Nextscale System Versus Rack-Mounted Servers - IBM NeXtScale System Planning And Implementation Manual

Table 2-2 IBM Flex System and NeXtScale System Differentiations
IBM Flex System differentiation
Integrated design offers flexibility (Flex
System) and factory-integration (PureFlex
System).
10U chassis holding 14 nodes with shared
power and cooling that is designed for
multiple generations of technology.
Heterogeneous node support: x86 and
POWER.
Full hardware redundancy; no single point
of failure.
Integrated switching, storage, and
management in the chassis. All network
connection are made via midplane.
Support for 1 Gb/10 Gb Ethernet, FCoE,
8 Gb/16 Gb FC, and QDR/FDR
InfiniBand. Custom form factor switches
and adapters.
Integrated shared storage optional with
the Flex System V7000 Storage Node.
Unified management via the Flex System
Manager for all physical and virtual
resources in chassis.

2.5 NeXtScale System versus rack-mounted servers

Although the NeXtScale System compute nodes are included in a chassis, this
chassis is only there to provide shared power and cooling.
As a consequence, the approach to design, buy, or upgrade a solution that is
based on IBM NeXtScale System or regular 1U/2U rack-mounted servers is
similar. In both cases, the full solution relies on separate networking components
and can integrate seamlessly in an existing infrastructure.
The choice between IBM NeXtScale System and rack-mountable servers is first
driven by application requirements because each form factor brings various
advantages and limitations for particular workloads.
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IBM NeXtScale System Planning and Implementation Guide
IBM NeXtScale System differentiation
Flexibility of customization and integration
of hardware.
6U chassis holding 12 servers with shared
power and cooling designed for multiple
generations of technology.
x86 node support.
Designed for software redundancy;
clustered approach.
No Integrated switching in the chassis.
Cables are routed to top of rack. Multiple
brands of rack-based switches are
supported: 1 GB/10 GB/40 Gb Ethernet,
InfiniBand QDR/FDR, and 8 GB/16 GB
Fibre Channel all installed external to the
chassis. Standard PCI adapters and ToR
switches.
Integrated direct attached storage optional
with the native expansion tray (planned).
No unified management tools;
management of node/ storage/switching
handled via independent open standard,
vendor-independent toolkits.