Disk Controllers - IBM x3450 Product Manual

A leading-edge, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket HPC server
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Actual throughput will depend on the adapter vendor's implementation.
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Disk Controllers

All models have a SATA controller integrated in the system chipset, which supports up to two
internal 3.5-inch simple-swap SATA II drives with maximum data transfer rates of up to 300MB
(half-duplex) per second. This is throughput is similar to that of Ultra320 SCSI (320MBps, half-
duplex), and with lower latency.
Large HDD Storage Capacity
The x3450 offers a choice of disk storage, supporting up to two (3.5-inch) simple-swap SATA II
drives:
• 7,200 RPMs — 250, 500, or 750GB (1.5TB)
Simple-swap SATA drives are not hot-swappable (the system must first be powered off);
however, no tools or jumpers are required for installation and removal, allowing for faster, simpler
servicing than fixed drives. If you need more storage space, terabyte capacities are possible with
external direct-attach, NAS and SAN solutions.
High-Performance Adapter Slot
The x3450 provides one x16 ("by 16") 8GBps PCIe (PCI Express) Gen 2 adapter slot standard.
This slot is capable of supporting x1/x4/x8/x16 adapters at full rated speed. This slot is full-
length/full-height.
PCI Express is a high-performance, low-latency, next-generation serial I/O bus that is rapidly
replacing the older parallel PCI and PCI-X buses. A x16 Gen 2 PCIe adapter slot offers
approximately sixteen times the maximum throughput of a 133MHz PCI-X adapter
slot offers throughput similar to a 66MHz PCI-X slot.)
Because the SATA, dual Gigabit Ethernet, systems management and video controllers are
integrated onto the system board, the adapter slots are all available, which offers a wide degree
of latitude in expansion options.
Dual Gigabit Ethernet Controllers
The x3450 includes two integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports, supported by a combination of the
system chipset and the Intel 82563EB Physical Layer Transceiver (PHY), for up to 10X higher
maximum throughput than a 10/100 Ethernet controller, as well as providing support for IOAT
(I/O Acceleration Technology).
IOAT provides high-performance data movement via stateless network acceleration across
multiple ports and virtual machines.
It also supports highly secure remote power management using IPMI 2.0, plus Wake on LAN
and PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) flash interface. Optional PCI adapters offering failover
and load balancing between adapters are available for added throughput and increased system
availability.
Efficient Cooling
Strategically located fans, combined with efficient airflow paths, provide highly effective system
cooling for the x3450. The server with one power supply includes five fixed dual-rotor fans. In
addition, the power supply contains two fans.
The system contains four cooling zones. Zone 1 (incorporating two fans) cools one processor
and 8 DIMM sockets. Zone 2 (two fans) cools the other processor and the remaining 8 DIMM
sockets. Zone 3 (the fifth fan) cools one HDD and the PCIe slots. Zone 4 (consisting of the two
power supply fans) cools the power supply and the other HDD. The five fans can be removed
individually without tools for servicing, or the fan assembly, containing four of the fans, can be
removed as a unit.
The fans automatically adjust speeds in response to changing thermal requirements. When the
temperature inside the server increases, the BMC speeds up all fans speed up to maintain the
proper ambient temperature. When the temperature returns to a normal operating level, the fans
return to their default speed. Why not simply run the fans at 100% capacity all the time? For
several good reasons: to reduce the ambient noise, reduce the wear-and-tear on the fans and to
reduce the server power draw. The reduction in ambient noise and power draw may be relatively
minor for a single server, but put dozens or hundreds in a data center and it can make a big
difference.
This cooling scheme is important because newer, more powerful processors generate a
significant amount of heat, and heat must be controlled for the system to function properly.
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