PowerEdge M820 Technical Guide The PowerEdge M820 full-height blade delivers exceptional performance and scalability.
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Table of contents 1 System overview ..................................................................................................................................................................5 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................5 New technologies ...............................................................................................................
Tables Table 1. Table 2. Table 3. Table 4. Table 5. Table 6. Table 7. Table 8. Table 9. Table 10. Table 11. Table 12. Table 13. Table 14. Table 15. Table 16. Table 17. Table 18. Table 19. Table 20. Table 21. Table 22. Table 23. Table 24. Table 25. Table 26. New technologies ................................................................................................................................................ 6 Comparing the PowerEdge M910 and M820 ...................................................
1 System overview Introduction The Dell™ PowerEdge™ M820’s scalability makes it a perfect fit for core business applications or consolidated workloads. Virtual environments supporting large numbers of sizeable virtual machines will find the M820 a perfect choice. With up to four Intel® Xeon® E5-4600 processors and up to 1.5TB of RAM per node — 12TB of memory in just a single M1000e chassis — the M820’s remarkable computational capability and memory scalability can address even the toughest demands.
New technologies A number of new technologies are featured on the PowerEdge M820 system, as shown in Table 1. Table 1. New technologies New technologies Detailed descriptions Intel Xeon processor E5-4600 product family This new family of Intel processors has embedded PCI Express (PCIe) lanes for improved I/O performance and additional new features. See the Processors section for details. Intel C602 series chipset The Intel Platform Controller Hub (PCH) chip is implemented on the M820.
2 System features Compared to the previous generation of Dell PowerEdge blade servers, the M820 has more memory, processor cores, and networking options than ever before. Features include DDR3 memory, PCI Express 3.0, a network daughtercard (NDC), dual internal SD module, and Dell’s next-generation iDRAC solution known as iDRAC7 Enterprise with Lifecycle Controller. Comparison of PowerEdge systems The PowerEdge M820 is a replacement for the M910 system. Table 2 compares the features of both systems.
Feature Dell OpenManage Systems Management PowerEdge M910 PowerEdge M820 Dell OpenManage Lifecycle Controller 1.x iDRAC6 (Express or Enterprise) with Lifecycle Controller 1.x, Chassis Management Controller (CMC) 3.
Feature Technical specification I/O mezzanine card options 1Gb/10Gb adapters: ® Broadcom 5719 quad-port 1Gb Intel I350 quad-port 1Gb Broadcom 57810S-k dual-port 10Gb Intel X520-x/k dual-port 10Gb ® QLogic QME8262-k dual-port 10Gb ® Brocade BR1741M-k dual-port 10Gb Fibre Channel: QLogic QME2662 dual-port 16Gb ® Emulex LPm16002B-D dual-port 16Gb QLogic QME2572 dual-port 8Gb Emulex LPe1205-M dual-port 8Gb InfiniBand™: ® ® Mellanox ConnectX -3 dual port FDR10 40Gb I/O slots Fully populated mezzanine card s
Feature Technical specification ® Microsoft Windows Server 2012 ® Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, x64 (includes Hyper-V ) ® ® ® Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server ® Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating systems Embedded hypervisor Virtualization options: ® ® Citrix XenServer VMware vSphere including ESXi ® Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization For more information on the specific versions and additions, visit Dell.com/OSsupport.
3 Module views and features The Dell PowerEdge M820 implements a new module design that supports up to 48 DIMMS and four processors. The M820 is a full-height blade server that requires a PowerEdge M1000e chassis to operate. It occupies one slot vertically in the M1000e for a maximum of eight blade servers in one M1000e chassis. The M820 can be mixed with other existing Dell blades of quarter-height, halfheight and full-height form factors.
The chassis design of the M820 is optimized for easy access to components and for airflow for effective and efficient cooling. Figure 2 shows the M1000e chassis enclosure populated with M820 modules. Figure 2. M1000e chassis enclosure with M820 blades The M820 module shown in Figure 3 supports up to 48 DIMMS, four processors and many other features that are described in this guide.
Figure 3. M820 internal module view For additional system views, see the Dell PowerEdge M820 Systems Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals. Module features Table 4 lists the modules features for the M820 system. For additional information on these features, see the Dell PowerEdge M820 Systems Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals. Table 4.
Feature Description Quick Resource Locator (QRL) This code on the chassis can be scanned by a smartphone application to access additional information and resources for the server, including videos, reference materials, service tag information, and Dell contact information LCD control panel The M1000e chassis enclosure LCD control panel is located on the front of the M1000e chassis to provide user access to buttons, display, and I/O interfaces.
4 Processors The Dell PowerEdge M820 features the Intel Xeon processor E5-4600 product family, which offer an ideal combination of performance, power efficiency and cost. These processors provide high performance no matter what your constraint is — floor space, power, or budget — and excel on workloads that range from the most complicated scientific exploration to crucial web-serving and infrastructure applications.
Supported processors The M820 supports up to four processors with up to eight cores per processor. Table 5 lists the Intel Xeon processors supported by the PowerEdge M820. For the latest information on supported processors, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge. Table 5. Model Speed Supported processors TDP Cache Cores/ threads QPI Turbo E5-4650 2.7GHz 130W 20MB 8/16 8.0GT/s Yes E5-4650L 2.6GHz 115W 20MB 8/16 8.0GT/s Yes E5-4640 2.4GHz 95W 20MB 8/16 8.0GT/s Yes E5-4620 2.
5 Memory More memory options are available than ever before with the Dell PowerEdge M820 — greater capacities, higher frequencies, and more flexibility. The M820 supports up to 1.5TB of memory and speeds up to 1600MT/s, providing high performance in a variety of applications. High memory density means there is no compromise when it comes to virtualization. Increase your uptime and reduce data loss due to Dell’s focus on reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) features.
Table 7 lists the DIMMs that are supported on the M820. For the latest information on supported memory, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge. Table 7. DIMMs supported Only Capacity (GB) Speed (MT/s) Type Ranks per DIMM Data width SDDC support Voltage 2 1600 RDIMM 1 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 2 1333 RDIMM 1 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 4 1333 RDIMM 2 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 4 1600 RDIMM 2 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 4 1333 RDIMM 1 x4 All modes 1.35 4 1333 RDIMM 2 x8 Advanced ECC 1.
Memory speed The M820 server supports memory speeds of 1600MT/s, 1333MT/s, 1066MT/s and 800MT/s, depending on the DIMM types installed and the configuration. All memory on all processors and channels run at the same speed and voltage. By default, the system runs at the highest speed for the channel with the lowest DIMM voltage and speed.
Table 9. Memory RAS features Feature Description Dense configuration optimized profile Increased memory reliability can be a result from this selectable platform profile that adjusts parameters to reduce faults regarding refresh rates, speed, temperature and voltage. Memory demand and patrol scrubbing Demand scrubbing is the ability to write corrected data back to the memory once a correctable error is detected on a read transaction.
6 Storage The Dell PowerEdge M820 provides comprehensive internal storage options, including several drive types and storage controllers to choose from. Express Flash PCIe SSD is a new option that can provide vastly accelerated performance over previous technologies. Dell Express Flash drives use PCIe lanes to connect directly to the processor and chipset and are easily accessible by hot-plug drive bay. Internal storage The M820 is available in three different hard-drive backplane options.
The PowerEdge M820 has an option to support up to two Express Flash PCIe SSD drives with the PCIe SSD backplane configuration. This backplane configuration may be selected at purchase, but may not be upgraded later. Storage controllers Dell provides highly capable RAID options for you to ensure that your data remains safe. Dell’s RAID controller options offer impressive performance improvements. The internal RAID controllers have a dedicated connection to the system board.
PERC option Feature H310 DDR3 cache (512MB) H710 DDR3 cache (512MB) Non-volatile cache option ® Microsoft Windows support Linux support Virtualization support Mini form factor N/A N/A N/A PCIe 2.0 Local support for self-encrypting disk (SED) X UEFI browser Hll Embedded on motherboard 1 Supports SATA hard drives through the SAS backplane.
7 Networking and mezzanine cards The Dell PowerEdge M820 offers balanced, scalable I/O capabilities, including integrated PCIe 3.0 capable mezzanine card slots. Dell Select Network Adapters, Dell’s network daughtercards, let you choose the right network fabric without using up a valuable mezzanine card slot. Pick the speed, technology, vendor, and other options such as switch independent partitioning, which let you share and manage bandwidth on 10GbE connections.
Table 13 lists the available Select Network Adapter options and their supported features for the M820. Table 13.
Mezzanine cards The M820 provides four PCIe 3.0 mezzanine connectors for add-in cards. The M820 has been designed to be PCIe 3.0 compliant in order to take full advantage of the processor capabilities. Table 14 lists the supported mezzanine cards for the M820. Table 14.
8 Power, thermal and acoustics Lower overall system-level power draw is a result of Dell’s breakthrough system design. The PowerEdge M820 blade server and M1000e chassis enclosure maximize performance per watt through a combination of power and cooling, energy efficient technologies, and tools. Additionally, the M820 has an extensive collection of sensors that automatically track thermal activity, which helps regulate temperature thereby reducing server noise and power consumption.
Feature Description 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. Hot spare reduces power consumption of redundant power supplies. Thermal control of fan speed optimizes the thermal settings for your environment to reduce fan consumption and lower system power consumption. Idle power enables Dell servers to run as efficiently when idle as when at full workload.
Environmental specifications: The optimized thermal management makes the PowerEdge M820 reliable under a wide range of operating environments as shown in Table 24. Acoustical performance The acoustical performance of the PowerEdge M820 is reflected in Table 16. The addition of some components can cause an increase in fan speed and acoustical output.
9 Operating systems and virtualization The Dell PowerEdge M820 supports a wide range of industry-standard operating systems and virtualization software. Supported operating systems Table 17 lists the operating systems supported on the M820. For the latest information on supported operating systems, see Dell.com/OSsupport. Table 17. Primary operating system support Operating System Platform Edition x32 x64 N/A x64 N/A Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
Operating System Platform Edition x86 Standard Enterprise x64 Standard Enterprise Data center Microsoft Windows 2003 R2 with SP2 Supported virtualization One of the key features for virtualization on the M820 is the support for a failsafe hypervisor. By running the hypervisor on an optional SD card and installing a backup copy on the other mirrored SD card, you can protect against hardware failure and maximize virtualization uptime. Table 19 highlights the virtualization support for the M820.
10 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.
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. iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 7 (iDRAC7) with Lifecycle Controller is the heart of the second generation of Dell PowerEdge server embedded management functionality.
Feature Electronic licensing Function Benefit To obtain a software license key for iDRAC7 Express for Blades or iDRAC7 Enterprise after server purchase, submit a request to purchase a software license key through the Dell Licensing Portal or with a Dell sales representative If iDRAC7 Express for Blades or iDRAC7 Enterprise is ordered during initial point of sale, license key is installed.
iDRAC7 Enterprise Feature (function) iDRAC7 Express for Blades SNMP alerts ∞ ∞ Comprehensive monitoring ∞ ∞ Virtual console (4 user) ∞ ∞ Virtual media ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ Power control ∞ ∞ Power monitoring ∞ ∞ Virtual console chat ∞ Support for customer-supplied SD cards for vFlash media Virtual flash partitions ∞ Virtual folders ∞ Remote file share ∞ Crash video playback ∞ Boot record/playback ∞ Part replacement ∞ Backup and restore configurations ∞ Power capping ∞ Enterprise g
Agent-free management Because Dell PowerEdge servers have embedded server lifecycle management, in many cases, there is no need to install an OpenManage systems management software agent into the operating system of a Dell PowerEdge server. This greatly simplifies and streamlines the management footprint. Chassis Management Controller console for blade systems The Dell Chassis Management Controller (CMC) is a systems management hardware and software solution for managing multiple Dell blade chassis.
RACADM — The RACADM command-line utility provides a scriptable interface that allows you to locally or remotely configure iDRAC7. IPMITool — IPMITool includes scriptable console application programs used to control and manage remote systems using the IPMI version 1.5 and later protocol.
Dell server management operations Dell OpenManage systems management is centered on automating the server management lifecycle — deploy, update, monitor and maintain. To manage an infrastructure properly and efficiently, you must perform all of these functions easily and quickly. iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller technology provides you with these intelligent capabilities embedded within the server infrastructure.
Operation One-to-one Update One-to-many iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller GUI Repository Manager DUP SUU SBUU OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller with GUI OMSA Monitor IPMI iDrac7 with Lifecycle Controller GUI Maintain Dell OpenManage Essentials Lifecycle Controller Remote Services Dell OpenManage Essentials BMC ProactiveNet Performance Management integration with Lifecycle Controller Dell OpenManage Power Center Li
Appendix A. Additional specifications Module dimensions and weight Figure 8 details the dimensions of the M820 module. Figure 8. Module dimensions Xa Xb Y Zb (handle closed) Zb (handle open) 395.2mm 385.4mm 50.35mm 544.95mm 568.45mm The weight of a maximum-configured M820 blade server is 14.5 kg (31.9 lb). Video specifications The Dell PowerEdge M820 iDRAC7 incorporates an integrated video subsystem. The graphics controller is the 2D Matrox® G200.
Environmental specifications For additional information about environmental measurements for specific system configurations, see Dell.com/environmental_datasheets. Table 24 details the environmental specifications for the M820. Table 24. Environmental specifications Fresh Air: temperature, humidity, altitude de-rating Continuous operation 10°C to 35°C (50°F to 95°F) at 10% to 80% relative humidity with 26°C (78.8°F) maximum dew point (maximum wet bulb temperature).
Maximum shock Operating One shock pulse in the positive z axis (one pulse on each side of the system) of 31G for up to 2.6ms Storage Six consecutively executed shock pulses in the positive and negative x, y, and z axes (one pulse on each side of the system) of 71G for up to 2ms Altitude Operating –15.2m to 3048m (–50 ft to 10,000 ft) Storage –15.2m to 12,000m (–50 ft to 39,370 ft) Airborne contaminant level Class G1 or lower as defined by ISA-S71.
Appendix B. Standards compliance The M820 system conforms to the industry standards in Table 25. Table 25. 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.
Standard URL for information and specifications Windows Logo Windows Logo Program System and Device Requirements, v3.10 microsoft.com/whdc/winlogo/hwrequirements.
Appendix C. Additional resources Table 26 provides a list of documents and websites that provide for more information on the Dell PowerEdge M820. Table 26. Additional resources Resource Description of contents Location Dell PowerEdge M820 Systems Owner’s Manual This manual, available in PDF format, provides the following information: Dell.
Resource Description of contents Location Energy Smart Solution Advisor (ESSA) The Dell online advisor console 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.
Appendix D. System board block diagram Figure 9.
