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Replacing an adapter

The following notes describe the types of adapters that the server supports and other information that you must consider when you install an adapter.

  • Locate the documentation that comes with the adapter and follow those instructions in addition to the instructions in this section.
  • The server provides one internal SAS/SATA RAID connector and two PCI slots on the system board. See System-board optional-device connectors for the location of the internal SAS/SATA RAID connector and riser-card slots. You can replace the ServeRAID SAS/SATA adapter with an optional ServeRAID SAS/SATA adapter in the slot. For configuration information, see the ServeRAID documentation at Lenovo Data Center Support.
  • Do not set the maximum digital video adapter resolution above 1600 x 1200 at 75 Hz for an LCD monitor. This is the highest resolution that is supported for any add-on video adapter that you install in the server.
  • Read the following table before installing memory modules when any NVIDIA Quadro adapters is installed.
    Table 1. NVIDIA Quadro video adapter configurations
    DescriptionSupported maximum total memory size
    Quadro 600 adapter128 GB
    Quadro 2000 adapter512 GB
  • Read the following table before installing NAND flash adapters.
    Table 2. Adapter configurations
    DescriptionOption part numberPCI riser 1PCI riser 2
    Emulex dual-port 10GbE SFP+ embedded adapter00D8540Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    365 GB High IOPS MLC mono adapter46C9078Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    785 GB High IOPS MLC mono adapter46C9081Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    1.2 TB high IOPS MLC mono adapter90Y4377Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    2.4 TB high IOPS MLC duo adapter90Y4397Not supportedSix fans installed required1
    Flash Adapter F825 Enterprise Value00AE861Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    Flash Adapter F1650 Enterprise Value00AE864Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    300GB High IOPS MLC modular adapter90Y4361Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    600GB High IOPS MLC modular adapter90Y4365Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    800GB High IOPS MLC modular adapter90Y4369Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    Flash Adapter F3200 Enterprise Value00AE867Not supportedSix fans installed required1
    Qlogic 8200 dual-port 10GbE SFP+ VFA90Y4600Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    ServeRAID M5120 SAS/SATA controller81Y4478Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    ServeRAID M5225 SAS/SATA controller00AE938Not supportedFour fans installed required
    Solarflare SFN5162F midrange dual-port 10GbE SFP+ adapter47C9952Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    Solarflare SFN6122F low latency dual-port 10GbE SFP+ adapter47C9960Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    Solarflare SFN7122F 2x10GbE SFP+ flareon ultra adapter for System x47C9977Six fans installed required1Six fans installed required1
    Table note
    1. You can purchase Lenovo System x3550 M4 Thermal Solution Kit (option part number 00Y7117) to acquire two additional fans for your server.
  • Any high-definition video-out connector or stereo connector on any add-on video adapter is not supported
  • The server does not support full-length, full-height PCI adapters or legacy 5V PCI adapters.
  • When you install any PCI adapter, the power cords must be disconnected from the power source before you remove the PCI Express riser-card assembly and the PCI-X riser-card assembly. Otherwise, the active power management event signal will be disabled by the system-board logic, and the Wake on LAN feature might not work. However, after the server is powered-on locally, the active power manager active power management event signal will be enabled by the system-board logic.
  • The server provides two PCI riser-card slots on the system board. The following information indicates the riser-card slots and the type of adapters that the riser cards support:
    • If you want to install a PCI Express or PCI-X adapter, you must order the PCI riser-card option.
    • PCI riser slot 1. This slot supports only low-profile adapters.
    • PCI riser slot 2. This slot supports full-height, half-length adapters.
    The following table lists the supported configurations for the PCI riser-card slots.
    Table 3. PCI riser slots supported configurations
    PCI riser-card slot numberConfiguration 1Configuration 2 (Two microprocessors installed)Configuration 3
    Slot 1PCI Express 3.0 (x16) card with a PCI Express riser card with a standard bracketPCI Express 3.0 (x16) card with a PCI Express riser card with a standard bracketPCI Express 3.0 (x16) card with a PCI Express riser card with a standard bracket
    Slot 2PCI Express 3.0 (x8) card with a PCI Express riser card with a standard bracketPCI Express 3.0 (x16) card with a PCI Express riser card with a standard bracketPCI-X 64-bit/133 MHz card with a PCI-X riser card with a standard bracket
Note
  • The instructions in this section apply to any PCI adapter (for example, video graphics adapters or network adapters).
  • Do not set the maximum digital video adapter resolution above 1600 x 1200 at 75 Hz for an LCD monitor. This is the highest resolution that is supported for any add-on video adapter that you install in the server.
  • Any high-definition video-out connector or stereo connector on any add-on video adapter is not supported.

  • If your adapter was previously configured, backup or record its configuration information, if possible, before replacing the adapter. See the documentation for your adapter for information and instructions.

  • If you are replacing a ServeRAID adapter, import your RAID configuration to the replacement adapter as a foreign configuration after you finish the replacement. See the ServeRAID-M Software User Guide for instructions.

To install an adapter, complete the following steps:

  1. Read the safety information that begins on Safety and Installation guidelines.
  2. Turn off the server and peripheral devices and disconnect the power cords and all external cables.
  3. Remove the server cover (see Removing the cover).
  4. Follow the cabling instructions, if any come with the adapter. Route the adapter cables before you install the adapter.
  5. Insert the adapter into the PCI riser-card assembly, aligning the edge connector on the adapter with the connector on the PCI riser-card assembly. Press the edge of the connector firmly into the PCI riser-card assembly. Make sure that the adapter snaps into the PCI riser-card assembly securely.
    Figure 1. Adapter installation
    Adapter installation
    Attention
    When you install an adapter, make sure that the adapter is correctly seated in the riser-card assembly and that the riser-card assembly is securely seated in the riser-card connector on the system board before you turn on the server. An incorrectly seated adapter might cause damage to the system board, the riser-card assembly, or the adapter.
  6. Install the PCI riser-card assembly in the server (see Replacing a PCI riser-card assembly).
  7. Connect the cable to the newly-installed adapter.
    Note
    You might need to remove the blue latch from PCI riser-card assembly 2 to easily connect the cables.
    Figure 2. Latch removal
    Latch removal
  8. Perform any configuration tasks that are required for the adapter.
  9. Reinstall the cover (see Replacing the cover).
  10. Slide the server into the rack.
  11. Reconnect the power cords and any cables that you removed.
  12. Turn on the peripheral devices and the server.