Dell PowerEdge R420 Technical Manual
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Dell PowerEdge R420 Technical Manual

Technical guide
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See also: Owner's Manual , Installation Manual
PowerEdge R420
Technical Guide
The powerful 2-socket,
1U Dell PowerEdge R420
rack server delivers
double-down density
for web serving,
collaboration and high-
performance computing.

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Summary of Contents for Dell PowerEdge R420

  • Page 1 PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide The powerful 2-socket, 1U Dell PowerEdge R420 rack server delivers double-down density for web serving, collaboration and high- performance computing.
  • Page 2 Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, EqualLogic, PowerVault, PowerConnect, OpenManage, KACE, and ReadyRails are trademarks of Dell, Inc. Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, SQL Server, BitLocker, ActiveX, Internet Explorer, and Hyper- V are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Cable management arm..............................33 10 Operating systems and virtualization ........................... 34 Supported operating systems ............................34 Supported virtualization ..............................35 11 Dell OpenManage systems management ........................36 Systems management solutions ........................... 36 OpenManage systems management ........................... 37 Dell server management operations ..........................42 Appendix A.
  • Page 4 Appendix D. System board block diagram ........................51 Tables Table 1. New technologies ..............................6 Table 2. Comparing the PowerEdge R410 to PowerEdge R420 ................. 7 Table 3. Technical specifications ............................8 Table 4. Chassis features ..............................12 Table 5.

  • Page 5: System Overview

    1 System overview Introduction The Dell™ PowerEdge™ R420 is a 2- socket, 1U rack- mount server offering powerful performance and scalability in a dense 1U rack form factor. It is an excellent fit for compute- intense applications and high- performance computing (HPC) workloads. The R420’s low profile also makes it highly attractive for departmental email, workgroup collaboration, and file and print in space- constrained environments at departmental or remote sites of large businesses and public organizations.

  • Page 6: New Technologies

    New technologies Table 1 summarizes the newest technologies used in the Dell PowerEdge R420 rack server. Table 1. New technologies New technologies Detailed descriptions Intel Xeon processor This new family of Intel processors has embedded PCIe lanes for improved I/O E5-2400 product family performance.

  • Page 7: System Features

    2 System features Compared to the previous generation of Dell PowerEdge servers, the R420 supports more PCIe slots, PCIe 3.0, more memory, and advanced system management. Table 2 compares some of the features of the R420 to its R410 predecessor. Table 3 lists all of the R420’s specifications.

  • Page 8: Specifications

    Specifications Table 3 summarizes the specifications for each of the PowerEdge R420 features. For the latest information on supported features for the PowerEdge R420, visit Dell.com. Table 3. Technical specifications Feature PowerEdge R420 technical specification Form factor 1U rack Processors...
  • Page 9 Dell OpenManage • OpenManage Integrations and Connections: Systems Management ® OpenManage Integration Suite for Microsoft System Center (Agent-free or with Dell Management Plug- in for VMware vCenter™ OpenManage Server ® ® ® ® Connections for HP Operations Manager, IBM Tivoli...
  • Page 10 Feature PowerEdge R420 technical specification (Telco) racks ® ® Microsoft Windows Server 2012 ® Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, x64 (includes Hyper- V ® Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2011 ® ® Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server ® ®...

  • Page 11: Chassis Views And Features

    3 Chassis views and features The Dell PowerEdge R420 is a 1U, 2- socket rack server. For additional system views and features, see the Dell PowerEdge R420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals. Chassis views Figure 1 shows the features on the front of the R420 chassis including eight 2.5- inch hard drives, control panel, USB connectors, and many other components and features described in this guide.

  • Page 12: Chassis Features

    Hard drives Up to eight 2.5- inch drives USB connectors Connects USB devices to the server Information tag Slide- out label panel for recording system information Video connector Connects a monitor to the server PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 13: Figure 5. Lcd Control Panel

    Quick Resource Locator (QRL)— a model- specific Quick Response (QR) code that is located inside the R420 chassis cover (see Figure 6). Use your smartphone to access the Dell QRL app to learn more about the server. Figure 6.

  • Page 14: Table 5. Security Features

    • Contact Dell directly (by link) to get in touch with technical support and sales teams and provide feedback to Dell These codes provide an easy way to retrieve the critical support information you need when you need it, making you more efficient and effective in managing your hardware.

  • Page 15: Processor

    For more information on the Intel Xeon processor E5- 2400 product family, visit Intel.com. Supported processors Table 6 lists the Intel Xeon processors supported by the PowerEdge R420. For the latest information on supported processors, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge. PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 16: Chipset

    10MB 6.4GT/s 1066MT/s Dell PowerEdge R420 Systems For information on processor installation and configuration, see the Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals. Chipset The Intel C600 chipset is implemented on the PowerEdge R420. For more information, visit Intel.com. PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 17: Memory

    5 Memory The large memory footprint of the Dell PowerEdge R420 offers greater capacities, higher frequencies, and more flexibility. The R420 supports up to 384GB of memory (12 DIMM slots) and speeds of up to 1600MT/s, providing high performance in a variety of applications. The new reliability, availability, serviceability (RAS) features like memory mirroring and sparing help you increase your uptime and reduce data loss.

  • Page 18: Memory Configurations

    DIMMs should be installed with largest rank count to smallest. For example, if DR DIMMS are mixed with SR DIMMs, DR DIMMS should be placed in the lowest DIMM slots, followed by the SR DIMMs. Dell PowerEdge R420 Systems Owner’s For more information on memory configuration, see the Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals.

  • Page 19: Memory Speed

    ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ *Although the R420 supports DIMM speeds of 800MT/s and 1066MT/s, you can only purchase this system with DIMM speeds of 1333MT/s and 1600MT/s on Dell.com. PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 20: Memory Ras Features

    Memory thermal This feature helps to optimize power/performance and can also be used to throttling prevent DIMMs from overheating. Dell PowerEdge R420 For information on memory mirroring and sparing configurations, see the Systems Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals. PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 21: Storage

    6 Storage The Dell PowerEdge R420 supports internal and external storage options and controllers, different drive types, and different chassis configurations for a varied number of drives. Features such as CacheCade™ provide accelerated performance over previous technologies. CacheCade uses Dell PERC storage controllers to accelerate performance over hard drives or traditional solid- state drives.

  • Page 22: External Storage

    External storage for the R420 is available through optional HBAs for SAS and iSCSI. For more information, see Dell.com/Storage. Storage controllers Dell provides highly capable RAID options for you to ensure that your data remains safe. Dell’s RAID controller options offer impressive performance improvements, including the following features: •...

  • Page 23: Optical Drive

    4 physical disks or 8 expansion, Microsoft embedded RAID virtual disks Windows only SATA Table 13 lists the storage matrix for the R420 hard drives, backplanes, and Dell PERC cards. Table 13. Hard-drive backplane options Backplane options Controller Drive types 3.5” SATA 4 x 3.5”...

  • Page 24: Networking And Pcie

    The R420 provides expanded PCIe slot capability over the previous servers. This is made possible by the 24 PCIe lanes available from each processor in the system. Dell designed the R420 to be PCIe 3.0- compliant in order to take full advantage of the processor capabilities.

  • Page 25: Table 15. Supported Nics And Hbas

    Brocade BR815 8Gb Brocade BR825 8Gb For the latest information on all supported add- in PCIe expansion cards for the R420, visit Dell.com. GPU and HIC cards The R420 has limited support for external graphics processing unit (GPU) technology and interface card solutions through the PowerEdge C410x series 3U external PCIe through a hardware interface card (HIC).

  • Page 26: Power, Thermal, And Acoustics

    Table 16 lists the tools and technologies Dell offers to help you achieve your data center goals by lowering power consumption and increasing energy efficiency.

  • Page 27: Power Supply Units

    Thermal control of fan speed optimizes the thermal settings for your environment to reduce fan consumption and lower system power consumption. Idle power enables Dell servers to run as efficiently when idle as when at full workload. With the thermal design and reliability of Dell products, you can have the...

  • Page 28: Thermal And Acoustics

    Figure 7. 550W power supply unit The PowerEdge R420 supports up to two AC PSUs with 1 + 1 redundancy, auto- sensing, and auto- switching capability. The 350W redundant PSU (1 or 1 + 1) is recommended for a one- processor configuration; the 350W PSU in a two- processor configuration may not provide sufficient power, which may impact system performance.

  • Page 29: Acoustical Design

    The acoustical design of the PowerEdge R420 reflects the following: • Versatility: The PowerEdge R420 saves you power draw in the data center, but it also is quiet enough for the office environment in typical and minimum configurations. Compare the values for LpA in Table 18 for these configurations, and note that they are lower than ambient measurements of typical office environments.

  • Page 30: Table 18. Acoustical Performance

    Idle: Reference ISO 7779 (2010) definition 3.1.7; system is running in its operating system but no other specific activity. Stress: An operating mode per ISO 7779 (2010) definition 3.1.6. The software SPECPower at 50% is activated to stress the processors and DIMM. For more information on Dell’s acoustical design, see the Dell Enterprise Acoustics white paper.

  • Page 31: Rack Rails And Cable Management

    9 Rack rails and cable management The sliding and static rail systems for the Dell PowerEdge R420 provide tool- less support for 4- post racks with square or unthreaded round mounting holes. Both rail systems also support tooled mounting in 4- post threaded racks, and the static rails support tooled mounting in 2- post (Telco) racks as well for added versatility.

  • Page 32: Table 19. Supported Rack Types

    For detailed information about static and sliding rails, see the Rack rail specifications section in Rack Installation Appendix A. For more information on installing the R420 in a rack, see the Instructions on Support.Dell.com/Manuals. PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 33: Cable Management Arm

    • Low- profile fixed tray to both support and retain the CMA in its fully closed position • Ability to mount the CMA and tray without the use of tools, due to snap- in designs PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 34: Operating Systems And Virtualization

    10 Operating systems and virtualization The Dell PowerEdge R420 supports a wide range of industry- standard operating systems and virtualization software. Supported operating systems Table 20 lists the primary operating systems supported on the R420. For the latest information on supported operating systems, see Dell.com/OSsupport.

  • Page 35: Supported Virtualization

    Supported virtualization One of the key features for virtualization on the PowerEdge R420 is the support for a fail- safe hypervisor. By running a hypervisor on an optional SD card and installing a backup copy on the other mirrored SD card, you can protect against hardware failure and maximize virtualization uptime.

  • Page 36: Dell Openmanage Systems Management

    Systems management solutions Dell systems management solutions include a wide variety of tools, products, and services that enable you to leverage an existing systems management framework. As shown in Figure 10, Dell systems management solutions are centered around OpenManage server management, featuring iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller.

  • Page 37: Openmanage Systems Management

    Dell PowerEdge servers. iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 7 (iDRAC7) with Lifecycle Controller is the heart of the second generation of Dell PowerEdge server embedded management functionality. In addition to enabling agent- free management, iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller provides remote access to the system—...

  • Page 38: Table 23. Feature Comparison For Basic Management, Idrac7 Express, And Idrac7 Enterprise

    If Basic Management is ordered during initial point of sale, customer Upgrades to iDRAC7 Express or must request a license key through the Dell iDRAC7 Enterprise by software Electronic Licensing Portal.
  • Page 39 Directory services (AD, LDAP) ∞ PK authentication ∞ Two- factor authentication ∞ Rack and tower systems only Feature available with IPMI, not web GUI Requires OMSA agent on target server ® ® Uses Microsoft ActiveX on Internet Explorer only PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 40: Dell Consoles

    Dell servers; and to create asset reports. OpenManage Essentials also communicates health status alerts for Dell servers, storage, and network devices to the Dell KACE™ K1000 service desk. OpenManage Essentials is available as a no- charge software download from Support.Dell.com.
  • Page 41 • Dell Update Packages—The Dell Update Packages (DUP) is a self- contained executable in a standard package format that updates a software element on a Dell server such as the BIOS, a driver, firmware and other software updates. •...

  • Page 42: Dell Server Management Operations

    OpenManage Server Administrator. • Dell OpenManage Connection for IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIBus— This connection provides event monitoring capabilities to monitor Dell PowerEdge servers and Dell EqualLogic systems. It allows event monitoring, automatic event correlation, and launching device consoles from the Netcool/OMNIbus console.

  • Page 43: Table 24. One- To- One And One- To- Many Operations

    Machine Manager (SCVMM) Replace parts: Maintain • Dell Lifecycle Controller Integration (DLCI) for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Dell Systems For additional detailed information on Dell’s systems management portfolio, see the Management Overview Guide on Support.Dell.com/Manuals. PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 44: Appendix A. Additional Specifications

    Zb goes to the nominal back wall external surface where the system board I/O connectors are located. The R420 chassis at maximum configuration is 19.9 kg (43.87 lb). Video specifications The Dell PowerEdge R420 iDRAC incorporates an integrated video subsystem. The graphics ® controller is the 2D Matrox G200.

  • Page 45: Environmental Specifications

    5% to 95% at a maximum wet bulb temperature of 33°C (91°F); atmosphere must be condensing at all times Maximum vibration Operating 0.26 Grms at 5Hz to 350Hz in all orientations Storage 1.87 Grms at 10Hz to 500Hz for 15 minutes (all six sides tested) PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 46: Power Supply Specifications

    – 15.2m to 12,000m (– 50 ft to 39,370 ft) Airborne contaminant level Class G1 or lower as defined by ISA- S71.04- 1985 Power supply specifications Table 27 lists power supply specifications for the PowerEdge R420. Table 27. Power supply specifications Specification...

  • Page 47: Usb Peripherals

    CMA brackets removed (if applicable) as measured from the front mounting flanges of the rack. USB peripherals USB peripherals are supported through the front and back USB ports on the R420. These ports are USB 2.0 compliant. PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 48: Appendix B. Standards Compliance

    Appendix B. Standards compliance The Dell PowerEdge R420 conforms to the industry standards listed in Table 29. Table 29. Industry standard documents Standard URL for information and specifications ACPI Advance Configuration and Power www.acpi.info Interface Specification, v2.0c Ethernet standards.ieee.org/getieee802/802.3.html IEEE 802.3- 2005 www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/pcdesign/desguide/serverd...

  • Page 49: Appendix C. Additional Resources

    Appendix C. Additional resources Table 30 provides a list of documents and websites that provide for more information on the Dell PowerEdge R420. Table 30. Additional resources Resource Description of contents Location PowerEdge R420 This manual is provided in HTML format on the CD Support.Dell.com/Manuals...
  • Page 50 Contact your Dell sales representative. Dell.com information Dell Enterprise White paper that explores the mechanisms of, people’s www.dell.com/downloads/g Acoustics reaction to, language of, and Dell’s work to control noise lobal/products/pedge/en/ac from Enterprise products. oustical- education- dell- enterprise- white- paper.pdf PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

  • Page 51: Appendix D. System Board Block Diagram

    PDB+PIB for RDNT PSU MGMT DVD/ DVD/ System System Power Power Power Power Power Power Conn. Conn. Conn. RJ45 Conn. Conn. Conn. IDRAC Port Card Power Supply Power Supply 1 Vflash Power Supply 2 RJ45 SD Conn. PHY) PowerEdge R420 Technical Guide...

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