PowerEdge T420 Technical Guide The quiet, powerful, scalable PowerEdge T420 delivers capacity, performance, and high availability features to drive your business or organization forward.
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Table of contents 1 System overview ..................................................................................................................................................................5 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................5 New technologies ...............................................................................................................
Appendix B. Standards compliance ............................................................................................................................. 49 Appendix C. Additional resources................................................................................................................................. 50 Appendix D. System board block diagram .................................................................................................................. 52 Tables Table 1.
1 System overview Introduction The two-socket Dell™ PowerEdge™ T420 tower server delivers balanced performance and expandability for non-disruptive growth. Optional redundancy and hot pluggability of key components helps to protect data and keep the business running. The T420 is an excellent fit for a wide range of applications, including workgroup collaboration, email, file and print, and small- to mid-size database applications such as Business Analytics and Intelligence.
New technologies Table 1 summarizes the newest technologies used in the Dell PowerEdge T420 tower server. Table 1. New technologies New technology Detailed description Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family This family of Intel processors has embedded PCIe lanes for improved I/O performance. See the Processor section for details. Intel C602 series chipset The Intel Platform Controller Hub (PCH) chip is implemented on the T420 server.
2 System features Compared to the previous-generation PowerEdge T410, the T420 supports up to 33% more processor cores, 50% more DIMM slots, 166% more internal hard drive storage capacity, and the greater I/O bandwidth of PCIe 3.0. Its high quality is backed by high-availability features including redundant SD cards for failsafe hypervisors, soft fault-tolerant fans, and optional features such as redundant high-efficiency power supplies and hot-plug hard drives.
Specifications Table 3 summarizes the specifications for each of the PowerEdge T420 features. For the latest information on supported features for the PowerEdge T420, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge. Table 3. Feature PowerEdge T420 technical specification Form factor 5U rackable tower Processors Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family Processor sockets 2 sockets Internal interconnect 1 Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) link: 6.4GT/s, 7.2GT/s, 8.0GT/s Cache 2.
Feature PowerEdge T420 technical specification I/O adapter options 1Gb Ethernet: Broadcom 5720 Dual Port 1Gb Base-T Broadcom 5719 Quad Port 1Gb Base-T Intel I350 Dual Port 1Gb Base-T Intel I350 Quad Port 1Gb Base-T 10Gb Converged Ethernet: ® Brocade BR1020 Dual Port 10Gb SPF+ ® QLogic QLE8262 Dual Port 10Gb DA/SFP+ Broadcom 57810S Dual Port 10Gb Base-T Broadcom 57810S Dual Port 10Gb DA/SFP+ 10Gb Ethernet: Intel X520 Dual Port 10Gb DA/SFP+ Intel X540 Dual Port 10Gb Base-T FC8/FC4 HBA: QLogic QLE2460 Singl
Feature PowerEdge T420 technical specification ® Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2011 ® ® ® Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server ® Red Hat Enterprise Linux Optional embedded hypervisors: ® ® Citrix XenServer VMware vSphere including ESXi ® Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization For more information on the specific versions and additions, visit Dell.com/OSsupport. 1 Optional kit available for field conversion from tower to rackable unit.
3 Chassis views and features The Dell PowerEdge T420 is a 5U, 2-socket, rackable tower server. For additional system views and features, see the Dell PowerEdge T420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals. Chassis views Table 4 lists the possible chassis configurations available for the T420. Table 4. Number of drive bays Drive types 4 cabled drive bays 3.5” SATA and SAS HHD 3.5” SATA and SAS HHD 2.5” SAS SSD/HHD 8 hot-plug drive bays 16 hot-plug drive bays 2.
Figure 2. Front view with bezel Figure 3 shows the features on the back panel of the T420 including USB connectors, Ethernet connectors, serial connector, video connector, PCIe slots, power supplies, iDRAC dedicated port, and many other components and features described in this guide. Figure 3. Back view The chassis design of the T420 is optimized for easy access to components and for airflow for effective and efficient cooling.
Figure 4. Internal view Figure 5 shows the front view of the rackable T420 chassis without a bezel. Figure 5.
Chassis features Table 5 lists the various features on the T420. For additional information, see the Dell PowerEdge T420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals. Table 5.
Front control panel Figure 6 shows the T420 control panel, located on the front of the chassis. For more information about the LCD control panel, see the Dell PowerEdge T420 Systems Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals. Figure 6. LCD control panel Quick Resource Locator A useful feature included with Dell PowerEdge 12th generation servers is the Quick Resource Locator (QRL) — a model-specific Quick Response (QR) code that is located inside the T420 chassis cover (see Figure 7).
Security features The latest generation of PowerEdge servers has the features listed in Table 6 to help ensure the security of your data center. Table 6. 16 Security features Security feature Description Cover latch A tooled latch is integrated on the chassis (top of rack chassis or side of tower chassis) with a coin key lock to secure the system. Bezel An optional metal bezel is mounted to the chassis front to provide the Dell ID.
4 Processor The Dell PowerEdge T420 features the Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 series, which offers an ideal combination of performance, power efficiency, and cost. These processors provide substantial performance and capacity for entry and mainstream workloads, as well as applications requiring significant memory and I/O scalability no matter what your constraint is — floor space, power or budget.
Table 7. Supported processors Model Speed TDP Cache Cores/ threads QPI Max memory speed Turbo 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 2.4GHz 80W 10MB 4/4 6.4GT/s 1066MT/s NA E5-2403 1.8GHz 80W 10MB 4/4 6.
5 Memory More options are available for the Dell PowerEdge 12th generation servers than in previous generations — more capacity choices and more frequency choices. The PowerEdge T420 supports up to 384GB of memory with speeds of up to 1600MT/s, providing high performance in a variety of applications. The new reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) features like memory mirroring and sparing help you increase your uptime and reduce data loss.
The T420 supports the DIMMs listed in Table 9. For the latest information on supported memory, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge. Table 9. DIMMs supported Capacity (GB) Speed (MT/s) Type Ranks per DIMM Data width SDDC support Voltage 2 1333 RDIMM 1 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 2 1600 UDIMM 1 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 2 1600 RDIMM 1 X8 Advanced ECC 1.35 4 1333 RDIMM 2 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35 4 1333 RDIMM 1 x4 All modes 1.35 4 1600 UDIMM 2 x8 Advanced ECC 1.
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. Table 10 lists memory configuration and performance details for the T420 based on the population of the number and type of DIMMs per memory channel. Table 10.
Feature Description Recovery from single DRAM device failure Recovery from Single DRAM Device Failure (SDDC) provides error checking and correction that protects against any single memory chip failure as well as multi-bit errors from any portion of a single memory chip. Failed DIMM isolation This feature provides the ability to identify a specific failing DIMM channel pair, thereby enabling the user to replace only the failed DIMM pair.
6 Storage The Dell PowerEdge T420 supports internal and external storage options and controllers, different drive types, and different chassis configurations for a varied number of drives. Internal storage The T420 has one chassis that supports three different drive bay options: 4 x 3.5-inch cabled drive bays 8 x 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hot-plug drive bays 16 x 2.5-inch hot-plug drive bays Supported hard drives The T420 supports up to 16 2.5-inch or eight 3.
Storage controllers 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. Split mirror: This function allows you to break a mirrored disk connection in order to quickly replace a drive.
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 Form factor modes supported 0, 1, 5, 10 System boardembedded SATA Usage model Entry-level Optical drive The T420 hot-plug chassis supports up to three media bays through one of the following options: Up to two SATA half-height DVD-ROM or DVD R/W drive + one SAS interf
7 Networking and PCIe The Dell PowerEdge T420 offers balanced, scalable I/O capabilities, including integrated PCIe 3.0 capable expansion slots. The T420 supports up to six PCIe slots. Embedded NIC controller The T420 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 x 2 link.
Type Adapter QLogic QLE8262 Dual Port 10Gb DA/SFP+ Brocade BR1020 Dual Port 10Gb SFP+ CNA QLogic QLE2460 Single Port 4Gbps QLogic QLE2462 Dual Port 4Gbps QLogic QLE2560 Single Port 8Gbps FC4/FC8 HBAs QLogic QLE2562 Dual Port 8Gbps Emulex LPe12000 Single Port 8Gbps Emulex LPe12002 Dual Port 8Gbps Brocade BR815 Single Port 8Gbps Brocade BR825 Dual Port 8Gbps For the latest information on all supported add-in PCIe expansion cards for the T420, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge.
8 Power, thermal, and acoustics Lower overall system-level power draw is a result of breakthrough system design. The Dell PowerEdge T420 server maximizes performance per watt through a combination of power and cooling, energy-efficient technologies, and tools. Additionally, the PowerEdge T420 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 (redundant PSU only) 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 iDRAC7 Enterprise and OpenManage Power Center that allows policy-based management of power and thermals at the individual server, rack and data center level.
Figure 8 shows a 750W power supply unit extended from the T420 chassis. Figure 8. 750W power supply unit The PowerEdge T420 supports up to two PSUs with 1+1 redundancy, auto-sensing, and auto-switching capability. The T420 also supports PSU 2+0 configurations for configurations that exceed the output of a single PSU; in this case, 1+1 redundancy is not supported. Use the Dell Energy Smart Solution Advisor at Dell.com/ESSA to help you configure your system optimal power performance.
Multiple sensors are monitored for thermal feedback control: The PowerEdge T420 dynamically controls system cooling fan speed based on responses from component temperature sensors, including processors, hard disk drives, DIMMs, storage cards, and the inlet ambient temperature. Thermal control detects and responds to hardware configuration.
Table 18 details the acoustical performance for the T420. Table 18. Configuration (23 ± 2°C ambient) Typical Feature rich CPUs 2 2 Hard drives 4 x 3.5“ SAS (15K) 8 x 2.5“ SATA (10K) Acoustical performance Power supply unit PCI Memory card/HDD controller 2x 750W 1 x 10GbE NIC 1 x PERC H710P 2x 1100W 6 x 4GB 12 x 8GB 1 x 10GbE NIC 1 x 1GbE NIC 1 x PERC H310 2 x 150W GPU Operating mode Idle 4 Stress Idle 5 4 LWA-UL (bels) 1 2 LpA (dBA) 5.1 41 5.2 42 4.
9 Rack rails and cable management The sliding rail system for the Dell PowerEdge T420 provides tool-less support for four-post racks with square or unthreaded round mounting holes. Compared to the T610 sliding rails that required the use of adapter brackets, the sliding rails for the T420 now offer support for threaded hole racks with the ReadyRails II mounting interface.
mounted in the back of the rack such as power distribution units (PDUs), and the overall depth of the rack. For detailed information about sliding rails, see the Rack rail specifications section in Appendix A. For more information on installing the T420 in a rack, see the Rack Installation Instructions on Dell.com/Support/Manuals.
10 Operating systems and virtualization The Dell PowerEdge T420 supports a wide range of industry-standard operating systems and virtualization software. Supported operating systems Table 20 lists the primary operating systems supported on the T420. For the latest information on supported operating systems, see Dell.com/OSsupport. Table 20. Operating System Platform Edition Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.8 SP8 x32 x64 N/A Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
Supported virtualization One of the key features for virtualization on the PowerEdge T420 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 T420. Table 21. Virtualization support Install version Factory options Internal dual SD module install support vSphere v5.
11 Dell OpenManage systems management 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.
OpenManage systems management 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 Dell PowerEdge servers. iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller 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 Benefit Upgrades to iDRAC7 Express or iDRAC7 Enterprise by software licensing key and license portal (may require installation of hardware option for 200-500 series servers) 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 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 ∞ Virtual media ∞ Virtua
interface, typically referred to as a one-to-one interface. For customers that continue to use agent-based solutions, Dell provides OpenManage Server Administrator. OpenManage Server Administrator The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) agent gives you a comprehensive, one-to-one systems management solution for both local and remote servers and their storage.
IPMITool—IPMITool includes scriptable console application programs used to control and manage remote systems using the IPMI version 1.5 and later protocol.
OpenManage connections with third-party consoles Dell OpenManage provides connections with many third-party consoles, including: 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.
Appendix A. Additional specifications Chassis dimensions Figure 12 details the dimensions of the Dell PowerEdge T420 chassis. Figure 12. Tower and rack chassis dimensions Xa Xb Ya Yb Yc Za with bezel Za without bezel Zb 218.0mm 304.5mm (foot) 307.9mm (caster) 430.3mm 443.3mm 471.3mm 16.4mm 0.0mm 542.2mm 1 1 Zc 578.42mm Zb goes to the nominal back wall external surface where the I/O connectors reside. Chassis weight The maximum system weight for the T420 is 30.2 kg (66.57 lb).
Specification Maximum inrush 2 current Redundant 1100W Redundant 750W Redundant 495W Non-redundant 550W 55A 55A 55A 55A 1 Auto-ranging 2 Under typical line conditions and over the entire system ambient operating range, the inrush current may reach 55A per power supply for 10ms or less. Environmental specifications Table 26 details the environmental specifications for the T420. For additional information about environmental measurements for specific system configurations, see Dell.
Temperature Operating See Fresh Air for temperature information Storage –40°C to 65°C (-40°F to 149°F) with a maximum temperature gradation of 20°C per hour Relative humidity Operating See Fresh Air for relative humidity information Storage 5% to 95% at a maximum wet bulb temperature of 33°C (91°F); atmosphere must be noncondensing at all times Maximum vibration Operating 0.26 Grms at 5Hz to 350Hz in all orientations Storage 1.
Rack rail specifications Table 29 lists the spacing dimensions for the T420 sliding rails. Table 29. Rail adjustability range Rail adjustability range (mm) Product T420 Rail identifier C2 Rail type Sliding Square Round Rail depth (mm) Threaded Min Max Min Max Min Max without CMA 686 756 672 749 686 771 760 with CMA 840 The adjustment range of the rails is a function of the type of rack in which they are being mounted.
Appendix B. Standards compliance The Dell PowerEdge T420 conforms to the industry standards listed in Table 30. Table 30. 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.
Appendix C. Additional resources Table 31 provides a list of documents and websites that provide for more information on the Dell PowerEdge T420. Table 31. Additional resources Resource Description of contents Location PowerEdge T420 Systems Owner’s Manual This manual, available in PDF format, provides the following information: Dell.
Resource Description of contents Location materials, service tag information, and Dell contact information. Energy Smart Solution Advisor The Dell Energy Smart Solution Advisor (ESSA) enables easier and more meaningful estimates to help you determine the most efficient configuration possible. Use ESSA to calculate the power consumption of your hardware, power infrastructure, and storage. Dell.com/ESSA Power and cooling technologies Provides details for improving energy efficiency in the data center.
Appendix D. System board block diagram Figure 13.
