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IBM System x3550 M4 1

I B M ®

IBM System x3550 M4

IBM Redbooks Product Guide

The IBM® System x3550 M4 server provides outstanding performance for your business-critical

applications. Its energy-efficient design supports more cores, memory, and data capacity in a compact 1U

package that is easy to service and manage. With more computing power per watt and the latest Intel

Xeon processors, you can reduce costs while maintaining speed and availability.

Suggested use: database, virtualization, enterprise applications, collaboration/email, streaming media,

web, HPC, and cloud applications.

Figure 1 shows the IBM System x3550 M4.

Figure 1. The IBM System x3550 M4

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The x3550 M4 offers a flexible, scalable design and a simple upgrade path to eight HDDs plus an optical

drive at the same time, and up to 768 GB of memory. The flexible onboard Ethernet solution provides four

standard integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports and two optional embedded 10 Gb Ethernet ports without

occupying PCIe slots. Comprehensive systems management tools with the next-generation Integrated

Management Module II (IMM2) make it easy to deploy, integrate, service, and manage.

Summary of content (56 pages)

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I BM ® IBM System x3550 M4 IBM Redbooks Product Guide The IBM® System x3550 M4 server provides outstanding performance for your business-critical applications. Its energy-efficient design supports more cores, memory, and data capacity in a compact 1U package that is easy to service and manage. With more computing power per watt and the latest Intel Xeon processors, you can reduce costs while maintaining speed and availability.
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Key features The x3550 M4 is a cost- and density-balanced 1U, 2-socket business-critical server, offering improved performance and pay-as-you grow flexibility along with new features that improve server management capability. The powerful system is designed for your most important business applications and cloud deployments. Combining balanced performance and flexibility, the x3550 M4 is a great choice for small and medium businesses and up to the large enterprise.
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 The server offers PCI Express (PCIe) 3.0 I/O expansion capabilities that improve the theoretical maximum bandwidth by almost 100% (8 GTps per link using 128b/130b encoding) compared to the previous generation of PCI Express 2.0 (5 GTps per link using 8b/10b encoding).  With Intel Integrated I/O Technology, the PCI Express 3.0 controller is integrated into the Intel Xeon processor E5 family. This helps to dramatically reduce I/O latency and increase overall system performance.
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attacks when combined with a supporting operating system.  Intel Trusted Execution Technology provides enhanced security through hardware-based resistance to malicious software attacks, allowing an application to run in its own isolated space protected from all other software running on a system.
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Locations of key components and connectors Figure 2 shows the front of the server. Figure 2. Front view of the IBM System x3550 M4 Figure 3 shows the rear of the server. Figure 3.
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Figure 4 shows the locations of key components inside the server. Figure 4.
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Standard specifications The following table lists the standard specifications. Table 1. Standard specifications (part 1) Components Specification Form factor 1U Rack. Processor E5-2600 v2: Up to two Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family CPUs with 12 cores (up to 2.7 GHz) or ten cores (up to 3.0 GHz) or eight cores (up to 3.3 GHz) or six cores (up to 3.5 GHz) or four cores (up to 3.5 GHz). Two QPI links up to 8.0 GT/s each. Up to 1866 MHz memory speed. Up to 30 MB L3 cache.
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Table 1. Standard specifications (part 2) Components Specification PCI Expansion slots Two slots, depending on the riser cards installed. The slots are as follows (all PCIe slots are PCIe 3.0, all PCI-X slots are 64 bit/133 MHz):  Slot 1: PCIe x16; low profile, half-length  Slot 2: PCIe x8, opt. PCI-X or PCIe x16; full-height/half-length (PCIe x16 req. 2nd CPU) Additional dedicated slot for ServeRAID adapter. Ports Two USB 2.0 (three USB 2.0 for 3.5" HDD models) and one DB-15 video on front.
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Standard models The following table lists the standard models. Table 2. Standard models (Part 1: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family) MTM* Intel Xeon processors† (two maximum) Memory RAID Drive bays (std / max) Drives GbE I/O slots (std / max) Optical Power supply (std / max) Models announced September 2013 7914-23x 1x E5-2637 v2 4C 3.5GHz 15MB 1866MHz 130W 1x 8GB 1866MHz M5110 4x 2.5" HS / 8 Open bay 4 2/2 Optional 1x 750W HS / 2 7914-33x 1x E5-2643 v2 6C 3.
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Table 2. Standard models (Part 2: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family) Model Intel Xeon Processors† (2 maximum) Memory RAID Disk bays Disks GbE Optical Power Models announced August 2012 7914-32x 1x E5-2643 4C 3.3GHz 10MB 1600MHz 130W 1x 4 GB M5110 4x 2.5" HS/8 Open 4 Open 1x 750W 7914-DDx* 2x E5-2620 6C 2.0GHz 15MB 1333MHz 95W 8x 4 GB M5110 512MB with Battery 4x 2.5" HS/8 2x 600 GB SAS 6* Multiburner 2x 550W 7914-M2x 1x E5-2690 8C 2.
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Express models The following table lists the express models. Table 3. Express models (Part 1: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family) MTM** Intel Xeon processors† (two maximum) Memory RAID Drive bays (std / max) Drives GbE I/O slots (std / max) Optical Power supply (std / max) United States, Canada, Latin America 7914-EGU 1x E5-2609 v2 4C 2.5GHz 10MB 1333MHz 80W 1x 8GB 1600MHz§ M1115 4x 2.5" HS / 8 Open bay 4 2/2 Multiburner 1x 550W HS / 2 7914-EHU 1x E5-2620 v2 6C 2.
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Table 3. Express models (Part 1: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family) (continued) MTM** Intel Xeon processors† (two maximum) Memory RAID Drive bays (std / max) Drives GbE I/O slots (std / max) Optical Power supply (std / max) 7914-E6G 1x E5-2603 v2 4C 1.8GHz 10MB 1333MHz 80W 1x 4GB 1600MHz§ M1115 4x 2.5" HS / 8 Open bay 4 2/2 Multiburner 1x 550W HS / 2 7914-E7G 1x E5-2620 v2 6C 2.1GHz 15MB 1600MHz 80W 1x 8GB 1600MHz M5110 8x 2.
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Table 3. Express models (Part 2: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family) Model Intel Xeon Processors† (2 maximum) Memory RAID Disk bays Disks GbE DVD Power United States, Canada, and Latin America 7914-EAU 1x E5-2609 4C 2.4GHz 10MB 1066MHz 80W 1x 4 GB M1115 4x 2.5" HS / 8 Optional 4 Multiburner 1x 550W 7914-EBU 1x E5-2620 6C 2.0GHz 15MB 1333MHz 95W 1x 8GB M5110 512MB Flash 4x 2.5" HS / 8 Optional 4 Multiburner 1x 550W 7914-ECU 1x E5-2630 6C 2.
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Table 3. Express models (Part 2: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family) (continued) Model Intel Xeon Processors† (2 maximum) Memory RAID Disk bays Disks GbE DVD Power Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East & Africa 7914-E1G 1x E5-2603 4C 1.8GHz 10MB 1066MHz 80W 1x 4 GB M1115 4x 2.5" HS / 8 Optional 4 Multiburner 1x 550W 7914-E2G 1x E5-2603 4C 1.8GHz 10MB 1066MHz 80W 1x 4 GB M1115 4x 2.5" HS / 8 2 x 500GB HS SATA 4 Multiburner 1x 550W 7914-E3G 1x E5-2620 6C 2.
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Processor options The x3550 M4 supports the processor options listed in the following table. The server supports up to two processors. This table shows which server models have each processor standard. If there is no corresponding where used model for a particular processor, then this processor is only available through CTO. The part numbers include two system fans. Table 4.
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Table 4. Processor options (Part 2: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family) Part number* Feature codes** Description Standard models where used Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family 69Y5672 A1LG / A1LT Intel Xeon E5-2603 4C 1.8GHz 10MB 1066MHz 80W A2x 69Y5674 A1LJ / A1LV Intel Xeon E5-2609 4C 2.4GHz 10MB 1066MHz 80W B2x 69Y5675 A1LK / A1LW Intel Xeon E5-2620 6C 2.0GHz 15MB 1333MHz 95W C2x, C4x, DDx 69Y5676 A1LL / A1LX Intel Xeon E5-2630 6C 2.
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 Mixing 1.5 V and 1.35 V DIMMs in the same server is supported; in such cases, all DIMMs operate at 1.5 V.  The maximum number of ranks supported per one channel is eight (with the exception of Load Reduced DIMMs, where more than eight ranks are supported because one quad-rank LRDIMM provides the same electrical load on a memory bus as a single-rank RDIMM).
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Table 5. Maximum memory speeds (Part 2: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family - RDIMMs) Specification RDIMMs Rank Single rank Dual rank Quad rank Part numbers 49Y1405 (2 GB) 49Y1406 (4 GB) 49Y1559 (4 GB) 49Y1407 (4 GB) 49Y1397 (8 GB) 49Y1563 (16 GB) 90Y3178 (4 GB) 90Y3109 (8 GB) 00D4968 (16 GB) 49Y1399 (8 GB) Rated speed 1333 MHz 1600 MHz 1333 MHz 1600 MHz 1066 MHz Rated voltage 1.35 V 1.5 V 1.35 V 1.5 V 1.35 V Operating voltage 1.35 V 1.5 V 1.5 V 1.35 V 1.5 V 1.5 V 1.
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Table 5. Maximum memory speeds (Part 3: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family - UDIMMs and LRDIMMs) Specification UDIMMs LRDIMMs Rank Dual rank Quad rank Part numbers 49Y1404 (4 GB) 90Y3105 (32 GB) Rated speed 1333 MHz 1333 MHz Rated voltage 1.35 V 1.35 V Operating voltage 1.35 V 1.5 V 1.35 V 1.
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The following table (Parts 1 and 2) lists memory options available for the x3550 M4 server. Table 6. Memory options (Part 1: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family) Part number Feature code Description Maximum supported Standard models where used RDIMMs - 1600 MHz 00D5024 A3QE 4GB (1x4GB, 1Rx4, 1.35V) PC3L-12800 CL11 ECC DDR3 1600MHz LP RDIMM 24 (12 per CPU) A3x, B3x 00D5036 A3QH 8GB (1x8GB, 1Rx4, 1.
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Table 6. Memory options (Part 2: Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family) Part number Feature code Description Maximum supported Standard models where used 8648 4 GB (1x 4 GB, 2Rx8, 1.35 V) PC3L-10600 CL9 ECC 1333 MHz LP UDIMM 16 (8 per CPU) - UDIMMs 49Y1404 RDIMMs - 1066 MHz and 1333 MHz 49Y1405 8940 2 GB (1x 2 GB, 1Rx8, 1.35 V) PC3L-10600 CL9 ECC DDR3 1333 MHz LP RDIMM 24 (12 per CPU) - 49Y1406 8941 4 GB (1x 4 GB, 1Rx4, 1.
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Internal storage IBM System x3550 M4 server supports the following internal storage configurations:     Eight 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays Four 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays Three 3.5" hot-swap SAS/SATA hard drive bays Three 3.5" Simple Swap SATA hard drive bays (only available in CTO) Figure 5 shows the first three of these configurations. Figure 5. Internal drive configurations Backplanes All standard models, except C4x and C5x, ship with four 2.
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Controllers for internal storage The following table lists the RAID controllers and the additional options used for the internal disk storage of the x3550 M4 server. The controllers are installed into a dedicated PCIe slot. Table 8.
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Table 8.
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The ServeRAID M5210 SAS/SATA Controller has the following specifications:           Eight internal 12 Gbps SAS/SATA ports Two x4 HD mini-SAS internal connectors (SFF-8643) Supports connections to SAS/SATA drives and SAS Expanders Supports RAID levels 0, 1, and 10 Supports RAID levels 5 and 50 with optional M5200 Series RAID 5 upgrades Supports RAID 6 and 60 with the optional M5200 Series RAID 6 Upgrade Supports 1 GB non-backed cache or 1 GB or 2 GB flash-backed cache Up to 12 Gbps throughput per
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Internal drive options The following table lists hard drive options for internal disk storage of the x3550 M4 server. Table 9. Disk drive options for internal disk storage (Part 1) Part number Feature code Description Maximum supported 3.5" simple-swap HDDs - NL SATA* 81Y9802 A22U IBM 500GB 7.2K 6Gbps NL SATA 3.5" G2SS HDD 3 81Y9806 A22X IBM 1TB 7.2K 6Gbps NL SATA 3.5" G2SS HDD 3 81Y9810 A22W IBM 2TB 7.2K 6Gbps NL SATA 3.5" G2SS HDD 3 81Y9814 A22V IBM 3TB 7.2K 6Gbps NL SATA 3.
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Table 9. Disk drive options for internal disk storage (Part 2) Part number Feature code Description Maximum supported 2.5-inch hot-swap 10K HDDs - SAS 00AD075** A48S IBM 1.2TB 10K 6Gbps SAS 2.5'' G2HS HDD 8 81Y9650 A282 IBM 900GB 10K 6Gbps SAS 2.5" SFF HS HDD 8 90Y8872 A2XD IBM 600GB 10K 6Gbps SAS 2.5" SFF G2HS HDD 8 90Y8877 A2XC IBM 300GB 10K 6Gbps SAS 2.5" SFF G2HS HDD 8 2.5-inch hot-swap 15K HDDs - SAS 00AJ300 A4VB IBM 600GB 15K 6Gbps SAS 2.
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Table 9. Disk drive options for internal disk storage (Part 3) Part number Feature code Description Maximum supported 2.5" hot-swap SATA SSDs - Enterprise 00W1125 A3HR IBM 100GB SATA 2.5" MLC HS Enterprise SSD 8 41Y8331 A4FL S3700 200GB SATA 2.5" MLC HS Enterprise SSD 8 41Y8336 A4FN S3700 400GB SATA 2.5" MLC HS Enterprise SSD 8 41Y8341 A4FQ S3700 800GB SATA 2.5" MLC HS Enterprise SSD 8 2.5" hot-swap SATA SSDs - Enterprise Value 49Y5839 A3AS IBM 64GB SATA 2.
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Internal backup units The server does not support internal tape drive options or other internal backup units. However, it can be attached to the external tape drives using SAS or Fibre Channel connectivity (see Table 26). Optical drives The server supports the optical drive options listed in the following table. Server models with 3.5" HDDs do not support internal optical drive; they provide a third USB port on the front for an external optical drive. Table 10.
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I/O expansion options The server supports two PCI slots with different riser cards installed into two riser sockets on the system planar (one riser socket supports the installation of one riser card). The slot form factors are as follows:   Slot 1: PCIe x16; low profile, half-length Slot 2: PCIe x16, PCIe x8, or PCI-X; full-height, half-length (PCIe x16 slot requires second processor to be installed) Riser 1 supplies slot 1, and riser 2 supplies slot 2.
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Network adapters The x3550 M4 supports four integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports. Integrated NICs have the following features:        An Intel I350AM4 chip Four GbE ports TCP Offload Engine (TOE) support Wake on LAN support 802.1Q VLAN tagging support IPv6 support NIC Teaming (load balancing and failover) Optionally, two 10 Gb Ethernet ports can be added by installing the a dual-port 10 Gb Ethernet mezzanine card as listed in the following table.
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Table 13.
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For more information, see the list of IBM Redbooks Product Guides in the Networking adapters category: http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/portals/systemx?Open&page=pg&cat=networkadapters Storage host bus adapters The following table lists storage HBAs supported by the x3550 M4 server. Table 14.
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Table 14.
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GPU adapters The server supports a graphics processing unit (GPU) provided the x16 riser card (69Y5671, feature A1HL) is installed. The server provides up to 225W of external power to each GPU. The following table lists the supported GPUs. Table 16. GPU adapters Part number Feature code Description Maximum supported None* A1QU NVIDIA Quadro 2000** 1 None* A13K NVIDIA Quadro 600** 1 None* A3WH NVIDIA Quadro K600 1 * These GPU adapters are available via Special Bid or CTO only.
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Integrated virtualization The server supports VMware ESXi installed on a USB memory key. The key is installed in a USB socket inside the server. The following table lists the virtualization options. Table 18. Virtualization options Part number Feature code Description Maximum supported 41Y8298 A2G0 IBM Blank USB Memory Key for VMware ESXi Downloads 1 41Y8300 A2VC IBM USB Memory Key for VMware vSphere 5.0 1 41Y8307 A383 IBM USB Memory Key for VMware ESXi 5.
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All standard models ship with a pop-out light path diagnostics panel on the front of the server (See Figure 2). Configure-to-order (CTO) customers may elect to deselect this feature and instead have a basic light path diagnostics panel on the front of the server. The following table shows the two light path diagnostics features. Table 20.
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Physical and electrical specifications Dimensions and weight:     Height: 43 mm (1.7 in) Width: 429 mm (16.9 in) Depth: 734 mm (28.9 in) Weight:   Minimum configuration: 12.7 kg (28 lb) Maximum configuration: 15.9 kg (35.1 lb) Supported environment:  Air temperature       Humidity    Server on: 8% to 85%, maximum dew point 24 °C, maximum rate of change 5 °C/hr Server off: 8% to 85%, maximum dew point 27 °C Design to ASHRAE Class A3, ambient of 36 °C to 40 °C (96.
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 BTU output    Minimum configuration: 461 Btu/hr (135 watts) Maximum configuration: 2900 Btu/hr (850 watts) Noise level   6.5 bels (operating) 6.3 bels (idle) Warranty options The IBM System x3550 M4 has a three-year onsite warranty with 9x5/next business day terms. IBM offers the warranty service upgrades through IBM ServicePacs, discussed in this section.
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In general, the types of IBM ServicePacs are as follows:  Warranty and maintenance service upgrades     One, two, three, four, or five years of 9x5 or 24x7 service coverage Onsite repair from next business day to 4 or 2 hours One or two years of warranty extension Remote technical support services     One or three years with 24x7 coverage (severity 1) or 9x5/next business day for all severities Installation and startup support for System x servers Remote technical support for System x servers
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External disk storage expansion The server supports attachment to external storage expansion enclosures, such as the EXP2500 series, by using the ServeRAID M5120 SAS/SATA Controller. The server can also be attached to supported external storage systems, such as the IBM System Storage® DS3500 series, using the supported HBAs. Table 22.
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The ServeRAID M5120 SAS/SATA Controller supports connectivity to the IBM System Storage external expansion enclosures listed in the following table. Up to nine expansion enclosures can be daisy-chained per one M5120 external port. For better performance, distribute expansion enclosures evenly across both M5120 ports. Table 23.
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The following table lists the hard disk drives supported by EXP2524 external expansion enclosures. Table 26. Drive options for EXP2524 external expansion enclosures Part number Description Maximum quantity supported per one enclosure 2.5" NL SAS HS HDDs 49Y1898 500GB 7,200 rpm 6Gb SAS NL 2.5" HDD 24 81Y9952 1TB 7,200 rpm 6Gb SAS NL 2.5" HDD 24 2.5" SAS HS HDDs 49Y1896 146GB 15,000 rpm 6Gb SAS 2.5" HDD 24 81Y9944 300GB 15,000 rpm 6Gb SAS 2.5" HDD 24 00W1595 600GB 10,000 rpm 6Gb SAS 2.
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External disk storage systems The following table lists the external storage systems that are supported by x3550 M4 and can be ordered through System x sales channel. The server may support other IBM disk systems that are not listed in this table. Refer to IBM System Storage Interoperability Center for further information. Table 27.
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External backup units The server supports the external backup attachment options listed in Table 18. Table 28.
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Table 28.
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Top-of-rack Ethernet switches The server supports the top-of-rack Ethernet switches from IBM System Networking listed in the following table. Table 29.
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Uninterruptible power supply units The server supports attachments to the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units listed in the following table. Table 30.
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Power distribution units The server supports attachments to the power distribution units (PDUs) listed in the following table. Table 31.
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Table 31.
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Rack cabinets The server supports the rack cabinets listed in the following table. Table 32.
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Rack options The server supports the rack console switches and monitor kits listed in the following table. Table 37. Rack options Part number Feature code Description Monitor kits and keyboard trays 17238BX 1723HC1 fc A3EK IBM 1U 18.5" Standard Console 17238EX 1723HC1 fc A3EL IBM 1U 18.
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IBM Global Financing IBM Global Financing can help you obtain the IT solution you need while preserving funding for other strategic investments and optimizing cash flow. Our Fair Market Value (FMV) lease helps ensure that you have the latest IBM technology and with our mid-lease upgrade capability, you can increase the capacity of the system with little to no change in monthly payments. At the end of the lease, take advantage of our flexible end-of-lease options to fit your changing business needs.
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Related publications and links For more information see these resources:  IBM System x3550 M4 product page http://www.ibm.com/systems/x/hardware/rack/x3550m4/index.html  IBM System x 3550 M4 Installation and User's Guide http://ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=MIGR-5089486  IBM System x 3550 M4 Problem Determination and Service Guide http://ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=MIGR-5089487  IBM U.S. Announcement Letter - September 11, 2013 http://ibm.
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Notices This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A. IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries. Consult your local IBM representative for information on the products and services currently available in your area. Any reference to an IBM product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that IBM product, program, or service may be used.
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This document was created or updated on March 21, 2014. Send us your comments in one of the following ways: Use the online Contact us review form found at: ibm.com/redbooks  Send your comments in an e-mail to: redbook@us.ibm.com  Mail your comments to: IBM Corporation, International Technical Support Organization Dept. HYTD Mail Station P099 2455 South Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-5400 U.S.A.  This document is available online at http://www.ibm.com/redbooks/abstracts/tips0851.html .