Access to the Management console/BIOS of a NetApp DS224C

[supple steppe]

Hi Everybody,
my department has gotten two NetApp DS224C SANs and we really would like/need to use them.
Unfortunately we cannot get into the BIOS and/or Management console in order to do a proper setup and get them ready for use.
To make matters worse, either someone misplaced the manual or it wasn't delivered to us. Either way I have no idea if there is a way to reset the SAN to delivery condition and what the username/password is they come with when being delivered.
I've registered on the NetApp site but couldn't find a manual for the SAN there as well.

So this venue is my last hope and I would really appreciate if somebody could help me or at least point me towards help.

Thanks

[past wing]

Can you post a picture of the back? (where the ports are)
This is to confirm if you only got disk shelves (DS224C) or controllers (like AFF or FAS) which would actually allow you to use ONTAP.

For ONTAP you also need licenses to actually use the system. Either they are still installed which means do not wipe or factory reset it. Or they're not so you can only use the disks in a JBOD configuration (more like a homelab situation).

Either way it sounds like these are used/refurbished so without an official support contract. You won't be able to download any software/updates from the official site.

[grim hedge]

aye, if it looks like this, then it is just a shelf unit and nothing on it will run the ONTAP platform
https://www.ebay.com/itm/164398227220

but, they are awesome disk shelf units and you can attach them to anything with a controller that supports the interface and use it as OG1 said above

[past wing]

Also for the manual you don't need to register on the support site. All the documentation is publicly available here: https://docs.netapp.com/

[supple steppe]

Will upload a picture tomorrow when I'm back at work, and thanks for the fast response

[supple steppe]

I looked there already but couldn't find the full blown user manual which has the information I'm looking for. Maybe I just searched wrong, but on the DS224C sub site was only one 2 page document.

[past wing]

First you need to make sure what box you got. There is no BIOS or management connection if you really only have DS224C shelves.

You can only manage them if they are connected to storage controller.

Hardware-wise everything is documented here about shelves: https://docs.netapp.com/us-en/ontap-systems/drive-shelves/index.html

[supple steppe]

Roger, thank you very much 👍 Will do

[quick heron]

Just to clarify: the DS224C is a disk shelf, it does not have any intelligence and it is not a SAN (nor a NAS fwiw).
The "SAN" (actually a unified SAN/NAS box) might look similar to a pure disk shelf but it has different controller in the back (or rather two)

[mystic dome]

The DS224C shelf >might< have controllers in the back. There are two modules. (One left and one right). If the modules have 4 ports each they are IOM12. If they have any rj45 ports and maybe SFP PORTS it may be a FAS2750 or A220 or C190

[supple steppe]

Here is the picture of the DS224C (on the Label on top its NAJ1501). Actually the one on top is the other one with the same configuration.

[grim hedge]

that looks like a FAS2750 to me

except it has RJ45 instead of SFP flipped around, not really sure, but that does look like an actual 'head' unit

probably not a 2750, but it is not just a disk shelf

P1 P2 |O|O|
the |O|O| is the management port, and what you would need to connect to. either via USB or RJ45 rollover(cisco) to your laptop/computer

aye, looking further.. it might be a storage grid unit

can you get a picture of the front of the bottom one and is there any kind of label on the top of the units?

the more I look at it, the more it looks like an E2700 controller, storage grid 5612 i think

it's been a long time since i've done hardware, one of the others might be more capable, but without pictures/label i can't be sure

sorry, just rabling a bit while trying to pull things from memory.
But to note, NAJ1501, is just a product ID for the 'case' and it's the number used for a lot of different systems.

[mystic dome]

That’s not ONTAP!

That’s an eseries box

The double digit lcd display is the giveaway

It’s not storage grid. If I recall most of those are a simplex (single controller) configuration

[supple steppe]

On the label on top of the case I have the following information
MSIP-REM-NA1-NAJ1501 and below the barcode: 351-03888 F0

Front of the bottom one is the same as the top one

[supple steppe]

Unfortunately, even though we looked again, still no documentation and especially no account/login information. Question is: How can we get those units working again?

[past wing]

That's wrong. This is the serial console port. Just like the micro USB one right next to it with the same symbol.
You would connect P1 to your ETH switch.

[past wing]

The lower system in your picture is a E-Series E2824 without a HIC (would be in the lower right below the USB-A port). I wasn't even aware you can get this without an additional HIC.
So you got 10GbE for iSCSI or 16Gb for FCP on the 2x SFP+ ports on the top left. If it's the original SFP it can actually speak both protocols.

Does the top system look the same in the back?

Start here: https://docs.netapp.com/us-en/e-series/getting-started/getup-run-concept.html

Use the quick start guide to set it up: https://library.netapp.com/ecm/ecm_download_file/ECMLP2842063

[grim hedge]

yes, serial, always call it management for some reason

and you would need access to SANtricity for managing/etc

[supple steppe]

Yeah, both systems look the same back & front.