IBM System x3400 M3 Product Manual page 8

The engine of growth for your emerging businesses.
• 7,200 RPMs — 250 or 500GB, 1TB, or 2TB (8TB / 16TB via CTO)
3.5-inch Simple-Swap SATA
• 7,200 RPMs — 250 or 500GB, or 2TB (8TB / 8TB via CTO)
2.5-inch Hot-Swap SAS
• 7,200 RPMs — 500GB (4TB—8 bays / 8TB—16 bays)
• 10,000 RPMs — 146.8, 300, or 600GB (4.8TB / 9.6TB)
• 15,000 RPMs — 73.4 or 146.8GB (1.17TB / 2.34TB)
2.5-inch Hot-Swap SATA
• 7,200 RPMs — 160 or 500GB (4TB—8 bays / 8TB—16 bays)
Notes: Hot-swap and simple-swap SATA drives offer exactly the same reliability as fixed SATA
drives. Only the system availability improves using the swappable drives. (Less downtime is incurred
removing and installing the drives.) Hot-swap SAS drives use the Converged Tray for
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interchangeability with other IBM System x systems.
Internal Backup
The x3400 M3 supports several internal data backup options. Supported technologies include:
• DDS-5 tape (half-high)
• DDS-6 tape (half-high)
• RDX Removable Disk Cartridge — internal or external (half-high)
• LTO-3 Ultrium tape (half-high)
• LTO-4 Ultrium tape (half-high)
• LTO-5 Ultrium tape (half-high)
Ultra-Efficient Cooling
Strategically located fans, combined with efficient airflow paths, provide highly effective system
cooling for the x3400 M3, known as Calibrated Vectored Cooling. The server includes three hot-
swap fans (plus another in the power supply).
The system contains three cooling zones. Zone 1 cools the memory slots and the three 5.25-inch
drive bays. Zone 2 cools the processors, while Zone 3 cools the adapter slots and the HDD bays.
The fans automatically adjust speeds in response to changing thermal requirements, depending on
the zone, redundancy, and internal temperatures. When the temperature inside the server increases,
the 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 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!
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 x3400 M3 includes one dual-port integrated Broadcom 5716 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, and jumbo frames (9KB).
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.
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It also supports highly secure remote power management using IPMI 2.0, plus Wake on LAN and
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
• Primary performance improvement for data copying (CPU) where CPU utilization is 90-100%
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