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Product Description
Introduction
Flex System is the next generation of blade technology with more performance and bandwidth and far more capability to consolidate and virtualize than previous systems. Flex System is anchored by the Flex System Enterprise Chassis which enables high-speed performance with integrated servers and networking. Furthermore, its flexible design can meet the needs of varying workloads with independently scalable IT resource pools for higher utilization and lower cost per workload.
The Flex System Enterprise Chassis is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. The Flex System Enterprise Chassis
Did you know?
In addition to the Flex System Enterprise Chassis, Lenovo also offers the Carrier-Grade Chassis for installations requiring tolerance to higher temperatures or for use in environments without filtered air. For information about the Carrier-Grade Chassis, see https://lenovopress.com/tips1285.
Key features
The Flex System Enterprise Chassis is a simple, integrated infrastructure platform that supports a mix of compute, storage, and networking resources to meet the demands of your applications. The solution is easily scalable with the addition of another chassis with the required nodes. With Lenovo XClarity Administrator, multiple chassis can be monitored from a single screen. This flexible 14 node, 10U chassis is designed for a simple deployment now and to scale to meet your needs in the future.
Flexibility and efficiency
The 14 bays in the chassis allow the installation of compute or management nodes, with networking modules in the rear. A single chassis or a group of chassis can be fully customized to the specific needs of the computing environment. IT can meet the needs of the business using a single system across multiple operating environments.
The system monitors and manages power usage on all major chassis components so you have total control over power consumption. AC power options can be configurable in either a single or three-phase power domain. The chassis supports N+N or N+1 redundant power supplies and an entirely passive mid-plane to meet your reliability needs. The power supplies are 80 PLUS Platinum-certified indicating high energy efficiency. The chassis design also optimizes cooling with cooling zones within the chassis. The system manages the fan modules based on node configuration within the chassis. So, the system can increase the speed of certain fan modules to cool potential hot spots, and use lower speeds for other fan modules where appropriate.
Easily scalable with simple administration
Because the Flex System Enterprise Chassis is an all-in-one solution, it is designed for growth from a single chassis to many. Adding compute, or networking capability is as simple as adding additional nodes or modules. Compute nodes and I/O modules connect to a midplane and are designed to be inserted or removed while the chassis is running. The use of the midplane means that the compute nodes and I/O modules do not need their own power cables and do not need network cables or transceivers to connect to each other within the chassis. These features make it easy to add or replace compute nodes and get them operational quickly.
The simple, highly integrated management system allows you to use the Chassis Management Modules integrated into each chassis to administer a single chassis, and the new Lenovo XClarity Administrator offers agent-free hardware management for compute nodes and networking.
Designed for multiple generations of technology
The Flex System Enterprise Chassis is designed to be the foundation of your IT infrastructure now and into the future. Compute performance requirements are always on the rise and networking demands continue to grow with rising bandwidth needs and a shrinking tolerance for latency. The chassis is designed to scale to meet the needs of your future workloads, offering the flexibility to support current and future innovations in compute, storage, and networking technology.
Locations of key components and connectors
The following figure shows the front of the Enterprise Chassis.
Figure 2. Front of the Flex System Enterprise Chassis
The following figure shows the rear of the Enterprise Chassis.
Figure 3. Rear of the Flex System Enterprise Chassis
Standard specifications
The following table lists the standard specifications.
Table 1. Standard specifications
| Components | Specification |
| Machine type | 8721 |
| Firmware | Chassis with first generation Chassis Management Module (68Y7030): IBM-signed firmware Chassis with Chassis Management Module 2 (00FJ669): Lenovo-signed firmware |
| Form factor | 10U rack-mounted unit. |
| Maximum number of compute nodes | 14 half-wide (single bay), seven full-wide (two bays), three double-height full-wide (four bays) or one quadruple-height full-wide (8 bays). Mixing is supported. |
| Chassis per 42U rack | Four. |
| Nodes per 42U rack | 56 half-wide, or 28 full-wide. |
| Management | Chassis Management Modules 2 (CMM2) modules provide chassis management. One or two CMM2s standard, depending on the model and the use of two provides redundancy. Earlier models of the Enterprise Chassis use the first generation CMM. The CMM2 interfaces with the integrated management module (IMM2) integrated in each compute node in the chassis. Optional Lenovo XClarity Administrator for hardware resource management with integrators to VMware vCenter and Microsoft System Center, including virtualization, networking, and storage management. Chassis with first generation CMM can be upgraded to CMM2 however CMM and CMM2 cannot be mixed. |
| I/O architecture | Up to eight lanes of I/O to an I/O adapter card, with each lane capable of up to 25 Gbps bandwidth. Up to 16 lanes of I/O to a half-wide node with two adapters. A wide variety of networking solutions, including Ethernet, Fibre Channel, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), and InfiniBand. |
| Power supplies | Up to six power supplies that can provide N+N or N+1 redundant power. AC power supplies are 80 PLUS Platinum certified and provide over 94% efficiency at 50% load and 20% load. Each power supply contains two independently powered 40 mm cooling fan modules. All installed power supplies must be identical. |
| Fan modules | Ten fan modules (eight 80 mm fan modules and two 40 mm fan modules); Four 80 mm and two 40 mm fan modules standard. |
| Dimensions | Height: 440 mm (17.3 in) Width: 447 mm (17.6 in) Depth: 800 mm (31.5 in) (measured from front bezel to rear of chassis), 840 mm (33.1 in) (measured from node latch handle to the power supply handle) |
| Weight | Minimum configuration: 96.62 kg (213 lb) Maximum configuration: 220.45 kg (486 lb) |
| Sound level | 7.5 bels (declared) |
| Temperature | Operating air temperature 5°C to 40°C |
| Electrical power | AC Input power: 200 - 240 V ac (nominal), 50 or 60 Hz -48 V DC Input power: -48V to -60 V dc (nominal) Minimum configuration: 0.51 kVA (two power supplies) Maximum configuration: 13 kVA (six power supplies) |
| Power consumption | 12,900 watts maximum |