An administrator is asked to migrate two DE6600 shelves into a newly deployed E5760 environment that is configured with a stack of two DE460C…

According to NetApp E-Series hardware installation guidelines, when creating a mixed-shelf stack, specific shelf models must be placed in a prescribed order. For an E5760 system, if you are mixing DE6600 drive shelves with other supported drive shelf models (such as the DE460C), the DE6600 shelves must always be cabled at the end of the SAS stack, furthest from the controller shelf. This ensures proper SAS connectivity and system stability across the different shelf types.

A. Cable the DE6600s at the beginning of the stack

This is incorrect. Cabling the DE6600 shelves at the beginning of a mixed-shelf stack violates the documented hardware configuration rules for E-Series systems.

B. Cable the DE6600s into a separate stack

This is incorrect. While technically possible if the controller has available SAS ports, it is not the standard procedure for expanding an existing stack and is not the required method for mixing these shelf types.

D. Cable the DE6600s between the DE460C shelves

This is incorrect. Placing the DE6600 shelves in the middle of the stack also violates the rule that they must be located at the end of a mixed-shelf configuration.

1. NetApp E5700 Series Installation and Setup Instructions for 2U Controller Shelves. In the section "Rules for connecting drive shelves

" the documentation states: "If you are mixing DE6600 drive shelves with other supported drive shelves

you must place the DE6600 drive shelves at the end of the drive channel (stack)." (This rule is consistently found in the installation guides for E-Series controllers that support these shelves).

2. NetApp Hardware Universe (hwu.netapp.com). The configuration rules for the E5760 controller specify the supported expansion shelves and the required cabling order for mixed-shelf stacks

confirming that certain high-density or newer generation shelves must be placed at the end of the SAS chain.