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Each PowerMax system has two management module control stations (MMCS) in the first engine of each system (one per director). The MMCS combines the management module and control station (service processor) hardware into a single module. It provides environmental monitoring capabilities for power, cooling, and connectivity. Each MMCS monitors one of the system standby power supplies (SPS) through an RS232 connection. Each MMCS is also connected to both internal Ethernet switches within the system as part of the internal communications and environmental control system.
The MMCS also provides remote support functionality. Each MMCS connects to the customer’s local area network (LAN) to allow monitoring of the system, and remote connectivity for the Dell Customer Support team. Each MMCS can also be connected to an external laptop or KVM source.
The MMCS located in director 1 is known as the primary MMCS, and the MMCS located in director 2 is known as the secondary MMCS. The primary MMCS provides all control station functionality when it is operating normally, while the secondary MMCS provides a subset of this functionality. If the primary MMCS fails, the secondary MMCS is put in an elevated secondary state, which allows more functionality during this state. Both MMCS are connected to the customer network, giving the system the redundant ability to report any errors to Dell Support, and to allow Dell Support to connect to the system remotely.
The MMCS is used in the following support and maintenance tasks:
The MMCS also controls the LED bars on the front and back of each standard PowerMax 8000 rack. These can be used for system identification purposes by remote and on-site Dell Technologies service personnel. Figure 17 illustrates MMCS connectivity.