IBM System x - x3850 X5
Available Options
Item specifics
- Manufacturer IBM
- Model Lenovo - System x3850 X5/x3950 X5
- Product Type Mid-Range Server
- Form Factor Rack
- Platform LINUX, Windows
- Announced 2-Mar-10
- Available 31-Mar-10
- Archived 18-Mar-15
- Architecture x86
- Rack Units 4U (per chassis, 5U with MAX5)
- Operating System Red Hat Linux, SUSE Linux, Windows
- Processor Family Xeon
- Processor Options Xeon E7-4807 (1.86GHz 95W) Xeon E7-4820 (2.00GHz 105W) Xeon E7-4830 (2.13GHz 105W) Xeon E7-4850 (2.00GHz 130W) Xeon E7-4860 (2.26GHz 130W) Xeon E7-4870 (2.40GHz 130W) Xeon E7-8830 (2.13GHz 105W) Xeon E7-8837 (2.66GHz 130W) Xeon E7-8850 (2.00GHz 130W) Xeon E7-8860 (2.26GHz 130W) Xeon E7-8867L (2.13GHz 105W) Xeon E7-8870 (2.40GHz 130W)
- Max Processor Chips 8
- Max Processor Cores 80
- Cache 18MB, 24MB or 30MB L3
- Chipset Intel 7500/IBM eX5
- Memory Minimum 4 GB
- Memory Maximum 6144 GB (with MAX5)
- Memory Type DDR3 SDRAM
- DIMM Type RDIMM
- Memory DIMM Slots Standard 8 (min)
- Max Memory DIMM Slots 192
- Memory Protection ECC, Chipkill, Memory ProteXion, Mirroring, Sparing
- Disk Type SATA, SAS, Solid State
- Disk Controller SAS
- Internal Disk Bays 8 (32 max)
- Bays Information Up to 8 x 2.5" SAS/SATA/SSD drive bays or _x000D_ Up to 16 x 1.8" SSD eXFlash drive bays _x000D_ 1 x media bay (per chassis)
- Disk Max Internal 25,600 GB (12.8TB per chassis)
- RAID Support 0, 1
- Hot-Swap Disks SATA, SAS, SSD
- Media Drive Optional
- I/O Technology PCI Express 2.0
- I/O Slot Types Per Chassis: _x000D_ 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 (full-height, full-length) (requires second processor) _x000D_ 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x8 (x4 wired) (full-height, full-length) (requires second processor) _x000D_ 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x8 (full-height, full-length) (requires second processor) _x000D_ 3 x PCI Express 2.0 x8 (full-height, half-length) (one used by 10GbE if included) _x000D_ Additional 1 x PCI Express 2.0 (dedicated to RAID card)
- I/O Max Slots 14 (with two chassis)
- I/O Internal Slots 7 (per chassis)
- Networking Integrated dual Gigabit Ethernet w/TCP-IP off-load engine (per chassis)
- Dimensions Height: 17.28 cm (6.8 in) (without MAX5) Width: 44.36 cm (17.46 in) Depth: 71.2 cm (28.03 in)
- Weight 49.9 kg (110 lbs) (max)
- Max Power (Calculated) 2,947 W (16,977 CO2e kg pa)
- Max Power (Theoretical) 2,150 W (12,385 CO2e kg pa)
- Max Heat (Calculated) 10,610 kJ/hr (10,056 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/Yes
- System Management Alert on LAN 2, Automatic Server Restart, IBM Systems Director, IBM ServerGuide Integrated Management Module (IMM), light path diagnostics (independently powered), Predictive Failure Analysis on hard disk drives, processors, VRMs, fans and memory, Wake on LAN, Dynamic System Analysis, QPI Faildown, single-node failover
- Warranty 30 Days (Dafault), 1, 2 & 3 Years (Upgradable)
Product Description
Introduction
The x3850 X5 server is the fifth generation of the Enterprise X-Architecture, delivering innovation with enhanced reliability and availability features to enable optimal performance for databases, enterprise applications, and virtualized environments. Environments that run around the clock to supply information world-wide require dependable servers with features that can tolerate a component failure without total shutdown.
The x3850 X5 server packs numerous fault-tolerant and high-availability features into a high-density, rack-optimized package that helps to significantly reduce the space needed to support massive network computing operations. A single x3850 X5 supports up to four of the new Intel Xeon E7 high-performance 10-core processors and up to 3 TB of memory. Two x3850 X5 servers can be connected together to form a single-system image with up to eight processors and up to 6 TB of RAM. This processing capacity is ideal for large-scale database or virtualization requirements. Figure 1 shows the System x3850 X5.
Figure 1. The System x3850 X5
Did you know?
The x3850 X5 is an ideal server for enterprise database and virtualization workloads. The x3850 X5 held #1 scores in five industry-standard benchmarks. This included a four-socket TPC-C (database benchmark) result of over 2.3 million transactions per minute (27% better than the closest HP result at the time) and world record TPC-H (business intelligence) price performance result.
Key features
The x3850 X5 is a mission-critical 4U four-socket server, capable of expanding to up to 8 processor sockets and 6 TB of memory in 10U of rack space. It offering outstanding performance, and superior reliability and fault-tolerant memory characteristics.
Lenovo eX5 technology represents the fifth generation of enterprise servers based on the same design principle that 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 x3850 X5 offers numerous features to boost performance, improve scalability, and reduce costs:
- The x3850 X5 supports up to four high-performance Intel Xeon E7 family allowing you to upgrade as business needs require.
- Scalable to eight processors by connecting two x3850 X5 servers together to form a single system image.
- Each x3850 X5 scalable to 2 TB of memory internally or 3 TB of memory with the addition of the MAX5 V2 memory expansion unit. With two x3850 X5 servers each with MAX5 units, the total available system memory is up to 6 TB.
- 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 64 DIMM sockets in the server (eight per memory card), plus an additional 32 DIMMs with an optional 1U MAX5 V2 memory expansion unit, for a total of 96 DIMM sockets. With two x3850 X5 servers each with MAX5 units, the total number of DIMM sockets is 192.
- 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.
- Seven PCIe 2.0 slots for maximum I/O expandability
Availability and serviceability
The x3850 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.
- Single image 8-way systems consisting of two interconnected 4-way nodes provide self-healing capabilities in case of single node failure. Two independent nodes form a resilient 8-way configuration. In case of single node failure the system can be restarted in degraded mode thus eliminating unexpected downtime that requires service specialist to recover.
- 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.
- Two 1975 W hot-swap power supplies and five fans (three hot-swap, two integrated into the power supplies).
- 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 (IMM) 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 x3850 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 x3850 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 or 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 E5-2600 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
Figure 2 shows the front of the server with the front bezel removed.
Figure 2. Front view of the System x3850 X5
Figure 3 shows the rear of the server.
Figure 3. Rear view of the System x3850 X5
Figure 4 shows the locations of key components inside the server.
Figure 4. Inside view of the System x3850 X5
The x3850 X5 supports the addition of the MAX5 memory expansion unit. This 1U device is cabled directly to the server and provides an additional 512 GB of memory capacity for applications that can benefit from the extra RAM. Figure 5 shows the MAX5 optional memory expansion unit.
Figure 5. Inside view of the MAX5 optional memory expansion unit for the System x3850 X5
Standard specifications
The following table lists the standard specifications.
| Components | Specification |
|---|---|
| Machine type | 7143 |
| Firmware | IBM-signed firmware |
| Form factor/height | Rack/4U per chassis; MAX5 adds 1U. |
| Scalability | Machine type 7143 can scale as follows:
|
| Processor type | Machine type 7143: Intel Xeon E7-8800 and E7-4800 families, up to 10 cores. |
| Number of processors | Most models: 2 standard (some 4 standard); 4 maximum. |
| Cache (max) | Up to 30 MB L3 cache |
| Memory DIMM sockets | Up to eight memory cards, each with eight DIMM sockets (64 DIMM sockets total). MAX5 adds 32 DIMM sockets. |
| Memory maximums | 2.0 TB using 32 GB DIMMs. Up to 3.0 TB with the addition of MAX5. With two x3850 X5 servers and two MAX5 units, total capacity up to 6.0 TB |
| Expansion slots | Eight slots total:
|
| Disk bays | Eight 2.5" hot-swap SAS or sixteen 1.8" solid-state drives (SSD). |
| Maximum internal storage | Using NL SAS HDDs: 8 TB per chassis with eight 1 TB drives Using 2. 5-inch SSDs: 12.8 TB per chassis with eight 1.6 TB drives Using eXFlash solid-state drives: 8 TB per chassis with 16x 512 GB SSDs |
| Network interface | Two 1 Gb Ethernet ports. Broadcom 5709C controller. Emulex 10Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter standard on most models with two 10 Gb Ethernet ports |
| Power supply (std/max) | Up to two hot-swap redundant 1975 W power supplies |
| Hot-swap components | Power supplies, fans, hard disk drives, and solid-state-drives. |
| RAID support | 7143: Integrated RAID-0, RAID-1 with ServeRAID M1015 in dedicated PCIe slot Optional RAID-5, 6, 10, 50, 60 |
| External ports | Rear: Four scalability ports , one Ethernet for systems management, one serial port, four USB 2.0, one VGA, two Gb Ethernet Front: Two USB 2.0 Internal: One USB 2.0 port for Embedded Hypervisor |
| Systems management | Alert on LAN 2, Automatic Server Restart, IBM Systems Director, ServerGuide, Integrated Management Module (IMM), light path diagnostics (independently powered), Predictive Failure Analysis on hard disk drives, processors, VRMs, fans and memory, Wake on LAN, Dynamic System Analysis, QPI Faildown. |
| Operating systems supported | Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 (Standard, Enterprise and Data Center Editions 64-bit), 64-bit Red Hat Enterprise Linux®, 64-bit SUSE Enterprise Linux, (Server and Advanced Server), VMware vSphere Hypervisor |
| Limited warranty | Three-year customer-replaceable unit and onsite limited warranty. |
| Dimensions | Width: 440 mm (17.3 inches), depth: 712 mm (28.0 inches), height: 173 mm (6.8 inches) or 4 rack units (4U) |
| Weight | Minimum configuration: 35.4 kg (78 lb), maximum configuration: 49.9 kg (110 lb) |