IBM NeXtScale System Planning And Implementation Manual page 36

As with iDataPlex servers, NeXtScale servers support S3 mode. S3 allows
systems to come back into full production from low-power state much quicker
than a traditional power-on. In fact, cold boot normally takes about 270 second;
with S3, it takes only 45 seconds. When you know that a system will not be used
because of time of day or state of job flow, you can send it into a low-power state
to save power and, when needed, bring it back online quickly.
In Table 2-1, the features of IBM NeXtScale System are compared to those
features of IBM iDataPlex.
Table 2-1 Comparing IBM NeXtScale System to IBM iDataPlex
Feature iDataPlex
Form factor Unique rack
1200 mm x 600 mm
Density in a Up to 42 servers
standard 42U rack
Density in two 84 servers
consecutive floor 8 ToR switches
a
tiles (iDataPlex rack)
Density/400 sq. ft. 1,680 servers
(with Rear Door 84 servers/iDataPlex
Heat Exchanger) rack; four rows of five
racks
Power/tile (front) 22 kW maximum
15 kW typical
42 servers + switches
GPU support Two GPUs per server in
2U
Direct attached None
storage
Direct water cooling Available Now
a. Here we compare the density of servers that can be fitted in a single row of racks while using top-of-rack
switches. We use a single iDataPlex rack for iDataPlex servers that is 1200 mm wide, and we compare it with
two standard racks for NeXtScale servers that also are 1200 mm wide.
b. None available with Intel E5-2600 v2 series processor.
18
IBM NeXtScale System Planning and Implementation Guide
NeXtScale
Standard rack
600 mm x 1100 mm
Up to 84 servers (72 with
space for switches)
144 servers
12 ToR switches
(two standard racks next to
each other)
2,160 servers
72 servers/standard rack;
three rows of 10 racks
37 kW maximum
25 kW typical
72 servers + switches
Two GPUs per server in 1U
effective space (GPU
support planned)
b
Other storage-rich
offerings that are planned
include eight drives in 1U
effective space
NeXtScale System design
supports water cooling
Comments
NeXtScale System allows for
lower-cost racks and, perhaps, racks
customers already have.
NeXtScale System can provide up to
twice the server density when both
types of servers are installed in a
standard 42U rack.
NeXtScale can provide up to 71%
more servers per row when using
top-of-rack (ToR) switches.
10x10 floor tiles
28% density increase because of
standard rack layout.
Similar power/server
GPU tray + base node = 1U.
NeXtScale System has twice the
density of iDataPlex.
More flexibility with NeXtScale
storage plan.
Opportunity to optimize cost with
NeXtScale.