IBM System x - x3690 X5
Available Options
Item specifics
- Manufacturer IBM
- Model IBM - System x3690 X5
- Product Type Mid-Range Server
- Form Factor Rack
- Platform LINUX, Windows
- Announced 2-Mar-10
- Available 23-Aug-10
- Archived 31-Dec-14
- Architecture x86
- Rack Units 2U
- Operating System Red Hat Linux, SUSE Linux, Windows
- Processor Family Xeon
- Processor Options Xeon E7-2803 (1.73GHz 105W) Xeon E7-2820 (2.00GHz 105W) Xeon E7-2830 (2.13GHz 105W) Xeon E7-2850 (2.00GHz 130W) Xeon E7-2860 (2.26GHz 130W) Xeon E7-2870 (2.40GHz 130W) Xeon E7-4807 (1.86GHz 95W) Xeon E7-8837 (2.66GHz 130W) Xeon E7-8867L (2.13GHz 105W)
- Max Processor Chips 2
- Max Processor Cores 20
- Cache 18MB, 24MB or 30MB L3
- Chipset Intel 7500/IBM eX5
- Memory Minimum 8 GB
- Memory Maximum 2048 GB (with MAX5)
- Memory Type DDR3 SDRAM
- DIMM Type RDIMM
- Memory DIMM Slots Standard 16
- Max Memory DIMM Slots 64
- Memory Protection ECC, Chipkill, Mirroring, Sparing, DDDC (MAX5 or servers with E7 processors only, x4 DIMMs only)
- Disk Type SATA, SAS, Solid State
- Disk Controller ServeRAID M1015
- Internal Disk Bays 16 (24 max)
- Bays Information 16 x 2.5" hot-swap disk drive bays or _x000D_ 24 x 1.8" hot-swap SSD bays
- Disk Max Internal 25,600 GB
- RAID Support 0, 1, 10
- Hot-Swap Disks SATA, SAS, SSD
- Media Drive Optional
- I/O Technology PCI Express 2.0
- I/O Slot Types Via 2 riser slots _x000D_ Riser card for riser slot 1 supports one of the following: _x000D_ 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x8 (full-height, half-length) _x000D_ 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 (full-height, 3/4-length) _x000D_ 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 (full-height, full-length) _x000D_ Standard riser card for riser slot 2 supports all the following: _x000D_ 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x8 (low profile) _x000D_ 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x8 (x4 wired, low profile) _x000D_ 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x8 (low profile, reserved for the Emulex 10Gb Ethernet Adapter if installed) _x000D_ 2 x USB ports (one for the embedded ESXi hypervisor memory key) _x000D_ Optional riser card for riser slot 2* has the following slots: _x000D_ 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x8 (low profile) _x000D_ 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x4 (x4 wired, low profile) _x000D_ 2 x USB ports * Only available on select models
- I/O Max Slots 5
- I/O Internal Slots 5
- Networking Integrated Broadcom 5709C dual-port Gigabit Ethernet
- Dimensions Height: 8.64 cm (3.4 in) Width: 44 cm (17.32 in) Depth: 71.2 cm (28.03 in)
- Weight 49.9 kg (110 lbs)
- Max Power (Calculated) 1,172 W (6,751 CO2e kg pa)
- Max Power (Theoretical) 2,150 W (12,385 CO2e kg pa)
- Max Heat (Calculated) 4,219 kJ/hr (3,999 Btu/hr)
- Max Heat (Theoretical) 7,740 kJ/hr (7,336 Btu/hr)
- Hot-Swap/Redundant Cooling Fans Yes/Yes
- Hot-Swap/Redundant Power Supply Yes/Optional
- System Management IBM Director, IBM ServerGuide, Light-Path Diagnostics, Alert on LAN 2, dynamic system analysis, IMM (Integrated Management Module)
- Warranty 30 Days (Dafault), 1, 2 & 3 Years (Upgradable)
Product Description
Introduction
System x3690 X5 is a powerful two-socket 2U rack-mount server using the latest Intel Xeon processors. The x3690 X5 servers can be combined with the MAX5 memory expansion unit for up to 2 TB of memory. Add to that the 16 2.5-inch disk drive bays and you have a high performance workhorse in a rack-dense package. The x3690 X5 server belongs to the family of a new generation of Enterprise X-Architecture® servers. The server delivers innovation with enhanced reliability and availability features to enable optimal performance for databases, enterprise applications, and virtualized environments.
The System x3690 X5 is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. The System x3690 X5
Did you know?
The x3690 X5 offers a two step approach to expanding the system with memory. You can first start with 16 DIMMs installed just on the system board, then as needs require, install the memory mezzanine and an additional 16 DIMMs. The for applications that can use the most amount of RAM, use the 1U MAX5 memory expansion unit which adds an additional 32 DIMM sockets. The MAX5 scalability and memory expansion feature is a unique Lenovo enhancement, not offered by other x86 server architectures. The total number of DIMM sockets available to the system is then 64 DIMMs -- in only 3U of rack space -- and with 32 GB DIMMs, that is 2 TB of RAM.
The x3690 X5 servers also contain up to 16 HDD bays that support 2.5-inch hot-swap internal SAS/SATA drives totaling up to 8TB, or up to 24 solid-state drive bays, supporting 1.8-inch hot-swap SSDs, using up to three eXFlash storage options. Each individual SSD is capable of sustaining approximately 4,300 IOPS, which is more than 10X what an enterprise 15,000 RPM 2.5-inch 146.8GB SAS HDD can achieve (420 IOPS).
Key features
The x3690 X5 is an outstanding 2U two-socket mission-critical server, offering outstanding performance, superior reliability, and fault-tolerant memory characteristics.
Lenovo has been designing and implementing servers under the X-Architecture® name since 2001. eX5 technology represents the fifth generation of enterprise servers based on the same design principle Lenovo began with in 1997: to offer systems that are expandable, offer “big iron” reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) features, with extremely competitive price/performance on an Intel Xeon processor-based system.
Scalability and performance
The x3690 X5 offers numerous features to boost performance, improve scalability, and reduce costs:
- The x3690 X5 supports up to two high-performance Intel Xeon E7 family allowing you to upgrade as business needs require.
- Supports the Intel Xeon E7-2800, E7-4800 and E7-8800 families of high performance processors, up to 10 cores each, offering superior system performance
- Intel Turbo Boost Technology dynamically turns off unused processor cores and increases the clock speed of the cores in use, by up to three model frequencies. For example, with 7-10 cores active, a 2.4 GHz E7-2870 10-core processor can run the cores at up to 2.53 GHz. With 5-6 cores active, it can run those cores at 2.67 GHz; with only 1-4 cores active, it can run those cores at 2.8 GHz
- Each processor includes two integrated memory controllers, to reduce memory bottlenecks and improve performance. Memory access is at up to 1066 MHz frequency, depending on the processor model and memory used.
- The MAX5 V2 adds an additional four memory controllers for a total of eight memory controllers to maximize memory parallelism and performance.
- In processors implementing Hyper-Threading technology, each core has two threads capable of running an independent process. Thus, an 8-core processor can run 16 threads concurrently.
- Intel’s Virtualization Technology (VT) integrates hardware-level virtualization hooks that allow operating system vendors to better utilize the hardware for virtualization workloads.
- Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) technology for
processor-to-processor connectivity and Intel Scalable Memory
Interconnect (SMI) processor-to-memory connectivity:
- Intel QPI link topology at up to 6.4 Gbps with four QPI links per CPU
- Intel SMI link topology at up to 6.4 Gbps with four SMI links per CPU
- Up to 32 dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) in the base system (16 on the system planar and 16 on an optional memory mezzanine inside the server), plus an additional 32 DIMMs with an optional 1U MAX5 V2 memory expansion unit, for a total of 64 DIMM sockets.
- Support for 32 GB DIMMs for a maximum of 2 TB per x3690 X5 with MAX5 V2
- The use of solid-state drives (SSDs) instead of, or along with, traditional spinning drives (HDDs) can significantly improve I/O performance. An SSD can support up to 100 times more I/O operations per second (IOPS) than a typical HDD.
- Up to 24 1.8-inch SSD bays, or up to 16 2.5-inch bays together with the option of an optical drive, provide a flexible and scalable all-in-one platform to meet your increasing demands.
Availability and serviceability
The x3690 X5 provides many features to simplify serviceability and increase system uptime:
- Support for machine check architecture (MCA) recovery, a feature of the Intel Xeon processor E7 family, which enables the handling of system errors that otherwise require the operating system to be halted. SAP HANA is one of the first application which leverages the MCA recovery to handle system errors in order to prevent the application from being terminated in case of a system error.
- Extensive memory protection with Chipkill, and, with DIMMs containing x4 DRAM modules, Redundant Bit Steering (RBS) (also known as Double Device Data Correction or DDDC) is also supported . The combination of Chipkill and RBS provides very robust memory protection that sustains to two sequential memory DRAM chip failures without affecting overall system performance.
- Redundant CPU-to-I/O hub interconnect links provide ability to self-recover from CPU failure. If primary CPU fails then eX5 systems can use the second CPU to boot the OS as they still have access to the integrated I/O devices because of redundant links between CPUs and I/O hubs.
- Memory mirroring and memory rank sparing for redundancy in the event of a non-correctable memory failure.
- Hot-swap drives, supporting RAID redundancy for data protection and greater system uptime.
- Four redundant hot-swap power supplies and five redundant hot-swap fans to provide availability for business-critical applications.
- The power source independent light path diagnostics panel and individual light path LEDs quickly lead the technician to failed (or failing) components, which simplifies servicing, speeds up problem resolution, and helps improve system availability.
- Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA) detects when system components (processors, VRMs, memory, HDDs, fans, and power supplies) operate outside of standard thresholds and generates proactive alerts in advance of a possible failure, therefore increasing uptime.
- Solid-state drives (SSDs) offer significantly better reliability than traditional mechanical HDDs for greater uptime.
- Built-in Integrated Management Module Version II (IMM2) continuously monitors system parameters, triggers alerts, and performs recovering actions in case of failures to minimize downtime.
- Built-in diagnostics, using Dynamic Systems Analysis (DSA) Preboot, speed up troubleshooting tasks to reduce service time.
- Three-year customer-replaceable unit and on-site limited warranty, 9x5 next business day. Optional service upgrades are available.
Manageability and security
Powerful systems management features simplify local and remote management of the x3690 X5:
- The server includes an Integrated Management Module (IMM) to monitor server availability and perform remote management.
- Integrated industry-standard Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) enables improved setup, configuration, and updates, and simplifies error handling.
- Integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 support enables advanced cryptographic functionality, such as digital signatures and remote attestation.
- IBM Systems Director is included for proactive systems management. It offers comprehensive systems management tools that help to increase uptime, reduce costs, and improve productivity through advanced server management capabilities.
Energy efficiency
The x3690 X5 offers the following energy-efficiency features to save energy, reduce operational costs, increase energy availability, and contribute to the green environment:
- Energy-efficient planar components help lower operational costs.
- Support for one, two or four highly efficient 675 W ac power supplies allows for efficient use and scalability to meet the power requirements of the installed components.
- Intel Xeon processor E7-2800/4800/880 product family offers significantly better performance over the previous generation while fitting into the same thermal design power (TDP) limits.
- Low-voltage Intel Xeon processors draw less energy to satisfy the demands of power and thermally constrained data centers and telecommunication environments.
- Low-voltage 1.35 V DDR3 memory RDIMMs consume 15% less energy compared to 1.5 V DDR3 RDIMMs.
- Solid state drives (SSDs) consume as much as 80% less power than traditional spinning 2.5-inch HDDs.
- The server uses hexagonal ventilation holes, which is a part of Calibrated Vectored Cooling technology. Hexagonal holes can be grouped more densely than round holes, providing more efficient airflow through the system.
- IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager™ provides advanced data center power notification and management to help achieve lower heat output and reduced cooling needs.
Locations of key components and connectors
Figure 2 shows the front of the server.
Figure 2. Front view of the System x3690 X5
Figure 3 shows the rear of the server.
Figure 3. Rear view of the System x3690 X5
Figure 4 shows the locations of key components inside the server.
Figure 4. Inside view of the System x3690 X5
Figure 5 shows the MAX5 optional memory expansion unit.
Figure 5. Inside view of the MAX5 optional memory expansion unit for the System x3690 X5
Standard specifications
Table 1 lists the standard specifications.
| Components | Specification |
| Form factor/height | Rack/2U per chassis; MAX5 adds 1U |
| Processor (max) | Machine type 7147: Intel Xeon E7-2800, E7-4800 and E7-8800 families, up to 10 cores |
| Number of processors | 1 or 2 standard (model dependent), 2 maximum |
| Cache (max) | Up to 30 MB |
| Memory DIMM sockets | Up to 64 DIMM sockets:
|
| Memory maximums | Up to 2 TB of RAM using all 32 GB DIMMs:
|
| Expansion slots | Up to 5 PCIe 2.0 slots depending on the riser cards used |
| Disk bays | Up to 16x 2.5-inch SAS hot-swap bays; or Up to 24x 1.8-inch SSD hot-swap bays |
| Optical drive | Optional |
| Maximum internal storage | 25.6 TB per chassis (using 1.6 TB 2.5-inch SAS solid-state drives) |
| Network interface | 2x 1 Gb Ethernet ports, based on the Broadcom BCM5709C controller. 2x 10 Gb Ethernet ports (standard on some models, optional on the others) 1x Intel Ethernet Quad Port Server Adapter I340-T4 (standard on some workload-optimized models) |
| Power supply (std/max) | 1 / 4 - 675 W 220 V |
| Hot-swap components | Power supplies, fans, hard disk drives |
| RAID support | Most models: ServeRAID M1015 controller standard supporting RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, and 50. |
| Systems management | Alert on LAN 2, automatic server restart, IBM Systems Director, ServerGuide, IMM, light path diagnostics (independently powered), predictive failure analysis on hard disk drives, processors, VRMs, fans and memory, Wake on LAN, dynamic system analysis |
| Operating systems supported | Microsoft® Windows® Server 2008 (Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter editions 64-bit), 64-bit Red Hat Enterprise Linux® and SUSE Enterprise Linux, (Server and Advanced Server), VMware vSphere |
| Limited warranty | 3-year customer replaceable unit and on-site limited warranty |
| Dimensions | Height: 86 mm (3.5 inches, 2U), depth: 698 mm (27.4 inches), width: 429 mm (16.8 inches) |
| Weight | 31.3 kg (69 lb) when fully configured |