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What your server offers

The server uses the following features and technologies.

  • Integrated Management Module:
    The Integrated Management module (IMM) combines service processor functions, video controller, and (when an optional virtual media key is installed) remote presence function in a single chip. The IMM provides advanced service-processor control, monitoring, and alerting function. If an environmental condition exceeds a threshold or if a system component fails, the IMM lights LEDs to help you diagnose the problem, records the error in the event log, and alerts you to the problem. Optionally, the IMM also provides a virtual presence capability for remote server management capabilities. The IMM provides remote server management through the following industry-standard interfaces:
    • Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) version 2.0
    • Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) version 3
    • Common Information Model (CIM)
    • Web browser

    For additional information, see Using the integrated management module.

  • UEFI-compliant server firmware: IBM System x Server Firmware (server firmware) offers several features, including Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) 2.1 compliance; Active Energy Manager technology; enhanced reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) capabilities; and basic input/output system (BIOS) compatibility support. UEFI replaces the BIOS and defines a standard interface between the operating system, platform firmware, and external devices. UEFI-compliant System x servers are capable of booting UEFI-compliant operating systems, BIOS-based operating systems, and BIOS-based adapters as well as UEFI-compliant adapters.
    Note
    The server does not support DOS (Disk Operating System).
  • IBM Dynamic System Analysis Preboot diagnostics programs:

    The Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) Preboot diagnostics programs are stored on the integrated USB memory. It collects and analyzes system information to aid in diagnosing server problems. The diagnostic programs collect the following information about the server:

    • System configuration
    • Network interfaces and settings
    • Installed hardware
    • Light path diagnostics status
    • Service processor status and configuration
    • Vital product data, firmware, and UEFI (formerly BIOS) configuration
    • Hard disk drive health
    • RAID controller configuration
    • Event logs for ServeRAID controllers and service processors

    The diagnostic programs create a merged log that includes events from all collected logs. The information is collected into a file that you can send to IBM service and support. Additionally, you can view the information locally through a generated text report file. You can also copy the log to a removable media and view the log from a Web browser.

    For additional information about DSA Preboot diagnostics, see the Problem Determination and Service Guide on the IBM System x Documentation CD

  • Multi-core processing:

    The server supports up to two Intel Xeon™ multi-core microprocessors. The server comes with only one microprocessor installed.

  • IBM Systems Director:

    IBM Systems Director is a workgroup-hardware-management tool that you can use to centrally manage System x and xSeries servers. For more information, see the IBM Systems Director Information Center at the IBM Systems Director information center and IBM Systems Director.

  • IBMX-Architecture technology:

    IBMX-Architecture technology combines proven, innovative IBM designs to make your Intel-processor-based server powerful, scalable, and reliable. For more information, see the IBM System x enterprise servers website.

    • Active™ Memory:

      The Active Memory feature improves the reliability of memory through memory mirroring. Memory mirroring mode replicates and stores data on two pairs of DIMMs within two channels simultaneously. If a failure occurs, the memory controller switches from the primary pair of memory DIMMs to the backup pair of DIMMs. For more information about installing DIMMs for memory mirroring, see Installing a memory module.

    • Remote presence capability and blue-screen capture:
      The remote presence and blue-screen capture features are integrated functions of the Integrated Management Module (IMM) and are available with the purchase of the optional IBM Virtual Media Key. A virtual media key is required to enable the remote presence and blue-screen capture features. The remote presence feature provides the following functions:
      • Remotely viewing video with graphics resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 at 75 Hz, regardless of the system state
      • Remotely accessing the server, using the keyboard and mouse from a remote client
      • Mapping the CD or DVD drive, diskette drive, and USB flash drive on a remote client, and mapping ISO and diskette image files as virtual drives that are available for use by the server
      • Uploading a diskette image to the IMM memory and mapping it to the server as a virtual drive

      The blue-screen capture feature captures the video display contents before the IMM restarts the server when the IMM detects an operating-system hang condition. A system administrator can use the blue-screen capture to assist in determining the cause of the hang condition.

      See Using the remote presence capability and blue-screen capture for additional information.

    • Large system-memory capacity:

      The memory bus supports up to 192 GB of system memory when registered DIMMs are installed. The server supports up to 48 GB if unbuffered DIMMs are installed. The memory controller supports error correcting code (ECC) for up to 18 industry-standard PC3-10600R-999, 800, 1067, and 1333 MHz, DDR3 (third-generation double-data-rate), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) dual inline memory modules (DIMMs).

  • IBMServerGuide Setup and Installation CD:

    The ServerGuide Setup and Installation CD, which you can download from the Web, provides programs to help you set up the server and install a Windows operating system. The ServerGuide program detects installed optional hardware devices and provides the correct configuration programs and device drivers. For more information about the ServerGuide Setup and Installation CD, see Using the ServerGuide Setup and Installation CD.

  • Integrated network support:

    The server comes with an integrated dual-port Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet controller, which supports connection to a 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or 1000 Mbps network. For more information, see Configuring the Gigabit Ethernet controller.

  • Integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM):

    This integrated security chip performs cryptographic functions and stores private and public secure keys. It provides the hardware support for the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) specification. You can download the software to support the TCG specification, when the software is available. See http://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/xseries/scalable_family.html for details about the TPM implementation. You can enable TPM support through the Setup utility under the System Security menu option.

  • Large data-storage capacity and hot-swap capability:

    The hot-swap server models support a maximum of eight 2.5-inch hot-swap Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) hard disk drives or hot-swap Serial ATA (SATA) hard disk drives. The simple-swap server models support a maximum of four 2.5-inch simple-swap SATA hard disk drives.

    With the hot-swap feature, you can add, remove, or replace hard disk drives without turning off the server.

  • Light path diagnostics:

    Light path diagnostics provides LEDs to help you diagnose problems. For more information about the light path diagnostics, see Light path diagnostics panel and the Problem Determination and Service Guide on the IBM System x Documentation CD.

  • PCI adapter capabilities:

    The server has two PCI interface slots (one supports low-profile cards, and one supports half-length, full-height cards). Both slots can support PCI Express or PCI-X adapters through an optional PCI riser card. See Installing an adapter for detailed information.

  • Active Energy Manager:

    The IBM Active Energy Manager solution is an IBM Systems Director plug-in that measures and reports server power consumption as it occurs. This enables you to monitor power consumption in correlation to specific software application programs and hardware configurations. You can obtain the measurement values through the systems-management interface and view them, using IBM Systems Director. For more information, including the required levels of IBM Systems Director and Active Energy Manager, see the IBM Systems Director documentation on the IBM Systems Director CD, or see the IBM Systems Director Resources website.

  • Redundant connection:

    The addition of the optional Ethernet daughter card provides failover capability to a redundant Ethernet connection with the applicable application installed. If a problem occurs with the primary Ethernet connection and the optional Ethernet daughter card is installed on the server, all Ethernet traffic that is associated with the primary connection is automatically switched to the optional redundant Ethernet daughter card connection. If the applicable device drivers are installed, this switching occurs without data loss and without user intervention.

  • Redundant cooling and optional power capabilities:

    The server supports a maximum of two 675-watt or 460-watt hot-swap power supplies and six dual-motor hot-swap fans, which provide redundancy and hot-swap capability for a typical configuration. The redundant cooling by the fans in the server enables continued operation if one of the fans fails. The server comes with one 675-watt or 460-watt hot-swap power supply and five fans.

    You must install the sixth fan when you install the second microprocessor in the server. You can order the second optional power supply for power redundancy.

    Note
    You cannot mix 460-watt and 675-watt power supplies, high-efficiency and non-high-efficiency power supplies, or ac and dc power supplies in the server.
  • ServeRAID support:

    The ServeRAID adapter provides hardware redundant array of independent disks (RAID) support to create configurations. The standard RAID adapter provides RAID levels 0, 1, and 1E. An optional RAID adapter is available for purchase.

  • Systems-management capabilities:

    The server comes with an integrated management module (IMM). When the IMM is used with the systems-management software that comes with the server, you can manage the functions of the server locally and remotely. The IMM also provides system monitoring, event recording, and network alert capability. The system-management connector on the rear of the server is dedicated to the IMM. The dedicated system-management connector provides additional security by physically separating the management network traffic from the production network. You can use the Setup utility to configure the server to use a dedicated systems-management network or a shared network.

  • TCP/IP offload engine (TOE) support:

    The Ethernet controllers in the server support TOE, which is a technology that offloads the TCP/IP flow from the microprocessor and I/O subsystem to increase the speed of the TCP/IP flow. When an operating system that supports TOE is running on the server and TOE is enabled, the server supports TOE operation. See the operating-system documentation for information about enabling TOE.

    Note
    As of the date of this document, the Linux operating system does not support TOE.