Light Path Diagnostics; Other Features - IBM System x3500 M3 Product Manual

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In addition, the server uses hexagonal ventilation holes in the chassis. Hexagonal holes can be
grouped more densely than round holes, providing greater airflow through the system cover.
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.
Dual-Port Gigabit Ethernet Controller
The x3500 M3 includes one dual-port integrated Broadcom 5709C Gigabit Ethernet controller for
up to 10X higher maximum throughput than a 10/100 Ethernet controller, as well as support for PXE
2.0 remote boot, TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE), Internet SCSI (iSCSI), Remote Direct Memory
Access (RDMA), and jumbo frames (9KB). A license key is required to enable the iSCSI and
RDMA features.
Jumbo Frames—those larger than the standard frame (packet) size of 1,500 bytes—can be more
efficient, dramatically increasing network performance and reducing server CPU overhead. TOE
helps improve overall system performance by offloading TCP/IP protocol processing from the
system microprocessor to the onboard Ethernet TOE processor. There is no additional charge for
this capability.
It also supports highly secure remote power management using IPMI 2.0, plus Wake on LAN
PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) flash interface. Optional PCIe adapters offering failover and
load balancing between adapters are available for added throughput and increased system
availability.
Integrated Ethernet ports:
• 3 Gb RJ45 Ethernet ports, ideal for virtualization and I/O-intensive workloads
• 2 ports standard for Gb Ethernet and plus 1 dedicated Fast Ethernet port for systems
management
• Improves system performance by offloading protocol processing from CPU to a separate TOE
engine
• Primary performance improvement for data copying (CPU) where CPU utilization is 90-100%
• The embedded NIC/TOE supports software iSCSI using a Microsoft iSCSI initiator
• Using a software initiator enables offloading the processing of TCP frames with the TOE engine
in the adapter card, but the processing of iSCSI packets themselves is not hardware-offloaded at
the Broadcom NIC
• Broadcom hardware-offloaded iSCSI (using TOE engine) of the iSCSI frames
Onboard Broadcom 5709C Gigabit Ethernet controller provides two Gigabit ports supporting IEEE
802.3 for 1000Base-T, 100Base-TX, and 10Base-T applications (802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab) over a
CAT 5 twisted-pair cable. TOE support on Windows is available today, but requires the Windows
Scalable Network Pack (SNP) installed. Linux has no plan to support TOE at this time. Please refer
to TOE_RDMA_iSCSI.doc for technology details. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is supported.

Light Path Diagnostics

Light path diagnostics enables a technician to quickly identify and locate a failed or failing system
component, such as a specific processor, DIMM, HDD, VRM, fan, or power supply. This enables
quick replacement of the component, which helps increase server uptime and lower operating
costs.
An LED panel is mounted on the front of the server for easy viewing without the need to open the
server cover (or remove the server from a rack). The light path diagnostics panel tells the servicer
which component requires attention. In addition, many components have their own identifying
LEDs. For example, each of the twelve memory modules has an LED next to the socket, as do both
processors, all adapter slots, all fans, all power supplies, the voltage regulator module and the
service processor, allowing the servicer to easily identify exactly which component needs servicing.
By following the "light path," the component can be replaced quickly, and without guesswork. (Note:
In the event of a failed DIMM, the system will restart and mark the DIMM as bad while offline, thus
allowing the system to continue running, with reduced memory capacity, until serviced.)

Other Features

• Eight USB 2.0 ports — Provides flexibility to add high-speed external devices. The USB 2.0
specification supports up to 480Mbps transfer rates. (Note: Not all USB 2.0 devices are capable
of achieving this rate.) Two ports are provided on the front of the server, four are on the back,
one is internal to support a USB-interface tape drive, and one is internal to support a USB flash
drive for an embedded hypervisor.
• Embedded hypervisor; a USB port on the motherboard, activated with an optional 2GB USB
key for supporting VMware vSphere for virtualization
• Remote Presence — This standard feature adds local and remote management functions
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