Server Board Family Datasheet

System BIOS Intel® S5000 Server Board Family Datasheet

Revision 1.3

Intel order number D38960-006

3.3.8 Memory Modes of Operation

Based on the available FBDIMM population, the BIOS will configure the system memory into the

best possible configuration. Possible configurations in RAS mode are:

 Single-channel mode

 Maximum interleave mode (dual-channel mode)

 Memory mirroring mode

 DIMM sparing mode (dual or single FBDIMM)

Single-channel and dual-channel modes are special cases when RAS is disabled. In single-

channel mode, only one channel is active on each branch, with the adjacent channel disabled.

In dual-channel mode, the FBDIMMs on adjacent channels on each branch are configured for

maximum interleave in order to provide the optimal lock-step operation.

3.3.9 Memory RAS

3.3.9.1 RAS Features

Server boards based on the Intel

5000 Series Chipsets support the following memory RAS

features:

 Memory mirroring

 Memory sparing

 Automatic thermal throttling

 Fully-buffered DIMM (FBD) Channel Intel

Interconnect BIST (Intel

IBIST)

These standard RAS modes are used in conjunction with the standard memory test and

memory scrub engines to provide full RAS support. Some of the RAS features are implemented

differently on some boards.

3.3.9.2 Memory Sparing

All versions of the Intel

5000 Series Chipset provide memory sparing capabilities. Sparing is a

RAS feature that involves configuring of a FBDIMM on the server board to be placed in reserve

so it can be use to replace an FBDIMM that fails.

Spared memory configurations do not provide redundant copies of memory and the system can

not continue to operate when an uncorrectable error occurs. The purpose of memory sparing is

to detect a failing FBDIMM before it causes a system crash. Once the affected FBDIMM is

isolated and removed from the set of active FBDIMMs, the system integrity is maintained by

copying the data from the failed FBDIMM to the reserved FBDIMM.

See Section 3.7.2.1.2 for BIOS Setup utility options to enable this feature. The BIOS Setup

utility will show if memory sparing is possible with the current memory configuration.

Note: The DIMM sparing feature requires that the spare FBDIMM be at least the size of the

largest primary FBDIMM in use. When sparing is enabled, the BIOS selects the spare

automatically during POST. No manual configuration of this feature is required beyond turning