IBM NeXtScale System User Manual

100 IBM NeXtScale System Planning and Implementation Guide
More network adapters are offered as part of the IBM Intelligent Cluster program,
as listed in Table 4-26.
Table 4-26 Network adapters that are offered as part of the Intelligent Cluster program
47C9977 A522 Solarflare SFN7122F 2x10GbE SFP+ Flareon Ultra for IBM System x
Gigabit Ethernet
90Y9352 A2V3 Broadcom NetXtreme I Quad Port GbE Adapter for IBM System x
90Y9370 A2V4 Broadcom NetXtreme I Dual Port GbE Adapter for IBM System x
49Y4230 5767 Intel Ethernet Dual Port Server Adapter I340-T2 for IBM System x
49Y4240 5768 Intel Ethernet Quad Port Server Adapter I340-T4 for IBM System x
InfiniBand
00D9550 A3PN Mellanox ConnectX-3 FDR VPI IB/E Adapter for IBM System x
Part number Feature code Description
Part number Feature code Description
40 Gb Ethernet
46W0620 A4H5 Chelsio T580-LP-CR Dual-port (QSFP+) 40GbE PCI-E 3.0 Adapter
95Y3459 A2F8 Mellanox ConnectX-3 EN Dual-port QSFP+ 40GbE Adapter
10 Gb Ethernet
00AE047 A4K1 Mellanox ConnectX-3 EN Single-port SFP+ 10GbE Adapter
00W0053 A2ZQ Mellanox ConnectX-3 EN Dual-port SFP+ 10GbE Adapter
00Y7006 A3G7 Brocade 1860 Dual-port SFP+ 10GbE Fabric Adapter
00Y7026 A3GE Brocade 1860 Single-port SFP+ 10GbE Fabric Adapter
46W0609 A4H3 Chelsio T520-LL-CR Dual-port (SFP+) 10GbE PCI-E 3.0 Adapter
46W0615 A4H4 Chelsio T540-CR Quad-port (SFP+) 10GbE PCI-E 3.0 Adapter
InfiniBand
00W0037 A2YE Mellanox ConnectX-3 VPI Single-port QSFP FDR IB HCA
00W0041 A2YF Mellanox ConnectX-3 VPI Dual-port QSFP FDR IB HCA
46W0571 A44E Mellanox Connect-IB Dual-port QSFP FDR IB PCI-E 3.0 x16 HCA
59Y1888 5763 Intel QLE7340 single-port 4X QDR IB x8 PCI-E 2.0 HCA

IBM NeXtScale System Specifications

General

Number of Processors	Up to 2 per node
Form Factor	Rack-mounted
Product Type	Server
Processor	Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3/v4 series
Memory	DDR4
Storage	NVMe
Networking	Integrated 10Gb Ethernet
Power Supply	Hot-swappable power supplies
Management	Integrated Management Module (IMM)

Summary

Chapter 1: Introduction to IBM NeXtScale System

1.1 Evolution of Data Centers

Discusses trends in data centers, focusing on density and scale-out applications.

1.2 Executive Summary of IBM NeXtScale System

Provides an overview of the NeXtScale System, its enclosure, and compute node.

1.3 Design Points of the System

Details the system's design principles: flexibility, density, simplicity, and standard components.

Chapter 2: NeXtScale System Positioning and Market Overview

2.1 Market Positioning and Workload Optimization

Explains market positioning and how the system is optimized for specific workloads like cloud and HPC.

2.3 NeXtScale System vs. iDataPlex

Compares IBM NeXtScale System with iDataPlex, highlighting key differences and similarities.

2.5 NeXtScale System vs. Rack-Mounted Servers

Compares NeXtScale System with traditional rack-mounted servers, detailing advantages and limitations.

2.6 Ordering and Fulfillment

Details the process for ordering and fulfilling NeXtScale System configurations.

Chapter 3: IBM NeXtScale n1200 Enclosure Details

3.1 Overview of the n1200 Enclosure

Introduces the IBM NeXtScale n1200 Enclosure as a dense server platform.

3.4 Power Supplies for NeXtScale

Describes the supported power supplies for the n1200 enclosure, including features and ordering.

3.5 Fan Modules for Cooling

Details the fan modules used for cooling in the n1200 enclosure.

3.7 Fan and Power Controller (FPC)

Explains the function and management capabilities of the Fan and Power Controller (FPC).

3.8 Power Management Features

Covers power management features like power capping, redundancy, and oversubscription.

3.9 Enclosure Specifications

Provides physical and environmental specifications for the n1200 enclosure.

Chapter 4: IBM NeXtScale nx360 M4 Compute Node

4.1 Overview of the nx360 M4 Compute Node

Provides an overview of the nx360 M4 compute node and its cost-optimized platform.

4.2 System Architecture

Details the system architecture, including Intel processors and manufacturing technology.

4.5 Processor Options

Lists the available Intel Xeon processor options for the nx360 M4 compute node.

4.6 Memory Options

Describes memory compatibility, options, and installation for optimal performance.

4.7 Internal Disk Storage Options

Details internal storage options, drive types, and controller cards.

4.10 GPU and Coprocessor Adapters

Lists supported GPU and coprocessor adapters for expansion trays.

4.15 Remote Server Management

Covers remote server management using the Integrated Management Module II (IMM2).

4.17 Physical Specifications

Provides physical dimensions, weight, and environmental specifications for the compute node.

Chapter 5: Rack Planning and Configuration

5.1 Power Planning Best Practices

Outlines best practices for configuring power connections and distribution for racks.

5.2 Cooling Considerations

Discusses cooling considerations for server solutions and factors influencing air volume.

5.4 Rack Installation and Options

Describes installing NeXtScale System in racks, focusing on the IBM 42U 1100mm rack.

5.6 Top of Rack Switches

Details the Ethernet switches available for top-of-rack deployment in NeXtScale racks.

5.7 Rack-Level Networking Configurations

Presents sample configurations for rack-level networking with NeXtScale systems.

Chapter 6: Factory Integration and Testing

6.1 IBM Standards for Factory Integration

Outlines the criteria and best practices for IBM factory integration.

6.2 Factory Testing Procedures

Details the typical testing procedures performed during factory integration.

Chapter 7: Hardware Management and Monitoring

7.1 Managing Compute Nodes

Covers local and remote management of compute nodes via KVM and IMM2.

7.2 Managing the Chassis with FPC

Explains how to manage the n1200 Enclosure using the FPC via web interface or IPMI.

7.3 ServeRAID C100 Controller Drivers

Provides information on installing drivers for the ServeRAID C100 controller.

7.4 VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) Support

Discusses support and installation of VMware vSphere Hypervisor on USB keys.

Chapter 8: Software Stack for IBM NeXtScale

8.1 eXtreme Cloud Administration Toolkit (xCAT)

Describes xCAT, an open-source tool for managing HPC clusters.

8.3 IBM General Parallel File System (GPFS)

Details GPFS, a high-performance shared-disk file management solution.

8.4 IBM Platform LSF Family

Introduces IBM Platform LSF, a workload management platform for HPC environments.

8.5 IBM Platform HPC

Describes IBM Platform HPC, a complete management product for clusters and workloads.