Rack Mounting the Appliance

This section discusses the details of the rack mounting.

Important:

The rack mounting procedure is identical for all Appliances 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 the section, Cabling the Appliance.

Note: For illustrations, use a representative Arista Appliance. Your device may be different in appearance.

Four-Post Rack Mount (1RU)

The appliance mounts onto a four-post rack by assembling two rails onto the rear posts, sliding the appliance onto the rails, and securing the appliance to the front posts.

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

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

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 appliance 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.
Figure 1. Bracket Hole Placement
 
1 Attachment Pin 2 Front Clip

Attaching Mounting Brackets to the Chassis (Four-Post)

Extracting the Brackets and the Rails

The following figure displays a bracket-rail assembly and the components (bracket and rail) extracted from the assembly kit. Separate each assembly into components before mounting the appliance into a four-post rack. The two assemblies supplied with the appliance are identical.
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 that the thumb screw on the bracket flange is not attached to the rail flange.
    Figure 2. Extracting the Brackets
     
    1 Rail 2 Exploded view of Rail
  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
The following figure displays the front bracket alignment for mounting the appliance into a four-post rack.
  1. This procedure attaches mounting brackets to the appliance chassis.
  2. Align the mounting brackets with the attachment pins to obtain the desired mounting position.
  3. Place the bracket flush on the chassis with attachment pins protruding through key openings.
  4. Slide the bracket toward the front flange until the bracket clip locks with an audible click.
    Figure 3. Attaching the Mounting Brackets to the Appliance Chassis
     
    1 Attachment Pin 2 Key Opening

    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 to the installation direction).

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. After installing the rails, the appliance slides on the rails into the rack. Each bracket includes a screw that attaches the appliance to the rail.

Each end of an assembled rail contains two rack plugs. You can install the rails into a rack by inserting the plugs into the slots. When installing rails into posts with threaded or rounded holes, remove all plugs on both sides of the assembled rails, then install the rails with bolts that fit the rack.

This procedure attaches the rails to a four-post rack:

  1. Slide a rail-rod into a rail-slide 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 4. Assembling the Rails
     
    1 Left Rail-slide 4 Right Four-hole Rail-rod
    2 Left Four-hole Rail-rod 5 Rail Locking Mechanism
    3 Right Rail-slide 6 Mounting Bracket and Screw

     

  2. Attach the rail to the right rear rack post by inserting the rod-end rack plugs into the post slots.
    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.Make sure the rails are on the same horizontal level.
    Figure 5. Attaching the Rails
     
    1 Rail Holes 2 Attachment Pin

Attaching the Appliance to the Rack

After installing the rails, the appliance slides on the rails into the rack. Each bracket includes a thumb screw that attaches the appliance to the rail.

  1. Lift the appliance into the rack and insert the mounting brackets into the slide rails.
    Figure 6. Inserting the Appliance onto the Rails
  2. Slide the Appliance 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.

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