IBM x3650 - System M2 - 7947 Product Manual - page 10
A highly available and expandable, rack-dense, 2U dual-socket SMP server, for application
serving in Web environments
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• 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 x3650 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.
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
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.
Text Console Redirection support allows the administrator to remotely view x3650 text
messages over serial or LAN. An upgrade to the optional
Remote Supervisor Adapter II
SlimLine adds graphical console redirect.
Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA) is designed to allow the x3650 to detect impending failure of
supported components (processors, memory, voltage regulator modules (VRMs), 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 x3650. IBM
Director comes with a portfolio of tools, including Management Processor Assistant, Rack
Manager, RAID Manager, Update Assistant and Software Distribution. IBM 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.