If you are unable to solve a startup problem after using the troubleshooting suggestions in this appendix, contact your customer service representative for assistance and further instructions. Before you call, have the following information ready to help your service provider assist you as quickly as possible:

• Date you received the switch.

• Chassis serial number. See Finding the Chassis Serial Number.

• Type of software and release number.

• Maintenance agreement or warranty information.

• Brief description of the problem.

• Brief explanation of the steps you have already taken to isolate and resolve the problem.

Note	If you purchased Cisco support through a Cisco reseller, contact the reseller directly. If you purchased support directly from Cisco, contact Cisco Technical Support at this URL: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/support/tsd_cisco_worldwide_contacts.html.

You can find the chassis serial number label of the Cisco MDS 9700 Series on the chassis.

If you have CLI access, enter the show sprom backplane 1 command to display the backplane contents, including the switch serial number.

Planning the location and layout of your equipment rack or wiring closet is essential for successful switch operation, ventilation, and accessibility.

Consider heat dissipation when sizing the air-conditioning requirements for an installation. See Table 6-1 for the environmental requirements. See the“Environmental and Power Requirements for Cisco 16-Gbps Fibre Channel SFP+ Transceivers” section, the “Maximum Environmental and Electrical Ratings for Cisco Fibre Channel SFP+ Transceivers” section for power and heat ratings.