOW site.

• The disk shelves are the containers, or device carriers, that hold disks and associated hardware (such as power supplies, connectivity, and cabling) that are connected to the main unit of the storage systems.
  Note: For V-Series systems, see the documentation for your storage subsystem for information about disks.

More specifically, the storage system includes internal components, slots and ports, and disk shelves that contain the disks.

• Internal components
  The internal components of a storage system enable the system to function.
• Slots and ports
  The storage system has slots for external connections and ports for a console and diagnostic hardware.
• Disk shelves and disks
  Disk shelves collect information about the presence of disks, fan status, power supply status, and temperature. Disk shelves send messages to the console if parameters exceed permissible operating conditions.