IBM System x iDataPlex dx360 M4
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Key features
IBM System x iDataPlex is an innovative data center solution that maximizes performance and optimizes
energy and space efficiencies.
The iDataPlex dx360 M4 server is a modular, highly dense system, designed around a highly flexible
architecture for companies running large scale-out data centers that need energy efficiency, optimized
cooling, extreme scalability, high density at the data center level, and high performance at an affordable
price. iDataPlex solutions can help cost-effectively scale processing power to meet even the most
demanding high-performance computing workloads.
The iDataPlex design is a data center solution for customers finding limitations in their scale-out
computing environments. By delivering customized solutions that help reduce overall data center costs,
IBM addresses the business growth challenges in the massive scale-out marketplace. The iDataPlex
solution incorporates innovative ways to integrate x86-based processing performance at the node, rack,
and data center levels. The iDataPlex solution provides customers with outstanding energy and cooling
efficiency, multi-rack level manageability, complete flexibility in configuration, and minimal deployment
effort.
A typical iDataPlex solution consists of multiple fully populated rack installations. The groundbreaking
iDataPlex solution offers increased density in a new rack design. It uses the dimensions of a standard
42U enterprise rack but can hold 100U of equipment, populated with up to 84 servers, plus sixteen 1U
vertical slots for switches, appliances, and power distribution units (PDUs). This added density addresses
the major problems that prevent most data centers today from reaching their full capacity: insufficient
electrical power and excess heat.
The energy-efficient design of the iDataPlex servers and chassis can significantly reduce the incoming
energy requirement compared with standard 1U servers. In addition, the optional liquid-cooled IBM Rear
Door Heat eXchanger mounted to the back of the rack can remove 100% of the heat generated within the
rack, drawing it from the data center before it exits the rack. It can even go beyond that, to the point of
helping to cool the data center itself and reducing the need for Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC)
units. This allows racks to be positioned much closer together, eliminating the need for hot aisles between
rows of fully populated racks.
With the iDataPlex chassis design, air needs to travel only 20 inches front to back, rather than the 30 plus
inches of a typical enterprise server. This shallow depth is part of the reason that the cooling efficiency of
iDataPlex servers is so high—shorter distance means better airflow. In addition, the new design uses four
large 80 mm fans per 2U chassis for more efficiency and lower noise than the eight small 40 mm fans
used in standard 1U servers. The increased air pressure resulting from the shorter distance through the
rack and the larger fans makes for one of the most efficient air-cooled solutions on the market.
Unlike most conventional racks, which are often left largely empty due to power and cooling limitations,
the iDataPlex Rack can be fully populated, while removing all rack heat from the data center (up to
100,000 BTUs or 30 kW), using the Rear Door Heat eXchanger. In addition, iDataPlex chassis uses
highly efficient (80 PLUS Platinum) power supplies, reducing energy draw and waste heat further.
Scalability and performance
The dx360 M4 offers numerous features to boost performance, improve scalability, and reduce costs:
The Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family improves productivity by offering superior
system performance with 12-core processors and up to 3.5 GHz core speeds, up to 25 MB of L3
cache, and QPI interconnect links of up to 8 GTps.
Two processors, up to 24 cores, and 48 threads maximize the concurrent execution of multi-threaded
applications.
