IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and Technology

Front cover

IBM PureFlex System and
IBM Flex System
Products and Technology
Describes the IBM Flex System Enterprise
Chassis and compute node technology
Provides details about available I/O
modules and expansion options
Explains networking and
storage configurations

David Watts
Randall Davis
Dave Ridley

ibm.com/redbooks

International Technical Support Organization
IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products
and Technology
October 2013

SG24-7984-03

Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on
page xi.

Fourth Edition (October 2013)
This edition applies:
IBM PureFlex System
IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis
IBM Flex System Manager
IBM Flex System x220 Compute Node
IBM Flex System p260 Compute Node
IBM Flex System p24L Compute Node
IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node
IBM 42U 1100mm Enterprise V2 Dynamic Rack
IBM PureFlex System 42U Rack and 42U Expansion Rack
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2012, 2013. All rights reserved.
Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule
Contract with IBM Corp.

Contents
Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Now you can become a published author, too! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comments welcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stay connected to IBM Redbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

xiii
xiv
xvi
xvi
xvi

Summary of changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
October 2013, Fourth Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
August 2013, Third Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
February 2013, Second Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii
Chapter 1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 IBM PureFlex System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 IBM Flex System overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.1 IBM Flex System Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.2 IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2.3 Compute nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.2.4 Expansion nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.2.5 Storage nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.2.6 I/O modules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3 This book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 2. IBM PureFlex System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.2 Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.2.1 Configurator for IBM PureFlex System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.3 PureFlex solutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.3.1 PureFlex Solution for IBM i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.3.2 PureFlex Solution for SmartCloud Desktop Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4 IBM PureFlex System Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4.1 Available Express configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4.2 Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4.3 Compute nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4.4 IBM Flex System Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4.5 PureFlex Express storage requirements and options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4.6 Video, keyboard, mouse option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4.7 Rack cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4.8 Available software for Power Systems compute nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4.9 Available software for x86-based compute nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5 IBM PureFlex System Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5.1 Enterprise configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5.2 Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5.3 Top-of-rack switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5.4 Compute nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5.5 IBM Flex System Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5.6 PureFlex Enterprise storage options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012, 2013. All rights reserved.

11
12
13
14
15
15
16
17
17
20
20
21
21
24
25
25
26
27
27
30
30
31
31
32
iii

2.5.7 Video, keyboard, and mouse option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5.8 Rack cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5.9 Available software for Power Systems compute node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5.10 Available software for x86-based compute nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.6 Services for IBM PureFlex System Express and Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.6.1 PureFlex FCoE Customization Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.6.2 PureFlex Services for IBM i. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.6.3 Software and hardware maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.7 IBM SmartCloud Entry for Flex system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

34
35
35
35
36
37
38
38
39

Chapter 3. Systems management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.1 Management network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.2 Chassis Management Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.2.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.2.2 Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.3 Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.4 Compute node management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.4.1 Integrated Management Module II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.4.2 Flexible service processor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.4.3 I/O modules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5 IBM Flex System Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5.1 IBM Flex System Manager functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5.2 Hardware overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5.3 Software features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5.4 User interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5.5 Mobile System Management application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5.6 Flex System Manager CLI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41
42
43
43
44
46
47
47
48
49
50
50
54
58
66
66
68

Chapter 4. Chassis and infrastructure configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
4.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
4.1.1 Front of the chassis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
4.1.2 Midplane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
4.1.3 Rear of the chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
4.1.4 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
4.1.5 Air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4.1.6 Compute node shelves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4.1.7 Hot plug and hot swap components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
4.2 Power supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
4.3 Fan modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
4.4 Fan logic module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
4.5 Front information panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
4.6 Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
4.7 Power supply selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
4.7.1 Power policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
4.7.2 Number of power supplies required for N+N and N+1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
4.8 Fan module population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
4.9 Chassis Management Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
4.10 I/O architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
4.11 I/O modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
4.11.1 I/O module LEDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
4.11.2 Serial access cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
4.11.3 I/O module naming scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
4.11.4 Switch to adapter compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

iv

IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and Technology

4.11.5 IBM Flex System EN6131 40Gb Ethernet Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.11.6 IBM Flex System Fabric CN4093 10Gb Converged Scalable Switch . . . . . . . .
4.11.7 IBM Flex System Fabric EN4093 and EN4093R 10Gb Scalable Switch . . . . .
4.11.8 IBM Flex System Fabric SI4093 System Interconnect Module . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.11.9 IBM Flex System EN4091 10Gb Ethernet Pass-thru Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.11.10 IBM Flex System EN2092 1Gb Ethernet Scalable Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.11.11 IBM Flex System FC5022 16Gb SAN Scalable Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.11.12 IBM Flex System FC3171 8Gb SAN Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.11.13 IBM Flex System FC3171 8Gb SAN Pass-thru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.11.14 IBM Flex System IB6131 InfiniBand Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.12 Infrastructure planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.12.1 Supported power cords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.12.2 Supported PDUs and UPS units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.12.3 Power planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.12.4 UPS planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.12.5 Console planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.12.6 Cooling planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.12.7 Chassis-rack cabinet compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.13 IBM 42U 1100mm Enterprise V2 Dynamic Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.14 IBM PureFlex System 42U Rack and 42U Expansion Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.15 IBM Rear Door Heat eXchanger V2 Type 1756 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

117
121
129
136
142
144
148
155
158
160
161
161
162
162
168
169
169
170
172
178
180

Chapter 5. Compute nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.1 IBM Flex System Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2 IBM Flex System x220 Compute Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.2 Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.3 Chassis support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.4 System architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.5 Processor options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.6 Memory options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.7 Internal disk storage controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.8 Supported internal drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.9 Embedded 1 Gb Ethernet controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.10 I/O expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.11 Integrated virtualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.12 Systems management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.13 Operating system support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.2 Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.3 Chassis support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.6 Memory options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.7 Supported internal drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.8 Expansion Node support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.9 Embedded 10Gb Virtual Fabric adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.10 Mid-mezzanine I/O adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

185
186
186
186
190
190
191
193
193
201
206
209
209
211
211
215
216
216
219
219
220
222
223
225
226
226
228
231
232
234
234

Contents

v

5.4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.2 Features and specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.3 Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.4 Chassis support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.6 Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.7 Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.8 Standard onboard features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.9 Local storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.11 Embedded 10 Gb Virtual Fabric adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.12 I/O expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.2 Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.3 Chassis support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.6 Memory options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.7 Internal disk storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.8 Embedded 10Gb Virtual Fabric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.9 I/O expansion options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.10 Network adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.11 Storage host bus adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.13 Light path diagnostics panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.14 Operating systems support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6 IBM Flex System p260 and p24L Compute Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.1 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.2 System board layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.3 IBM Flex System p24L Compute Node. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.4 Front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.5 Chassis support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.7 Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.8 Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.9 Active Memory Expansion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.10 Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.11 I/O expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6.12 System management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.7 IBM Flex System p270 Compute Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.7.1 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.7.3 Comparing the p260 and p270 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.7.4 Front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.7.5 Chassis support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.7.7 IBM POWER7+ processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.7.8 Memory subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.7.9 Active Memory Expansion feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
vi


235
237
239
239
240
242
245
258
259
266
268
269
271
274
275
275
278
279
280
281
282
284
290
291
294
295
295
296
297
298
298
301
301
302
304
304
305
308
310
313
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
327
329

5.7.10 Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.7.11 I/O expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8 IBM Flex System p460 Compute Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.3 Front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.4 Chassis support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.6 Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.7 Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.8 Active Memory Expansion feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.9 Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.10 Local storage and cover options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.11 Hardware RAID capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.12 I/O expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.8.14 Integrated features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.9 IBM Flex System PCIe Expansion Node. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.9.1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.9.2 Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.9.3 Supported PCIe adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.9.4 Supported I/O expansion cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.10 IBM Flex System Storage Expansion Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.10.1 Supported nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.10.2 Features on Demand upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.10.3 Cache upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.10.4 Supported HDD and SSD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11 I/O adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.1 Form factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.2 Naming structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.3 Supported compute nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.4 Supported switches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.5 IBM Flex System EN2024 4-port 1Gb Ethernet Adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.6 IBM Flex System EN4132 2-port 10Gb Ethernet Adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.9 IBM Flex System CN4054 10Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.10 IBM Flex System CN4058 8-port 10Gb Converged Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.11 IBM Flex System EN4132 2-port 10Gb RoCE Adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.12 IBM Flex System FC3172 2-port 8Gb FC Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.13 IBM Flex System FC3052 2-port 8Gb FC Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.14 IBM Flex System FC5022 2-port 16Gb FC Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.15 IBM Flex System FC5024D 4-port 16Gb FC Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.16 IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port and FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapters. . . .
5.11.17 IBM Flex System FC5172 2-port 16Gb FC Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.18 IBM Flex System IB6132 2-port FDR InfiniBand Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.19 IBM Flex System IB6132 2-port QDR InfiniBand Adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11.20 IBM Flex System IB6132D 2-port FDR InfiniBand Adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

329
333
333
334
335
335
338
338
340
341
342
345
349
350
351
353
353
354
355
355
356
357
359
361
362
363
364
366
367
368
370
371
372
373
374
376
377
378
380
381
384
387
389
391
393
394
396
398
400
401
403

Chapter 6. Network integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

Contents

vii

6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4

Choosing the Ethernet switch I/O module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Virtual local area networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scalability and performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
High Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.4.1 Highly available topologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.4.2 Spanning Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.4.3 Link aggregation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.4.4 NIC teaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.4.5 Trunk failover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.4.6 Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.5 FCoE capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.6 Virtual Fabric vNIC solution capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.6.1 Virtual Fabric mode vNIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.6.2 Switch-independent mode vNIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.7 Unified Fabric Port feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.8 Easy Connect concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.9 Stacking feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.10 Openflow support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.11 802.1Qbg Edge Virtual Bridge support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.12 SPAR feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.13 Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.13.1 Management tools and their capabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.14 Summary and conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 7. Storage integration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1 IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1.1 V7000 Storage Node types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1.2 Controller Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1.3 Expansion Modules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1.4 SAS cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1.5 Host interface cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1.6 Fibre Channel over Ethernet with a V7000 Storage Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1.7 V7000 Storage Node drive options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1.8 Features and functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1.9 Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.1.10 Configuration restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2 External storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2.1 IBM Storwize V7000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2.2 IBM XIV Storage System series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2.3 IBM System Storage DS8000 series. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2.5 IBM System Storage V3700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2.7 IBM network-attached storage products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2.8 IBM FlashSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2.9 IBM System Storage TS3500 Tape Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2.10 IBM System Storage TS3310 series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2.11 IBM System Storage TS3200 Tape Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2.12 IBM System Storage TS3100 Tape Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.3 Fibre Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.3.1 FC requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.3.2 FC switch selection and fabric interoperability rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.4 FCoE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

viii

406
408
409
411
413
416
417
419
420
421
422
423
424
426
427
429
430
432
433
433
434
436
437
439
440
444
445
450
452
454
454
455
455
457
458
459
460
462
463
463
464
464
465
465
466
467
467
468
468
468
469
473


7.5
7.6
7.7
7.8

iSCSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HA and redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Backup solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.8.1 Dedicated server for centralized LAN backup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.8.2 LAN-free backup for nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.9 Boot from SAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.9.1 Implementing Boot from SAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.9.2 iSCSI SAN Boot specific considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

475
476
478
478
479
480
481
481
481

Abbreviations and acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
Related publications and education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IBM Redbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IBM education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Online resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Help from IBM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

485
485
486
486
487

Contents

ix

x


Notices
This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A.
IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries. Consult
your local IBM representative for information on the products and services currently available in your area. Any
reference to an IBM product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that IBM product,
program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or service that does not
infringe any IBM intellectual property right may be used instead. However, it is the user's responsibility to
evaluate and verify the operation of any non-IBM product, program, or service.
IBM may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter described in this document. The
furnishing of this document does not grant you any license to these patents. You can send license inquiries, in
writing, to:
IBM Director of Licensing, IBM Corporation, North Castle Drive, Armonk, NY 10504-1785 U.S.A.
The following paragraph does not apply to the United Kingdom or any other country where such
provisions are inconsistent with local law: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT,
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimer of
express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore, this statement may not apply to you.
This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made
to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. IBM may make
improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time
without notice.
Any references in this information to non-IBM websites are provided for convenience only and do not in any
manner serve as an endorsement of those websites. The materials at those websites are not part of the
materials for this IBM product and use of those websites is at your own risk.
IBM may use or distribute any of the information you supply in any way it believes appropriate without incurring
any obligation to you.
Any performance data contained herein was determined in a controlled environment. Therefore, the results
obtained in other operating environments may vary significantly. Some measurements may have been made
on development-level systems and there is no guarantee that these measurements will be the same on
generally available systems. Furthermore, some measurements may have been estimated through
extrapolation. Actual results may vary. Users of this document should verify the applicable data for their
specific environment.
Information concerning non-IBM products was obtained from the suppliers of those products, their published
announcements or other publicly available sources. IBM has not tested those products and cannot confirm the
accuracy of performance, compatibility or any other claims related to non-IBM products. Questions on the
capabilities of non-IBM products should be addressed to the suppliers of those products.
This information contains examples of data and reports used in daily business operations. To illustrate them
as completely as possible, the examples include the names of individuals, companies, brands, and products.
All of these names are fictitious and any similarity to the names and addresses used by an actual business
enterprise is entirely coincidental.
COPYRIGHT LICENSE:
This information contains sample application programs in source language, which illustrate programming
techniques on various operating platforms. You may copy, modify, and distribute these sample programs in
any form without payment to IBM, for the purposes of developing, using, marketing or distributing application
programs conforming to the application programming interface for the operating platform for which the sample
programs are written. These examples have not been thoroughly tested under all conditions. IBM, therefore,
cannot guarantee or imply reliability, serviceability, or function of these programs.


xi

Trademarks
IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. These and other IBM trademarked terms are
marked on their first occurrence in this information with the appropriate symbol (® or ™), indicating US
registered or common law trademarks owned by IBM at the time this information was published. Such
trademarks may also be registered or common law trademarks in other countries. A current list of IBM
trademarks is available on the Web at http://www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml
The following terms are trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation in the United States,
other countries, or both:
Active Cloud Engine™
Active Memory™
AIX®
AIX 5L™
AS/400®
BladeCenter®
DB2®
DS4000®
DS8000®
Easy Tier®
EnergyScale™
eServer™
FICON®
FlashCopy®
FlashSystem™
IBM®
IBM FlashSystem™

IBM Flex System™
IBM Flex System Manager™
IBM SmartCloud®
iDataPlex®
Linear Tape File System™
Netfinity®
POWER®
Power Systems™
POWER6®
POWER6+™
POWER7®
POWER7+™
PowerPC®
PowerVM®
PureApplication™
PureData™
PureFlex™

PureSystems™
Real-time Compression™
Redbooks®
Redbooks (logo)
®
ServerProven®
ServicePac®
Storwize®
System Storage®
System Storage DS®
System x®
Tivoli®
Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack®
VMready®
X-Architecture®
XIV®

The following terms are trademarks of other companies:
Intel, Intel Xeon, Pentium, Intel logo, Intel Inside logo, and Intel Centrino logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.
Linear Tape-Open, LTO, Ultrium, the LTO Logo and the Ultrium logo are trademarks of HP, IBM Corp. and
Quantum in the U.S. and other countries.
Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States,
other countries, or both.
Java, and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its
affiliates.
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

xii


Preface
To meet today’s complex and ever-changing business demands, you need a solid foundation
of compute, storage, networking, and software resources. This system must be simple to
deploy, and be able to quickly and automatically adapt to changing conditions. You also need
to be able to take advantage of broad expertise and proven guidelines in systems
management, applications, hardware maintenance, and more.
The IBM® PureFlex™ System combines no-compromise system designs along with built-in
expertise and integrates them into complete, optimized solutions. At the heart of PureFlex
System is the IBM Flex System™ Enterprise Chassis. This fully integrated infrastructure
platform 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 the IBM Flex System Manager™, multiple chassis can be monitored from a single panel.
The 14 node, 10U chassis delivers high-speed performance complete with integrated
servers, storage, and networking. This flexible chassis is simple to deploy now, and to scale
to meet your needs in the future.
This IBM Redbooks® publication describes IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System. It
highlights the technology and features of the chassis, compute nodes, management features,
and connectivity options. Guidance is provided about every major component, and about
networking and storage connectivity.
This book is intended for customers, Business Partners, and IBM employees who want to
know the details about the new family of products. It assumes that you have a basic
understanding of blade server concepts and general IT knowledge.


xiii

Authors
This book was produced by a team of specialists from around the world working at the
International Technical Support Organization, Raleigh Center.
David Watts is a Consulting IT Specialist at the IBM ITSO Center in
Raleigh. He manages residencies and produces IBM Redbooks
publications on hardware and software topics that are related to
IBM Flex System, IBM System x®, and BladeCenter® servers and
associated client platforms. He has authored over 200 books,
papers, and Product Guides. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering
degree from the University of Queensland (Australia), and has
worked for IBM in the United States and Australia since 1989. David
is an IBM Certified IT Specialist and a member of the IT Specialist
Certification Review Board.
Randall Davis is a Senior IT Specialist working in the System x
pre-sales team for IBM Australia as a Field Technical Sales Support
(FTSS) specialist. He regularly performs System x, BladeCenter,
and Storage demonstrations for customers at the IBM
Demonstration Centre in Melbourne, Australia. He also helps
instruct Business Partners and customers on how to configure and
install the BladeCenter. His areas of expertise are the IBM
BladeCenter, System x servers, VMware, and Linux. Randall
started at IBM as a System 36 and AS/400® Engineer in 1989.
Dave Ridley is the PureFlex and Flex System Technical Product
Manager for IBM in the United Kingdom and Ireland. His role
includes product transition planning, supporting marketing events,
press briefings, managing the UK loan pool, running early ship
programs, and supporting the local sales and technical teams. He is
based in Horsham in the United Kingdom, and has worked for IBM
since 1998. In addition, he has been involved with IBM x86 products
for 27 years.

Thanks to the authors of the previous editions of this book.
Authors of the second edition, IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and
Technology, published in February 2013, were:
David Watts
Dave Ridley
Authors of the first edition, IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and
Technology, published in July 2012, were:
David Watts
Randall Davis
Richard French
Lu Han
Dave Ridley
Cristian Rojas

xiv


Thanks to the following people for their contributions to this project:
From IBM marketing:
TJ Aspden
Michael Bacon
John Biebelhausen
Mark Cadiz
Bruce Corregan
Mary Beth Daughtry
Meleata Pinto
Mike Easterly
Diana Cunniffe
Kyle Hampton

Botond Kiss
Shekhar Mishra
Sander Kim
Dean Parker
Hector Sanchez
David Tareen
David Walker
Randi Wood
Bob Zuber

From IBM development:
Mike Anderson
Sumanta Bahali
Wayne Banks
Barry Barnett
Keith Cramer
Mustafa Dahnoun
Dean Duff
Royce Espey
Kaena Freitas
Jim Gallagher
Dottie Gardner
Sam Gaver
Phil Godbolt
Mike Goodman
John Gossett
Tim Hiteshew

Andy Huryn
Bill Ilas
Don Keener
Caroline Metry
Meg McColgan
Mark McCool
Rob Ord
Greg Pruett
Mike Solheim
Fang Su
Vic Stankevich
Tan Trinh
Rochelle White
Dale Weiler
Mark Welch
Al Willard

From the International Technical Support Organization:
Kevin Barnes
Tamikia Barrow
Mary Comianos
Deana Coble

Shari Deiana
Cheryl Gera
Ilya Krutov
Karen Lawrence

Others from IBM around the world:
Kerry Anders
Simon Casey
Bill Champion
Jonathan A Tyrrell

Michael L. Nelson
Kiron Rakkar
Matt Slavin
Fabien Willmann

Others from other companies:
Tom Boucher, Emulex
Brad Buland, Intel
Jeff Lin, Emulex
Chris Mojica, QLogic
Brent Mosbrook, Emulex

Jimmy Myers, Brocade
Haithuy Nguyen, Mellanox
Brian Sparks, Mellanox
Matt Wineberg, Brocade

Preface

xv

Now you can become a published author, too!
Here’s an opportunity to spotlight your skills, grow your career, and become a published
author—all at the same time! Join an ITSO residency project and help write a book in your
area of expertise, while honing your experience using leading-edge technologies. Your efforts
will help to increase product acceptance and customer satisfaction, as you expand your
network of technical contacts and relationships. Residencies run from two to six weeks in
length, and you can participate either in person or as a remote resident working from your
home base.
Find out more about the residency program, browse the residency index, and apply online at:
ibm.com/redbooks/residencies.html

Comments welcome
Your comments are important to us!
We want our books to be as helpful as possible. Send us your comments about this book or
other IBM Redbooks publications in one of the following ways:
Use the online Contact us review Redbooks form found at:
ibm.com/redbooks
Send your comments in an email to:
redbooks@us.ibm.com
Mail your comments to:
IBM Corporation, International Technical Support Organization
Dept. HYTD Mail Station P099
2455 South Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-5400

Stay connected to IBM Redbooks
Find us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/IBMRedbooks
Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/ibmredbooks
Look for us on LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2130806
Explore new Redbooks publications, residencies, and workshops with the IBM Redbooks
weekly newsletter:
https://www.redbooks.ibm.com/Redbooks.nsf/subscribe?OpenForm
Stay current on recent Redbooks publications with RSS Feeds:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/rss.html

xvi


Summary of changes
This section describes the technical changes that were made in this edition of the book and in
previous editions. This edition might also include minor corrections and editorial changes that
are not identified.
Summary of Changes
for SG24-7984-03
for IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and Technology
as created or updated on October 23, 2013 10:17 pm.

October 2013, Fourth Edition
This revision reflects the addition, deletion, or modification of new and changed information
that is described here.

New information
The following new products were added to the book:
IBM PureFlex System Express
IBM PureFlex System Enterprise
IBM SmartCloud® Entry 3.2
These products are described in Chapter 2, “IBM PureFlex System” on page 11.
Important: The Flex System components that were announced in October 2013 will be
covered in the next edition of this book.

August 2013, Third Edition
that is described below.

New information
The following new products and options were added to the book:
IBM Flex System p260 Compute Node (POWER7+™ SCM)
IBM Flex System p270 Compute Node (POWER7+ DCM)
IBM Flex System p460 Compute Node (POWER7+ SCM)
IBM Flex System EN6132 2-port 40Gb Ethernet Adapter
IBM Flex System FC5052 2-port 16Gb FC Adapter
IBM Flex System FC5024D 4-port 16Gb FC Adapter
IBM Flex System IB6132D 2-port FDR InfiniBand Adapter
IBM Flex System Fabric SI4093 System Interconnect Module
IBM Flex System EN6131 40Gb Ethernet Switch


xvii

February 2013, Second Edition
that is described below.

New information
The following new products and options were added to the book:
IBM SmartCloud Entry V2.4
IBM Flex System Manager V1.2
IBM Flex System Fabric EN4093R 10Gb Scalable Switch
IBM Flex System Fabric CN4093 10Gb Converged Scalable Switch
FoD license upgrades for the IBM Flex System FC5022 16Gb SAN Scalable Switch
IBM PureFlex System 42U Rack
2100-W power supply option for the Enterprise Chassis
New options and models of the IBM Flex System x220 Compute Node
Additional solid-state drive options for all x86 compute nodes
IBM Flex System p260 Compute Node, model 23X with IBM POWER7+ processors
New memory options for the IBM Power Systems™ compute nodes
IBM Flex System Storage Expansion Node
IBM Flex System PCIe Expansion Node
IBM Flex System CN4058 8-port 10Gb Converged Adapter
IBM Flex System EN4132 2-port 10Gb RoCE Adapter

Changed information
The following updates were made to existing product information:
Updated the configurations of IBM PureFlex System Express, Standard, and Enterprise
Switch stacking feature of Ethernet switches
FCoE and iSCSI support

xviii


1

Chapter 1.

Introduction
During the last 100 years, information technology moved from a specialized tool to a
pervasive influence on nearly every aspect of life. From tabulating machines that counted with
mechanical switches or vacuum tubes to the first programmable computers, IBM has been a
part of this growth. The goal has always been to help customers to solve problems. IT is a
constant part of business and of general life. The expertise of IBM in delivering IT solutions
has helped the planet become more efficient. As organizational leaders seek to extract more
real value from their data, business processes, and other key investments, IT is moving to the
strategic center of business.
To meet these business demands, IBM has introduced a new category of systems. These
systems combine the flexibility of general-purpose systems, the elasticity of cloud computing,
and the simplicity of an appliance that is tuned to the workload. Expert integrated systems are
essentially the building blocks of capability. This new category of systems represents the
collective knowledge of thousands of deployments, established guidelines, innovative
thinking, IT leadership, and distilled expertise.
The offerings are designed to deliver value in the following ways:
Built-in expertise helps you to address complex business and operational tasks
automatically.
Integration by design helps you to tune systems for optimal performance and efficiency.
Simplified experience, from design to purchase to maintenance, creates efficiencies
quickly.
These offerings are optimized for performance and virtualized for efficiency. These systems
offer a no-compromise design with system-level upgradeability. The capability is built for
cloud, containing “built-in” flexibility and simplicity.


1

IBM PureFlex System is an expert integrated system. It is an infrastructure system with
built-in expertise that deeply integrates with the complex IT elements of an infrastructure.
This chapter describes the IBM PureFlex System and the components that make up this
compelling offering and includes the following topics:
1.1, “IBM PureFlex System” on page 3
1.2, “IBM Flex System overview” on page 6
1.3, “This book” on page 10

2


1.1 IBM PureFlex System
To meet today’s complex and ever-changing business demands, you need a solid foundation
of server, storage, networking, and software resources. Furthermore, it must be simple to
deploy, and able to quickly and automatically adapt to changing conditions. You also need
access to, and the ability to take advantage of, broad expertise and proven guidelines in
systems management, applications, hardware maintenance and more.
IBM PureFlex System is a comprehensive infrastructure system that provides an expert
integrated computing system. It combines servers, enterprise storage, networking,
virtualization, and management into a single structure. Its built-in expertise enables
organizations to manage and flexibly deploy integrated patterns of virtual and hardware
resources through unified management. These systems are ideally suited for customers who
want a system that delivers the simplicity of an integrated solution while still able to tune
middleware and the runtime environment.
IBM PureFlex System uses workload placement that is based on virtual machine compatibility
and resource availability. By using built-in virtualization across servers, storage, and
networking, the infrastructure system enables automated scaling of resources and true
workload mobility.
IBM PureFlex System has undergone significant testing and experimentation so that it can
mitigate IT complexity without compromising the flexibility to tune systems to the tasks’
businesses demand. By providing flexibility and simplicity, IBM PureFlex System can provide
extraordinary levels of IT control, efficiency, and operating agility. This combination enables
businesses to rapidly deploy IT services at a reduced cost. Moreover, the system is built on
decades of expertise. This expertise enables deep integration and central management of the
comprehensive, open-choice infrastructure system. It also dramatically cuts down on the
skills and training that is required for managing and deploying the system.
IBM PureFlex System combines advanced IBM hardware and software along with patterns of
expertise. It integrates them into three optimized configurations that are simple to acquire and
deploy so you get fast time to value.
IBM PureFlex System is built and integrated before shipment so it can be quickly deployed
into the data center. PureFlex System is shipped complete, integrated within a rack
incorporating the all the required power, networking and SAN cabling together with all the
associated switches, compute nodes, and storage.
Figure 1-1 on page 4 shows an IBM PureFlex System 42U rack, complete with its distinctive
PureFlex door.

Chapter 1. Introduction

3

Figure 1-1 IBM PureFlex System

The PureFlex System includes the following configurations:
IBM PureFlex System Express, which is designed for small and medium businesses and
is the most affordable entry point for PureFlex System.
IBM PureFlex System Standard, which is optimized for application servers with supporting
storage and networking, and is designed to support your key ISV solutions.
IBM PureFlex System Enterprise, which is optimized for transactional and database
systems. It has built-in redundancy for highly reliable and resilient operation to support
your most critical workloads.

4


These configurations are summarized in Table 1-1.
Table 1-1 IBM PureFlex System configurations
Component

IBM PureFlex System
Express

IBM PureFlex System
Standard

IBM PureFlex System
Enterprise

IBM PureFlex System 42U
Rack

1

1

1

IBM Flex System Enterprise
Chassis

1

1

1

IBM Flex System Fabric
EN4093 10Gb Scalable Switch

1

1

2 with both port-count
upgrades

IBM Flex System FC3171 8Gb
SAN Switcha

1

2

2

IBM Flex System FC5022
24-port 16Gb ESB SAN
Scalable Switch a

1

2

2

Node

1

1

1

software license

with 1-year service and
support

Advanced with 3-year
service and support

Flex System Manager
Advanced with 3-year
service and support

Chassis Management Module

2

2

2

Chassis power supplies
(std/max)

2/6

4/6

6/6

Chassis 80 mm fan modules
(std/max)

4/8

6/8

8/8

IBM Flex System V7000
Storage Nodeb

Yes (redundant controller)



IBM Storwize V7000 Disk
Systemb




Base with 1-year
software maintenance
agreement
Optional Real Time
Compression

Base with 3-year
agreement
Real Time
Compression

Base with 3-year
agreement
Real Time
Compression

IBM Storwize V7000 Software

a. Select the IBM Flex System FC3171 8Gb SAN Switch or IBM Flex System FC5022 24-port 16Gb ESB SAN
Scalable Switch module.
b. Select the IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node that is installed inside the Enterprise chassis or the external
IBM Storwize® V7000 Disk System.

The fundamental building blocks of the three IBM PureFlex System solutions are the compute
nodes, storage nodes, and networking of the IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis.


5

1.2 IBM Flex System overview
IBM Flex System is a full system of hardware that forms the underlying strategic basis of IBM
PureFlex System and IBM PureApplication™ System and forms the underlying hardware
basis of other IBM PureSystems™ offerings. IBM Flex System optionally includes a
management appliance, known as Flex System Manager.
IBM Flex System is the next generation blade chassis offering from IBM, which features the
latest innovations and advanced technologies.
The major components of the IBM Flex System are described next.

1.2.1 IBM Flex System Manager
IBM Flex System Manager (FSM) is a high performance scalable systems management
appliance with a preinstalled software stack. It is designed to optimize the physical and virtual
resources of the Flex System infrastructure while simplifying and automating repetitive tasks.
Flex System Manager provides easy system setup procedures with wizards and built-in
expertise, and consolidated monitoring for all of your resources, including compute, storage,
networking and virtualization.
It is an ideal solution that allows you to reduce administrative expense and focus your efforts
on business innovation.
A single user interface controls the following features:
Intelligent automation
Resource pooling
Improved resource usage
Complete management integration
Simplified setup
As an appliance, Flex System Manager is delivered preinstalled onto a dedicated compute
node platform, which is designed to provide a specific purpose. It is intended to configure,
monitor, and manage IBM Flex System resources in up to 16 IBM Flex System Enterprise
Chassis, which optimizes time-to-value. FSM provides an instant resource-oriented view of
the Enterprise Chassis and its components, which provides vital information for real-time
monitoring.
An increased focus on optimizing time-to-value is evident in the following features:
Setup wizards, including initial setup wizards, provide intuitive and quick setup of the Flex
System Manager.
The Chassis Map provides multiple view overlays to track health, firmware inventory, and
environmental metrics.
Configuration management for repeatable setup of compute, network, and storage
devices.
Remote presence application for remote access to compute nodes with single sign-on.
Quick search provides results as you type.
Beyond the physical world of inventory, configuration, and monitoring, IBM Flex System
Manager enables virtualization and workload optimization for a new class of computing:
Resource usage: Detects congestion, notification policies, and relocation of physical and
virtual machines that include storage and network configurations within the network fabric.

6


Resource pooling: Pooled network switching, with placement advisors that consider virtual
machine (VM) compatibility, processor, availability, and energy.
Intelligent automation: Automated and dynamic VM placement that is based on usage,
hardware predictive failure alerts, and host failures.
Figure 1-2 shows the IBM Flex System Manager appliance.

Figure 1-2 IBM Flex System Manager

1.2.2 IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis
The IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis is the foundation of the Flex System offering, which
features 14 standard (half-width) Flex System form factor compute node bays in a 10U
chassis that delivers high-performance connectivity for your integrated compute, storage,
networking, and management resources.
Up to a total of 28 independent servers can be accommodated in each Enterprise Chassis, if
double dense x222 compute nodes are deployed.
The chassis is designed to support multiple generations of technology, and offers
independently scalable resource pools for higher usage and lower cost per workload.
With the ability to handle up 14 Nodes, supporting the intermixing of IBM Power Systems and
Intel x86, the Enterprise Chassis provides flexibility and tremendous compute capacity in a
10U package. Additionally, the rear of the chassis accommodates four high speed I/O bays
that can accommodate up to 40 GbE high speed networking, 16 Gb Fibre Channel or 56 Gb
InfiniBand. With interconnecting compute nodes, networking, and storage that uses a high
performance and scalable mid-plane, the Enterprise Chassis can support latest high speed
networking technologies.
The ground-up design of the Enterprise Chassis reaches new levels of energy efficiency
through innovations in power, cooling, and air flow. Simpler controls and futuristic designs
allow the Enterprise Chassis to break free of “one size fits all” energy schemes.
The ability to support the workload demands of tomorrow’s workloads is built in with a new I/O
architecture, which provides choice and flexibility in fabric and speed. With the ability to use
Ethernet, InfiniBand, Fibre Channel (FC), Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), and iSCSI,
the Enterprise Chassis is uniquely positioned to meet the growing and future I/O needs of
large and small businesses.


7

Figure 1-3 shows the IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis.

Figure 1-3 The IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis

1.2.3 Compute nodes
IBM Flex System offers compute nodes that vary in architecture, dimension, and capabilities.
Optimized for efficiency, density, performance, reliability, and security, the portfolio includes a
range of IBM POWER® and Intel Xeon-based nodes that are designed to make full use of the
full capabilities of these processors that can be mixed within the same Enterprise Chassis.
Power Systems nodes are available in two and four socket variety, which uses the IBM
POWER7® & IBM POWER7+ processors. Also available is a POWER7 node that is
optimized for cost effective deployment of Linux.
Compute Nodes that use Intel processors are available that range from the two socket Intel
Xeon E5-2400 product family and the two socket Intel E5-2600 product family to the four
socket Intel E5-4800 product family.
Up to 28 two socket Intel Xeon E5-2400 servers can be deployed in a single enterprise
chassis where high-density cloud, virtual desktop, or server virtualization is wanted.

8


Figure 1-4 shows a four socket IBM POWER7 compute node, the p460.

Figure 1-4 IBM Flex System p460 Compute Node

The nodes are complemented with leadership I/O capabilities of up to 16 channels of
high-speed I/O lanes per standard wide node bay and 32 lanes per full wide node bay.
Various I/O adapters and matching I/O Modules are available.

1.2.4 Expansion nodes
Expansion nodes can be attached to certain standard form factor (half-width) Flex System
compute nodes, which allows the expansion of the nodes’ capabilities with locally attached
storage or PCIe adapters.
The IBM Flex System Storage Expansion Node provides locally attached disk expansion to
the x240 and x220. SAS and SATA disk are supported.
With the attachment of the IBM Flex System PCIe Expansion Node, an x220 or x240 can
have up to four PCIe adapters attached. High performance GPUs can also be installed within
the PCIe Expansion Node from companies such as Intel and NVIDIA.

1.2.5 Storage nodes
The storage capabilities of IBM Flex System give you advanced functionality with storage
nodes in your system and make full use of your existing storage infrastructure through
advanced virtualization.
Storage is available within the chassis by using the IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node
that integrates with the Flex System Chassis or externally with the IBM Storwize V7000.
IBM Flex System simplifies storage administration with a single user interface for all your
storage. The management console is integrated with the comprehensive management
system. These management and storage capabilities allow you to virtualize third-party
storage with nondisruptive migration of your current storage infrastructure. You can also make
use of intelligent tiering so you can balance performance and cost for your storage needs.
The solution also supports local and remote replication and snapshots for flexible business
continuity and disaster recovery capabilities.
Flex System can also be connected to various external storage systems.


9

1.2.6 I/O modules
The range of available modules and switches to support key network protocols allows you to
configure IBM Flex System to fit in your infrastructure. However, you can do so without
sacrificing the ability to be ready for the future. The networking resources in IBM Flex System
are standards-based, flexible, and fully integrated into the system. This combination gives you
no-compromise networking for your solution. Network resources are virtualized and managed
by workload. These capabilities are automated and optimized to make your network more
reliable and simpler to manage.
IBM Flex System gives you the following key networking capabilities:
Supports the networking infrastructure that you have today, including Ethernet, FC, FCoE,
and InfiniBand.
Offers industry-leading performance with 1 Gb, 10 Gb, and 40 Gb Ethernet, 8 Gb and
16 Gb Fibre Channel, QDR and FDR InfiniBand.
Provides pay-as-you-grow scalability so you can add ports and bandwidth when needed.
Networking in data centers is undergoing a transition from a discrete traditional model to a
more flexible, optimized model. The network architecture in IBM Flex System was designed to
address the key challenges customers are facing today in their data centers. The key focus
areas of the network architecture on this platform are unified network management, optimized
and automated network virtualization, and simplified network infrastructure.
Providing innovation, leadership, and choice in the I/O module portfolio uniquely positions
IBM Flex System to provide meaningful solutions to address customer needs.
Figure 1-5 shows the IBM Flex System Fabric EN4093R 10Gb Scalable Switch.

Figure 1-5 IBM Flex System Fabric EN4093R 10Gb Scalable Switch

1.3 This book
This book describes the IBM Flex System components in detail. It addresses the technology
and features of the chassis, compute nodes, management features, connectivity and storage
options. It starts with a description of the systems management features of the product
portfolio.

10


2

Chapter 2.

IBM PureFlex System
IBM PureFlex System is one member of the IBM PureSystems range of expert integrated
systems. PureSystems deliver Application as a Service (AaaS) such as the PureApplication
System and PureData™ System, and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which can be
enabled with IBM PureFlex System.
This chapter includes the following topics:
2.1, “Introduction” on page 12
2.2, “Components” on page 13
2.3, “PureFlex solutions” on page 15
2.4, “IBM PureFlex System Express” on page 17
2.5, “IBM PureFlex System Enterprise” on page 27
2.6, “Services for IBM PureFlex System Express and Enterprise” on page 36
2.7, “IBM SmartCloud Entry for Flex system” on page 39


11

2.1 Introduction
IBM PureFlex System provides an integrated computing system that combines servers,
enterprise storage, networking, virtualization, and management into a single structure. You
can use its built-in expertise to manage and flexibly deploy integrated patterns of virtual and
hardware resources through unified management.
PureFlex System includes the following features:
Configurations that ease acquisition experience and match your needs.
Optimized to align with targeted workloads and environments.
Designed for cloud with the SmartCloud Entry option.
Choice of architecture, operating system, and virtualization engine.
Designed for simplicity with integrated, single-system management across physical and
virtual resources.
Ships as a single integrated entity directly to you.
Includes factory integration and lab services optimization.
Revised in the fourth quarter of 2013, IBM PureFlex System now consolidates the three
previous offerings (Express, Standard, and Enterprise) into two simplified pre-integrated
offerings (Express and Enterprise) that support the latest compute, storage, and networking
requirements. Clients can select from either of these offerings that help simplify ordering and
configuration. As a result, PureFlex System helps cut the cost, time, and complexity of
system deployments, which reduces the time to gain real value.
Latest enhancements include support for the latest compute nodes, I/O modules, and I/O
adapters with the latest release of software, such as IBM SmartCloud Entry with the latest
Flex System Manager release.
PureFlex 4Q 2013 includes the following enhancements:
New PureFlex Express
New PureFlex Enterprise
New Rack offerings for Express: 25U, 42U (or none)
New compute nodes: x222, p270, p460
New networking support: 10 GbE Converged
New SmartCloud Entry v3.2 offering
The IBM PureFlex System includes the two following offerings:
Express: An infrastructure system for small-sized and midsized businesses; the most
cost-effective entry point with choice and flexibility to upgrade to higher function.
For more information, see 2.4, “IBM PureFlex System Express” on page 17.
Enterprise: An infrastructure system that is optimized for scalable cloud deployments with
built-in redundancy for highly reliable and resilient operation to support critical applications
and cloud services.
For more information, see 2.5, “IBM PureFlex System Enterprise” on page 27.

12


2.2 Components
A PureFlex System configuration features the following main components:
A preinstalled and configured IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis.
Choice of compute nodes with IBM POWER7, POWER7+, or Intel Xeon E5-2400 and
E5-2600 processors.
IBM Flex System Manager that is preinstalled with management software and licenses for
software activation.
IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node or IBM Storwize V7000 external storage system.
The following hardware components are preinstalled in the IBM PureFlex System rack:
– Express: 25U, 42U rack, or no rack configured
– Enterprise: 42U rack only
Choice of software:
– Operating system: IBM AIX®, IBM i, Microsoft Windows, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, or
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
– Virtualization software: IBM PowerVM®, KVM, VMware vSphere, or Microsoft Hyper V
– SmartCloud Entry 3.2 (for more information, see 2.7, “IBM SmartCloud Entry for Flex
system” on page 39)
Complete pre-integrated software and hardware
Optional onsite services available to get you up and running and provide skill transfer
The hardware differences between Express and Enterprise are summarized in Table 2-1. The
base configuration of the two offerings is shown that can be further customized within the IBM
configuration tools.
Table 2-1 PureFlex System hardware overview configurations
Components

PureFlex Express

PureFlex Enterprise

PureFlex Rack

Optional: 42U, 25U or no rack

Required: 42U Rack

Flex System Enterprise
Chassis

Required. Single chassis only

Required: Multi-chassis, 1, 2, or
3 chassis

Chassis power supplies
Minimum/maximum

2/6

2/6

Chassis Fans
minimum/maximum

4/8

4/8

Flex System Manager

Required

Required

Compute nodes (one minimum)
POWER or x86 based

p260, p270, p460, x220, x222,
x240, x440

p260, p270, p460, x220, x222,
x240, x440

VMware ESXi USB key

Selectable on x86 nodes

Selectable on x86 nodes

Top of rack switches

Optional: Integrated by client

Integrated by IBM

Integrated 1GbE switch

Selectable (redundant)


Integrated 10GbE switch



Integrated 16Gb Fibre Channel



Chapter 2. IBM PureFlex System

13

Components

PureFlex Express

PureFlex Enterprise

Converged 10GbE switch
(FCoE)

Selectable (Redundant or
non-redundant)


IBM Storwize V7000 or V7000
Storage Node

Required & selectable

Required and selectable

Media enclosure

Selectable DVD or DVD and
tape

Selectable DVD or DVD and
tape

PureFlex System software can also be customized in a similar manner to the hardware
components of the two offerings. Enterprise has a slightly different composition of software
defaults than Express, which are summarized in Table 2-2.
Table 2-2 PureFlex software defaults overview
Software

Express

Enterprise

Storage

Storwize V7000 or Flex System V7000 Base
Real Time Compression (optional)

Flex System Manager (FSM)

FSM Standard
Upgradeable to Advanced

FSM advanced
Selectable to Standarda

IBM Virtualization

PowerVM Standard
Upgradeable to Enterprise

PowerVM Enterprise
Selectable to Standard

Virtualization customer
installed

VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, Red Hat, and SUSE Linux

Operating systems

AIX Standard (V6 and V7), IBM i (7.1, 6.1). RHEL (6), SUSE
(SLES 11)
Customer installed: Windows Server, RHEL, SLES

Security

Power SC Standard (AIX only)
Tivoli Provisioning Manager (x86 only)

Cloud

SmartCloud Entry (optional)

Software maintenance

Standard 1 year, upgradeable to three years

a. Advanced is required for Power Systems

2.2.1 Configurator for IBM PureFlex System
For the latest Express and Enterprise PureFlex System offerings, the e-config configuration
tool must be used. Configurations that are composed of either/or x86 and Power Systems
compute nodes are configurable. The e-config configurator is available at this website:
http://ibm.com/services/econfig/announce/

14


2.3 PureFlex solutions
To enhance the integrated offerings that are available from IBM, two new PureFlex based
solutions are available. One is focused on IBM i and the other on Virtual Desktop.
These solutions, which can be selected within the IBM configurators for ease of ordering, are
integrated at the IBM factory before they are delivered to the client.
Services are also available to complement these PureFlex Solutions offerings.

2.3.1 PureFlex Solution for IBM i
The IBM PureFlex System Solution for IBM i is a combination of IBM i and an IBM PureFlex
System with POWER and x86 processor-based compute nodes that provides a completely
integrated business system.
By consolidating their IBM i and x86 based applications onto a single platform, the solution
offers an attractive alternative for small and midsized clients who want to reduce IT costs and
complexity in a mixed environment.
The PureFlex Solution for IBM i is based on the PureFlex Express offering and includes the
following features:
Complete integrated hardware and software solution:
– Simple, one button ordering fully enabled in configurator
– All hardware is pre-configured, integrated, and cabled
– Software preinstall of IBM i OS, PowerVM, Flex System Manager, and V7000 Storage
software
Reliability and redundancy IBM i clients demand:
– Redundant switches and I/O
– Pre-configured Dual VIOS servers
– Internal storage with pre-configured drives RAID and Mirrored
Optimally sized to get started quickly:
– p260 compute node configured for IBM i
– x86 compute node configured for x86 workloads
– Ideal for infrastructure consolidation of multiple workloads
Management integration across all resources
Flex System Manager simplifies management of all resources within PureFlex
IBM Lab Services (optional) to accelerate deployment
Skilled PureFlex and IBM i experts perform integration, deployment, and migration
services onsite from IBM or can be Business Partner delivered.


15

2.3.2 PureFlex Solution for SmartCloud Desktop Infrastructure
The IBM PureFlex System Solution for SmartCloud Desktop Infrastructure (SDI) offers lower
costs and complexity of existing desktop environments while securely manages a growing
mobile workforce.
This integrated infrastructure solution is made available for clients who want to deploy
desktop virtualization. It is optimized to deliver performance, fast time to value, and security
for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environments.
The solution uses IBM’s breadth of hardware offerings, software, and services to complete
successful VDI deployments. It contains predefined configurations that are highlighted in the
reference architectures that include integrated Systems Management and VDI management
nodes.
PureFlex Solution for SDI provides performance and flexibility for VDI and includes the
following features:
Choice of compute nodes for specific client requirements, including x222 high-density
node.
Windows Storage Servers and Flex System V7000 Storage Node provide block and file
storage for non-persistent and persistent VDI deployments.
Flex System Manager and Virtual Desktop Management Servers easily and efficiently
manage virtual desktops and VDI infrastructure.
Converged FCoE offers clients superior networking performance.
Windows 2012 and VMware View are available.
New Reference Architectures for Citrix Xen Desktop and VMware View are available.
For more information about these and other VDI offerings, see the IBM SmartCloud Desktop
Infrastructure page at this website:
http://ibm.com/systems/virtualization/desktop-virtualization/

16


2.4 IBM PureFlex System Express
The tables in this section represent the hardware, software, and services that make up an
IBM PureFlex System Express offering. The following items are described:
2.4.1, “Available Express configurations”
2.4.2, “Chassis” on page 20
2.4.3, “Compute nodes” on page 20
2.4.4, “IBM Flex System Manager” on page 21
2.4.5, “PureFlex Express storage requirements and options” on page 21
2.4.6, “Video, keyboard, mouse option” on page 24
2.4.7, “Rack cabinet” on page 25
2.4.8, “Available software for Power Systems compute nodes” on page 25
2.4.9, “Available software for x86-based compute nodes” on page 26
To specify IBM PureFlex System Express in the IBM ordering system, specify the indicator
feature code that is listed in Table 2-3 for each machine type.
Table 2-3 Express indicator feature code
AAS feature code

XCC feature code

Description

EFDA

Not applicable

IBM PureFlex System Express Indicator Feature Code

EBM1

Not applicable

IBM PureFlex System Express with PureFlex Solution for IBM i
Indicator Feature Code

2.4.1 Available Express configurations
The PureFlex Express configuration is available in a single chassis as a traditional Ethernet
and Fibre Channel combination or converged networking configurations that use Fibre
Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) or Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI). The
required storage in these configurations can be an IBM Storwize V7000 or an IBM Flex
System V7000 Storage Node. Compute nodes can be Power or x86 based, or a combination
of both.
The IBM Flex System Manager provides the system management for the PureFlex
environment
Ethernet and Fibre Channel combinations have the following characteristics:
Power, x86 or hybrid combinations of compute nodes
1Gb or 10Gb Ethernet adapters or LAN on Motherboard (LOM, x86 only)
1Gb or 10Gb Ethernet switches
16Gb (or 8Gb for x86 only) Fibre Channel adapters
16Gb (or 8Gb for x86 only) Fibre Channel switches
FCoE configurations have the following characteristics:
Power, x86 or hybrid combinations of compute nodes
10Gb Converged Network Adapters (CNA) or LOM (x86 only)
10Gb Converged Network switch or switches

Configurations
There are seven different configurations that are orderable within the PureFlex express
offering. These offerings cover various redundant and non-redundant configurations with the
different types of protocol and storage controllers.


17

Table 2-4 summarizes the PureFlex Express offerings.
Table 2-4 PureFlex Express Offerings
Configuration

1A

2A

2B

3A

3B

4A

4B

Networking
Ethernet

10 GbE

10 GbE

10GbE

1 GbE

1 GbE

10 GbE

10 GbE

Networking Fibre
Channel

FCoE

FCoE

FCoE

16 Gb

16 Gb

16 Gb

16 Gb

Number of
Switches (up to
16)a

1

2

2

4

4

4

4

V7000 Storage
node or Storwize
V7000

V7000
Storage
Node

V7000
Storage
Node

Storwize
V7000

V7000
Storage
Node

Storwize
V7000

V7000
Storage
Node

Storwize
V7000

Chassis

1 Chassis with 2 Chassis management modules, fans, and power supple units (PSUs)

Rack

None or 42U or 25U (+PDUs)

TF3 KVM Tray

Optional

Media Enclosure

DVD only

V7000 Options

Storage Options: (24 HDD, 22 HDD + 2 SSD, 20 HDD + 4 SSD or Custom)
Storwize expansion (limit to single rack in Express, overflow storage rack in Enterprise), nine units per controller
Up to two Storwize V7000 controllers and up to nine IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Nodes.

V7000 Content

VIOS, AIX, IBM i, and SCE on first Controller

Nodes

P260, p270, p460, x222, x240, x220, x440

POWER Nodes
Ethernet I/O
Adapters

CN4058 8-port 10Gb Converged Adapter

EN2024 4-port 1Gb Ethernet
Adapter

POWER nodes
Fibre Channel I/O
Adapters

Not applicable

FC5054 4-port 16Gb FC Adapter

x86 Nodes
Ethernet I/O
adapters

CN4054 10Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter

EN2024 4-port 1Gb Ethernet
Adapter
LAN on Motherboard (2port
10GbE)

x86 Nodes
Fibre Channel I/O
Adapters

Not applicable

FC5022 16Gb 2-port Fibre Channel adapter
FC3052 8Gb 2-port Fibre Channel adapter
FC5024D 4-port Fibre Channel adapter

ESXi USB Key

Optional with x86 Nodes

Port FoD
Activations

Ports are computed during configuration based on chassis switch, node type, and the I/O adapter selection.

IBM i PureFlex
Solution

Not Configurable

VDI PureFlex
Solution

Not configurable

DVD and Tape

Available

Not
Configurable

a. Switches that are required are determined by total number of racks

18


EN4054 4-port 10Gb
Ethernet Adapter

EN4054 4-port 10Gb
Ethernet Adapter
LAN on Motherboard (2-port
10GbE)

Available

Not
Configurable

Example configuration
There are seven configurations for PureFlex Express as described in Table 2-4 on page 18.
Configuration 2B features a single chassis with an external V7000 Storwize controller. This
solution uses FCoE and includes the Converged Switch module CN3093 to provide an FC
Forwarder. This means that only converged adapters must be installed on the node and that
the CN4093 breaks out Ethernet and Fibre Channel externally from the chassis.
Figure 2-1 shows the connections, including the Fibre Channel and Ethernet data networks
and the management network that is presented to the Access Points within the PureFlex
Rack. The green box signifies the chassis and its components with the inter-switch link
between the two switches.
Because this is an Express solution, it is an entry configuration.

Node Bays
1 to 14
CN4093

CMM

CN4093

CMM

ISL

Access
Points

StoreWize
V7000

Midplane Connections
Management 1GbE
Data 10GbE
Data 40GbE
Data 8Gb FC

Label
Label

Chassis Boundary
Chassis Elements
Rack Mounted Elements

Figure 2-1 PureFlex Express with FCoE and external V7000 Storwize


19

2.4.2 Chassis
The IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis contains all the components of the PureFlex
Express configuration with the exception of the IBM Storwize V7000 and any expansion
enclosure. The chassis is installed in a 25U or 42U rack. The compute nodes, storage nodes,
switch modules and IBM Flex System Manager are installed in the chassis. When the V7000
Storage Node is chosen as the storage type, a “no rack” option is also available.
Table 2-5 lists the major components of the Enterprise Chassis, including the switches and
options.
Feature codes: The tables in this section do not list all feature codes. Some
features are not listed here for brevity.
Table 2-5 Components of the chassis and switches
AAS feature code

XCC feature code

Description

7893-92X

8721-HC1

IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis

7955-01M

8731-AC1


A0TF

3598

IBM Flex System EN2092 1Gb Ethernet Scalable Switch

ESW7

A3J6

IBM Flex System Fabric EN4093R 10Gb Scalable Switch

ESW2

A3HH

IBM Flex System Fabric CN4093 10Gb Converged Scalable Switch

EB28

5053

IBM SFP+ SR Transceiver

EB29

3268

IBM SFP RJ45 Transceiver

3286

5075

IBM 8Gb SFP+ Software Optical Transceiver

3771

A2RQ

IBM Flex System FC5022 24-port 16Gb ESB SAN Scalable Switch

5370

5084

Brocade 8Gb SFP+ Software Optical Transceiver

9039

A0TM

Base Chassis Management Module

3592

A0UE

Additional Chassis Management Module

2.4.3 Compute nodes
The PureFlex System Express requires at least one of the following compute nodes:
IBM Flex System p24l, p260, p270, or p460 Compute Nodes, IBM POWER7, or
POWER7+ based (see Table 2-6)
IBM Flex System x220, x222, x240, or x440 Compute Nodes, x86 based (see Table 2-7 on
page 21)
Table 2-6 Power Based Compute Nodes
AAS feature code

MTM

Description

0497

1457-7FL

IBM Flex System p24L Compute Node

0437

7895-22x


ECSD

7895-23A

IBM Flex System p260 Compute Node (POWER7+, 4 cores only)

20


AAS feature code

MTM

Description

ECS3

7895-23X

IBM Flex System p260 Compute Node (POWER7+)

0438

7895-42X


ECS9

7895-43X


ECS4

7954-24X


Table 2-7 x86 based compute nodes
AAS feature code

MTM

Description

ECS7

7906-25X


ECSB

7916-27X


0457

7863-10X


ECSB

7917-45X


2.4.4 IBM Flex System Manager
The IBM Flex System Manager (FSM) is a high-performance, scalable system management
appliance. It is based on the IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node. The FSM hardware
comes preinstalled with Systems Management software that you can use to configure,
monitor, and manage IBM PureFlex Systems.
The IBM Flex System Manager 7955-01M includes the following features:
Intel Xeon E5-2650 8C 2.0GHz 20MB 1600MHz 95W
32GB of 1333MHz RDIMMs memory
Two 200GB, 1.8", SATA MLC SSD in a RAID 1 configuration
1TB 2.5” SATA 7.2K RPM hot-swap 6 Gbps HDD
IBM Open Fabric Manager
Optional FSM advanced, which adds VM Control Enterprise license

2.4.5 PureFlex Express storage requirements and options
The PureFlex Express configuration requires a SAN-attached storage system.
The following storage options are available:
IBM Storwize V7000
The required number of drives depends on drive size and compute node type. All storage is
configured with RAID-5 with a single hot spare that is included in the total number of drives.
The following configurations are available:
Power Systems compute nodes only, 16 x 300GB, or 8 x 600GB drives
Hybrid (Power and x86), 16 x 300GB, or 8 x 600GB drives
Multi-chassis configurations require 24x 300GB drives
SmartCloud Entry is optional with Express; if selected, the following drives are available:
– x86 based nodes only, including SmartCloud Entry, 8 x 300 GB, or 8x 600 GB drives
– Hybrid (both Power and x86) with SmartCloud Entry, 16x 300 GB, or 600 GB drives

21

Solid-state drives (SSDs) are optional. However, if they are added to the configuration, they
are normally used for the V7000 Easy Tier® function, which improves system performance.

IBM Storwize V7000
The IBM Storwize V7000 that is shown in Figure 2-2 is one of the two storage options that is
available in a PureFlex Express configuration. This option is installed in the same rack as the
chassis. Other expansion units can be added in the same rack or an adjoining rack,
depending on the quantity that is ordered.

Figure 2-2 IBM Storwize V7000

The IBM Storwize V7000 consists of the following components, disk, and software options:
IBM Storwize V7000 Controller (2076-124)
SSDs:
– 200 GB 2.5-inch
– 400 GB 2.5-inch
Hard disk drives (HDDs):
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

300 GB 2.5-inch 10K
300 GB 2.5-inch 15K
600 GB 2.5-inch 10K
800 GB 2.5-inch 10K
900 GB 2.5-inch 10K
1 TB 2.5-inch 7.2K
1.2 TB 2.5-inch 10K

Expansion Unit (2076-224): up to 9 per V7000 Controller
IBM Storwize V7000 Expansion Enclosure (24 disk slots)
Optional software:
– IBM Storwize V7000 Remote Mirroring
– IBM Storwize V7000 External Virtualization
– IBM Storwize V7000 Real-time Compression™

IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node (as shown in Figure 2-3 on page 23) is one of the two
storage options that is available in a PureFlex Express configuration. This option uses four
compute node bays (2 wide x 2 high) in the Flex chassis. Up to two expansion units can also
be in the Flex chassis, each using four compute node bays. External expansion units are also
supported.

22


Figure 2-3 IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node

The IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Node consists of the following components, disk, and
software options:
IBM Storwize V7000 Controller (4939-A49)
SSDs:
– 200GB 2.5-inch
– 400GB 2.5-inch
– 800 GB 2.5-inch
HDDs:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

300GB 2.5-inch 10K
300GB 2.5-inch 15K
600GB 2.5-inch 10K
800GB 2.5-inch 10K
900GB 2.5-inch 10K
1 TB 2.5-inch 7.2K
1.2TB 2.5-inch 10K

Expansion Unit (4939-A29)
IBM Storwize V7000 Expansion Enclosure (24 disk slots)
Optional software:
– IBM Storwize V7000 Remote Mirroring
– IBM Storwize V7000 External Virtualization
– IBM Storwize V7000 Real-time Compression

7226 Multi-Media Enclosure
The 7226 system (as shown in Figure 2-4) is a rack-mounted enclosure that can be added to
any PureFlex Express configuration and features two drive bays that can hold one or two tape
drives, and up to four slim-design DVD-RAM drives. These drives can be mixed in any
combination of any available drive technology or electronic interface in a single 7226
Multimedia Storage Enclosure.

Figure 2-4 7226 Multi-Media Enclosure


23

The 7226 enclosure media devices offers support for SAS, USB, and Fibre Channel
connectivity, depending on the drive. Support in a PureFlex configuration includes the
external USB and Fibre Channel connections.
Table 2-8 shows the Multi-Media Enclosure and available PureFlex options.
Table 2-8 Multi-Media Enclosure and options
Machine type

Feature Code

Description

7226

Model 1U3

Multi-Media Enclosure

7226-1U3

5763

DVD Sled with DVD-RAM USB Drive

7226-1U3

8248

Half-high LTO Ultrium 5FC Tape Drive

7226-1U3

8348

Half-high LTO Ultrium 6 FC Tape Drive

2.4.6 Video, keyboard, mouse option
The IBM 7316 Flat Panel Console Kit that is shown in Figure 2-5 is an option to any PureFlex
Express configuration that can provide local console support for the FSM and x86 based
compute nodes.

Figure 2-5 IBM 7316 Flat Panel Console

The console is a 19-inch, rack-mounted 1U unit that includes a language-specific IBM Travel
Keyboard. The console kit is used with the Console Breakout cable that is shown in figure
Figure 2-6. This cable provides serial, video, and two USB ports. The Console Breakout cable
can be attached to the keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) connector on the front panel of x86
based compute nodes, including the FSM.

Figure 2-6 Console Breakout cable

24


IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and Technology

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

Was ist angesagt? (18)

Ähnlich wie IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and Technology

Ähnlich wie IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and Technology (20)

Mehr von IBM India Smarter Computing

Mehr von IBM India Smarter Computing (20)

Kürzlich hochgeladen

Kürzlich hochgeladen (20)

IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and Technology