trouble with fan in slot 2 of my HP 5510 switches

[yalena]

Hi,

I'm testing HP 5510 switches and I got trouble with fan prefer-direction : "airflow direction is not preferred".

It was quite easy to change the prefer-direction for fan in slot 1, but rather impossible to change the one in slot 2. I went to system-view mode and wrote the correct command " fan prefer-direction slot 2 port-to-power
" and saved the configuration, nothing ever changed, even if the CLI looked like the system acknoledged my command...

I also tried to write it down in startup configuration file and to load it after copying it from usb key but it didn't work, as the system didn't accept my ".cfg" as a startup-configuration file (which it actually is, though !!)

Is there anyone getting the same problem that could help me to solve it ?

And also, would it be possible to customise the configuration file so that the fan in slot 1 & 2 always use the prefer-direction ?

Waiting for your answer,

Yalena

[VoIP-Buddy]

Yalena,

It should be equally possible to set the air flow on Slot 2 like you did on slot 1.  Did you get the same fan part number for Slot 2?  The command doesn't change the direction of the airflow.  There are two parts available.  One sends the air from port to power, i.e. front to back.   The other sends the airflow from power to port.  You need to set the preferred direction based on what part is in the switch and its' direction.

Regards,

David

[yalena]

Hi David and thanks for your answer and sorry it took me so long to get back to this post. Unfortunately it didn't help. Here you can read a screen capture that show that after my command trying to change fan direction was unsuccessfull : [DarkVador]fan prefer-direction slot 2 Power-to-port [DarkVador] display fan Slot 1: Fan 1: State : Normal Airflow Direction: Port-to-power Prefer Airflow Direction: Port-to-power Fan 2: State : Normal Airflow Direction: Port-to-power Prefer Airflow Direction: Port-to-power Slot 2: Fan 1: State : FanDirectionFault Airflow Direction: Port-to-power Prefer Airflow Direction: Power-to-port Fan 2: State : FanDirectionFault Airflow Direction: Port-to-power Prefer Airflow Direction: Power-to-port %Jan 22 05:11:04:900 2013 DarkVador DEV/1/FAN_DIRECTION_NOT_PREFERRED: -Slot=2; Fan 1 airflow direction is not preferred on slot 2, please check it. (yeah I name my switch DarkVador) I can't see what to do more to solve my problem, please help ! Yalena

[VoIP-Buddy]

Hi Yalena!

Are you sure that the flans in slot 2 are really power to port?  If these switches are right on top of another I'd be concerned that SLot 2 would be sending hot air through the chassis.  What happens if you tell it to prefer port to power? 

Just so you know, the command really doesn't do anything to adjust the direction of the airflow.  It is built into the fans which direction they go.

For relatively recent switches, port to power fans have red handles and power to port have blue handles.

David

[yalena · Accepted solution]

Hi David, finally I set the fans in same direction, ie exactly the opposite as what the switch told me to do and the fan got recovered ??! I guess my trouble are over now about this fans. Thanks for your help and concern anyway, Yalena

[VoIP-Buddy]

Hi Yalena!

Glad this is fixed.  I will admit that when you do the display fan the text is not exactly intuitive.  I usually end up having to play with it.  If you know what direction the fans go its usually pretty easy.  We always buy port-to-power as the lab is configured with the cold aisle in front and the hot aisle in the back.

Have a good rest of the week!

Regards,

David