IBM HS21 - BladeCenter - 8853 Product Manual - page 9
Workhorse 2-socket dual and quad-core Intel Xeon blade server
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9.
such as voltage and thermal conditions—even if the server has failed.
Other systems management features offered for the combination of blade server and chassis
include:
• Predictive Failure Analysis for system processors, memory and HDDs, as well as chassis switch
modules, blower modules and power modules
• Web-based out-of-band control
• Windows “blue screen” capture
• Remote virtual media
• High-speed remote redirection of PCI video, keyboard and mouse
• SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) support
In order to put control of processor power-saving features at the fingertips of administrators, IBM
developed
IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager for x86. Active Energy Manager is
designed to take advantage of new processor features, such as balancing the performance of
the system according to available power input. It provides the ability to plan and predict power
consumption based on your BladeCenter hardware configuration. It also allows 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 at the blade level, then adding up the power draw for each blade and tracking that
usage. In failure mode, Systems Director Active Energy Manager for x86 (through the
BladeCenter Management Module) might request that certain blades in each domain throttle
down to reduce power consumption.
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.
Text and Graphics Console Redirect support allows the administrator to remotely view HS21
text and graphics messages over serial or LAN.
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 allows software such as the 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 low-
level 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.
Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA)
enables
the MM/AMM and the BMC to detect impending
failure of supported components (processors; memory; expansion cards; switch, blower and
power supplies; and hard disk drives) 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 server. IBM
Director comes with a portfolio of tools, including Management Processor Assistant, Rack
Manager, RAID Manager, Update Assistant and Software Distribution. 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.
Extensive System Support Features
The IBM services and technical support portfolio provides world-class, consistent, high-quality
service and support. From the start, IBM programs make it easier for you to plan for, configure
and purchase BladeCenter servers, get them running and keep them running long-term. These
features include IBM ServerProven
®
, the 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 blade servers and are officially supported to work together. It