Key Features - Lenovo thinkserver rd550 Product Manual

Key features

The ThinkServer RD550 offers the following key features:
Extremely versatile storage
Innovation is built in to the ThinkServer RD550. A cleverly engineered design allows more storage
density and I/O connectivity than ever before — giving you the performance and capacity of a 2U
system in a 1U form factor. By creating smaller drive trays and a slightly larger chassis within the
same 1U space, the RD550 offers a total of up to 12 front drive bays, which can be used for data
storage or better performance. Two additional enterprise-class M.2 SSDs are available as an option
for secure booting, as well as SD card options for hypervisor booting. Plus, for ultimate performance,
the industry-unique Lenovo AnyBay design allows multiple storage types in the same drive bay,
including front-accessible PCIe SSD.
Highly flexible I/O
In the past, 1U servers were constrained by their size and did not have as many I/O slots as larger
servers. With the new RD550, networking configurations that traditionally required a larger server
can now fit into a 1U form factor. Leveraging the unique Lenovo AnyFabric design, the RD550 can
house up to eight 10 Gb Ethernet ports — without taking up any of the available PCIe slots. If you
include network adapters in the available slots, the RD550 can support an incredible amount of
network bandwidth in a single 1U server. There's even an option for four 10 Gb Ethernet ports with
two 16 Gb Fibre Channel ports at the same time, without using any of the PCIe slots — an industry
first.
Extra-reliable performance
Data center cooling costs can be greater than the cost of powering the IT equipment itself. One way
to reduce these cooling costs is by operating the data center at a higher temperature. With a
dynamic environmental design, the RD550 can run continuously at 45 degrees Celsius — with no
impact on reliability. In fact, the system has been carefully architected and tested to support long-
term reliability. The RD550 is also perfect for organizations that install servers in less strictly
controlled environments. Other high-reliability features include error correcting code (ECC) memory,
hot-swap hard-disk drive and SSD capability, and hot-swap and redundant power and cooling.
The RD550 supports new tools for easy configuration, deployment and power-planning. ThinkServer
System Manager enables you to remotely and securely manage your servers via web browser. With
the optional ThinkServer System Manager Premium, you can enhance your management
functionality with remote keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) access; and decrease your power
usage with an included license for ThinkServer Energy Manager.
Components and connectors
The following figure shows the front of the RD550 3.5-inch drive bay models.
Figure 2. RD550 3.5-inch drive bay model front view
Lenovo ThinkServer RD550 (E5-2600 v3) 2