Product guide
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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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 lower IT costs:
• 95W 8-core Xeon 7500 series 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.
• 1.35V DDR3 DIMMs consume up to 19% less energy than 1.5V DDR3 DIMMs.
• 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 adapters, an optional optical drive, and the integrated or optional ServeRAID
controller. This can save a servicer significant time.
Advanced Systems Management Capabilities
The x3850 X5 and x3950 X5 have a high level of systems management capabilities that are
well-suited to remote locations as well as to stand-alone environments. Features include
UEFI, IMM with Virtual Media Key, IBM ToolsCenter, IBM Systems Director Active Energy
Manager, Automatic Server Restart, Automatic Node Failover, Wake on LAN
®
support, PXE
support, text console redirect, Predictive Failure Analysis, and IBM Systems Director.
The IMM provides industry-standard Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) 2.0-
compliant systems management. It provides a number of important system functions,
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97,014 IOPS / 9W = 10,779 IOPS per watt (160GB/320GB adapters). 196,000 IOPS / 12W = ~16,333 IOPS per watt (640GB
adapters). 400 IOPS / 16.5W = ~24 IOPS per watt (600GB 15K 3.5-inch hot-swap SAS HDD).
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Although the processor can be installed and removed without tools, IBM provides a special tool to reduce the possibility of
processor socket damage.