Physical features
The appliance is 1U-high and fits into standard 19-inch equipment racks.
ProtectServer 3+ External front panel
A - Front ear brackets
Connect to the front of the appliance chassis with the provided screws, allowing it to be mounted in a standard 19-inch equipment rack. The extending tabs act as posts for the locking bezel.
B - Front-panel display
The LCD screen displays some basic information about the ProtectServer 3+ External and network configuration:
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The ProtectServer 3+ External appliance image version
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Current state of the HSM
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Information about the network interfaces as follows:
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IPv4 address if applicable ("IPv6 connected" appears if the device has an IPv6 address)
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a "|" is displayed if the device has network bonding configured
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C - USB 3.0 ports
Not active
D - Start and stop switch
Powers the appliance on or off. For more information about powering off appliance, refer to Powering off the ProtectServer 3+ External.
E - Fan status LEDs
The appliance has three (3) cooling fans. If these lights are illuminated, the fans are working correctly.
F - Ventilation fan filter cover
Removable cover allows cleaning of air filter. For more information about maintaining the power supply and fan, refer to Power Supply and Fan Maintenance.
G - Fan bay securing screw
Torx screw secures the fan bay.
Caution
Opening to swap fan modules triggers a tamper event on the appliance. For more information, refer to Power Supply and Fan Maintenance.
ProtectServer 3+ External rear panel
A - Sliding rail brackets
Connect to the sliding rails mounted on the sides of the appliance chassis, allowing it to be mounted in a standard 19-inch appliance rack.
B - Kensington lock connector
Allows the appliance to be secured to a desk or equipment rack using a Kensington lock.
C - HSM card USB port
Allows you to connect a smart card reader or PIN pad directly to the HSM card.
D - LAN ports
The appliance has a total of four (4) 1Gbit LAN ports. Any of the ports can be bonded in active-backup mode. They are labeled on the illustration above as follows:
0: eth0
1: eth1
2: eth2
3: eth3
E - USB 3.0 ports
Not active
F - RJ45 serial port
Connect a terminal to this port using the included RJ45 to USB cable. For more information, refer to ProtectServer 3+ External Required Items and First Login and System Test.
G - Tamper button
The tamper button is used during commissioning or decommissioning of the appliance. Pressing the tamper button flags the HSM to be placed in a tamper state. After the next appliance restart, all cryptographic objects on the HSM are erased and the HSM must be re-initialized.
Caution
Deleted keys are not recoverable. Ensure that you always back up your important keys.
This button should only be pressed as part of decommissioning and zeroizing the appliance. Pressing this button while applications are running will not automatically terminate the applications.
H - Power supplies
Connect the appliance to power. For proper redundancy and best reliability, the power cables should connect to two completely independent power sources. For more information, refer to Power Supply and Fan Maintenance.
Power supply and fan maintenance
The two power supplies in the ProtectServer 3+ External appliance are hot-swap capable, meaning that one is sufficient to power the appliance while the other is removed and replaced, with no service interruption. The indicator light (LED) on each power supply shows different behavior, depending upon conditions.
Power supply condition | Power supply LED |
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DC present/only standby output on | Flashing green (1Hz) |
Power supply DC output ON and OK | Steady green |
Power supply failure | Steady RED |
Power supply warning | Flashing Blue/Red (1Hz) alternating |
Input power failure (only in n+1 configuration) | Flashing Red (1Hz) |
A power supply controller in the appliance monitors the state of the power supplies. It ensures that a failed power supply still gets sufficient direct current from the remaining power supply to light the indicator LED. The controller also sounds an audible alarm when there is a problem, such as one power supply not being connected to AC main power.
If only one power supply is present, the audible alarm is silent. If you wish to operate your ProtectServer 3+ External appliance with only one power supply, we recommend that you remove the second supply to silence the audible alarm.
Replacing a power supply
You may need to replace a power supply in the event of a failure.
To remove a power supply
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To remove a power supply, face the back of the appliance.
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Disconnect/unplug the selected power supply.
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Press the lever sideways to release the power supply retaining catch, and simultaneously pull the handle out toward you.
Withdraw the power supply completely, using your other hand to support the body of the power supply as it emerges.
To re-install a power supply
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To replace a power supply, reverse the steps above. Press firmly to seat the connector. The power supply can be fully inserted only in its proper orientation.
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Connect an AC power cord.
Fans maintenance
In normal operation, the fans should require no maintenance.
You might need to perform the following tasks:
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Clean the filter (occasionally)
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Replace a defective fan (rarely)
Caution
Opening the fan bay causes a system tamper event. Thales recommends that you use scheduled system maintenance downtime for this activity, as it will temporarily disrupt your client's access to your HSM partitions. If the system detects a tamper event, the HSM stops responding until you restart (sysconf appliance reboot), or until you use the Stop/Start switch on the appliance rear panel.
Cleaning the filter
The ventilation grille, located to the right, on the appliance front panel, is secured in two parts, by two screws - a knurled, captive thumb-screw, and a Torx T8 screw. The knurled screw can be fastened or released without tools. It secures the lattice screen that in turn retains the mesh air filter.
While Thales recommends controlled-atmosphere environments for greatest longevity and reliability of the equipment, we recognize that some environments might include some dust in the air. The mesh filter traps larger particulate matter before it can be drawn into the interior of the appliance. In less-than-perfect non-clean-room conditions, the mesh might accumulate a buildup of dust, and should be cleaned occasionally for best cooling airflow into the equipment.
Note
Accessing the air filter mesh in front of the fans (using the thumbscrew to open the retaining grille) does not cause a tamper.
To clean the filter
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Twist the knurled knob counter-clockwise until it no longer secures the airflow lattice. The lattice is anchored at its left end by two tabs, and can be easily pulled off the appliance, once the knurled retaining screw is loosened.
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With the air filter exposed, it is easy to grasp the mesh with fingers and tug it free. The mesh is flexible and is held in its cavity only by friction. If it is dusty, handle carefully so as not to dislodge any dirt that could then be sucked in by the fans.
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To clean the filter, either blow it out with compressed air (away from the vicinity of the appliance), or rinse with water. If using water, ensure that the mesh is dry before reinstalling.
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To reinstall the mesh, place it in its cavity in front of the fans, and use fingers or a blunt tool to tuck-in the corners.
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Then, replace the lattice in front of the mesh by inserting the tabs first, then swinging the lattice closed like a door, and securing with the knurled screw.
To replace a fan
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To open the fan bay, use a Torx number 8 screwdriver to remove the screw that secures the right-side tab of the fan retainer.
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The fan retainer is anchored at its left by two tabs - swing the retainer out like a door, and remove it. There is no need to separate the filter mesh and its retainer from the larger fan retainer; the assembly can come out as one piece. The illustration below happens to show them separated.
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The fan modules are now exposed and are held in place only by the friction of their electrical connectors.
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Grasp the handle of the selected fan module and pull straight out toward you.
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After slight initial resistance, the fan module should easily slide free of the appliance.
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To replace the fan module or install a new one, reverse the above sequence. The index peg on the back of the module, and the matching index hole at the back of the fan bay, ensure that the module can be inserted only in its proper orientation.
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Close up, replace the bezel, reconnect any cables, and return the appliance to service. If the power was left on during the operation, you will nevertheless need to restart (run sysconf appliance reboot) in order to clear the tamper event caused by opening the fan bay.
Summary
Removing, cleaning, and replacing the fan filter (the black mesh behind the grille) does not cause a tamper, and can be done at any time without disrupting your Clients.
Opening the fan bay (behind the filter), by unscrewing that Torx screw, does cause a tamper and therefore some down-time for your Clients. If only one fan module is showing a defect, you can probably leave replacing it until scheduled down-time, during which there would be no unexpected disruption to your Clients.
Power consumption
When installed and connected to appropriate electrical power sources, the ProtectServer 3+ External draws power as follows:
Activity | Draw |
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Standby (connected to AC electrical mains but not powered on) | 26W (typical) |
Power-on input surge | 15A (typical) 40A at 90-132VAC (max) 60A at 180-265VAC (max) |
Active (under load from clients) | 84W (typical) 100W (max) |
The appliance has two power supplies, each rated at 350W, either of which is capable of running the system alone.