PowerEdge T420 Technical Guide PowerEdge T420: quiet, powerful, scalable with capacity, performance and high availability features to drive your business or organization forward.
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Table of contents 1 System overview ..................................................................................................................................................................5 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................5 Key technologies ...............................................................................................................
Appendix B. Standards compliance ............................................................................................................................. 50 Appendix C. Additional resources.................................................................................................................................. 51 Appendix D. System board block diagram .................................................................................................................. 53 Tables Table 1.
1 System overview Introduction The two-socket Dell™ PowerEdge™ T420 tower server delivers balanced performance and expandability for non-disruptive growth. Optional redundancy and hot pluggability of key components helps to protect data and keep the business running. The T420 is an excellent fit for a wide range of applications, including workgroup collaboration, email, file and print, and small- to midsized database applications such as Business Analytics and Intelligence.
Key technologies Table 1 summarizes key technologies used in the Dell PowerEdge T420 tower server. Table 1. Key technologies Key technology Detailed description Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 product families This Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 product families have embedded PCIe lanes for improved I/O performance. See the Processor section for details. Intel C602 series chipset The Intel Platform Controller Hub (PCH) chip is implemented on the T420 server.
2 System features Compared to the previous-generation PowerEdge T410, the T420 supports up to 33% more processor cores, 50% more DIMM slots, 166% more internal hard drive storage capacity, and the greater I/O bandwidth of PCIe 3.0. Its high quality is backed by high-availability features including redundant SD cards for failsafe hypervisors, soft fault-tolerant fans, and optional features such as redundant high-efficiency power supplies and hot-plug hard drives.
Table 3. Technical specifications Feature 1 Form factor 5U rackable tower Processors Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 product families Processor sockets 2 sockets Internal interconnect 1 Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) link: 6.4GT/s, 7.2GT/s, 8.0GT/s Cache 2.
Feature PowerEdge T420 technical specification I/O adapter options 1Gb Ethernet: Broadcom 5720 Dual Port 1Gb Base-T Broadcom 5719 Quad Port 1Gb Base-T Intel I350 Dual Port 1Gb Base-T Intel I350 Quad Port 1Gb Base-T 10Gb Converged Ethernet: ® Brocade BR1020 Dual Port 10Gb SPF+ ® QLogic QLE8262 Dual Port 10Gb DA/SFP+ Broadcom 57810S Dual Port 10Gb Base-T Broadcom 57810S Dual Port 10Gb DA/SFP+ 10Gb Ethernet: Intel X520 Dual Port 10Gb DA/SFP+ Intel X540 Dual Port 10Gb Base-T FC8/FC4 HBA: QLogic QLE2460 Singl
Feature PowerEdge T420 technical specification ® Microsoft Windows Server 2012 ® Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 (includes Hyper-V ) Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, x64 (includes Hyper-V) ® Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2011 ® ® ® Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server ® Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating systems Optional embedded hypervisors: ® ® Citrix XenServer VMware vSphere including ESXi ® Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization For more information on the specific versions and additions, vi
3 Chassis views and features The Dell PowerEdge T420 is a 5U, 2-socket, rackable tower server. For additional system views and features, see the Dell PowerEdge T420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals. Chassis views Table 4 lists the possible chassis configurations available for the T420. Table 4. Chassis configurations Number of drive bays 4 cabled drive bays 8 hot-plug drive bays 16 hot-plug drive bays Drive types 3.5” SATA and SAS HHD 3.5” SATA and SAS HHD 2.5” SAS SSD/HHD 2.
Figure 2. Front view with bezel Figure 3 shows the features on the back panel of the T420 including USB connectors, Ethernet connectors, serial connector, video connector, PCIe slots, power supplies, iDRAC dedicated port, and many other components and features described in this guide. Figure 3. Back view The chassis design of the T420 is optimized for easy access to components and for airflow for effective and efficient cooling.
Figure 4. Internal view Figure 5 shows the front view of the rackable T420 chassis without a bezel. Figure 5.
Chassis features Table 5 lists the various features on the T420. For additional information, see the Dell PowerEdge T420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals. Table 5.
Front control panel Figure 6 shows the T420 control panel, located on the front of the chassis. For more information about the LCD control panel, see the Dell PowerEdge T420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals. Figure 6. LCD control panel Quick Resource Locator A useful feature included with Dell PowerEdge 12th generation servers is the Quick Resource Locator (QRL) — a model-specific Quick Response (QR) code that is located inside the T420 chassis cover (see Figure 7).
Security features The latest generation of PowerEdge servers has the features listed in Table 6 to help ensure the security of your data center. Table 6. Security features Security feature Cover latch Bezel TPM Power-off security Intrusion alert Secure mode 16 Description A tooled latch is integrated on the chassis (top of rack chassis or side of tower chassis) with a coin key lock to secure the system. An optional metal bezel is mounted to the chassis front to provide the Dell ID.
4 Processor The Dell PowerEdge T420 features the Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 product families, which offer an ideal combination of performance, power efficiency and cost. These processors provide substantial performance and capacity for entry and mainstream workloads, as well as applications requiring significant memory and I/O scalability no matter what your constraint is — floor space, power or budget.
Table 7. Supported processors Speed TDP Cache Cores/ threads Max memory speed Turbo Xeon E5-2470 2.3GHz 95W 20MB 8/16 1600MT/s Yes Xeon E5-2440 2.4GHz 95W 15MB 6/12 1333MT/s Yes Xeon E5-2440 v2 1.9GHz 80W 20MB 8/16 1333MT/s Yes Xeon E5-2430L 2.0GHz 60W 15MB 6/12 1333MT/s Yes Xeon E5-2430L v2 2.4GHz 60W 15MB 6/12 1333MT/s Yes Xeon E5-2430 2.2GHz 95W 15MB 6/12 1333MT/s Yes Xeon E5-2430 v2 2.5GHz 80W 15MB 6/12 1333MT/s Yes Xeon E5-2420 1.
1100W redundant power supply is recommended System can support only one 5.25-inch device Operating system support for GPUs Some operating systems have not been validated to support GPUs. See Table 20 for more information on operating system support of GPUs. Chipset The Intel C602 chipset is implemented on the PowerEdge T420. For more information, visit Intel.com.
5 Memory More options are available for the Dell PowerEdge 12th generation servers than in previous generations — more capacity choices and more frequency choices. The PowerEdge T420 supports up to 384GB of memory with speeds of up to 1600MT/s, providing high performance in a variety of applications. The new reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) features like memory mirroring and sparing help you increase your uptime and reduce data loss.
The T420 supports the DIMMs listed in Table 9. For the latest information on supported memory, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge. Table 9.
White boxes (with lower voltage) can save power but will run at slower speeds White boxes (with higher voltage) can be custom configured in the bios Table 10. Memory speed capabilities DIMM type DIMM rank DIMM-rated voltage and speed Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 product families DIMMs per channel (DPC) 1 DPC 2 DPC 1.35V 1.5V 1.35V 1.5V 1600 RDIMM 1R/2R DDR3L (1.5V) 1600MT/s 1600 1600 1600 RDIMM 1R/2R DDR3L (1.35V/1.
Feature Memory address parity protection Memory sparing (rank) Memory thermal throttling Description This feature provides the ability to detect transient errors on the address lines of the DDR channel. Memory sparing allocates one rank per channel as a spare. If excessive correctable errors occur in a rank or channel, it is moved to the spare area while the operating system is running to prevent the error from causing an uncorrectable failure.
6 Storage The Dell PowerEdge T420 supports internal and external storage options and controllers, different drive types, and different chassis configurations for a varied number of drives. Internal storage The T420 has one chassis that supports three different drive bay options: 4 x 3.5-inch cabled drive bays 8 x 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hot-plug drive bays 16 x 2.5-inch hot-plug drive bays Supported hard drives The T420 supports up to 16 2.5-inch or eight 3.5-inch hard drives or solid-state drives.
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, including the following features: FastPath™ I/O: This feature can help accelerate performance when operating on SSDs. Split mirror: This function allows you to break a mirrored disk connection in order to quickly replace a drive.
Controller Description Features RAID Form factor modes supported PERC S110 Software RAID 3Gb/s SATA software RAID controller that supports up to 4 physical disks or 8 virtual disks Supports up to 4 hot-plug SATA drives , no expansion, Microsoft Windows only 0, 1, 5, 10 System boardembedded SATA Usage model Entry-level Optical drive The T420 hot-plug chassis supports up to three media bays through one of the following options: Up to two SATA half-height DVD-ROM or DVD R/W drive + one SAS inte
7 Networking and PCIe The Dell PowerEdge T420 offers balanced, scalable I/O capabilities, including integrated PCIe 3.0 capable expansion slots. The T420 supports up to six PCIe slots. Embedded NIC controller The T420 system board has one embedded NIC controller. The Broadcom 5720 Gigabit NIC chip is connected to the platform controller hub through a PCIe 2.0 x 2 link.
Type Adapter QLogic QLE2460 Single Port 4Gbps QLogic QLE2462 Dual Port 4Gbps QLogic QLE2560 Single Port 8Gbps FC4/FC8 HBAs QLogic QLE2562 Dual Port 8Gbps Emulex LPe12000 Single Port 8Gbps Emulex LPe12002 Dual Port 8Gbps Brocade BR815 Single Port 8Gbps Brocade BR825 Dual Port 8Gbps For the latest information on all supported add-in PCIe expansion cards for the T420, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge.
8 Power, thermal, and acoustics Lower overall system-level power draw is a result of breakthrough system design. The Dell PowerEdge T420 server maximizes performance per watt through a combination of power and cooling, energy-efficient technologies, and tools. Additionally, the PowerEdge T420 has an extensive collection of sensors that automatically track thermal activity, which helps regulate temperature thereby reducing server noise and power consumption.
Feature Description Active power management (redundant PSU only) 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.
Figure 8 shows a 750W power supply unit extended from the T420 chassis. Figure 8. 750W power supply unit The PowerEdge T420 supports up to two PSUs with 1+1 redundancy, auto-sensing, and auto-switching capability. The T420 also supports PSU 2+0 configurations for configurations that exceed the output of a single PSU; in this case, 1+1 redundancy is not supported. Use the Dell Energy Smart Solution Advisor at Dell.com/ESSA to help you configure your system optimal power performance.
temperature sensors, including processors, hard disk drives, DIMMs, storage cards, and the inlet ambient temperature. Thermal control detects and responds to hardware configuration. Thermal management adjusts cooling according to what the system really needs, draws lower fan power and generates lower acoustical noise levels than servers without such controls.
Table 18. Acoustical performance Configuration (23 ± 2°C ambient) Typical Feature rich CPUs Hard drives Power supply unit 2 4 x 3.5“ SAS (15K) 2x 750W 2 8 x 2.5“ SATA (10K) 2x 1100W Memory PCI card/HDD controller 6 x 4GB 1 x 10GbE NIC 1 x PERC H710P 12 x 8GB 1 x 10GbE NIC 1 x 1GbE NIC 1 x PERC H310 2 x 150W GPU Operating mode Idle 4 Stress Idle 5 4 Stress 5 LWA-UL 1 2 LpA (bels) (dBA) 5.1 41 5.2 42 4.7 38 4.
9 Rack rails and cable management The sliding rail system for the Dell PowerEdge T420 provides tool-less support for four-post racks with square or unthreaded round mounting holes. Compared to the T610 sliding rails that required the use of adapter brackets, the sliding rails for the T420 now offer support for threaded hole racks with the ReadyRails II mounting interface.
mounted in the back of the rack such as power distribution units (PDUs), and the overall depth of the rack. For detailed information about sliding rails, see the Rack rail specifications section in Appendix A. For more information on installing the T420 in a rack, see the Rack Installation Instructions on Dell.com/Support/Manuals.
10 Operating systems and virtualization The Dell PowerEdge T420 supports a wide range of industry-standard operating systems and virtualization software. Supported operating systems Table 20 lists the primary operating systems supported on the T420. For the latest information on supported operating systems, see Dell.com/OSsupport. Table 20. Primary operating system support Operating System Edition Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.8 SP8 x32 x64 N/A Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
Supported virtualization One of the key features for virtualization on the PowerEdge T420 is the support for a fail-safe hypervisor. By running a 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 21 highlights the virtualization support for the T420. Table 21.
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.
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 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 Upgrades to iDRAC7 Express or iDRAC7 Enterprise by software licensing key and license portal (may require installation of hardware option for 200-500 series servers) If iDRAC7 Express or iDRAC7 Enterprise is ordered during initial point of sale, license key is installed. If Basic Management is ordered during initial point of sale, customer must request a license key through the Dell Licensing Portal.
iDRAC7 Express iDRAC7 Enterprise Serial redirection ∞ ∞ Remote config ∞ ∞ Email alerts ∞ ∞ SNMP alerts ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ Feature (function) Basic management Comprehensive monitoring Crash screen capture 3 ∞ Part replacement ∞ Backup and restore configurations ∞ Virtual console (4 user) ∞ Virtual console chat ∞ Support for customer supplied SD cards for vFlash media ∞ Virtual flash partitions ∞ Virtual media ∞ Virtual folders ∞ Remote file share ∞ Crash video playback ∞ B
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 agent-based solutions, Dell provides OpenManage Server Administrator.
systems, and can be used to build scripted, unattended OS installations to deploy large numbers of servers in a reliable fashion. 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.
OpenManage connections with third-party consoles Dell OpenManage provides connections with many third-party consoles, including: Dell OpenManage Connection for Computer Associates Network and Systems Management —This connection allows you to monitor PowerEdge servers and PowerVault storage arrays from within the Computer Associates Network and Systems Management (CA NSM) console.
Table 24.
Appendix A. Additional specifications Chassis dimensions Figure 12 details the dimensions of the Dell PowerEdge T420 chassis. Figure 12. Tower and rack chassis dimensions Xa Xb Ya Yb Yc 218.0mm 304.5mm (foot) 307.9mm (caster) 430.3mm 443.3mm 471.3mm 1 Za with bezel Za without bezel 16.4mm 0.0mm Zb 1 542.2mm Zc 578.42mm Zb goes to the nominal back wall external surface where the I/O connectors reside. Chassis weight The maximum system weight for the T420 is 30.2 kg (66.57 lb).
Specification Maximum inrush 2 current Redundant 1100W Redundant 750W Redundant 495W Non-redundant 550W 55A 55A 55A 55A 1 Auto-ranging 2 Under typical line conditions and over the entire system ambient operating range, the inrush current may reach 55A per power supply for 10ms or less. Environmental specifications Table 26 details the environmental specifications for the T420. For additional information about environmental measurements for specific system configurations, see Dell.
Temperature Operating Storage See Fresh Air for temperature information –40°C to 65°C (-40°F to 149°F) with a maximum temperature gradation of 20°C per hour Relative humidity Operating Storage See Fresh Air for relative humidity information 5% to 95% at a maximum wet bulb temperature of 33°C (91°F); atmosphere must be noncondensing at all times Maximum vibration Operating Storage 0.26 Grms at 5Hz to 350Hz in all orientations 1.
Rack rail specifications Table 29 lists the spacing dimensions for the T420 sliding rails. Table 29. Rail adjustability range Rail adjustability range (mm) Product T420 Rail identifier C2 Rail type Sliding Square Round Rail depth (mm) Threaded Min Max Min Max Min Max 686 756 672 749 686 771 without CMA 760 with CMA 840 The adjustment range of the rails is a function of the type of rack in which they are being mounted.
Appendix B. Standards compliance The Dell PowerEdge T420 conforms to the industry standards listed in Table 30. Table 30. Industry standards details Standard ACPI Advance Configuration and Power Interface Specification, v2.0c Ethernet IEEE 802.3-2005 HDG Hardware Design Guide Version 3.0 for Microsoft Windows Server IPMI Intelligent Platform Management Interface, v2.0 DDR3 Memory DDR3 SDRAM Specification, Rev. 3A LPC Low Pin Count Interface Specification, Rev. 1.
Appendix C. Additional resources Table 31 provides a list of documents and websites that provide for more information on the Dell PowerEdge T420. Table 31. Additional resources Resource PowerEdge T420 Systems Owner’s Manual Description of contents This manual, available in PDF format, provides the following information: PowerEdge T420 Getting Started Guide Location Dell.
Resource Description of contents Location materials, service tag information, and Dell contact information. Energy Smart Solution Advisor The Dell 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.
Appendix D. System board block diagram Figure 13.
