Rack Mounting the Switch

Rack Mounting the Switch (1RU)

The following topics are covered in this section:
Note: Four-post rack mount is recommended for all switches. Use the rack-mount parts included with your switch for mounting. Rails from different kit SKUs may look similar but could be incompatible leading to the inability to properly mount or remove a switch from the rack.

The following sections detail rack mounting in two-post and four-post racks for 1RU switches.

Important: The rack mounting procedure is identical for all switches covered by this guide. Illustrations in this chapter depict the mounting of a DCS-7050QX-32S switch.

Les procédure de montage du bâti est identique pour tous les commutateurs visés par ce guide. Illustrations dans ce chapitre montrent le montage d’un interrupteur de DCS-7050QX-32S.

After completing the instructions for your rack type, proceed to Cabling the Switch.

Two-Post Rack Mount (1RU)

To mount the switch onto a two-post rack, assemble the mounting brackets to the chassis, then attach the brackets to the rack posts. Two-post accessory kits include the following two-post mounting parts.

2 - Three-hole Mounting Brackets

Each chassis side has attachment pins that align with bracket holes. Pin orientation is symmetric and equidistant, supporting bracket placements where the flange is flush with the front switch panel, flush with the rear panel, or not flush with either panel. Each bracket hole includes a key-opening for placing the bracket flush with the chassis and then locking it into place.

Important: Attachment pins must engage all three upper bracket holes.

Les goupilles de fixation doivent être bloquées tous les trois trous de la bride supérieure.

Attaching Mounting Brackets to the Chassis (Two-Post)

The following figure displays the front bracket alignment for attaching the switch into a two-post rack.

Figure 1. Bracket Mount Examples for Two-Post Rack Mount

 

Note: Deep and heavy devices could droop and cause damage to the equipment rack if front or rear mounted. Arista recommends only center mounting for switches covered in this guide when two-post mounting is required, and the switch accessory kit includes two-post mounting ears. Four-post mounting ears are different from the two-post mounting ears and should not be used for two-post mounting.

The following procedure attaches the two-post rack mount brackets to the chassis.

  1. Align the mounting brackets with the attachment pins to obtain the desired mounting position.
  2. Place the bracket flush on the chassis with attachment pins protruding through key-openings.
  3. Slide the bracket toward the front flange until the bracket clip locks with an audible click.

The following figures show the correct bracket attachment for a center mount.

Figure 2. Attaching the Mounting Brackets to the Switch Chassis

 

To remove the mounting bracket from the chassis, lift the front edge of the mounting bracket clip with a flathead screwdriver and slide the bracket away from the front flange (opposite from the installation direction).

Inserting the Switch into the Rack (Two-Post)

This procedure attaches the switch to the rack.

  1. Lift the chassis into the rack. Position the flanges against the rack posts.
  2. Select mounting screws that fit your equipment rack.
  3. Attach the bracket flanges to the rack posts.
    Figure 3. Inserting the Switch into the Rack

    After completing the two-post rack mount, proceed to Cabling the Switch.

Four-Post Rack Mount (1RU)

The switch is mounted onto a four-post rack by assembling two rails onto the rear posts, sliding the switch onto the rails, then securing the switch to the front posts.

The installation kit provides the following four-post mounting parts:
  • 2 six-hole mounting brackets
  • 2 rail-rods
  • 2 rail-slides

The rail-rods and rail-slides assemble into two identical slide-rails.

Note: For longer chassis, there are two additional pieces to help the switch engage with the rails earlier.

Each chassis side has attachment pins that align with bracket holes. Pin orientation is symmetric and equidistant, supporting bracket placements where the flange is flush with the front switch panel. Each bracket hole includes a key-opening for placing the bracket flush with the chassis and then locking it into place.

Attaching Mounting Brackets to the Chassis (Four-Post)

The following figure displays the front bracket alignment for mounting the switch into a four-post rack.
Figure 4. Attaching the Mounting Brackets to the Switch Chassis (KIT-7101 shown)
Figure 5. Attaching the Mounting Brackets to the Switch Chassis (with Deep Chassis Adapters)

This procedure attaches mounting brackets to the switch chassis as depicted by the preceding figure(s).

  1. Align the mounting brackets with the attachment pins to obtain the desired mounting position.
  2. Place the bracket flush on the chassis with attachment pins protruding through key-openings.
  3. Slide the bracket toward the front flange until the bracket clip locks with an audible click.
  4. Attach the deep chassis adapters as needed.

To remove the mounting bracket from the chassis, lift the front edge of the mounting bracket clip with a flathead screwdriver and slide the bracket away from the front flange (opposite from the installation direction).

The rest of the rack mounting steps are the same for both KIT-7001 and KIT-7101.

Assembling the Rails onto the Equipment Rack

Rail-rods and rail-slides assemble into two identical rails. Each rail connects a front post to a rear post. When the rails are installed, the switch slides on the rails into the rack. Each bracket includes a screw that attaches the switch to the rail.

Each end of an assembled rail contains two rack plugs (Figure 6). The rails are installed into a rack by inserting the plugs into rack slots. When installing rails into posts with threaded or rounded holes, remove all plugs located on both sides of the assembled rails, then install the rails with bolts that fit the rack.

Figure 6. Attaching the Four-Post Mounting Brackets to the Switch Chassis

1 Step 1 4 Bracket clip (attached)
2 Step 2 5 Bracket clip (aligned)
3 Step 3    

This procedure attaches the rails to a four post rack:

  1. Slide a rail-rod into a rail-slide (Figure 7) until the rail clip makes an audible click.

    The rail clip prevents the extension of the rail beyond the maximum supported distance between the front and rear rack posts.

    Figure 7. Assembling the Rails

    1 Rail-slide 4 Rail (assembled)
    2 Rail-rod    
    3 Rack plugs    
  2. Attach rail to the right rear rack post by inserting rod-end rack plugs into post slots (Figure 8). The slide assembly must be inside the right posts, relative to the left rack posts.

    If the rack plugs were previously removed, use bolts to attach the rail to the rack.

  3. Attach the slide end of the rail to the front post by extending the rail end past the post, then contracting the rail while guiding the rack plugs into the post.
  4. Repeat Step 1 through Step 3 for the left posts. Ensure the rails are on the same horizontal level.
    Figure 8. Attaching the Rails

    1 Inset A
    2 Inset B

Attaching the Switch to the Rack

After the rails are installed, the switch slides on the rails into the rack. Each bracket includes a thumb screw that attaches the switch to the rail.

  1. Lift the switch into the rack and insert the mounting brackets into the slide rails. Ensure that all brass rollers are captured inside the profile of the rails.
    Figure 9. Inserting the Switch onto the Rails
  2. Slide the switch on the rails, toward the rear posts, until the mounting bracket flanges are flush with the rail flanges attached to the rack posts.
  3. Attach the bracket flanges to the rack post using the quick-release thumb screws supplied with the brackets Figure 10. Hand-tighten the thumb screws or use a Phillips #2 screwdriver.
    Note: Do not exceed a maximum torque of 20 in∙lb nor use powered impact drivers to secure the thumb screws.
    Figure 10. Attaching the Switch to the Rack Posts

After completing the four-post rack mount, proceed to Cabling the Switch.

Rack Mounting the Switch (2RU)

The following topics are covered in this section:

 

Important: The rack mounting procedure is identical for all switches covered by this guide.

 

Les procédure de montage du bâti est identique pour tous les commutateurs visés par ce guide.

 

After completing the instructions for your rack type, proceed to Cabling the Switch.

Two-Post Rack Mount (2RU)

The 2RU switches covered in this guide do not support two-post rack mounting. The accessory kit contains only the four-post RMK components. Contact your local Arista Networks account representative for further information if you require two-post rack mounting.

Four-Post Rack Mount (2RU)

The switch is mounted onto a four-post rack by assembling two rails onto the rear posts, sliding the switch onto the rails, then securing the switch to the front posts.

The installation kit provides two bracket-rail assemblies. The following four-post mounting parts are extracted from each assembly:
  • Mounting bracket
  • Rail

Each chassis side has attachment pins that align with bracket holes; the number of pins varies by switch model. Pin orientation is symmetric and equidistant, supporting bracket placement where the flange is either flush with the front and rear panels, or not flush with the panels. Each bracket hole includes a key-opening for placing the bracket flush with the chassis and then locking it into place.

 

Important: Attachment pins must engage all bracket holes.

 

Goupilles de fixation doivent s’engager tous les trous de support.

 

Extracting the Brackets and the Rails

The following figure displays a bracket-rail assembly and the component pieces (bracket and rail) that are extracted from the assembly kit. Each assembly must be separated into its component pieces before mounting the switch into a four-post rack. The two assemblies supplied with the switch are identical.

Figure 11. Accessory Kit Components
1 Rail bracket (front) 4 Locking clip 7 Switch mounting ear
2 Rail bracket (rear) 5 Rail mounting ear    
3 Switch bracket (for attaching to switch) 6 Thumb screw    

This procedure separates a bracket-rail assembly into its component pieces.

  1. Grip the rail with one hand.
  2. Pull the bracket flange away from the rail flange with your other hand until the bracket clip catches on the rail.

    If the bracket flange resists initially, verify the thumb screw on the bracket flange is not attached to the rail flange.

  3. While pressing the locking clip on the bracket, resume pulling the bracket from the rail until the separation is complete.
  4. Repeat the procedure for the other assembly.

Attaching Mounting Brackets to the Chassis

The following figure displays the switch bracket alignment for mounting the switch into a four-post rack.
Figure 12. Front Bracket Alignment
 
1 Switch bracket 3 Matching attachment hole
2 Attach point    

This procedure attaches mounting brackets to the switch chassis as depicted by the following figure.

  1. Align the mounting brackets with the attachment pins.
  2. Place the bracket flush on the chassis with attachment pins protruding through key-openings.
  3. Slide the bracket toward the front flange until the rail locks with an audible click.
    Figure 13. Attaching the Mounting Brackets to the Switch Chassis
    1 Aligned rail
    2 Seated rail

    To remove the mounting bracket from the chassis, lift the front edge of the mounting bracket clip with a flathead screwdriver and slide the bracket away from the front flange (opposite from the installation direction).

Expanding the Rails

The rail is a two-piece mechanism. The rail length is adjusted by sliding the rail-rod inside the rail-slide. The rail clip prevent extension of the rail beyond the maximum supported distance between front and rear rack posts. When the rail is contracted, the rail clip is closest to the slide end.

The rail is initially contracted and must be expanded to attach onto the rack. This procedure expands the rails from their contracted state:

  1. Grip the slide end with your left hand and the rod end with your right hand.
  2. Pull the ends apart until the rail-clip makes an audible click.

Assembling the Rails onto the Equipment Rack

A rail attaches to the front and rear posts. Each end of the rail has two rack plugs. Rails are installed into a rack by inserting the plugs into rack slots. To install rails into posts with threaded or rounded holes, remove all plugs on both sides of the rails, then install the rails with bolts that fit the rack. This procedure attaches the rails to a four-post rack:
  1. Attach rail to the right rear rack post by inserting rod-end rack plugs into post slots. The slide assembly must be inside the right posts, relative to the left rack posts (Figure 14).

    If the rack plugs were previously removed, use bolts to attach the rail to the rack.

  2. Attach the slide end of the rail to the front post by extending the rail end past the post, then contracting the rail while guiding the rack plugs into the post.
  3. Repeat Step 1 through Step 2 for the left posts. Ensure the rails are on the same horizontal level.
    Figure 14. Attaching the Rails
    1 Front of right rail 3 Right rack post (rear)
    2 Right rack post (front) 4 Rear of right rail

Attaching the Switch to the Rack

After the rails are installed, the switch slides on the rails into the rack. Each bracket includes a thumb screw that attaches the switch to the rail.
Note: Illustrations shown may differ from your accessory kit.
  1. Lift the switch into the rack and insert the mounting brackets into the slide rails.
  2. Slide the switch on the rails, toward the rear posts, until the mounting bracket flanges are flush with the rail flanges attached to the rack posts.
    Figure 15. Inserting the Switch onto the Rails
  3. Attach the bracket flanges to the rack post using the quick-release thumb screws supplied with the brackets.Hand-tighten the thumb screws or use a Phillips #2 screwdriver.
    Note: Do not exceed a maximum torque of 20 in∙lb nor use powered impact drivers to secure the thumb screws.
    Figure 16. Attaching the Switch to the Rack Posts

    After completing the four-post rack mount, proceed to Cabling the Switch.