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Table of contents 1 System overview ..................................................................................................................................................................5 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................5 New technologies ...............................................................................................................
Appendix C. Additional resources................................................................................................................................. 48 Appendix D. System board block diagram .................................................................................................................. 50 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.
The Dell™ PowerEdge™ R420 is a 2-socket, 1U rack-mount server offering powerful performance and scalability in a dense 1U rack form factor. It is an excellent fit for compute-intense applications and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. The R420’s low profile also makes it highly attractive for departmental email, workgroup collaboration, and file and print in space-constrained environments at departmental or remote sites of large businesses and public organizations.
Table 1 summarizes the newest technologies used in the Dell PowerEdge R420 rack server. New technologies Detailed descriptions Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family This new family of Intel processors has embedded PCIe lanes for improved I/O performance. See the Processor section for details. Intel C600 series chipset The Intel Platform Controller Hub (PCH) chip is implemented on the R420 server.
Compared to the previous generation of Dell PowerEdge servers, the R420 supports more PCIe slots, PCIe 3.0, more memory, and advanced system management. Table 2 compares some of the features of the R420 to its R410 predecessor. Table 3 lists all of the R420’s specifications. The R420 is the new generation PowerEdge server replacing the R410.
Table 3 summarizes the specifications for each of the PowerEdge R420 features. For the latest information on supported features for the PowerEdge R420, visit Dell.com. Feature PowerEdge R420 technical specification Form factor 1U rack Processors Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family Processor sockets 2 sockets Internal interconnect Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) link: 6.4GT/s, 7.2GT/s, 8.0GT/s Cache 2.
Feature PowerEdge R420 technical specification Availability High-efficiency, hot-plug, redundant power supplies; hot-plug hard drives; TPM; dual internal SD support; fan fault tolerance; optional bezel; information tag; ECC ® memory; interactive LCD screen; extended power range; ENERGY STAR compliant Dell OpenManage Systems Management (Agent-free or with OpenManage Server Administrator [OMSA] Agent) Rack support OpenManage Essentials Dell Management Console IT Assistant OMSA Agent Open
The Dell PowerEdge R420 is a 1U, 2-socket rack server. For additional system views and features, see the Dell PowerEdge R420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals. Figure 1 shows the features on the front of the R420 chassis including eight 2.5-inch hard drives, control panel, USB connectors, and many other components and features described in this guide. Figure 2 shows the optional locking bezel on the front of the R420 chassis.
Table 4 lists the features on the R420 chassis. For additional information, see the Dell PowerEdge R420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals.
Feature Description LCD panel and buttons Displays system ID, status information, and system error messages; two navigation buttons to scroll through the menu on the LCD and one select button Optical drive Optional slim DVD or DVD+RW drive Power supply units Supplies power to the server Power supply indicators Indicates whether server has power NIC indicators Indicates network activity and status PCIe slots Connects PCIe expansion cards to the server Ethernet connectors Connects integrated 10
This QRL code allows you to: View step-by-step videos, including overviews of system internals and externals, as well as detailed, concise, task-oriented videos and installation wizards Locate reference materials, including searchable owner’s manual content, LCD diagnostics, and an electrical overview Look up your service tag so you can quickly gain access to your specific hardware configuration info and warranty information Contact Dell directly (by link) to get in touch with technical support and
The Dell PowerEdge R420 features the Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family, which offers an ideal combination of performance, power efficiency, and cost. These processors provide high performance no matter what your constraint is—floor space, power, or budget—and on workloads that range from the most complicated scientific exploration to crucial web-serving and infrastructure applications.
Model Speed TDP Cache Cores/ threads QPI Max memory Turbo speed E5-2470 2.3GHz 95W 20MB 8/16 8.0GT/s 1600MT/s Yes E5-2450L 1.8GHz 70W 20MB 8/16 8.0GT/s 1600MT/s Yes E5-2450 2.1GHz 95W 20MB 8/16 8.0GT/s 1600MT/s Yes E5-2440 2.4GHz 95W 15MB 6/12 7.2GT/s 1333MT/s Yes E5-2430L 2.0GHz 60W 15MB 6/12 7.2GT/s 1333MT/s Yes E5-2430 2.2GHz 95W 15MB 6/12 7.2GT/s 1333MT/s Yes E5-2420 1.9GHz 95W 15MB 6/12 7.2GT/s 1333MT/s Yes E5-2407 2.
The large memory footprint of the Dell PowerEdge R420 offers greater capacities, higher frequencies, and more flexibility. The R420 supports up to 192 GB of memory (12 DIMM slots) and speeds of up to 1600 MT/s, providing high performance in a variety of applications. The new reliability, availability, serviceability (RAS) features like memory mirroring and sparing help you increase your uptime and reduce data loss.
The R420 supports the DIMMs listed in Table 8. For the latest information on supported memory, visit Dell.com. 8x Capacity (GB) Speed (MT/s) Type Ranks per DIMM Data width SDDC support Voltage 2 1333 RDIMM 1 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 2 1333 UDIMM 1 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 2 1600 RDIMM 1 x8 Advanced ECC 1.5 4 1333 RDIMM 2 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 4 1333 RDIMM 1 x4 All modes 1.35 4 1333 UDIMM 2 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 4 1600 RDIMM 2 x8 Advanced ECC 1.
The R420 supports memory speeds of 1600MT/s, 1333MT/s, 1066MT/s, and 800MT/s depending on the DIMM types installed and the configuration. All memory on all processors and channels run at the same speed and voltage. By default, the systems run at the highest speed for the channel with the lowest DIMM voltage and speed. The operating speed of the memory is also determined by the maximum speed supported by the processor, the speed settings in the BIOS, and the operating voltage of the system.
Feature Description Memory demand and patrol scrubbing Demand scrubbing is the ability to write corrected data back to the memory once a correctable error is detected on a read transaction. Patrol scrubbing proactively searches the system memory, repairing correctable errors.
The Dell PowerEdge R420 supports internal and external storage options and controllers, different drive types, and different chassis configurations for a varied number of drives. Features such as CacheCade™ provide accelerated performance over previous technologies. CacheCade uses Dell PERC storage controllers to accelerate performance over hard drives or traditional solid-state drives. R420 has three chassis to support up to three different drive-bay options. 4 x 3.
External storage for the R420 is available through optional HBAs for SAS and iSCSI. For more information, see Dell.com/Storage. Dell provides highly capable RAID options for you to ensure that your data remains safe. Dell’s RAID controller options offer impressive performance improvements, including the following features: FastPath™ I/O: This feature can help accelerate performance when operating on SSDs.
Controller Description Features PERC S110 Software RAID 3Gb/s SATA software RAID controller that supports up to 4 physical disks or 8 virtual disks Supports up to 4 hot-plug SATA drives, no expansion, Microsoft Windows only RAID modes supported Form factor Usage model 0, 1, 5, 10 System boardembedded SATA Entry-level Table 13 lists the storage matrix for the R420 hard drives, backplanes, and Dell PERC cards. Backplane options Controller 4 x 3.
The Dell PowerEdge R420 offers balanced, scalable I/O capabilities, including integrated PCIe 3.0 capable expansion slots. The R420 supports up to 2 PCIe slots. The R420 system board has one embedded NIC controller. The Broadcom 5720 Gigabit NIC chip is connected to the platform controller hub through a PCIe 2.0 x2 link. The Broadcom 5720 is a 14th generation 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet LAN controller solution suitable for high-performance server applications.
The R420 supports a variety of PCIe expansion cards. Table 15 lists the supported add-in NICs and HBAs for the R420.
Lower overall system-level power draw is a result of breakthrough system design. The Dell PowerEdge R420 server maximizes performance per watt through a combination of power and cooling, energy efficient technologies, and tools. Additionally, the PowerEdge R420 has an extensive collection of sensors that automatically track thermal activity, which helps regulate temperature thereby reducing server noise and power consumption.
Feature Description Active power management 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.
Figure 7 shows a 550W power supply unit extended from the R420 chassis. The PowerEdge R420 supports up to two AC PSUs with 1 + 1 redundancy, auto-sensing, and auto-switching capability. The 350W redundant PSU (1 or 1 + 1) is recommended for a one-processor configuration; the 350W PSU in a two-processor configuration may not provide sufficient power, which may impact system performance.
temperature sensors, including processors, hard disk drives, DIMMs, storage cards, and the inlet ambient temperature. Thermal control 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 servers without such controls.
Table 18 details the acoustical performance for the R420. Configuration (23 ± 2°C ambient) Typical x4 hot-plug HDD chassis Feature rich X8 hot-plug HDD chassis CPUs 2 (95W) 2 (95W) Hard drives 3 x 3.5“ 300GB SAS (15K) 6 x 2.5“ 300GB SAS (15K) Power supply unit 2x 550W 2x 550W Memory 6 x 4GB 1333Hz PCI card/HDD controller Operating mode 1 x Dual Port 1GbE Idle 4 LWA-UL 1 2 LpA (bels) (dBA) Prominent 3 tones 5.1 32 None 5.1 33 None 5.2 32 None 5.
The sliding and static rail systems for the Dell PowerEdge R420 provide tool-less support for 4-post racks with square or unthreaded round mounting holes. Both rail systems also support tooled mounting in 4-post threaded racks, and the static rails support tooled mounting in 2-post (Telco) racks as well for added versatility.
The static rails (shown in Figure 9) support a wider variety of racks than the sliding rails but do not support serviceability in the rack and are therefore are not compatible with the CMA. One key factor in selecting the proper rails is identifying the type of rack in which they will be installed. Both the sliding rails and the static rails support tool-less mounting in 19”-wide, EIA-310-E compliant square hole and unthreaded round hole 4-post racks.
The optional CMA organizes and secures the cords and cables exiting the back of the server and unfolds to allow the server to extend out of the rack without having to detach the cables.
The Dell PowerEdge R420 supports a wide range of industry-standard operating systems and virtualization software. Table 20 lists the primary operating systems supported on the R420. For the latest information on supported operating systems, see Dell.com/OSsupport. Operating System Platform Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.8 1 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
One of the key features for virtualization on the PowerEdge R420 is the support for a fail-safe hypervisor. By running a 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 21 highlights the virtualization support for the R420. Operating systems Version Options vSphere v4.1 U2 ESX Classic DIB vSphere v4.1 U2 ESXi Installable DIB vSphere v4.
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 second generation of Dell PowerEdge server embedded management functionality.
Feature Electronic licensing Function Upgrades to iDRAC7 Express or iDRAC7 Enterprise by software licensing key and license portal (may require installation of hardware option for 300-500 series servers) Benefit If iDRAC7 Express or iDRAC7 Enterprise is ordered during initial point of sale, license key is installed. If Basic Management is ordered during initial point of sale, customer must request a license key through the Dell Licensing Portal.
Basic iDRAC7 management Express Feature (function) iDRAC7 Enterprise Remote CLI ∞ ∞ Local/SSH CLI ∞ ∞ Serial redirection ∞ ∞ Remote config ∞ ∞ Email alerts ∞ ∞ SNMP alerts ∞ ∞ Comprehensive monitoring ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ Crash screen capture 3 4 Dedicated NIC 1Gbps (100MB in iDRAC6) ∞ Part replacement ∞ Backup and restore configurations ∞ Virtual console (4 user) ∞ Virtual console chat ∞ Support for customer supplied SD cards for vFlash media ∞ Virtual flash partitions ∞ Virtu
Most systems management solutions require pieces of software, called agents, to be installed on each node in order to be managed within the IT environment. Additionally, the same agent is often used as a local interface into the hardware health and may be accessed remotely as a management interface, typically referred to as a one-to-one interface. For customers that continue to use agentbased solutions, Dell provides OpenManage Server Administrator.
Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility—The Dell Server Update Utility (SUU) is a DVD-based application for identifying and applying BIOS and firmware updates to your Dell PowerEdge servers. Dell OpenManage Systems Build and Update Utility—The Dell System Build and Update Utility (SBUU) provides one-to-one and one-to-many deployment and single-server update capabilities in the pre-operating system environment.
Dell OpenManage Connection for Computer Associates Network and Systems Management—This connection allows you to monitor PowerEdge servers and PowerVault storage arrays from within the Computer Associates Network and Systems Management (CA NSM) console.
Table 24 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.
Figure 12 details the dimensions of the Dell PowerEdge R420 chassis. Xa 482.4mm Xb 434.0mm Za with bezel Y 42.8mm 35.0mm Za without bezel 21.0mm Zb 1 607.0mm Zc 625.2mm with nonredundant PSU 642.3mm with redundant PSU 1 Zb goes to the nominal back wall external surface where the system board I/O connectors are located. The R420 chassis at maximum configuration is 19.9 kg (43.87 lb). Table 25 lists power supply specifications for the PowerEdge R420.
Table 26 details the environmental specifications for the R420. For additional information about environmental measurements for specific system configurations, see Dell.com/environmental_datasheets. Fresh Air: temperature, humidity, altitude de-rating Continuous operation 10°C to 35°C (50°F to 95°F) at 10% to 80% relative humidity with 26°C (78.8°F) maximum dew point (maximum wet bulb temperature). De-rate maximum allowable dry bulb temperature at 1°C per 300m above 950m (1°F per 547 ft above 3117 ft).
Maximum shock Operating Half sine shock in all operational orientations of 31G +/– 5% with a pulse duration of 2.6ms +/– 10% Storage Half sine shock on all six sides of 71G +/– 5% with a pulse duration of 2ms +/–10%; square wave shock on all six sides of 27G with velocity change at 235 in/sec or greater Altitude Operating –15.2m to 3048m (–50 ft to 10,000 ft) Storage –15.2m to 12,000m (–50 ft to 39,370 ft) Airborne contaminant level Class G1 or lower as defined by ISA-S71.
The adjustment range of the rails is a function of the type of rack in which they are being mounted. The min-max values listed above represent the allowable distance between the front and rear mounting flanges in the rack. Rail depth without the CMA represents the minimum depth of the rails with the outer CMA brackets removed (if applicable) as measured from the front mounting flanges of the rack. USB peripherals are supported through the front and back USB ports on the R420. These ports are USB 2.
The Dell PowerEdge R420 conforms to the industry standards listed in Table 29. Standard ACPI Advance Configuration and Power Interface Specification, v2.0c Ethernet IEEE 802.3-2005 HDG Hardware Design Guide Version 3.0 for Microsoft Windows Server IPMI Intelligent Platform Management Interface, v2.0 DDR3 Memory DDR3 SDRAM Specification, Rev. 3A LPC Low Pin Count Interface Specification, Rev. 1.1 PCI Express PCI Express Base Specification Rev. 2.0 and 3.
Table 30 provides a list of documents and websites that provide for more information on the Dell PowerEdge R420. Resource Description of contents Location This manual is provided in HTML format on the CD provided with the R420 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. This manual provides information on the following: Support.Dell.
Resource Description of contents Location This code on the chassis can be scanned by a phone application to access additional information and resources for the server, including videos, reference materials, service tag information, and Dell contact information. Inside the system chassis cover This tool uses infrastructure and thermal analysis to help maximize system efficiency. Dell.
Front Video DVD USB 2.0 IDSDM USB 2.0 (2 Front) USB 2.0 (2 Rear) SATA (1) SATA in miniSAS(4) Left* PCIe x8 Conn.(x4) Slot 1 USB x2 USB x2 USB x1 USB x1 PCIe Gen2 x4 2GB/s Int. USB 2.0 x4 SATA SATA PCIe x4 LPC TPM x4 DMI 2GB/s DMI LPC SPI Video iDRAC SD2 USB PCIe PCIE GEN 2 x1 UART PCIe Gen3 x16 16GB/s PCIe x8 Conn. for int. PERC PCIe Gen3 x8 8GB/s Vflash SD Conn. RJ45 (w/ PHY) x8 System Power Conn. RJ45 FRU QPI CPU1 Non-RDNT PSU 1 0 BP Power Conn.