IBM Flex System V7000 Expansion Enclosure 4939H29 User Manual

Chapter 1. Introduction to IBM Flex Systems and IBM PureSystems offerings 

Draft Document for Review January 29, 2013 12:52 pm

There is no onboard video capability in the Power Systems compute nodes. The machines 
have been designed to be accessed using Serial Over LAN (SOL) or the IBM Flex System 
Manager (FSM).

The IBM POWER7 processor represents a leap forward in technology and associated 
computing capability. The multi-core architecture of the POWER7 processor has been 
matched with a wide range of related technologies to deliver leading throughput, efficiency, 
scalability, and reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS).

Although the processor is an important component in servers, many elements and facilities 
have to be balanced across a server to deliver maximum throughput. As with previous 
generations of systems based on POWER processors, the design philosophy for POWER7 
processor-based systems is one of system-wide balance in which the POWER7 processor 
plays an important role.

Each POWER7 processor has an integrated memory controller. Industry standard DDR3 
Registered DIMM (RDIMM) technology is used to increase reliability, speed, and density of 
memory subsystems.

The p260 and p24L has an onboard SAS controller that can manage up to two, 
non-hot-pluggable internal drives. Both 2.5-inch hard disk drives (HDDs) and 1.8-inch 
solid-state drives (SSDs) are supported. The maximum number of drives that can be installed 
in the p260 or p24L is two. SSD and HDD drives cannot be mixed.

There are several advanced system management capabilities built into the p260 and p24L. A 
Flexible Service Processor handles most of the server-level system management. It has 
features, such as system alerts and Serial-Over-LAN capability.

A Flexible Service Processor (FSP) provides out-of-band system management capabilities, 
such as system control, run-time error detection, configuration, and diagnostics. Generally, 
you do not interact with the FSP directly but, rather, using tools, such as IBM Flex System 
Manager,  IBM Flex System Chassis Management Module, and external IBM Systems 
Director Management Console. The FSP provides a Serial-over-LAN interface, which is 
available using the  IBM Flex System Chassis Management Module and the 

 

command.

The p260 and p24L do not have an on-board video chip and do not support keyboard, video, 
and mouse (KVM) connection. Server console access is obtained by a SOL connection only. 
SOL provides a means to manage servers remotely by using a command-line interface (CLI) 
over a Telnet or secure shell (SSH) connection. SOL is required to manage servers that do 
not have KVM support or that are attached to the IBM Flex System Manager. SOL provides 
console redirection for both System Management Services (SMS) and the server operating 
system. The SOL feature redirects server serial-connection data over a LAN without requiring 
special cabling by routing the data using the  IBM Flex System Chassis Management Module 
network interface. The SOL connection enables Power Systems compute nodes to be 
managed from any remote location with network access to the  IBM Flex System Chassis 
Management Module.

The  IBM Flex System Chassis Management Module CLI provides access to the text-console 
command prompt on each server through a SOL connection, enabling the p260 and p24L to 
be managed from a remote location.

There are two I/O adapter slots on the p260 and the p24L which are identical in shape (form 
factor). Also different is that the I/O adapters for the Power Systems compute nodes have 
their own connector that plugs into the IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis midplane.