System information

16 Deploying Samba on IBM Eserver BladeCenter
1.3 The advantages of IBM eServer BladeCenter
Unlike typical server architecture which scales up, the BladeCenter allows for the scale out
approach, yet balances performance and density. In this section, we identify the advantages
of the BladeCenter for your business, such as:
򐂰 Systems management
򐂰 High density computing
򐂰 Redundancy
1.3.1 Systems management
The systems management component for the BladeCenter is the combination of IBM
Director, the Web interface and Rapid Deployment Manager (RDM). With these tools, you
can reduce system outages, increase IT personnel productivity and reduce support costs.
IBM Director
IBM Director is a comprehensive workgroup hardware manager designed for use with
IBM Eserver xSeries servers, PCs, notebooks and now IBM Eserver BladeCenter.
IBM Director provides a comprehensive view of the xSeries servers.
򐂰 Remote access to the server regardless of its status
򐂰 Resetting or cycling of the server
򐂰 Server inventory, AssetID, blade slot numbers utilized
򐂰 Monitoring and setting thresholds on the server events, including PFA
򐂰 Flash BIOS
򐂰 Monitoring and identifying potential performance bottlenecks
IBM Director allows you to reduce system outages, increase IT personnel productivity and
reduce support costs.
These goals can be accomplished by:
򐂰 Monitoring server health
򐂰 PFA - Predictive Failure Analysis®
򐂰 Integration with enterprise system management environments
Monitoring server health
By setting thresholds on components within IBM Director, you can monitor the following:
򐂰 Operating system load
򐂰 POST time-out
򐂰 Voltage
򐂰 Temperature
PFA - Predictive Failure Analysis
Setting alerts on disk, memory and processors via PFA allows you to identify imminent
component failure. PFA can monitor the following:
򐂰 Processors
򐂰 Memory