Product guide

Ultrascalability in a 2-socket package, combined with extreme availability features and industry-
leading performance
Please see the Legal Information section for important notices and information.
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Because the dual Gigabit Ethernet, video, and systems management controllers are all
integrated onto the system board, four of the five adapter slots are available, which offers you a
wide degree of latitude in expansion options.
Storage Controllers
All models include an integrated IBM ServeRAID-M1015 SAS/SATA Controller. Several other
controllers are supported, including:
• The 6Gbps (x8 PCIe) ServeRAID-M1015 SAS/SATA controller — RAID-0/1/10 (no cache)
for up to 32 drives (limited to available bays). The IBM ServeRAID M1000 Series Advance
Feature Key adds RAID-5 and Self-Encrypting Disk (SED) support.
• The 6Gbps (x8 PCIe) ServeRAID-M5014 SAS/SATA controller — enhanced performance
with 256MB of cache memory, and supports RAID-0/1/10/5/50/6/60 for up to 32 drives
(limited to available bays).
• The 6Gbps (x8 PCIe) ServeRAID-M5015 SAS/SATA controller — enhanced performance
with 512MB of cache memory and battery backup, and supports RAID-0/1/10/5/50/6/60 for
up to 32 drives (limited to available bays).
• The 6Gbps (x8 PCIe) ServeRAID-M5025 SAS/SATA controller — enhanced performance
with 512MB of cache memory and battery backup. It supports RAID-0/1/10/5/50/6/60 for
multiple IBM System Storage expansion units (with up to 240 HDDs).
• The 6Gbps (x8 PCIe) ServeRAID-B5015 SSD controller — enhanced SSD performance
with SSD-optimized microcode, offering the highest IOPS performance for SSDs in a RAID
controller. It supports RAID-0/1/5/6 for up to 8 drives.
• The IBM 6Gbps SSD HBA offers the highest IOPS performance for SSDs in a non-RAID
controller.
The ServeRAID M5000 Series Advance Feature Key adds RAID-6/60 with SED support to the
M5014 and M5015. The ServeRAID M5000 Series Battery Key adds battery backup support
to the M5014. The ServeRAID M5000 Series Performance Accelerator Key adds SSD
support to the M5015.
Additional external SAS/SATA disk storage, as well as tape backup, is available via one of
several supported iSCSI or FC SAN controllers.
Drive Bays
x3690 X5 servers contain up to 16 HDD bays that support 2.5-inch hot-swap internal
SAS/SATA drives totaling up to 9.6TB, or up to 24 solid-state drive bays, supporting 1.8-inch
hot-swap SSDs totaling up to 4.8TB, using up to three IBM eXFlash storage options. Each
individual SSD is capable of sustaining approximately 4,300 IOPS, which is more than 10X what
an enterprise 15,000 RPM 2.5-inch 146.8GB SAS HDD can achieve (420 IOPS). Thus, each
eXFlash module (containing 8 SSDs) is capable of producing up to 34,400 IOPS, vs. only 3,360
IOPS for 8 SAS HDDs. This means one x3690 X5, with three eXFlash options (24 drives), is
capable of generating 103,200 IOPS, vs. only about 10,000 IOPS for typical storage servers
using an equal number of HDDs. Combining 24 SSDs with 2 IBM 640GB High IOPS MLC Duo
Adapters produces an astonishing 503,200 IOPS for a single two-socket server.
Each customer-installable eXFlash option includes a drive cage, SSD backplane, and two x4
SAS/SATA cables, which can be installed in seconds as a single unit. For RAID support with
optimum IOPS, use one ServeRAID-B5015 controller per eXFlash option (or two for even more
IOPS). For optimum non-RAID IOPS, use one 6Gbps SSD HBA controller per eXFlash option.
(Note: Because SSDs offer triple
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the reliability of SAS HDDs, RAID support is less necessary.)
Each adapter requires a PCIe slot. For maximum IOPS performance, use two ServeRAID-
B5015 controllers per eXFlash option (maximum 5, due to available PCIe slots).
Supported single-chassis configurations include:
• 4 2.5-inch HDDs + 8 1.8-inch SSDs (with 1 eXFlash option)
• 8 2.5-inch HDDs + 16 1.8-inch SSDs (with 2 eXFlash options)
• 16 2.5-inch HDDs
• 24 1.8-inch SSDs (with 3 eXFlash options)
• Plus 2 High IOPS adapters (in 2 adapter slots)
For RAID support with HDDs, use one ServeRAID-M1015, M5014, or M5015 controller per 8
internal drives, or one ServeRAID-M5025 controller or Fibre Channel adapter per multiple
external IBM System Storage
®
expansion units (up to 240 drives).
An optional (ultraslim, 0.5”) optical drive with a SATA interface is supported in all x3690 X5
servers. An external USB floppy drive or optical drive may be used, if needed.
For still more storage, NAS, iSCSI SAN, or FC SAN external expansion options can be added,