Datasheet

Ultrascalability combined with extreme availability
features and industry-leading performance
Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.
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simply run the fans at 100% capacity all the time? For several good reasons: to reduce the
ambient noise, reduce the wear-and-tear on the fans and reduce the server power draw. The
reduction in ambient noise and power draw may be relatively minor for a single server, but if
you have a larger number of systems the aggregate savings in power and noise pressure can
be significant.
In addition, the server uses hexagonal ventilation holes in the chassis. Hexagonal holes can
be grouped more densely than round holes, providing greater airflow through the system cover.
This cooling scheme is important because newer, more powerful processors generate a
significant amount of heat, and heat must be controlled for the system to function properly.
Light Path Diagnostics
Light path diagnostics enables a technician to quickly identify and locate a failed or failing
system component, such as a specific memory DIMM. (Monitored components include
processors, memory, power supplies, fans, HDDs, adapters, and voltage regulator modules
(VRMs), plus system temperature.) This enables quick replacement of the component, which
helps increase server uptime and lower operating costs.
The front of the server has an LED indicator light to show possible component failures. If the
front LED indicates an error condition, by pressing a button on the front of the server an LED
panel will pop out and drop down for easy viewing without the need to open the server cover or
remove the server from the rack. The light path diagnostics panel tells the servicer which
component requires attention. In addition, many components have their own identifying LEDs.
For example, each of the memory modules has an LED next to the socket, as do all processors,
all adapter slots, all fans, all power supplies, all voltage regulator modules and the service
processor, allowing the servicer to easily identify exactly which component needs servicing. By
following the “light path,” the component can be replaced quickly, and without guesswork.
(Note: In the event of a failed DIMM, the system will restart and mark the DIMM as bad while
offline, thus allowing the system to continue running, with reduced memory capacity, until
serviced.)
In addition to the outstanding diagnostic detection, there is a new feature with a digital readout
that indicates at what stage of the boot process your system may have experienced trouble.
This can reduce the troubleshooting time and help get your system up and running quickly and
efficiently.
Energy-Smart Features
IBM servers work hard to keep your energy bills low—from high-efficiency power supplies and
fans to lower-draw processors, memory, and solid-state drives. Technologies such as these,
along with the Xeon 7500/6500 series processors that intelligently adjust their voltage and
frequency, help take costs out of IT:
• 95W 8-core processors use 27% less energy than 130W processors.
• 1.5V DDR3 DIMMs consume 10-15% less energy than 1.8V DDR2 DIMMs used in older
servers.
• Solid-State Drives consume up to 80% less energy than 2.5-inch HDDs and up to 88% less
than 3.5-inch HDDs.
• On a performance-per-watt basis, High IOPS SSD Adapters outperform enterprise HDDs
by up to 445-to-1
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• Dynamic fan speeds — In the event of a fan failure, the other fans will run faster to
compensate until the failing fan is replaced. Competitive fans must run faster at all times, just
in case, wasting power.
Other Features
• Trusted Platform Module — This module provides a highly secure start-up process from
power-on through hand-off to the operating system boot loader. ACPI support is provided to
allow ACPI-enabled operating systems to access the security features of this module. (TCG
V1.2-compliant.)
• Eight USB 2.0 ports — Provides flexibility to add high-speed external devices. The USB 2.0
specification supports up to 480Mbps transfer rates. (Note: Not all USB 2.0 devices are
capable of achieving this rate.) Two ports are provided on the front of the server, four are on
the back, and two are internal to support a USB 2.0 Flash Memory Key with embedded
hypervisor
• Toolless slides — Allows quick rack installation and quicker upgrade and servicing of the
server.
• Toolless chassis — The cover can be opened without tools, and many components can be
added or replaced without tools, including the processors
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, DIMMs, hot-swap HDDs, PCIe