"Chris" == Chris Thompson cet1@cus.cam.ac.uk writes:
Chris> But I am concerned that actually removing the disk with its Chris> carrier would leave the airflow through the shelf unbalanced. I Chris> have compromised by disenganging the disk from the shelf but Chris> leaving it sitting in the slot, sticking out just a little.
If you have enough cooling in your serverroom, then don't worry about pulling a disk. NetApp engineers these things really well. Have you heard how the fans speed up when you lose one of two power supplies in a DS14 shelf?
But in any case, you should always pull a bad disk ASAP, and as you have done let it just stick out a bit, or just pull it completely and don't worry. If the environmental sensors on the shelf detect a problem, they'll speed up the fans and let you know.
John