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Table of contents 1 System overview ..................................................................................................................................................................5 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................5 New technologies ...............................................................................................................
Table 1. Table 2. Table 3. Table 4. Table 5. Table 6. Table 7. Table 8. Table 9. Table 10. Table 11. Table 12. Table 13. Table 14. Table 15. Table 16. Table 17. Table 18. Table 19. Table 20. Table 21. Table 22. Table 23. Table 24. Table 25. New technologies ................................................................................................................................................ 6 Comparison of PowerEdge M420, M520, and M620 .............................................................
Enjoy remarkable computational density with the Dell™ PowerEdge™ M420 that can deploy up to 32 server nodes in just 10U of rack space. Scaling up to 16 processor cores and 192 GB of RAM, each M420 couples processing power and memory capacity with tremendous I/O throughput, with up to two ports of 10Gb Ethernet available in an exceptionally compact, individually serviceable form factor.
A number of new technologies are featured on the PowerEdge M420 system, as detailed in Table 1. New technologies Detailed descriptions ® Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family This new family of Intel processors has embedded PCI Express (PCIe) lanes for improved I/O performance and additional new features. See the Processors section for details. Intel C600 series chipset The Intel Platform Controller Hub (PCH) chip is implemented on the M420.
Compared to the previous generation of Dell PowerEdge blade servers, the M420 has similar memory scalability, as well as more processor cores in a much denser form factor than ever before. Features include DDR3 memory, PCIe 3.0, dual internal SD module, and Dell’s next-generation iDRAC solution known as iDRAC7 Enterprise with Lifecycle Controller.
Feature PowerEdge M420 PowerEdge M520 PowerEdge M620 Express Flash drives Not supported Not supported Up to 2 Mezzanine slots 1 x PCIe 3.0 x8 mezzanine card slots 2 PCIe 3.0 x8 mezzanine card slots 2 PCIe 3.
Feature Technical specification External storage: For information about Dell external storage options, visit Dell.
Feature Technical specification Operating systems Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, x64 (includes Hyper-V™ v2) ® ® SUSE Linux Enterprise Server ® ® Red Hat Enterprise Linux Virtualization options: ® Citrix XenServer™ VMware vSphere™ ® Red Hat Enterprise Vitualization For more information on the specific versions and additions, visit Dell.com/OSsupport.
The Dell PowerEdge M420 implements a new module design, with a quarter-height blade server that requires an M1000e chassis to operate. It occupies one slot vertically in the M1000e rack chassis, which is populated with a sleeve and contains four blades. The M1000e chassis can contain a maximum of 32 blades with eight sleeves.
The M420 is optimized for a densely populated chassis with effective and efficient cooling. Figure 3 shows one of eight sleeves containing four stackable blades in a fully loaded M1000e enclosure.
The chassis design of the M420 is optimized for easy access to components and for airflow for effective and efficient cooling. Figure 3 shows the fully loaded M1000e chassis enclosure comprised of eight sleeves, each with four stackable blades, for a total of 32 M420 modules. The M420 module shown in Figure 4 supports up to six DIMMS, two processors, and many other features that are described in this guide. For additional system views, see the Dell M420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals.
Table 4 lists the modules features for the M420 system. For additional information on these features, see the Dell PowerEdge M420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals. Feature Description Two front-accessible USB connectors Indicator for M420 power status Two front-accessible, hot-plug, 1.
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The Dell PowerEdge M420 system features the Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family, offering an ideal combination of performance, power efficiency, and cost, featuring eight-core processing to maximize performance and performance/watt for datacenter infrastructures and highly dense deployments.
The M420 supports up to two processors with up to eight cores per processor. Table 5 lists the Intel Xeon processors supported by the PowerEdge M420. For the latest information on supported processors, visit Dell.com. Model Speed Cache QPI Cores Turbo TDP E5-2470 2.3GHz 20M 8.0 GT/s 8 Yes 95W E5-2450L 1.8GHz 20M 8.0 GT/s 8 Yes 70W E5-2450 2.0GHz 20M 8.0 GT/s 8 Yes 95W E5-2440 2.5GHz 15M 7.2 GT/s 6 Yes 95W E5-2430L 2.0GHz 15M 7.2 GT/s 6 Yes 60W E5-2430 2.
More memory options are available than ever before with the Dell PowerEdge M420—greater capacities, higher frequencies, and more flexibility. The M420 supports up to 192 GB of memory using up to 6 GB DIMMs in a dual-processor configuration, and speeds up to 1600 MT/s, providing high performance in a variety of applications. High memory density means there is no compromise when it comes to virtualization.
Capacity (GB) Speed (MT/s) Type 2 1333 RDIMM Ranks per DIMM 1 4 1333 RDIMM 4 1600 4 Data width SDDC support Voltage x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 2 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 RDIMM 2 x8 Advanced ECC 1.5 1333 RDIMM 1 x4 All modes 1.35 8 1333 RDIMM 2 x4 All modes 1.35 8 1600 RDIMM 2 x4 All modes 1.5 16 1600 RDIMM 2 x4 All modes 1.5 1333 RDIMM 2 x4 All modes 1.35 1333 RDIMM 4 x4 All modes 1.
DIMM type RDIMM DIMM 0 # of DIMMs SR Speed (MT/s) 800 1066 1333 1600 1 ∞ ∞ DR 1 ∞ ∞ QR 1 ∞ Reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) features help keep the system online and operational without significant impact to performance, and can decrease data loss and crashing due to errors. RAS aids in rapid, accurate diagnosis of faults which require service. Table 9 describes the memory RAS features supported on the M420.
The Dell PowerEdge M420 provides comprehensive internal storage options, including an SSD and an H310 embedded storage controller. The M420 currently supports up to 400GB of internal storage. SSDs are a new option that can provide vastly accelerated performance over previous technologies. The M420 is available with a single-drive backplane option. Table 10 lists the backplane, storage controller, and drive type for the M420.
Table 12 lists the features supported by the RAID controller on the M420. Feature 22 PERC option H310 iMR firmware stack SSD support uSATA backplane SAS hard drives Unconfigured drive support (non-RAID) RAID 0 RAID 1 Microsoft Windows support Linux support Virtualization support Embedded on system board PCIe 3.
The Dell PowerEdge M420 offers balanced, scalable I/O capabilities, including one integrated PCIe 3.0 capable mezzanine card slot. With M420, the job of deploying, updating, and monitoring is fast and easy. System management integration features include the following: Pre-boot: Use the Dell Lifecycle Controller graphical user interface (GUI) to set configuration such as bandwidth allocation or firmware revision level.
Type Adapter Intel X520 – x/k 2P 10Gb Qlogic 2P 10Gb Brocade BR1741M-k 2P 10Gb Infiniband Fibre Channel Mellanox FDR10 CX-3 40Gb QLogic QME2572 2P 8Gb Emulex LPe1205-M 2P 8Gb For the latest information on supported mezzanine cards for the M420, visit Dell.com. The full-height, single wide M420 sleeve holds up to four M420 blades in four slots a, b, c, and d. A maximum of eight sleeves fit into a single M1000e chassis.
Examples of fabric interconnectivity and their associated parameters are illustrated in Figure 7.
PowerEdge M420 Technical Guide
Lower overall system-level power draw is a result of Dell’s breakthrough system design. The PowerEdge M420 blade server and M1000e chassis enclosure maximize performance per watt through a combination of power and cooling, energy efficient technologies, and tools. Additionally, the M420 has an extensive collection of sensors that automatically track thermal activity, which helps regulate temperature thereby reducing server noise and power consumption.
Feature Description Intel Node Manager is an embedded technology that provides individual server-level power reporting and power limiting functionality. Dell offers a complete power management solution comprised of Intel Node Manager accessed through Dell iDRAC Enterprise and OpenManage Power Center that allows policy-based management of power and thermals at the individual server, rack and data center level. Active power management Hot spare reduces power consumption of redundant power supplies.
Thermal control also detects and responds to hardware configuration. Thermal management adjusts cooling according to what the system really needs, and draws lower fan power draw and generates lower acoustical noise levels than those without such controls. Environmental specifications: The optimized thermal management makes the PowerEdge M420 reliable under a wide range of operating environments as shown in Table 22. When operating above 30°C ambient, performance impacts may be seen.
The Dell PowerEdge M420 supports a wide range of industry-standard operating systems and virtualization software. Table 16 lists the operating systems supported on the M420. For the latest information on supported operating systems, see Dell.com/OSsupport. Operating System Platform Edition Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
One of the key features for virtualization on the M420 is the support for a fail-safe hypervisor. By running the hypervisor on an optional SD card and installing a backup copy on the other mirrored SD card, you can protect against hardware failure and maximize virtualization uptime. Table 18 highlights the virtualization support for the M420. Operating systems VMware Version Options vSphere v4.1 U2 ESX Classic DIB vSphere v4.1 U2 ESXi Installable vSphere v4.1 U2 ESXi Embedded FI DIB vSphere v5.
Whether your IT environment consists of a few servers or a few thousand servers, Dell OpenManage systems management solutions provide comprehensive management for evolving IT environments. OpenManage is based on open standards and provides agent-based and agent-free server lifecycle management functionality for Dell PowerEdge servers. OpenManage solutions help you automate and streamline essential hardware management tasks.
The Dell OpenManage systems management portfolio includes powerful hardware and software management tools and consoles. OpenManage simplifies the lifecycle of deploying, updating, monitoring, and maintaining your Dell PowerEdge servers. The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 7 (iDRAC7) with Lifecycle Controller is the heart of the 2nd generation of Dell PowerEdge server embedded management functionality.
iDRAC7 Enterprise is available for the PowerEdge M420, and Dell also offers an option of iDRAC7 Express for Blades. A detailed feature comparison for iDRAC7 Enterprise and iDRAC7 Express for Blades is shown in Table 20. iDRAC7 Enterprise Feature (function) Local configuration with USC ∞ ∞ IPMI 2.
iDRAC7 Enterprise Feature (function) Virtual flash partitions ∞ Virtual folders ∞ Remote file share ∞ Crash video playback ∞ Boot record/playback ∞ Part replacement ∞ Backup and restore configurations ∞ Power capping ∞ Enterprise group power management ∞ Directory services (AD, LDAP) ∞ PK authentication ∞ Two-factor authentication 1 4 iDRAC7 Express for Blades ∞ 2 3 4 Blade-to-chassis internal connection is 100MB; Single user; Requires OMSA agent on target server; Uses Microsoft
The central console in a systems management solution is often referred to as the one-to-many console. The central console provides a rapid view and insight into the overall health of all systems in the IT environment.
Dell OpenManage easily integrates with several leading third-party consoles, including: Dell Server Management Pack Suite for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM)—This suite of server management packs enables several functions through System Center Operations Manager, including in-band discovery and monitoring of racks and towers, out-of-band discovery and monitoring through iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller, as well as performance and advanced monitoring.
Table 21 lists the products that are available for one-to-one and one-to-many operations, and when they are used in the server’s lifecycle: Operation One-to-one Lifecycle Controller GUI DTK SBUU Symantec Deployment Server Dell Management Plug-in for VMware vCenter KACE K1000 Appliance Lifecycle Controller Remote Services BMC BladeLogic integration with Lifecycle Controller Dell Server Deployment Pack (DSDP) for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager and Dell Lifecycle Controller
Operation One-to-one One-to-many iDRAC7 OMSA Dell OpenManage Essentials Dell OpenManage ITA BMC ProactiveNet Performance Management Dell OpenManage Power Center Dell Management Console Dell Management Plug-in for VMware vCenter BMC ProactiveNet Dell Server Management Pack Suite for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) IPMI iDRAC7 Lifecycle Controller GUI Lifecycle Controller Remote Services Remediate: Monitor Maintain Dell Server PRO Management Pack for
Figure 10 details the dimensions of the M420 module. Xa 97.5mm Xb Y Zb (handle closed) Zb (handle open) 93.8mm 50.5mm 501.5mm 564.9mm The weight of a maximum-configured M420 blade server is 12.0 kg (26.5 lb). For the most up-to-date information on the M420 environmental specifications, see the Dell PowerEdge M420 Systems Owner’s Manual and the Dell PowerEdge M420 Getting Started Guide on Support.Dell.com/Manuals.
Temperature and humidity < 10% of annual operating hours: 5°C to 40°C at 5% to 85% RH with 26°C dew point. Outside the standard operating temperature (10°C to 35°C), the system can operate down to 5°C or up to 40°C for a maximum of 10% of its annual operating hours. For temperatures between 35°C and 40°C, de-rate maximum allowable dry bulb temperature by 1°C per 175 m above 950m (1°F per 319 ft). < 1% of annual operating hours: –5°C to 45°C at 5% to 90% RH with 26°C dew point.
The M420 system conforms to the industry standards in Table 24. Standard URL for information and specifications ACPI Advance Configuration and Power Interface Specification, v2.0c www.acpi.info Ethernet IEEE 802.3-2005 standards.ieee.org/getieee802/802.3.html HDG Hardware Design Guide Version 3.0 for Microsoft Windows Server www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/pcdesign/desguid e/serverdg.mspx IPMI Intelligent Platform Management Interface, v2.0 www.intel.
Table 25 provides a list of documents and websites that provide for more information on the Dell PowerEdge M420. Resource Description of contents Location PowerEdge M420 Systems Owner’s Manual This manual is provided in HTML format on the CD provided with the M420 system, and also in HTML and PDF format at the Dell support site. A printed version is available in Asian languages as a customer-orderable option.
Resource Description of contents Location Energy Smart Solution Advisor (ESSA) The Dell online advisor console enables easier and more meaningful estimates to help you determine the most efficient configuration possible. With Dell’s, you can calculate the power consumption of your hardware, power infrastructure, and storage. Provides details for improving energy efficiency in the data center. Provides information on Dell’s Fresh Air solutions. Dell.