This is the expected behavior when the shelf ID is not set or is in conflict with an existing shelf ID. With SAS shelves, the shelf ID must be unique in the storage system (stand alone or clustered). Furthermore, this error is not seen in AutoSupport messages or EMS logs. It is only seen on the console.
Take a look at the following KB:
Regards,
Richard Santos Garcia
Field Support Engineer, cDOT NCDA, NCIE-SAN for E-Series
Pacific Northwest, (OR, WA, AK)
NetApp
386.216.9583 Mobile
888.463.8277 Support
rsantosg@netapp.com