PowerEdge R920 Technical Guide The PowerEdge R920— a compute-intensive rack server designed to run mission-critical applications for midsized and large enterprises.
This document is for informational purposes only and may contain typographical errors and technical inaccuracies. The content is provided as is, without express or implied warranties of any kind. Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, EqualLogic, PowerVault, OpenManage, KACE, and ReadyRails are trademarks of Dell, Inc. Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
Table of Contents 1 System overview ................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 6 New technologies ..................................................................................................... 6 2 System features ........................................................
Environmental specifications ................................................................................................... 42 Appendix B. Standards compliance ............................................................................................................................. 43 Appendix C. Additional resources................................................................................................................................. 45 Appendix D. Block diagram ....................
Figure 7. Figure 8. Figure 9. Figure 10. R920 Sliding Rails with optional CMA............................................................................................................. 29 Dell systems management solutions .............................................................................................................. 34 Systems management server lifecycle ........................................................................................................... 39 R920 block diagram .......
1 System overview Introduction Designed to run mission-critical applications for midsized and large enterprises, the Dell™ PowerEdge™ R920 is a compute-intensive rack server with highly scalable memory and impressive I/O capabilities to match.
New technology Detailed description Intel C602J chipset The R920 server uses the Intel Platform Controller Hub (PCH) chip. 1600MT/s DDR3 memory Certain models of the Intel Xeon processor E7-4800 v2 product family support 1600MT/s memory. See the Memory section for details. Flexible LAN The Dell Select Network Adapter options allow you to customize your LAN port combinations from your choice of controller vendors. See the Networking and PCIe section for details.
2 System features The PowerEdge R920 is Dell’s fastest four-socket 4U server with more drive bay options over previous generations, PCIe 3.0 slots, more memory, the ability to support dual RAID controllers, support for Express Flash PCIe SSDs, iDRAC7 Enterprise, and flexible configuration options to tailor a system to your exact requirements. Comparison of PowerEdge systems The PowerEdge R920 is a direct replacement for the R910. Table 2compares some of the features of the R920 to the R910.
Specifications Table 3 summarizes the product features for the PowerEdge R920. For the latest information on supported features for the PowerEdge R920, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge. Table 3. Technical specifications Feature PowerEdge R920 technical specification Form factor 4U rack Processors Intel Xeon processor E7-4800 v2 and E7-8800 v2 product families (up to 4) Intel Xeon processor E7-2800 v2 product family (up to 2) Internal interconnect Intel Quick Path Interconnect v. 1.
Feature PowerEdge R920 technical specification Systems Management IPMI 2.0 compliant Dell OpenManage Essentials Dell OpenManage Mobile Dell OpenManage Power Center Dell OpenManage Integrations: Dell OpenManage Integration Suite for Microsoft System Center ® Dell OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter Dell OpenManage Connections: ® ® HP Operations Manager, IBM Tivoli Netcool , and CA Network and Systems Management Dell OpenManage Plug-in for Oracle Database Manager.
3 Chassis views and features The PowerEdge R920 features a new chassis design that supports advanced memory capacity through additional DIMMs, PCI slots and increased hard drive spindle count. Chassis views Figure 1. Front panel view Figure 2.
Figure 3. Internal chassis view Chassis features Table 4 lists the features on the R920 chassis. For additional information, see the Dell PowerEdge R920 Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals. Table 4. Chassis features Feature Description Power-on indicator, power button The power-on indicator lights when system power is on. The power button controls the DC power supply output to the system.
Video connector Connects a monitor to the server. LCD menu buttons Allows you to navigate the control panel LCD menu. Information tag A slide-out label panel for system information including the Express Service tag, Embedded NIC1 MAC address, and iDRAC7 Enterprise card MAC address. LCD panel Displays system ID, status information and system error messages. Optical drive One optional SATA DVD-ROM drive or DVD+/-RW drive Hard drives Up to 24 2.
Contact with Dell via a direct link to get in touch with technical support and sales teams, and provide feedback direct to Dell These codes provide an easy way to retrieve critical support information when you need it, making you more efficient and effective at managing your data center hardware. Security features The latest generation of PowerEdge servers has the features listed in Table 5 to help ensure the security of your data center. Table 5.
4 Processors The PowerEdge R920 features the Intel Xeon processor E7-4800 v2, E7- 8800 v2 and E7-2800 v2 product families with advanced reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) features to keep your business operations running and minimize unnecessary downtime. With its high memory capacity, the R920 is ideal for data-demanding, transaction-intensive workloads, such as ERP, CRM, HPC, and in-memory database systems.
Model Speed TDP Cache Cores/ Threads QPI Turbo TDP E7-2880 v2 2.5GHz 130W 37.5M 15/30 8.0GT/s Yes 130W E7-4870 v2 2.3GHz 130W 30M 15/30 8.0GT/s Yes 130W E7-2870 v2 2.3GHz 130W 30M 15/30 8.0GT/s Yes 130W E7-4860 v2 2.6GHz 130W 30M 12/24 8.0GT/s Yes 130W E7-4850 v2 2.3GHz 105W 24M 12/24 7.2GT/s Yes 105W E7-2850 v2 2.3GHz 105W 24M 12/24 7.2GT/s Yes 105W E7-4830 v2 2.2GHz 105W 20M 10/20 7.2GT/s Yes 105W E7-4820 v2 2.0GHz 105W 16M 8/16 7.
5 Memory More memory options are available than ever before with the Dell PowerEdge R920 — greater capacities, higher frequencies and more flexibility. The R920 supports up to 6TB of LRDIMM memory (with 96 x 64GB LRDIMMs); up to 3TB of LRDIMM memory (with 96 x 32GB LRDIMMs) and up to 1.5TB of RDIMM memory (with 48 x 16GB RDIMMs.
The R920 supports the DIMMs listed in Table 8. For the latest information on supported memory, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge. Table 8. Capacity (GB) Speed (MT/s) Type Supported DIMMs Ranks per DIMM Data width SDDC support Voltage 4 1600 1 RDIMM 1 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 8 1600 RDIMM 1 x4 lockstep mode 1.35 16 1600 RDIMM 2 x4 lockstep mode 1.35 32 1600 LRDIMM 4 x4 lockstep mode 1.35 64 1600 LRDIMM 8 x4 lockstep mode 1.
For information on memory mirroring and sparing configurations, see the Dell PowerEdge R920 Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals. Mirroring and Dell Fault Resilient Memory The PowerEdge R920 supports memory mirroring. Partial mirroring is enabled through Dell Fault Resilient Memory (FRM).
6 Storage The PowerEdge R920 supports extensive internal and external storage options. Support for internal storage includes a number of variations with a 2.5” drive chassis. For external storage, there are a number of storage options that range from JBOD connectivity to SAN support with Dell Compellent. Connectivity options include: host bus adaptors (HBA) options for SAS, iSCSI and Fibre Channel.
7 Networking and PCIe The PowerEdge R920 offers rack network daughter card (RNDC) options which provide a custom solution that contains a complete network interface controller (NIC) subsystem. The R920 supports one RNDC card instead of the traditional LAN on motherboard (LOM) design. RNDC offer the features and benefits of a traditional LOM subsystem (including NC-SI management interface) but with expanded features and added flexibility as RNDCs provide an easy upgrade path from 1GB to 10GB LAN speeds.
Racks 10Gb Ethernet 10Gb Converged Broadcom 57800 2x1Gb+2x10 Gb SFP+ Broadcom 57800 2x1Gb+2x10 Gb SFP+ - Intel i540 2x1Gb+32x 10Gb BT Intel X540 2x1Gb+2x10 Gb BT - 1Gb Ethernet 1Gb Converged - Broadcom 5720 4x1Gb BT Broadcom 5720 4x1Gb BT - Intel i350 4x1Gb BT Intel i350 4x1Gb BT PCIe expansion With 32 PCIe lanes available from each E7 v2 processor in the system, the R920 provides greatly expanded PCIe slot capability over previous-generation PowerEdge servers.
Network daughter card Adapter Intel Ethernet I350 Quad-Port 1Gb Intel X520 DP 10Gb DA/SFP+, + I350 DP 1Gb Ethernet, Network Daughter Card Intel Ethernet X540 10Gb BT DP + I350 1Gb BT DP Network Daughter Card 23 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide
8 Power, thermal and acoustics Lower overall system-level power draw is a result of breakthrough system design. The Dell PowerEdge R920 server maximizes performance per watt through a combination of power and cooling, energy-efficient technologies and tools. Additionally, the PowerEdge R920 has an extensive collection of sensors that automatically track thermal activity, which helps regulate temperature thereby reducing server noise and power consumption.
Feature Active power management Fresh Air cooling Description Intel Node Manager is an embedded technology that provides individual server-level power reporting and power limiting functionality. Dell offers a complete power management solution comprised of Intel Node Manager accessed through Dell iDRAC7 Enterprise and OpenManage Power Center that allows policy-based management of power and thermals at the individual server, rack and data center level.
system really needs, drawing lower fan power to help the system generate lower acoustical noise levels than servers without such controls. User-configurable settings: An R920 thermal control design target is to minimize the contribution of fan power to overall system power. The default thermal setting is “DAPC” mode, performance per watt. However, thermal settings are available for customers who have other priorities.
Fans Six hot swappable fans are mounted in a fan gantry located in the chassis between the hard drive bay and the processors. Each fan has a blind mate 2x2 connector that plugs directly into the fan tray. An additional fan, integrated in each power supply provides additional cooling for the whole system.
9 Rack rails and cable management The sliding rail system for the R920 provides tool-less support for 4-post racks with square or unthreaded round mounting holes, including all generations of Dell racks. The sliding rail system also supports tooled mounting in 4-post threaded racks. In contrast to the R910 sliding rails that required the use of adapter brackets, the sliding rails for the R920 now offer native support for threaded-hole racks via the new ReadyRails II mounting interface.
Sliding rail system Sliding rails allow the system to be fully extended out of the rack for service and are available with or without the optional cable management arm (CMA) and optional strain relief bar (provided with the CMA). Figure 7. R920 Sliding Rails with optional CMA Sliding rails support 19” width tool-less mounting, EIA-310-E compliant square hole and unthreaded round hole 4-post racks.
The adjustment range of the rails is a function of the type of rack in which they are being mounted. The minimum/maximum values listed above represent the allowable distance between the front and rear mounting flanges in the rack. Rail depth without the CMA or SRB represents the minimum depth of the rail with the outer CMA brackets removed (if applicable) as measured from the front mounting flanges of the rack.
10 Operating systems and virtualization The PowerEdge R920 supports a wide range of industry-standard operating systems. Supported operating systems Table 17 lists the primary operating systems supported on the R920. For the latest information on supported operating systems, see Dell.com/OSsupport. Table 17. PowerEdge R920 supported operating systems Operating system Platform Edition Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 X32 X64 N/A Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.0 X64 N/A Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.
Supported virtualization The internal dual SD module enables Dell's unique Failsafe Virtualization architecture, ensuring uptime by providing failover capability for embedded hypervisors, such as VMware® vSphere® ESXi™. Table 18 highlights the virtualization support for the R920. Table 18. Virtualization support Install version Factory options Internal dual SD module install support vSphere v5.0 ESXi DIB Yes vSphere v5.0 U1 ESXi DIB Yes vSphere v5.1 U1 ESXi DIB Yes vSphere v5.
11 Dell OpenManage systems management Whether your IT environment consists of a few servers or a few thousand servers, Dell OpenManage systems management solutions provide comprehensive management for evolving IT environments. OpenManage is based on open standards and provides agent-based and agent-free server lifecycle management functionality for Dell PowerEdge servers. OpenManage solutions help you automate and streamline essential hardware management tasks.
Figure 8. Dell systems management solutions OpenManage systems management The Dell OpenManage systems management portfolio includes powerful hardware and software management tools and consoles. OpenManage simplifies the lifecycle of deploying, updating, monitoring and maintaining your Dell PowerEdge servers.
Feature Function Benefit Dedicated GigE port (PowerEdge rack and tower systems) Gigabit Ethernet replaces 10/100 on predecessor iDRAC6 Fast throughput for better performance; compatibility with setup for switches Email alerts Simplified, more informative, and expanded coverage than previous versions of iDRAC More detail allows IT administrators to be more efficient in diagnosing and remediating an issue; alerts include a direct, embedded URL in the email notification to further speed resolution vFl
Feature (function) Basic management iDRAC7 Enterprise iDRAC7 Express iDRAC Express for blades Power control ∞ ∞ ∞ Encryption ∞ ∞ ∞ Crash screen capture1 ∞ ∞ ∞ IPv6 ∞ ∞ ∞ Auto-discovery ∞ ∞ ∞ Auto-recovery ∞ ∞ ∞ Web GUI ∞ ∞ ∞ Remote CLI ∞ ∞ ∞ Local/SSH CLI ∞ ∞ ∞ Serial redirection ∞ ∞ ∞ Remote configuration ∞ ∞ ∞ Email alerts ∞ ∞ ∞ SNMP alerts ∞ ∞ ∞ Power monitoring ∞ ∞ ∞ Comprehensive monitoring ∞ ∞ ∞ Dedicated NIC 1Gbps (100MB in iDRAC6) Part
Agent-based management Most systems management solutions require pieces of software, called agents, to be installed on each node in order to be managed within the IT environment. Additionally, the same agent is often used as a local interface into the hardware health and may be accessed remotely as a management interface, typically referred to as a one-to-one interface. For customers that continue to use agentbased solutions, Dell provides OpenManage Server Administrator.
Dell Update Packages: The Dell Update Packages (DUP) is a self-contained executable in a standard package format that updates a software element on a Dell server such as the BIOS, a driver, firmware and other software updates.
Dell OpenManage Connection for HP Operations Manager: This connection enables several functions through HP Operations Manager, including auto-grouping, SNMP trap reception, global health monitoring and a context-sensitive launch of OpenManage Server Administrator. Dell OpenManage Connection for IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIBus: This connection provides event monitoring capabilities to monitor Dell PowerEdge servers and Dell EqualLogic systems.
Table 21 lists the products that are available for one-to-one and one-to-many operations, and when they are used in the server’s lifecycle. Table 21.
Appendix A. Additional specifications Chassis dimensions and weight 6.8 in (4U) height (172.6 mm) 18.99 in width (482.4 mm) 31.59 in depth (802.3 mm) with PSU and bezel 29.65 in depth (753 mm) without bezel SIDE VIEW T O Za Y Video specifications The R920 system Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) incorporates an integrated video subsystem, connected to the Southbridge via PCI Express and internal PCIe Switch and PCIe to PCI bridge.
1152 x 864 60, 75, 85 8, 16, 32 1280 x 1024 60 8, 16, 32 Environmental specifications Table 23 details the environmental specifications for the R920. For additional information about environmental measurements for specific system configurations, see Dell.com/environmental_datasheets. Table 23. Environmental specifications Temperature Continuous operation 10°C to 35°C at 10% to 80% relative humidity (RH), with 26 °C max dew point.
Appendix B. Standards compliance The PowerEdge R920 conforms to the industry standards listed in Table 24. Industry standard documents Standard URL for information and specifications ACPI Advance Configuration and Power Interface Specification, v2.0c acpi.info Ethernet IEEE 802.3-2005 standards.ieee.org/getieee802/802.3.html HDG Hardware Design Guide Version 3.0 for Microsoft Windows Server microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/pcdesign/desguide/serv erdg.
Windows Logo Windows Logo Program System and Device Requirements, v3.10 44 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide microsoft.com/whdc/winlogo/hwrequirements.
Appendix C. Additional resources Table 25 provides a list of documents and websites that provide for more information on the R920 Table 25. Resource documents and websites Resource Description of content Location PowerEdge R920 Owner’s Manual This manual, available in PDF format, provides the following information: Dell.
Energy Smart Solution Advisor The Dell online Energy Smart Solution Advisor (ESSA) enables easier and more meaningful estimates to help you determine the most efficient configuration possible. Use ESSA to calculate the power consumption of your hardware, power infrastructure, and storage. Dell.com/ESSA Power and cooling technologies Provides details for improving energy efficiency in the data center. Dell.com/PNC Energy management Provides information on Dell’s Fresh Air cooling solutions. Dell.
Appendix D. Block diagram Figure 10.
Appendix E. Dell Global Support and Deployment Services Dell Global Services include a wide, customizable range of service choices to simplify the assessment, design, implementation, management and maintenance of your IT environment and to help you transition from platform to platform. Depending on your current business requirements and the level of service you want, we can provide you with factory, on-site, remote, modular and specialized services that fit your needs and budget.
Remote consulting services When you are in the final stages of the PowerEdge server implementation, you can rely on Dell Remote Consulting and our certified technical experts to help you optimize your configuration with best practices for your software, virtualization, server, storage, networking and systems management. Data migration service Protect your business and data with our single point of contact to manage your data migration project.
ProSupport Plus engineers. ProSupport Plus gives you quick and efficient resolutions, working along with our SupportAssist technology that enables us to get ahead of issues in your environment before they become problems. ProSupport Our ProSupport service offers highly trained experts around the clock and around the globe to address your IT needs.
Additional professional services Dell Training Services Dell Education Services offers PowerEdge server training courses designed to help you achieve more with your hardware investment. The curriculum is designed in conjunction with the server development team, as well as Dell’s technical support team, to ensure that the training delivers the information and practical, hands-on skills you and your team need to confidently manage and maintain your Dell Server solution.
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