IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node
17
I/O expansion options
The x240 has two I/O expansion connectors for attaching I/O adapter cards. There is a third expansion
connector designed for future expansion options. The I/O expansion connectors are a very high-density
216-pin PCIe connector. Installing I/O adapter cards allows the server to connect with switch modules in
the IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis. Each slot has a PCI Express 3.0 x16 host interface and both
slots support the same form-factor adapters.
The following figure shows the location of the I/O expansion connectors.
Figure 6. Location of the I/O adapter slots in the IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node
All I/O adapters are the same shape and can be used in any available slot.. A compatible switch or
pass-through module must be installed in the corresponding I/O bays in the chassis, as indicated in the
following table. Installing two switches means that all ports of the adapter are enabled, which improves
performance and network availability.
Table 11. Adapter to I/O bay correspondence
I/O adapter slot in the server
Port on the adapter
Corresponding I/O module bay in the chassis
Port 1
Module bay 1
Port 2
Module bay 2
Port 3 (for 4-port cards)
Module bay 1
Slot 1
Port 4 (for 4-port cards)
Module bay 2
Port 1
Module bay 3
Port 2
Module bay 4
Port 3 (for 4-port cards)
Module bay 3
Slot 2
Port 4 (for 4-port cards)
Module bay 4
