IBM System x3100 M4
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Key features
Often small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) have limited IT budget and resources, and rely on
partners or multitalented employees to help manage the company’s network. Business needs for
efficiency improvement and retention of critical data require the use of a server that is easy to get up and
running quickly and is dependable. You need to squeeze as much as possible out of your IT dollars, while
saving cost on features not needed in an SMB environment. The IBM System x3100 M4 is an ideal first
server to meet those business needs. It was built for speed, yet eliminates costly design features found in
general-purpose servers that are unnecessary for smaller businesses.
Scalability and performance
The x3100 M4 offers numerous features to boost performance, improve scalability, and reduce costs:
The single-socket x3100 M4 supports the new quad-core Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v2 family of
processors ("Ivy Bridge"), to offer impressive computing power in a space-saving mini-tower design.
Choice of processors with up to 4 cores to enable the effective use of multi-threaded applications.
Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v2 family supports Intel Hyer-Threading Technology (except the Xeon
E3-1220L) and Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 to maximize performance.
Up to 32GB of high-speed DDR3 system memory with four DIMM sockets.
Memory speeds up to 1600 MHz supported on models with Xeon Processor E3-1200 v2.
Four available high-performance PCI Express 3.0 or 2.0 slots, depending on the processor selected.
Up to four internal 3.5-inch simple-swap SATA II HDDs offer low-cost/high-capacity storage of up to 3
TB each.
Integrated ServeRAID-C100 software RAID controller supports RAID 0, 1 and 10. Hardware RAID
options available.
Integrated dual-port Gigabit Ethernet provides increased network throughput and redundancy with
efficient slot-saving integration.
An available 5.25-inch drive bay supports either a half-high tape drive or an RDX Removable Disk
Cartridge drive, for cost-effective data backup. A DVD-ROM drive is standard in a dedicated bay.
Seven USB 2.0 ports, two on the front and four on the back. In addition, there is one internal port for
use with a tape drive or RDX Removable Disk Cartridge drive.
Availability and serviceability
The x3100 M4 provides many features to simplify serviceability and increase system uptime:
ECC memory provides error correction not available in PC-class “servers” that use parity memory.
Avoiding system crashes (and data loss) due to soft memory errors can mean greater system uptime.
Tool-less cover removal provides easy access to upgrades and serviceable parts, such as CPU,
memory, and adapter cards.
The Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA) detects when system components (for example, processors,
memory, hard disk drives) operate outside of standard thresholds and generates pro-active alerts in
advance of possible failure, therefore increasing uptime.
Built-in Integrated Management Module Version II (IMM2) continuously monitors system parameters,
triggers alerts, and performs recovering actions in case of failures to minimize downtime.
Built-in diagnostics using Dynamic Systems Analysis (DSA) Preboot speeds up troubleshooting tasks
to reduce service time.
A DVD-ROM drive is standard in a dedicated bay for easy software installation.
