IBM System x3620 M3 Product Manual

Also see for System x3620 M3 7376: Installation and user guide Installation and user guide Manual

Contents

A cost-optimized storage-rich alternative to traditional enterprise 2U dual-socket serversPlease see the Legal Information section for important notices and information. 11integrated suite of 8 tools. They are organized by function: deployment, updates, configurationand diagnostics. Tools are now simpler to access and use with a single webpage for access, acommon look and feel and a common command line interface for the scripting tools. TheToolsCenter Bootable Media Creator offers significantly more functionality than past tools withthe ability to add more tools to the bootable image and to automatically download the bootableenvironment if needed. Bootable Media Creator allows you to create bootable CDs, DVD, andUSB keys for updates customized to your systems.IBM developed IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager to put control of system power-saving features at the fingertips of administrators. Active Energy Manager is designed to takeadvantage of new features, such as monitoring power usage and balancing the performance ofthe system according to available power input. It provides the ability to plan and predict powerconsumption based on your hardware configuration. It also helps enable you to reduce theinfrastructure required for redundancy, by using fewer servers on smaller power feeds andpotentially lowering your overall data center support costs. It does this by inventorying allcomponents, then adding up the total power draw and tracking the usage. It also includes powermanagement features to help administrators manage or reduce power usage.Automatic Server Restart (ASR) helps reduce downtime by restarting the server automaticallyin the event of a system lockup. ASR technology is a combination of hardware circuitry tied intothe server’s system reset function and a device driver. As long as the server continues running,the ASR watchdog timer will keep being reset, but if the operating system crashes or thehardware freezes somehow the ASR software will be unable to reset the hardware timer. If thetimer is not reset within five minutes, it automatically triggers the ASR hardware, whichimmediately restarts the server (and logs an ASR event with IBM Systems Director). Thesefeatures are designed so that no more than five minutes can pass before the server is restarted.Wake on LAN permits the server to be remotely powered on if it has been shut off. Oncepowered up, the server can be controlled across the network, using the Preboot ExecutionEnvironment (PXE).Like Wake on LAN, PXE is system firmware. It enables software such as the optional IBMRemote Deployment Manager to take control of a system before the BIOS, operating system orapplications are loaded (using Wake on LAN/PXE) and lets an administrator perform many low-level tasks remotely that would otherwise require a visit to each system. These tasks may includesuch things as formatting a hard disk drive, updating system firmware, or deploying a Windows orLinux operating system.Text Console Redirection support allows the administrator to remotely view x3620 M3 textmessages over serial or LAN. An optional upgrade to the Virtual Media Key adds graphicalconsole redirection.Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA) is designed to allow the system to detect impending failure ofsupported components (memory, HDDs, and the onboard battery) before actual failure, and alertthe administrator through IBM Systems Director. This gives you the ability to replace the failingcomponent before it fails, resulting in increased uptime.IBM Systems Director software for advanced workgroup management is included with thex3620 M3. IBM Systems Director comes with a portfolio of tools, including IBM SystemsDirector Active Energy Manager™, Service and Support Manager, and others. SystemAvailability (a no-charge download) and Capacity Manager (sold separately) are available as add-ons for additional server management and increased availability. IBM Systems Director providesa single uniform graphical interface for all of these systems management functions.IBM Systems Director enables you to customize thresholds and monitor system components (forthings like temperature, voltage regulation, etc.) to help maximize uptime.Key Options IBM options for System x servers help you take your servers to ahigher levelYou rely on System x options to supply a complete solution for your business needs. Optionshelp you create an optimized server system to meet your data protection, storage and availabilityneeds. Every IBM option is designed and tested for peak performance and flexibility, helping tomaximize your return on investment. The combination of System x servers and options lets youkeep your fingers on the pulse of your e-business.Processors —Intel Xeon processors provide high clock rates, 4 to 6 cores, 64-bit extensions,and advanced features for performance, availability and power management. Large cache size,combined with fast 1333MHz, 1066MHz or 800MHz memory access and an integrated memorycontroller reduce memory latency and facilitate the movement of data. (Note: Systemperformance depends not only on the number of processors in the server but also on thefrequency and functionality of each processor.) Adding a second processor may be a cost-effective way to achieve significant performance improvements.Memory — Memory is a major factor in systems application performance. Adding more memory