IBM 79784AU, 79787AU, 7978C3U, 7978G5U, 7978G6U Product Manual

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application

Price/Performance

serving in Web environments

Product Guide

March 2008

Product Overview

CONTENTS

Product Overview

Selling Features

Key Features

Key Options

x3550 Images

x3550 Specifications

The Bottom Line

For More Information

Legal Information

IBM S

ystem x3550

Outstanding performance and manageability in only 1U

Suggested Uses: Medium-to-large businesses requiring a general-purpose server in spaceconstrained data centers, and Scientific/Technical computing customers who require cluster nodes.

Your challenge is to do more with less—serve more Web pages, handle more secure connections, support more e-mail users—all while reducing costs and saving space. The dual-

socket IBM® System x3550, incorporating IBM X-Architecture™ features, meets that challenge. It supports the latest quad- and dual-core Intel® Xeon™ processors (including 50W low-voltage

quad-core Xeon processors), designed with up to a leading-edge 1333MHz front-side bus (FSB),

64-bit extensions (EM64T), and either 6MB or 4MB (dual-core) or 8MB or 12MB (quad-core) of L2 cache, to help provide you with the computing power you need to match your business needs

and growth. In addition, the x3550 uses industry-standard fully buffered 667MHz memory with

Chipkill™ ECC (Error Checking and Correcting) protection—for high performance and reliability.

For even higher levels of availability, the x3550 also offers a choice of optional online hot-spare

memory or memory mirroring. Dual integrated high-speed Gigabit Ethernet controllers with TOE (TCP Offload Engine) and Jumbo Frame support are standard, as are high-performance adapter

slots (PCI-E x8 and optional PCI-X/133).

All models offer impressive scalability, including dual-processor support, up to 32GB of memory and a choice of high-performance hard disk drives with an internal storage capacity of 600GB

(two 3.5-inch hot-swap Serial-Attached SCSI), 587.2GB (four 2.5-inch hot-swap SAS) or 2TB (two 3.5-inch simple-swap Serial ATA II). The integrated SAS controller provides hardware-based RAID-0/1/10 standard for SAS drives. (SATA models offer firmware-based RAID 0/1 support standard.) Additional RAID support is available via the optional IBM ServeRAID™ family of SAS and SATA controllers. The ultradense 1U form factor allows businesses to increase their computing power and spread their workload without outgrowing their current data center. Up to 42 of these 1U servers can be installed in a single 42U rack, for a total of up to 84 processors, offering tremendous deployment flexibility. Optional Advanced Connectivity Technology (ACT) interconnect cabling reduces cable clutter and cost and minimizes installation time when interconnecting many rack-mounted servers.

Standard in the x3550 is an integrated Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) that enables the user to manage and control the server easily—both locally and remotely. This high level of manageability is designed to keep costs down and the system up—even when network usage increases. The drop-down light path diagnostics panel enables quick servicing of the system if a problem develops. These advanced features help maximize network availability by increasing uptime, as do simple-swap SATA HDDs; hot-swap/redundant SAS HDDs, power and fans;

Active Memory™; integrated RAID; temperature-controlled fans with Calibrated Vectored Cooling™; IPMI 2.0 support, including highly secure remote power control and Serial over LAN; as well as text-console redirect over LAN.

With the inclusion of unique IBM service and support features such as the BMC, light path diagnostics, IBM Director, IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager for x86 (formerly known as PowerExecutive), IBM ServerGuide™ and support for the optional slotless Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine, the x3550 is designed for superior uptime.

If you need highly manageable, dual-socket/multi-core computing power in a rack-dense package, the x3550 is the ideal system.

Selling Features

The x3550 offers numerous features to boost performance and reduce product and operating costs:

• Up to two quad- or dual-core Xeon processors, high-end 1333MHz or 1066MHz front side

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

bus and 4MB to 12MB (processor-specific) of integrated Level 2 cache per processor, offer

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

superior performance capable of tackling the toughest jobs. 64-bit extensions provide the flexibility to run 32-bit and 64-bit applications concurrently.

• Low-voltage processors draw less energy and produce less waste heat than high-voltage processors, thus helping to reduce data center energy costs. Some dual-core Xeon processors use only 65W. This is half the wattage consumed by older 130W processors. The

50W and 80W quad-core processors are even more economical, consuming only 12.5W and 20W (respectively) per core, vs. 32.5W per core for the 65W dual-core processors.

• Ultra-fast fully buffered 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR II ECC memory with Chipkill1 protection provides speed and high availability.

• Two high-speed PCI-E adapter slots offer investment protection by supporting high- performance adapters, such as 10Gb Ethernet, Fibre Channel and InfiniBand cards, none of which will run in older 33MHz and 66MHz conventional PCI slots.

• Integrated ServeRAID-8k-l provides RAID-0/1/10 support at no extra charge and without consuming a valuable adapter slot. RAID-0 offers improved disk performance via data striping; RAID-1 offers disk mirroring for high availability, and RAID-10 combines the benefits of speed and availability. The x3550 is upgradeable to full RAID-0/1/10/1E/5/6 support, using the optional ServeRAID-8k card. It also offers higher performance, due to the 256MB battery- backed onboard cache.

• Up to two 3.5-inch or four 2.5-inch (depending on the model) hot-swap SAS hard disk drives offer high-performance with high availability. The SAS controller provides full-duplex (2 x 300MBps) data transfers for SAS drives. For lower cost and high capacity, other models support up to two simple-swap Serial ATA drives. The SATA II drives offer performance nearly equal to that of Ultra320 SCSI (300MBps half-duplex vs. 320MBps half-duplex, respectively). Alternatively, 2.5-inch drives consume approximately half the power of 3.5-inch drives.

• The integrated dual Gigabit Ethernet controllers with IPMI 2.0 support provide high-speed network communications. Jumbo Frames offer higher efficiency transfers for large data packets.

• The TCP Offload Engine (TOE) feature offers higher performance for TCP/IP traffic, with less overhead on the system processor.

• A high degree of device integration—including SAS or SATA, RAID, dual Gigabit Ethernet, systems management and video controllers—lowers costs and frees up valuable adapter slots.

All models require Chipkill-enabled DIMMs (provided standard) for Chipkill protection.

Data transfer rates may be less than the maximum possible.

Flexibility

The x3550 has the ability to grow with your application requirements, thanks to

• A choice of quad-core or dual-core processors with 1.6 to 3.16GHz clock rates, 1333MHz or 1066MHz FSB, and 50W to 120W maximum power draw.

• Up to 32GB of high-speed fully-buffered DDR2 system memory.

• Two available high-performance PCI-E adapter slots in all models. Optionally, if desired, the

riser card containing one of the PCI-E slots can be exchanged for a riser containing a PCIX/133 adapter slot.

• Installing the slotless ServeRAID-8k option upgrades the integrated ServeRAID-8k-l controller with 256MB of low-cost, battery-backed cache to enable even higher-performance hardware RAID support, and allows the x3550 to offer six RAID levels: RAID-0, 1, 10, 1E, 5 and 6. The optional MegaRAID 8480 controller supports up to four IBM System Storage™ EXP3000 expansion units containing up to 48 SAS HDDs and 14.4TB of external storage.

• The six USB 2.0 ports are up to 40X faster2 than older USB 1.1 ports. This provides speedy access to external HDDs (non-arrayed), optical drives, tape drives, and other USB devices. Two ports are on the front of the unit and four are on the back.

• A choice of up to two internal 3.5-inch hot-swap SAS or simple-swap SATA II HDDs or four

2.5-inch hot-swap SAS HDDs (depending on the model) offer a variety of storage options.

The 3.5-inch SAS models provide a maximum of 600GB of internal hot-swap storage. The

2.5-inch SAS models support up to 587.2GB of hot-swap SAS storage. The 3.5-inch SATA models provide a maximum of 2TB of internal simple-swap storage.

• Alternatively, iSCSI or Fibre Channel-attached storage can be attached using IBM System Storage or TotalStorage® servers.

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application

Availability and Serviceability

serving in Web environments

Manageability

Powerful systems management features simplify local and remote management of the x3550:

• The x3550 includes a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) to monitor server availability, perform Predictive Failure Analysis, etc., and trigger IBM Director alerts. The BMC enables service personnel to use sophisticated diagnostic tools, such as light path diagnostics, to resolve problems quickly.

• Integrated IPMI 2.0 support alerts IBM Director to anomalous environmental factors, such as voltage and thermal conditions. It also supports highly secure remote power control using data encryption.

• IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager for x86, an IBM-exclusive, is designed to take advantage of new system power management features, by providing power monitoring and power capping features.

• Text Console Redirection support allows the administrator to remotely view x3550 text messages over Serial or LAN.

• IBM Director is included for proactive systems management and works with both the blade’s internal BMC and the chassis’ management module. IBM Director comes with a portfolio of tools, including Management Processor Assistant, Rack Manager, RAID Manager, Update Assistant and Software Distribution. In addition, IBM Director offers extended systems management tools for additional server management and increased availability. When a problem is encountered, IBM Director can issue administrator alerts via e-mail, pager, and other methods.

• An optional Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine provides additional systems management capabilities, including Web-based out-of-band control; virtual floppy and optical

drive support; Windows “blue screen” error capture; LDAP and SSL support; and remote redirection of PCI video, text, keyboard and mouse. And it does all this without consuming a

valuable adapter slot.

The x3550 provides many features to simplify serviceability and increase system uptime:

• x3550 servers use Chipkill-enabled fully buffered memory DIMMs. Chipkill memory is up to 16X better than standard ECC memory at correcting memory errors. This can help reduce

downtime caused by memory errors. Fully buffered DIMMs provide additional availability features, including CRC (cyclic redundancy check) monitoring.

• The x3550 offers selectable online hot-spare memory and memory mirroring for redundancy in the event of a noncorrectable memory failure

• Toolless cover removal provides easy access to upgrades and serviceable parts. Similarly, the Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine and the ServeRAID-8k controller can be installed and replaced without tools. This means less time (and therefore less money) spent servicing the x3550. Similarly, hot-swap/redundant HDDs, fans and power supplies, as well as online hot-spare and mirrored memory, mean greater system uptime while these components are being serviced.

• New toolless slides ship with the server, together with a Cable Management Arm (CMA), that allows the rack server to easily slide into place

• IBM Thermal Diagnostics allows the administrator to evaluate thermal data on the server without taking the hardware offline. This can provide greater server uptime.

• The drop-down light path diagnostics panel and individual light path LEDs quickly lead the technician to failed (or failing) components. This simplifies servicing, speeds up problem resolution and helps improve network availability.

• Integrated RAID-1 disk mirroring and RAID-10 striped mirrored arrays standard enable the server to keep operating in the event of a failure to any one drive.

• IPMI 2.0 supports highly secure remote system power control using data encryption. This allows an administrator to restart a server without having to visit it in person, saving travel time and getting the server back up and running quickly and securely. It also adds new features to those provided by IPMI 1.5, including VLAN support, Serial over LAN, enhanced authentication and encryption algorithms (RMCP+, SHA-1, AES) and a firmware firewall.

• Temperature-controlled fans adjust to compensate for changing thermal characteristics. At the lower speeds they draw less power and suffer less wear. Equally important in a crowded data center, temperature-controlled fans produce less ambient noise in the data center than if

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

they were constantly running at full speed.

• The three-year (parts and labor) limited onsite warranty

and greater investment protection than a one-year warranty does.

helps afford you peace of mind

Key Features

High-Performance Xeon Processors

The x3550 supports up to two high-performance Intel Xeon processors, allowing you to upgrade to a second processor as your business needs require. The x3550 offers a choice of processor clock rates, FSB speeds and energy efficiency, including:

• 120W quad-core Xeon processor models X5450 or X5460 at 3.0, 3.16Ghz respectively with 64-bit extensions, a 1333MHz FSB, and 12MB of L2 processor cache (2 x 6MB)

• 50W quad-core Xeon processor model L5420 at 2.5GHz, with 64-bit extensions, ultralow power draw (12.5W per core), a 1333MHz FSB, and 12MB of L2 processor cache (2 x 6MB)

• 80W quad-core Xeon processor models E5405, E5420, E5430, E5440 at 2.0, 2.5, 2.66,

2.8GHz (respectively), with 64-bit extensions, a 1333MHz FSB, and 12MB of L2 processor cache (2 x 6MB)

• 50W quad-core Xeon processor models L5310 or L5320 at 1.6 or 1.86GHz (respectively), with 64-bit extensions, ultralow power draw (12.5W per core), a 1066MHz FSB, and 8MB of L2 processor cache (2 x 4MB)

• 65W dual-core Xeon processor model E5205 at 1.86GHz, with 64-bit extensions, low power draw, a 1066MHz FSB, and 6MB of shared L2 processor cache

• 80W dual-core Xeon processor model 5160 at 3.0GHz, with 64-bit extensions, reduced power draw, a 1333MHz FSB, and 4MB of shared L2 processor cache

• 65W dual-core Xeon processor model 5140 at 2.33GHz, with 64-bit extensions, low power draw, a 1333MHz FSB, and 4MB of shared L2 processor cache

• 65W dual-core Xeon processor model 5110 at 1.6GHz, with 64-bit extensions, low power draw, a 1066MHz FSB, and 4MB of shared L2 processor cache

Dual-core Xeon processors contain two complete processor cores; quad-core processors, similarly, contain four cores. Some processors contain one unified cache shared by all cores, while other processors have multiple independent caches (one per pair of cores). The shared cache is dynamically allocated between the cores as needed. The multiple cores appear to software as multiple physical processors. The dual-core processors offer considerably higher performance than a same-speed Xeon processor with a single core. Likewise, quad-core processors offer considerably higher performance than a same-speed Xeon processor with dual cores.

Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T) 64-bit extensions allow the Xeon processor to use large memory addressing when running with a 64-bit operating system. This in turn lets individual software processes directly access more than 4GB of RAM, which was the limit of 32bit addressing. This can result in much higher performance for certain kinds of programs, such as database management and CAD. Additional registers and instructions (SSE3) can further boost performance for applications written to use them. Contact your software provider to determine their software support for EM64T.

The 1066MHz FSB (which connects memory to the processor) boasts a peak rate of 8.53GBps, or up to one-third higher throughput at the same processor clock speed than an 800MHz FSB (6.4GBps) used in older systems. The 1333MHz FSB offers a peak rate of 10.67GBps, or up to two-thirds higher throughput at the same processor clock speed than an 800MHz FSB. This may result in much higher data transfer rates.

Intelligent Power Capability powers individual processor elements on and off as needed, to reduce power draw.

Execute Disable Bit functionality can help prevent certain classes of malicious buffer overflow attacks when combined with a supporting operating system.

For terms and conditions or copies of the IBM Statement of Limited Warranty, call 800-772-2227 in the U.S. In Canada call 800-

426-2255. Telephone support may be subject to additional charges. For warranties including onsite labor, a technician is sent after IBM attempts to resolve the problem remotely. International warranty service is available in any country in which this product is sold.

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

DDR II ECC Fully Buffered Memory with Chipkill Protection

The x3550 supports up to 32GB of memory in 8 DIMM sockets. Some models include two 512MB DIMMs standard, while others ship with two 1GB DIMMs. The x3550 uses PC2-5300 fully-buffered double data rate II (DDR II) memory (operating at 667MHz) for faster access, and

provides Active Memory features, including advanced Chipkill memory protection, for up to 16X better error correction than standard ECC memory.

The fully buffered memory in the x3550 provides up to triple the memory bandwidth (up to

21.3GBps in four channels of PC2-5300 fully-buffered DIMMs vs. a maximum of 6.4GBps in two

channels of unbuffered PC2-3200 memory and up to double the system memory capacity (8 DIMMs x 4GB) of the predecessor x336 server (8 DIMMs x 2GB). By performing reads and writes simultaneously, it eliminates the previous memory read-to-write blocking latency. In addition, it also offers innovative data reliability and security features to help improve data integrity, including enhanced CRC protection, data retry on error detect and buffer registers for improved fault isolation.

For increased availability, the x3550 offers two additional (but mutually exclusive) levels of IBM Active Memory protection: online memory mirroring, and online hot-spare memory.

Memory mirroring works much like disk mirroring. The total memory is divided into two channels. Data is written concurrently to both channels. If a DIMM fails in one of the DIMMs in the primary channel, it is instantly disabled and the mirrored (backup) memory in the other channel becomes active (primary) until the failing DIMM is replaced. Mirroring can be accomplished with multiples of four DIMMs (one pair per memory channel). Up to 16GB (four 4GB DIMMS) of memory is available for use with mirroring enabled. (Note: Due to the double writes to memory, performance is affected.)

When online hot-spare memory is enabled, using single and/or dual-rank DIMMs one rank is set aside per branch as online spares in case one of the other ranks fails. The spare rank must have

capacity at least that of the largest active rank. Up to 24GB (using 8 single-rank 4GB DIMMs) or 28GB (using 8 dual-rank 4GB DIMMs) of memory is available when the hot-spare feature is

active. (The lowest-numbered rank of those with the highest capacity in each branch is used for the hot-spares.)

Either of these features requires operating system support.

When multiples of four DIMMs (4 or 8) are installed, the x3550 operates in four-way interleaved mode, for higher performance. When only two DIMMs are used, the system defaults to two-way interleaved mode.

DIMMs must be installed in pairs. Memory is available in kits consisting of two 512MB, 1GB, 2GB or 4GB DIMMs.

Drive Bays

The x3550 contains either two or four drive bays in all, depending on the model. Some models offer two 3.5-inch bays that support hot-swap SAS or simple-swap SATA II drives. This enables up to two slimline (1.0") drives to be installed, totaling up to 600GB (SAS) or 2TB (SATA).

Other models feature four 2.5-inch bays that support hot-swap SAS drives totaling up to

587.2GB.

Variable read rate. Actual playback speed varies and is often less than the maximum possible.

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

Hot-swap drives may be inserted or removed through the front of the server without powering off the system. Simple-swap drives can be inserted or removed through the front of the server as well; however, the system power must first be turned off.

For additional storage, a direct-attach, NAS or SAN external expansion option can be added, using an optional controller.

A 24X/24X/24X/8X4 speed (ultraslim, 0.5”) CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo drive with an IDE interface ships standard in all x3550 servers. No diskette drive is supplied with any model; an external USB floppy drive may be used, if needed.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

Disk Controllers

All SAS-equipped x3550 models include an integrated Adaptec AIC9580W Serial-Attach SCSI (SAS) controller. This controller supports up to four internal SAS LVD (low-voltage differential)

drives. SATA models have a separate SATA controller, which supports up to two internal SATA drives.

The integrated ServeRAID-8k-l controller offers hardware RAID-0/1/10 support and 32MB of fast PC2-4200 DDR2 cache for the SAS drives. The ServeRAID-8k option adds three additional RAID levels, RAID-1E, 5 and 6, along with 256MB of cache memory for higher performance, and battery backup, without consuming a valuable adapter slot.

The SAS controller provides data transfer speeds of up to 300MB per second5 in each direction (full-duplex) across the SAS bus, for an aggregate speed of 600MBps, nearly double that of Ultra320 SCSI’s 320MBps (half-duplex) bandwidth. The serial design of the SAS bus allows maximum performance to be maintained as additional drives are added.

The SATA controller integrated in the SATA models supports up to two internal SATA II drives, with maximum data transfer rates of up to 300MB (half-duplex) per second. This is throughput is similar to that of Ultra320 SCSI (320MBps, half-duplex). The SATA models also include firmware support for RAID-0/1. The system can be upgraded to hardware-based RAID-0/1/10/1E/5/6 for higher performance, using the same IBM ServeRAID-8k SAS/SATA controller as the hot-swap server models.

For external storage, the MegaRAID 8480 controller enables connection to up to four IBM System Storage EXP3000 SAS expansion units (48 HDDs total). It provides RAID-0/1/10/5/50 support and 256MB of onboard cache.

Additional external storage is available using one of several supported direct-attach, iSCSI or SAN controllers.

Large HDD Storage Capacity

The x3550 offers a choice of disk storage, supporting up to two (3.5-inch) or four (2.5-inch) hot- swap high-performance SAS drives, or two (3.5-inch) simple-swap SATA drives:

3.5-inch SAS

• 15,000 RPMs — 73.4, 146.8 or 300GB (600GB maximum)

2.5-inch SAS

• 10,000 RPMs — 73.4 or 146.8GB (587.2GB)

• 15,000 RPMs — 73.4GB (293.6GB)

3.5-inch SATA

• 7,200 RPMs — 160, 250, 500, 750GB or 1TB (2.0TB)

2-5-inch drives not only require less space than 3.5-inch drives, they weigh less, consume half the power, produce less noise, seek faster, and offer increased reliability.

Simple-swap SATA drives are not hot-swappable (the system must first be powered off); however, no tools or jumpers are required for installation and removal, allowing for faster, simpler servicing than fixed drives. The hot-swap SAS drives use the Converged Tray for interchangeability with other IBM System x™ systems. If you need more storage space, terabyte capacities are possible with external direct-attach, NAS and SAN solutions.

High-Performance Adapter Slots

The x3550 provides two x8 (“by 8”) 4GBps PCI-E (PCI Express) adapters standard. Each is capable of supporting x1/x4/x8 adapters at full speed. Both slots are half-length/full-height. If desired, the riser card containing slot 2 may optionally be replaced with one that provides one

half-length/full-height (1GBps) 133MHz PCI-X slot instead.

PCI-Express is a high-performance, low-latency, next-generation serial I/O bus that is rapidly

replacing the older parallel PCI and PCI-X buses. A x8 PCI-E adapter offers approximately four times the maximum throughput of a 133MHz PCI-X adapter6. (A x1 adapter offers throughput

similar to a 66MHz PCI-X slot.)

Because the SAS, ServeRAID-8k and 8k-l, dual Gigabit Ethernet, systems management and video controllers are integrated onto the system board, the two adapter slots are both available, which offers a wide degree of latitude in expansion options.

Data transfer rates depend on many factors and are often less than the maximum possible.

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application

Hot-Swap/Redundant Components

serving in Web environments

Dual Gigabit Ethernet Controllers

The x3550 includes two integrated Broadcom 5708 Gigabit Ethernet controllers for up to 10X higher maximum throughput than a 10/100 Ethernet controller, as well as support for Jumbo

Frames and TOE (TCP Offload Engine).

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.

It also supports highly secure remote power manageme and PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) flash interface. Optional PCI adapters offering failover and load balancing between adapters are available for added throughput and increased system availability.

nt using IPMI 2.0, plus Wake on LAN®

Ultra-Efficient Cooling

Strategically located fans, combined with efficient airflow paths, provide highly effective system cooling for the x3550, known as Calibrated Vectored Cooling. The base server with one power supply includes ten hot-swap fans, for redundant cooling. The second processor option also includes two more fans. In addition, each power supply also contains a fan.

The system contains three cooling zones. Zone 1 (incorporating four fans) cools all 8 DIMM sockets. Zone 2 (four fans) cools the primary processor, and Zone 3 (two or four fans) cools the second processor.

The fans automatically adjust speeds in response to changing thermal requirements, from a minimum of 7,750 RPMs to a maximum of 15,000 RPMs, depending on the zone 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.

Light Path Diagnostics

Light path diagnostics enables a technician to quickly identify and locate a failed or failing system component, such as a specific fan or memory DIMM. This enables quick replacement of the component, which helps increase server uptime and lower operating costs.

The front of the server has an LED indicator light to show possible component failures. If the front LED indicates an error condition, by pressing a button on the front of the server an LED panel will pop out and drop down for easy viewing without the need to open the server cover or remove the server from the 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 eight 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.)

System availability is maximized through the extensive use of hot-swap and redundant components, including:

• Redundant memory protection (with online hot-spare memory or memory mirroring enabled)

• Hot-swap, redundant hard disk drives (with RAID-1/10 protection standard and three other

Actual throughput will depend on the adapter vendor’s implementation.

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application

Rack Cable Management and KVM Console Switching

Directly

serving in Web environments

RAID levels optional)

• Hot-swap, redundant power supplies (optional)

• Hot-swap, redundant cooling fans (standard)

Other Features

• S

ix 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 and four on the back.

• Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine support — This optional full-function systems management adapter adds local and remote management functions without consuming a valuable adapter slot.

• Dual video ports — An ATI Radeon ES1000 SVGA video controller provides up to 1024x768 resolution, with a color depth of 32 bits at 85Hz refresh rate. To simplify local systems management, one video port is provided on the front of the unit and one on the back.

• Toolless slides — Allows quick rack installation and quicker upgrade and servicing of the server.

• Toolless chassis — The cover can be opened without tools, and many components can be removed and replaced without tools, including the CD-RW/DVD combo drive, hot-swap HDDs, plus PCI, PCI-X and PCI-E adapters, as well as the integrated ServeRAID-8k and Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine. This can save a servicer significant time.

IBM Advanced Cabling Technology (ACT) is an optional feature that offers many advantages over standard KVM cabling across the entire System x and xSeries product line. So now you can interconnect all of your servers with one smart cabling architecture. ACT cabling eliminates the need for one-to-one direct connections between each server and a KVM switch by using a daisychain approach.

The snarl of cabling behind most racks is at best inconvenient to work around and at worst an expensive logistical nightmare, requiring the rewiring of servers, PDUs, KVM switches, and other equipment whenever a rack server is added or removed. Even worse, the veil of cables blocks rack airflow and can actually contribute to equipment failure due to overheating. ACT cabling is the solution for reducing behind-the-rack cabling by as much as 87%.

The illustration below shows a sample ACT configuration:

Via Daisy-Chain

• Max.16 servers per port

All CAT5, 5e, 6

cabling

onventional cabling has bulky KVM cables exiting each server, which then connect to a KVM

C switch. The cables exiting a series of KVM switches must then be aggregated via additional KVM switches and PDUs, which only increases the number—and cost—of cables, KVM switches and PDUs. Instead, the daisy-chain approach of ACT cabling uses readily available, inexpensive CAT5 and 6 cabling to considerably reduce the number of cables, KVM switches, and PDUs needed, rather than increasing them. If a server is removed or added, no complicated rewiring is needed. One cable connects the first server in the rack to the next, and so on. Up to 16 servers

Via Secondary

Switch

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

form a chain; up to 8 chains can connect to one Local Console Manager (LCM); 16 LCMs can connect to one Global Console Manager (GCM). In this manner, up to 2,048 servers can be centrally managed. Equally importantly, with ACT—unlike some other offerings—everything is done externally via cabling; no special adapters are required.

Extensive System Support Features

he IBM services and technical support portfolio provides world-class, consistent, high-quality service and support. The x3550 server offers a number of tools and services designed to make ownership a positive experience. From the start, IBM programs make it easier for you to plan for, configure and purchase System x or xSeries servers, get them running and keep them running long-term. These features include IBM Express Portfolio, IBM ServerProven®, IBM Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool, IBM System x and BladeCenter Power Configurator, IBM ServerGuide, IBM Electronic Service Agent™, Product Customization Services and extensive technical support offerings.

The IBM ServerProven program provides the confidence that specific options and operating systems have been tested on the server and are officially supported to work together. It is updated frequently to ensure that the latest compatibility information is always at your fingertips.

The IBM Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool (SSCT) is a downloadable tool that simplifies the often complex chore of configuring a full rack of servers (including blade servers) and confirming that you have all the cables, power distribution units, KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) switch boxes and other components you need, as well as the proper airflow clearances, electrical circuits and other environmental conditions.

IBM System x and BladeCenter Power Configurator helps IT managers plan for data center power needs, by providing the following information for specific configurations of System x and BladeCenter systems: power input (watts), PDU sizing (amps), heat output (BTUs), airflow requirements through chassis (CFM), VA rating, leakage current (mA), and peak inrush current (amps).

IBM ServerGuide (installed from CD) simplifies the process of installing and configuring System x and xSeries servers. ServerGuide goes beyond mere hardware configuration by assisting with the automated installation of the Microsoft® Windows® Server 2000 and 2003 operating systems, device drivers and other system components, with minimal user intervention. (Drivers are also included for support of Novell NetWare, Red Hat Linux and SUSE LINUX.) This focus on deployment helps you reduce both you total cost of ownership and the complexity that administrators and technical personnel face.

IBM Electronic Service Agent™ is an innovative “call home” feature that allows System x and BladeCenter servers to automatically report hardware problems to IBM support, which can even dispatch onsite service7 if necessary to those customers entitled to onsite support under the terms of their warranty or an IBM Maintenance Agreement. Electronic Service Agent resides on a server and provides electronic support and problem management capabilities through a highly secure electronic dialogue between your systems and IBM. It monitors networked servers for hardware errors and it can perform hardware and software inventories and report inventory changes to IBM. All information sent to IBM is stored in a highly secure database and used for improved problem determination.

Additional services include hardware warranty upgrades and factory-installed Product Customization Services (PCS), such as asset tagging, hardware integration, software imaging and operating systems personalization.

IBM offers extensive technical support by phone and via the Web. Support options include links to forums/newsgroups, problem submission, online shopping support, service offerings, device drivers for all IBM product lines, software downloads and even upcoming technical seminar worldwide schedules and registration. Also available are remote installation, configuration and usage support for System x and xSeries hardware and software, as well as onsite custom services to provide the level of expertise you require.

Advanced Systems Management Capabilities

The x3550 has a high level of systems management capabilities that are well-suited to remote locations as well as to stand-alone environments. Features include the Baseboard Management

For onsite labor, IBM will attempt to diagnose and resolve the problem remotely before sending a technician.

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

Controller (BMC), IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager for x86, Automatic Server Restart, Wake on LAN® support, PXE support, text console redirect, Predictive Failure Analysis, IBM Director and support for an optional Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine.

The BMC provides industry-standard Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) 2.0- compliant systems management. It provides a number of important system functions, including:

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

• Monitoring of system and battery voltage, system temperature, fans, power supplies,

processor and DIMM status

• Fan speed control

• Product ID and Family ID detection

• Highly secure remote power on/off

• System reset control

• NMI/SMI detection and generation

• System diagnostic LED control (power, HDD, activity, alerts, heartbeat)

• IPMI over LAN

• Serial Over LAN

• Proxy server support

• LAN messaging and alerting

• Text console redirection over LAN

• VLAN support

• Enhanced authentication and encryption algorithms (RMCP+, SHA-1, AES)

• Local update of BMC firmware

• Firmware firewall

• Support for IPMI v2.0 compliant management software (e.g., xCAT)

• Other mandatory and optional IPMI BMC functions

The BMC alerts IBM Director to anomalous environmental factors, such as voltage and thermal conditions—even if the server has failed.

The x3550 also supports an optional IBM Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine for additional systems management capabilities, including:

• Predictive Failure Analysis for system fans

• Graphical console redirection over LAN

• Web-based out-of-band control

• Windows “blue screen” capture

• Remote virtual floppy and CD-ROM

• High-speed remote redirection of PCI video, keyboard and mouse

• SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) support

IBM developed IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager for x86 to put control of system power-saving features at the fingertips of administrators. Active Energy Manager is designed to take advantage of new features, such as monitoring power usage and balancing the performance of the system according to available power input. It provides the ability to plan and predict power consumption based on your hardware configuration. It also helps enable you to reduce the infrastructure required for redundancy, by using fewer servers on smaller power feeds and potentially lowering your overall data center support costs. It does this by inventorying all components, then adding up the total power draw and tracking the usage. It also includes power management and capping features to help administrators manage or reduce power usage.

Automatic Server Restart (ASR) helps reduce downtime by restarting the server automatically in the event of a system lockup. ASR technology is a combination of hardware circuitry tied into the server’s system reset function and a device driver. As long as the server continues running, the ASR watchdog timer will keep being reset, but if the operating system crashes or the hardware freezes somehow the ASR software will be unable to reset the hardware timer. If the timer is not reset within five minutes, it automatically triggers the ASR hardware, which immediately restarts the server (and logs an ASR event with IBM Director). These features are designed so that no more than five minutes can pass before the server is restarted.

Wake on LAN permits the server to be remotely powered on if it has been shut off. Once powered up, the server can be controlled across the network, using the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE).

Like Wake on LAN, PXE is system firmware. It enables software such as the optional IBM Remote Deployment Manager to take control of a system before the BIOS, operating system or applications are loaded (using Wake on LAN/PXE) and lets an administrator perform many lowlevel tasks remotely that would otherwise require a visit to each system. These tasks may include such things as formatting a hard disk drive, updating system firmware, or deploying a Windows or Linux operating system.

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

Text Console Redirection support allows the administrator to remotely view x3550 text messages over serial or LAN. An optional upgrade to the Remote Supervisor Adapter II

SlimLine adds graphical console redirection.

Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA) is designed to allow the system to detect impending failure of

supported components (memory, power supplies, hard disk drives, and fans) before actual failure, and alert the administrator through IBM Director. This gives you the ability to replace the failing component before it fails, resulting in increased uptime.

IBM Director software for advanced workgroup management is included with the x3550. IBM Director comes with a portfolio of tools, including Management Processor Assistant, Rack

Manager, RAID Manager, Update Assistant and Software Distribution. Systems Director Active Energy Manager for x86, System Availability (a no-charge download) and Capacity Manager

(sold separately) are available as add-ons for additional server management and increased availability. IBM Director provides a single uniform graphical interface for all of these systems management functions.

IBM Director enables you to customize thresholds and monitor system components (for things like temperature, voltage regulation, etc.) to help maximize uptime.

Key Options

IBM options for System x servers help you take your servers to a higher level

You know can rely on System x options to supply a complete solution for your business needs. Options help you create an optimized server system to meet your data protection, storage and availability needs. Every IBM option is designed and tested for peak performance and flexibility, helping to maximize your return on investment. The combination of System x servers and options lets you keep your fingers on the pulse of your e-business.

Processors — The Intel Xeon processor provides high clock rates, dual- or quad-cores, 64-bit extensions, a large cache and advanced features for availability and manageability. Large cache size, combined with a fast 1333MHz or 1066MHz front-side bus, reduces memory latency and facilitates the movement of data through the processor and I/O devices. (Note: System performance depends not only on the number of processors in the server but also on the power and functionality of each processor.) Adding a second processor may be a cost-effective way to achieve significant performance improvements.

Memory — Memory is a significant factor in systems application performance. Adding more memory to a System x server is one of the most effective ways to increase application performance. For best performance in a server with a dual-core processor, there should be twice as much memory available as for a single-core processor. The x3550 takes memory upgrades in pairs and provides either two-way or four-way interleaving (depending on the number of DIMMs installed).

Hard Disk Drives — IBM hard disk drives help you improve the transaction and cost performance of your System x servers. The choice of hard disk drives can be a critical aspect of maximizing the I/O throughput of the system. SAS hard disk drives are available for the x3550 with capacities up to 300GB (3.5-inch) apiece at 15,000 RPMs, up to 146.8GB (2.5-inch) apiece at 10,000 RPMs, or up to 73.4GB apiece (2.5-inch) at 15,000 RPM. 3.5-inch Serial ATA hard disk drives are available with capacities up to 1TB apiece a

Power Supply — The optional second power supply for the x3550 enables redundancy for hotswap power.

Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine — The x3550 includes a plethora of systems management features built-in; however, sometimes additional management capability is needed. In those situations, the Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine not only offers powerful new features, it does so without taking up a valuable PCI-X or PCI-E adapter slot, instead using a dedicated slot on the motherboard.

ServeRAID Controllers — System x servers using embedded ServeRAID-8k technology allow companies to build a reliable foundation for business-critical computing. IBM ServeRAID technology allows an array consisting of multiple physical hard disk drives to be treated as one logical drive. ServeRAID technology also allows data to be stored redundantly, across multiple hard disk drives— enhancing both the integrity and the availability of the data. SAS and SATA ServeRAID controllers offer enhanced performance due to onboard processors and cache. Because IBM ServeRAID controllers can help significantly improve data transfer rates, this technology is extremely effective when implementing demanding, transaction-oriented applications. By employing the advanced fault tolerance of IBM ServeRAID technology, companies can effectively implement networked business systems that require large amounts of storage space for data and applications that must be available for their businesses to continue operating.

The optional ServeRAID-8k SAS/SATA controller offers enhanced performance over the

t 7,200 RPMs.

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application

Pop-Out Light

CD-RW/DVD

Light Path

Power

serving in Web environments

integrated ServeRAID-8k-l controller (SAS models), 256MB of battery-backed cache memory, and supports six RAID levels: 0 (striping), 1 (mirroring), 10 (mirroring and striping), 1E (enhanced mirroring, supporting odd numbers of drives), 5 (striping with parity), and 6 (striping with double parity).

The optional MegaRAID 8480 SAS controller offers high performance and 256MB of cache memory (with optional battery backup) for external SAS storage capacity. The adapter supports

five RAID levels: 0 (striping), 1 (mirroring), 10 (mirroring and striping), 5 (striping with parity), and 50 (striping/mirroring with parity).

External Storage — The IBM TotalStorage DS3000, DS4000, DS6000, and DS8000 series, as

well as the System Storage DS4000, N3000, N5000, and N7000 series, comprise a powerful and broad shared storage family with integrated management software designed to meet midrange and enterprise needs. For lower-end needs, IBM offers the TotalStorage DS300 and DS400 storage enclosures.

External SAN, iSCSI, and direct-attach storage is available using one of several IBM System Storage and TotalStorage host bus adapters. Additionally, external LAN-attached tape storage is available.

The iSCSI HBA Adapter for IXA Connectivity is a PCI adapter for selected System x and xSeries servers that provides a direct 1GBps link to an IBM System i5 or iSeries server. This connection enables you to centralize your Microsoft Windows and System i5 or iSeries storage and consolidate the operations and backup of your System x, xSeries, System i5 and iSeries systems into a single infrastructure. It enables the tightest possible integration between Windows and System i5/iSeries data and applications, and allows as many as 32 servers to attach to one System i5 or iSeries system to share the iSeries server’s systems management, DVD, tape and disk storage via the iSeries dynamic virtual storage architecture. This can take the place of a SAN if you have an established System i5 or iSeries infrastructure.

x3550 Images

Front View

Hot-Swap

2.5-inch SAS HDDs

2.5-inch Drive Bay Fillers

Rear View

Gigabit Ethernet Ports

Hexagonal Ventilation Holes

Fast Ethernet Port for BMC

USB 2.0 Ports

Video Port

Rack Release Button

Slot 2

USB Ports

Combo

Serial Port

Video Port

Button

Slot 1

Path Diagnostics Panel

Hot-Swap Power Supplies and Fans

Status LEDs

Diagnostics Panel Eject Button

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application

Memory

Processor 2

Adapter

Hot-Swap Power

Hot-Swap

Adapter

ServeRAID

-8k-l

Processor 1

serving in Web environments

Interior View

HDD Bays

Fans

Supplies

DIMMs

Slot 1

Slot 2

x3550 Specifications

Machine type 7978-2xX/2xY, 5xX/5xY, 7xX/7xY, JxX/JxY, LxX/LxY, MxX/MxY

Form factor

Processor type

Maximum processor power draw

Front-side bus (FSB) speed

# of processors standard / maximum

Internal L2 cache

Quad-core Xeon

(E54xx/L54xx/X54xx)

2.0GHz E5405 (B1X/B1Y,

BAX/BAY), 2.5GHz E5420

(B3X/B3Y, BCX/BCY),

2.5GHz L5420 (LxX/LxY),

2.66GHz E5430

(B4X/B4Y, BDX/BDY),

2.8GHz E5450 (B5X/B5Y,

BEX/BEY), 3.0GHz X5450

(B9X/BJY, BJX/BJY),

3.16GHz X5460

(B7X/B7Y, BGX/BGY)

50W (JxX/JxY,

LxX/LxY)

1333MHz (5xX/5xY, 7xX/7xY, BxX/BxY,

12MB (2 x 6MB shared

cache)—BxX/BxY,

LxX/LxY

65W (2xX/2xY,

LxX/LxY

Quad-core Xeon

(E53xx/L53xx)

1.6GHz L5310 (JAX/JAY),

1.86GHz L5320

5xX/5xY,

MxX/MxY)

8MB (2 x 4MB shared

cache)—JxX/JxY,

Dual-core Xeon (E52xx)

1.86GHz E5205

(MxX/MxY)

(JBX/JBY)

80W (7xX/7xY,

B1X/B1Y, B3X/B3Y, B4X/B4Y, B5X/B5Y,

BAX/BAY, BCX/BCY,

BDX/BDY, BEX/BEY)

1066MHz (2xX/2xY, JxX/JxY, MxX/MxY)

1 / 2

MxX/MxY

Dual-core Xeon (51xx)

1.6GHz 5110 (2xX/2xY),

2.33GHz 5140 (5xX/5xY),

3.0GHz 5160 (7xX/7xY)

4MB (1 x 4MB shared

cache)—2xX/2xY, 5xX/5xY, 7xX/7xY

120W

(B7X/B7Y,

B9X/B9Y,

BGX/BGY,

BJX/BJY)

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

x3550 Specifications

Chipset

Standard / maximum memory8

Standard memory type Fully buffered PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR II ECC with Chipkill protection

Memory interleaving

DIMM capacities supported

# of DIMM sockets total / available

Online spare memory supported / # of DIMM sockets reserved for sparing

Memory mirroring supported / # of DIMM sockets reserved for mirroring

# of drive bays total / available

# of HDD drive bays total / available

# of 5.25" bays total / available

Maximum HDD capacity

2GB (2 x 1GB) / 32GB (BxX/BxY,

JxX/JxY, LxX/LxY, MxX/MxY)

Yes (four-way using multiples of 4 DIMMs; two-way otherwise)

Yes / 1 DIMM “rank” per memory branch (2 ranks total)

3 / 2 (x1X/x1Y, x2X/x2Y, x3X/x3Y,

x4X/x4Y, x5X/x5Y, x7X/x7Y, x9X/x9Y)

2 / 2 3.5-inch (x1X/x1Y, x2X/x2Y,

x3X/x3Y, x4X/x4Y, x5X/x5Y, x7X/x7Y,

x9X/x9Y)

1 / 0 (CD-RW/DVD installed)

3.5-inch SAS

600GB (2 x 300GB)

hot-swap 3.5-inch SAS

(x1X/x1Y, L2X/L2Y,

x3X/x4Y, x3X/x4Y, x5X/x5Y, x7X/x7Y,

x9X/x9Y)

Intel 5000X

1GB (2 x 512MB) / 32GB (2xX/2xY,

512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB

8 / 6

Yes / 4

5 / 4 (xAX/xAY, xBX/xBY, xCX/xCY,

xDX/xDY, xEX/xEY, xGX/xGY, xJX/xJY)

4 / 4 2.5-inch (xAX/xAY, xBX/xBY,

BCX/BCY, xDX/xDY, xEX/xEY, xGX/xGY,

2.5-inch SAS

587.6GB (4 x 146.8GB) hot-swap 2.5-inch SAS

(xAX/xAY, xBX/xBY,

BCX/BCY, xDX/xDY,

xEX/xEY, xGX/xGY,

xJX/xJY)

5xX/5xY, 7xX/7xY)

xJX/xJY)

3.5-inch SATA

2TB (2 x 1TB) simple-

swap 3.5-inch SATA

(22X/22Y)

3.5-inch SAS

HDD capacities supported

# of HDDs standard

# of optical drives standard

# of diskette drives standard

Internal tape drives supported

Disk drive technology

Integrated disk controller

# of disk drives supported per port

External disk drives supported

Integrated RAID controller ServeRAID-8k-l (32MB cache)—SAS models

Optional RAID controllers supported

# of adapter slots total / available

# of PCI-E x8 slots (4GBps)

73.4, 146.8, 300GB — 15K RPMs

1 CD-RW/DVD Combo (24X/24X/24X/8X, in dedicated 5.25" UltraBay)

Hot-swap SAS Simple-swap SATA

Four-port Adaptec 9580W (SAS models);

Processor chipset (SATA models)

Yes, via MegaRAID 8480 controller

ServeRAID-8k (256MB cache)—internal SAS/SATA

MegaRAID 8480 (256MB cache)—external SAS/SATA

2.5-inch SAS

73.4, 146.8GB — 10,000

RPMs;

73.4GB — 15K RPMs

None

None (optional)

None (externally attached)

4 / 4

2 (standard);

3.5-inch SATA

160, 250, 500, 750GB,

1TB — 7,200 RPMs

Maximum memory and disk capacity may require the replacement of standard components with the largest supported component

available.

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

x3550 Specifications

full-height/half-length

# of PCI-X/133 slots (1GBps)

# of 33MHz legacy PCI slots

# of video ports

Video controller

Video memory

Maximum video resolution at 32-bit color

Gigabit Ethernet controller

# of Gigabit Ethernet ports

# of RS485 ports

# of serial ports

# of parallel ports

# of mouse ports

# of keyboard ports

# of USB 2.0 ports 6 (2 front, 4 rear) ports

Integrated systems management controller

Optional systems management adapter

None (1 optional, in place of 1 PCI-E slot)

None

2 (one front, one rear)

ATI Radeon ES1000

8MB SDRAM

1024 x 758 x 32-bit color at 85Hz

Broadcom BCM5708

2 (rear)

None

1 (rear)

None (USB-attached)

Yes (BMC)

Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine

Light path diagnostics support

Predictive Failure Analysis support

Power supply size

# of power supplies standard / maximum

Hot-swap/redundant power supported

# of fans/blowers standard / maximum 10 (with one processor installed) 12 (with two processors installed)

Hot-swap/redundant fans supported

Rack mount method

Maximum altitude

Operating temperature range

Dimensions (HWD) / weight

Operating systems supported

Processors, memory, voltage regulator modules (VRMs), HDDs, power supplies (plus

fans, when an optional Remote Supervisor Adapter SlimLine II is used)

50 – 95º F; 10 – 35º C (up to 3,000 ft /

17.3” (440mm) W

28.0” (711.4mm) D

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 (Standard/Web/Enterprise Editions) 32/64-bit,

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server (Standard/Enterprise Editions), Microsoft Small

Business Server Standard Edition, RHEL 4/5 32/64-bit, SLES 9/10 32/64-bit, Novell

Open Enterprise Server (NetWare 6.5), SCO UnixWare 7.1.4, SCO OpenServer 6,

Yes, with external pop-out/drop-down panel

670W universal, autoswitching, hot-swap

1 / 2

Yes (with two power supplies installed)

Yes (standard)

Slides and Cable Management Arm (provided standard)

7,000 ft; 2,133 m

914.4 m)

1.7” (43mm) H

VMware ESX Server 2.5/3.0

50 – 90º F; 10 – 32º C (3,000 ft to 7,000

ft / 914.4m to 2,133m)

28 (minimum) – 34.5 lb (maximum)

12.7 – 15.6 kg

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

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A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

x3550 Specifications

Length of limited warranty

The Bottom Line

3 years (parts and labor)9

The x3550 is an extremely powerful system, incorporating leading-edge industry-standard features and adding IBM-unique innovations:

Price/Performance

• High-throughput processors — 1.6 to 3.16GHz quad-core or 1.6 to 3.0GHz dual-core Xeon processors; up to 8 (quad-core) or 4 (dual-core) processor cores total

• Energy-efficient low-voltage processors — 50W quad-core and 65W dual-core Xeon processors

• Large cache — 12MB, 8MB, 6MB or 4MB of L2 processor cache

• 64-bit extensions (EM64T)

• Leading-edge front-side bus — 1333MHz or 1066MHz FSB (model-specific)

• Fast memory — Fully buffered 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR II ECC memory standard with two-

way or four-way interleaving

• Fast disk technology — Integrated SAS controller and slotless hardware-based RAID-0 data striping and RAID-10 striped/mirrored arrays, or SATA controller (model-specific)

• Fast communications — Integrated dual Gigabit Ethernet controllers, supporting Jumbo Frames and TOE

• Fast I/O —PCI-E x8 adapter slots

Flexibility

• Large memory capacity — Up to 32GB of fully buffered memory, using 8 DIMMs

• The choice of two 3.5-inch or four 2.5-inch hot-swap SAS drives, or two 3.5-inch simple-

swap SATA II drives

• Choice of disk storage — Up to 2TB of internal SATA II storage, 600GB of internal SAS storage (3.5-inch), or 587.2GB of internal SAS storage (2.5-inch)

• High-performance external expansion — Six 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports (two front, four rear)

• Hardware-based RAID-0/1/10 support standard (in SAS models); optional slotless RAID

support for RAID-1E/5/6

• Two available adapter slots —

 Two x810 PCI-E slots (4GBps)

 An optional riser card containing one 133MHz PCI-X slot can replace the riser card

containing one of the PCI-E slots

• Integrated DVD/CD-RW combo drive

• Two video ports (one on the front and one on the back)

• Optional iSCSI HBA Adapter for IXA Connectivity (to System i™/iSeries™ servers)

Manageability, Serviceability and Availability

• IBM Director systems management software, including:

 IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager for x86

 IBM Management Processor Assistant

 IBM Rack Manager

 IBM RAID Manager

 IBM Update Assistant

 IBM Software Distribution

 IBM System Availability

• IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager for x86

For terms and conditions or copies of the IBM Statement of Limited Warranty, call 800-772-2227 in the U.S. In Canada call 800-

426-2255. IBM makes no representation or warranty regarding third-party products or services including those designated as ServerProven or ClusterProven. Telephone support may be subject to additional charges. For warranties including onsite labor, a technician is sent after IBM attempts to resolve the problem remotely. International warranty service is available in any country in which this product is sold.

The x8 slots can accept x1, x4, or x8 adapters running at x1, x4, or x8 throughput, respectively.

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

Page 17

A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

• Integrated Baseboard Management Controller (BMC):

 IPMI 2.0 compliance, including highly secure remote power control

 Text console redirection systems management standard

• Active Memory protection:

 Advanced Chipkill ECC memory protection, and either

 Online hot-spare memory, or

 Memory mirroring

• Slotless hardware-based RAID-1 disk mirroring and RAID-10 striped/mirrored arrays standard; optional slotless RAID-1E/5/6 highly available arrays

• Hot-swap SAS hard disk drives or simple-swap SATA drives

• Ultra-efficient cooling incorporating Calibrated Vectored Cooling features and hot-

swap/redundant fans

• Optional hot-swap/redundant power supplies

• Light path diagnostics (front LED panel, drop-down light path panel)

• Optional Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine daughter card (no slot required)

 Supports LDAP and SSL industry standards

• Toolless chassis and toolless slide design; integrated Cable Management Arm

Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.

Page 18

A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 1U dual-socket SMP server, for application serving in Web environments

For More Information

IBM System x and xSeries Servers ibm.com/systems/x Electronic Service Agent ibm.com/support/electronic IBM System x and BladeCenter Power Configurator ibm.com/systems/bladecenter/powerconfig Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool ibm.com/servers/eserver/xseries/library/configtools.html Configuration and Options Guide ibm.com/servers/eserver/xseries/cog ServerProven Program ibm.com/servers/eserver/serverproven/compat/us Technical Support ibm.com/server/support Other Technical Support Resources ibm.com/servers/eserver/techsupport.html

Legal Information

IBM Systems and Technology Group Dept. U2SA 3039 Cornwallis Road Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Produced in the USA

March 2008

For a copy of applicable product warranties, write to: Warranty Information, P.O. Box 12195, RTP, NC 27709, Attn: Dept. JDJA/B203. IBM makes no representation or warranty regarding third-party products or services including those designated as ServerProven or ClusterProven. Telephone support may be subject to additional charges. For onsite labor, IBM will attempt to diagnose and resolve the problem remotely before sending a technician.

IBM, the IBM logo, the e-business logo, Active Memory, iSeries, PowerExecutive, Predictive Failure Analysis, ServeRAID, System i, System Storage, System x, TotalStorage, xSeries and X-Architecture are trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. For a list of additional IBM trademarks, please see

bm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.

http://i

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

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Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

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MB, GB and TB = 1,000,000, 1,000,000,000 and 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, respectively, when referring to storage capacity. Accessible capacity is less; up to 3GB is used in service partition. Actual storage capacity will vary based upon many factors and may be less than stated.

Performance is in Internal Throughput Rate (ITR) ratio based on measurements and projections using standard IBM benchmarks in a controlled environment. The actual throughput that any user will experience will depend on considerations such as the amount of multiprogramming in the user’s job stream, the I/O configuration, the storage configuration and the workload processed. Therefore, no assurance can be given that an individual user will achieve throughput improvements equivalent to the performance ratios stated here.

Maximum internal hard disk and memory capacities may require the replacement of any standard hard drives and/or memory and the population of all hard disk bays and memory slots with the largest currently supported drives available. When referring to variable speed CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs and DVDs, actual playback speed will vary and is often less than the maximum possible.

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