Product guide

Superior performance/U in a 4-socket, 2U server with up to 64 processor cores
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9
x and BladeCenter servers. ServerGuide goes beyond mere hardware configuration by assisting
with the automated installation of the Microsoft
®
Windows
®
Server 2008 operating systems,
device drivers and other system components, with minimal user intervention. (Drivers are also
included for support of Novell NetWare, Red Hat Linux and SUSE LINUX.) This focus on
deployment helps you reduce both your total cost of ownership and the complexity that
administrators and technical personnel face.
Additional services include hardware warranty upgrades and factory-installed Product
Customization Services (PCS), such as asset tagging, hardware integration, software imaging
and operating systems personalization.
IBM offers extensive industry-leading technical support by phone and via the Web. Support
options include links to forums/newsgroups, problem submission, online shopping support,
service offerings, device drivers for all IBM product lines, software downloads and even upcoming
technical seminar worldwide schedules and registration. Also available are remote installation,
configuration and usage support for System x hardware and software, as well as onsite custom
services to provide the level of expertise you require.
IBM Maintenance and Technical Support solutions can help you get the most out of your IT
investment by reducing support costs, increasing availability and simplifying management with
integrated support for your multiproduct, multivendor hardware and software environment. For
more information on hardware maintenance, software support, solution support and managed
support, visit http://ibm.com/services/maintenance.
Key Options
IBM options for System x servers help
you
take
your
servers to a
higher level
You can rely on System x options to supply a complete solution for your business needs. Options
help you create an optimized server system to meet your data protection, storage and availability
needs. Every IBM option is designed and tested for peak performance and flexibility, helping to
maximize your return on investment. The combination of System x servers and options lets you
keep your fingers on the pulse of you e-business.
Processors — The AMD Opteron 6200 or 6100 series processors provide 16, 12, or 8 cores, a
large cache and four integrated memory controllers. DirectConnnect Architecture and a large
cache, combined with fast 1333MHz memory access, reduces memory latency and facilitates the
movement of data through the processor and I/O devices. (Note: System performance depends
not only on the number of processors in the server but also on the power and functionality of
each processor.) Adding additional processors may be a cost-effective way to achieve significant
performance improvements. Systems that come standard with two processors can be upgraded
to four.
Memory — Memory is a significant factor in systems application performance. Adding more
memory to a System x server is one of the most effective ways to increase application
performance. For best performance in a server with 16-core processors, there should be twice as
much memory available as for an 8-core processor. The x3755 M3 takes memory upgrades in
pairs and provides two-way interleaving. (Note: Each processor enables 8 DIMM slots.)
Power Supplies — With two processors installed, the optional 1100W second power supply for
the x3755 M3 enables redundancy for hot-swap power. When four processors are installed with
supported configurations, one hot-swap power supply is required; a second provides redundancy.
Fans — Hot-swap/redundant fans are provided standard. Nonredundant fans are available as
an alternative, via the configure-to-order process only.
Hard Disk Drives — IBM hard disk drives help customers improve the transaction and cost
performance of their System x servers. The choice of hard disk drives can be a critical aspect of
maximizing the I/O throughput of the system. Hot-swap SAS hard disk drives (3.5-inch) are
available for the x3755 M3 in capacities of up to 2TB at 7,200 RPMs and 3TB at 7,200 RPMs.
Hot-Swap SATA hard disk drives (3.5-inch) are available in capacities of up to 3TB, at 7,200
RPMs. Simple-Swap SATA hard disk drives (3.5-inch) are available in capacities of up to 3TB,
at 7,200 RPMs.
IBM ServeRAID Controllers — System x servers using ServeRAID technology allow companies
to build a reliable foundation for business-critical computing. IBM ServeRAID technology allows
an array consisting of multiple physical hard disk drives to be treated as one logical drive.
ServeRAID technology also allows data to be stored redundantly, across multiple hard disk
drives— enhancing both the integrity and the availability of the data. SAS and SATA ServeRAID
controllers offer enhanced performance due to onboard processors and cache. Because IBM
ServeRAID controllers can help significantly improve data transfer rates, this technology is
extremely effective when implementing demanding, transaction-oriented applications. By
employing the advanced fault tolerance of IBM ServeRAID technology, companies can effectively
implement networked business systems that require large amounts of storage space for data and
applications that must be available for their businesses to continue operating.
The IBM ServeRAID-M1015, x8 PCIe and 6Gbps, offers RAID-0/1/10; optionally RAID-5/50 with