Information technology professionals rely on IBM quality to ensure maximum productivity. As the power of applications, processors, memory adapters & storage devices increases, high-end computer users are seeking ways to optimize their system performance. IBM provides leading solutions, adding new levels of performance, availability, flexibility, & management. ...

Next-generation 10K hard disk drive features are now available for entry & midrange Storage systems. For DS3500 systems, new Storage Manager version 10.86 & Controller Firm Ware level (CFW) version 7.86 are available & include a new HDD functionality, T10 Protection Information (T10 PI). These new drives are T10 PI capable, & the new Storage Manager & CFW enable T10 PI on other DS3500 drive options previously announced without that capability. ...

IBM provides the ideal upgrade option for your servers & storage environments. By offering an affordable & reliable storage solution that maximizes your computing capabilities with a seamless storage expansion, IBM lowers your IT costs with high quality standardized components that significantly reduce any maintenance & support costs. ...

Information technology professionals rely on IBM quality to ensure maximum productivity. As the power of applications, processors, memory adapters & storage devices increases, high-end computer users are seeking ways to optimize their system performance. IBM provides leading solutions, adding new levels of performance, availability, flexibility, & management. ...

High performance & reliability
- these attributes define hard disk drives from IBM
- a winning data storage solution. Designed

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Streamlined installation & management, plus unrivaled scalability & industry-leading virtualization support make the Emulex 8 Gb Fibre Channel single-port & dual-port host bus adapters ideal solutions for enterprise & mixed-OS environments. With powerful management tools, they deliver maximum performance in the widest range of applications & environments. ...

The IBM Flex System™ CN4054 10 Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter is a 4-port 10 Gb converged network adapter (CNA) for Intel processor-based compute nodes that can scale to up to 16 virtual ports & that supports Ethernet, i SCSI, & FCo E. The adapter supports up to eight virtual NIC (v NIC) devices, where each physical 10 Gb E port can be divided into four virtual ports with flexible bandwidth allocation. The CN4054 Virtual Fabric Adapter Upgrade adds FCo E & i SCSI hardware initiator functionality. The IBM Flex System EN4054 4-port 10 Gb Ethernet Adapter is based on similar hardware but simply operates as a straight 4-port 10 Gb E adapter. The EN4054 it is supported by POWER7 processor-based compute nodes. Figure 1 shows the adapters (they have the same physical appearance). ...

A maximum of six power supplies can be installed in the Enterprise Chassis. Either 2500W or 2100W power supplies are available. Two 2500W power supplies are standard in model 8721-A1x. Additional power supplies are orderable per the following table. All installed power supplies must be the same. Both power supplies are 80 PLUS Platinum-certified. The 2500W modules are 2500 Watts output rated at 200VAC to 208VAC (nominal), & 2750W at 220VAC to 240VAC (nominal). The power supply has an oversubscription rating of up to 3538 Watts output at 200VAC. The power supply operating range is 200-240 VAC. The power supplies also contain two dual independently powered 40mm cooling fan modules that are powered not from the power supply itself, but from the chassis midplane. The fan modules are variable speed & controlled by the chassis fan logic. The 2100W power supplies are 2100 Watts output power rated at 200-240VAC. Similar to the 2500W unit, this power supply also supports oversubscription, the 2100W unit can run up to 2895W for short duration. The 2100W supplies have two independently powered dual 40mm cooling fans, that pick up power from the midplane included within the power supply assembly. 80 PLUS is a performance

Specification for power supplies used within servers & computers. To meet the 80 PLUS standard, the power supply must have an efficiency of 80% or greater, at 20%, 50%, & 100% of rated load with PF of. 09 or greater. The standard has several grades, such as Bronze, Silver, Gold, & Platinum. More information on 80 PLUS is available at www.80PLUS.org. With 2500W power supplies, the chassis allows configurations of power supplies to give N+N or N+1 redundancy. A fully configured chassis operates on only three 2500W power-supply units (PSUs) with no redundancy, but N+1 or N+N is advised. Three power supplies (or six with N+N redundancy) allow for a balanced three-phase configuration. All power supply modules are combined into a single power domain within the chassis, which distributes power to each of the compute nodes, I/O modules, & ancillary components through the Enterprise Chassis midplane. The midplane is a highly reliable design with no active components. Each power supply is designed to provide fault isolation & is hot swappable. In the case of the 2500W supplies, power monitoring of both the DC & AC signals allows the Chassis Management Module to accurately monitor the power supplies. Power monitoring with the 2100W power supplies is planned to be made available at a later date.

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The IBM Flex System™ FC3172 2-port 8 Gb FC Adapter enables high-speed access for IBM Flex System compute nodes to connect to a Fibre Channel storage area network (SAN). This adapter is based on the proven QLogic 2532 8 Gb ASIC design & works with the 8 Gb & 16 Gb IBM Flex System Fibre Channel switches & pass-thru modules. The performance bottleneck with Fibre Channel storage typically exists in the switching. By moving to 8 Gb adapters & switches, you can optimize the bottleneck to the storage controller, where it can be managed by expanding the disks attached to storage. When compared to the previous-generation 4 Gb adapters, the new-generation 8 Gb adapters double the throughput speeds for Fibre Channel traffic. As a result, you can manage increased amounts of data & possibly benefit from a reduced hardware expense. The adapter connects to the midplane directly, without having to use cables or small form-factor pluggable (SFP) modules. By eliminating these components for up to 14 servers, the resulting savings alone can cover the investment in the chassis. ...

The network architecture on the IBM Flex System™ platform has been specifically designed to address network challenges, giving you a very scalable way to integrate, optimize & automate your data center. The IBM Flex System FC5022 2-port 16 Gb FC Adapter enables high-speed access for compute nodes to an external storage area network (SAN). This adapter is based on Brocade architecture, & offers end-to-end 16 Gb connectivity to SAN. It can auto-negotiate, & also work at 8 Gb & 4 Gb speeds. It has enhanced features like N_ Port trunking & N_ Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) as well as boot-from-the-SAN with automatic LUN discovery & end-to-end Server Application Optimization (SAO). The FC5022 adapter is designed to work best with the IBM Flex System FC5022 16 Gb SAN Scalable Switch & together, these deliver considerable value by simplifying the deployment of server & SAN resources, reducing infrastructure & operational costs, & maximizing server & SAN reliability, availability, & resiliency. Even with an 8 Gb Fibre Channel SAN fabric, having 16 Gb adapters & switches in the IBM Flex System means that you can eliminate any oversubscription from the SAN fabric to maximize application throughput. Having 16 Gb adapters & switches also offers future investment protection by enabling the density of virtual machines (VMs) to be increased on a compute node & by providing performance head room to support demanding solid-state drive storage technologies. ...