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What your server offers

This section introduces features and technologies the server uses and provides.

  • Dynamic System Analysis (DSA)

    The server comes with the Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) Preboot diagnostic program stored in the integrated USB memory on the server. DSA collects and analyzes system information to aid in diagnosing server problems, as well as offering a rich set of diagnostic tests of the major components of the server. DSA creates a DSA log, which is a chronologically ordered merge of the system-event log (as the IPMI event log), the Integrated Management Module 2.1 (IMM2.1) chassis event log (as the ASM event log), and the operating-system event logs. You can send the DSA log as a file to Lenovo Support or view the information as a text file or Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file.

  • Features on Demand

    If a Features on Demand feature is integrated in the server or in an optional device that is installed in the server, you can purchase an activation key to activate the feature. For information about Features on Demand, see the Lenovo Features on Demand website.

  • Lenovo XClarity Administrator

    Lenovo XClarity Administrator is a centralized resource-management solution that enables administrators to deploy infrastructure faster and with less effort. The solution seamlessly integrates into System x, ThinkServer, and NeXtScale servers, as well as the Flex System converged infrastructure platform.

    Lenovo XClarity Administrator provides the following features:

    • Intuitive graphical user interface

    • Automated discovery and inventory

    • Firmware updates and compliance

    • Configuration patterns

    • Bare metal deployment

    • Security management

    • Upward integration

    • Representational state transfer (REST) application programming interfaces and Windows PowerShell

    • Simple network management protocol (SNMP), system log, and e-mail forwarding

    For more information, see Using Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

  • Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager

    Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager is a tool for data center power management. It models the data center physical hierarchy and monitors power and temperature at the server level and the group level. By analyzing power and temperature data, Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager helps you improve business continuity and increase power efficiency. For more information, go to Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager.

  • Lenovo XClarity Essentials OneCLI

    Lenovo XClarity Essentials (LXCE) is a collection of server management utilities that provides a less complicated method to enable customers to manage Lenovo ThinkSystem, System x, and Thinkserver servers more efficiently and cost-effectively.

  • Integrated management module 2.1 (IMM2.1)

    The integrated management module 2.1 (IMM2.1) combines service processor functions, video controller, and remote presence and blue-screen capture features in a single chip. The IMM provides advanced service-processor control, monitoring, and alerting function. If an environmental condition exceeds a threshold or if a system component fails, the IMM lights LEDs to help you diagnose the problem, records the error in the IMM event log, and alerts you to the problem. Optionally, the IMM also provides a virtual presence capability for remote server management capabilities. The IMM provides remote server management through the following industry-standard interfaces:

    • Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) version 2.0

    • Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) version 3.0; SNMP Trap version 1.0

    • Common Information Model (CIM)

    • Web browser

    Some of the features that are unique to the IMM are enhanced performance, higher-resolution remote video, expanded security options, and Feature on Demand enablement for hardware and firmware options.

    For additional information, see Using the integrated management module and the Integrated Management Module II User’s Guide .

  • Enterprise X-Architecture technology

    X-Architecture technology combines proven, innovative designs to make your Intel-processor-based server powerful, scalable, and reliable.

  • Integrated network support

    The server comes with an integrated quad-port Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet controller, which supports connection to a 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or 1000 Mbps network. For more information, see Configuring the Ethernet controller.

  • Integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

    This integrated security chip performs cryptographic functions and stores private and public secure keys. It provides the hardware support for the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) specification. You can download the software to support the TCG specification, when the software is available. You can enable TPM support through the Setup Utility under the System Security menu option.

  • Large data-storage capacity and hot-swap capability

    The hot-swap server models support a maximum of twelve 2.5-inch (two located at the rear) or four 3.5-inch hot-swap Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) hard disk drives or hot-swap Serial ATA (SATA) hard disk drives. The simple-swap server models support a maximum of eight 2.5-inch or four 3.5-inch simple-swap SATA hard disk drives.

    With the hot-swap feature, you can add, remove, or replace hard disk drives without turning off the server.

  • Large system-memory capacity

    The server can support up to 1.5 TB of system memory. The server provides 24 dual inline memory module (DIMM) connectors. The server memory controller supports error correcting code (ECC) for PC4-12800 (DDR4-1600), PC4-14900 (DDR4-1866), or PC4-17000 (DDR4-2133), DDR4 (fourth-generation double-data-rate), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) DIMMs.

  • Light path diagnostics

    Light path diagnostics provides LEDs to help you diagnose problems. For more information about light path diagnostics and the LEDs, see Operator information panel orLCD operating panel assembly.

  • Mobile access to Lenovo Service Information Web site

    The server provides a QR code on the system service label, which is on the cover of the server, that you can scan using a QR code reader and scanner with a mobile device to get quick access to the Lenovo Service Information Web site. The Lenovo Service Information Web site provides additional information for parts installation and replacement videos, and error codes for server support. For the QR code, see The Lenovo System x3550 M5 server.

  • Multi-core processing

    The server supports up to two Intel Xeon multi-core microprocessors. The server comes with a minimum of one microprocessor.

  • PCI adapter capabilities

    The server has two PCI interface slots. See Replacing an adapter for detailed information.

  • Redundant connection

    The addition of the optional Ethernet adapter provides failover capability to a redundant Ethernet connection with the applicable application installed. If a problem occurs with the primary Ethernet connection and the optional Ethernet adapter is installed on the server, all Ethernet traffic that is associated with the primary connection is automatically switched to the optional redundant Ethernet adapter connection. If the applicable device drivers are installed, this switching occurs without data loss and without user intervention.

  • Redundant cooling and optional power capabilities

    The server supports a maximum of two 550-watt, 750-watt, 900-watt, or 1500-watt hot-swap power supplies and seven dual-motor hot-swap fans, which provide redundancy and hot-swap capability for a typical configuration. The redundant cooling by the fans in the server enables continued operation if one of the fans fails. The server comes with the minimum of one 550-watt, 750-watt, 900-watt or 1500-watt hot-swap power supply and five fans.

    You must install the fan 6 and fan 8 when you install the second microprocessor in the server. You can order the second optional power supply for power redundancy.

    Note
    You cannot mix power supplies that have different wattages in the server.

  • ServeRAID support

    The ServeRAID adapter provides hardware redundant array of independent disks (RAID) support to create configurations. The standard RAID adapter provides RAID levels 0, 1, and 10. An optional RAID adapter is available for purchase.

  • SD adapter

    A raid controller for Secure Digital (SD) media. It has two upstream connections, a USB connection to the server chipset, and an MMC connection to the integrated management module (IMM2.1).

  • Systems-management capabilities

    The server comes with an Integrated management module 2.1 (IMM2.1). When the IMM is used with the systems-management software that comes with the server, you can manage the functions of the server locally and remotely. The IMM also provides system monitoring, event recording, and network alert capability. The systems-management connector on the rear of the server is dedicated to the IMM. The dedicated systems-management connector provides additional security by physically separating the management network traffic from the production network. You can use the Setup Utility to configure the server to use a dedicated systems-management network or a shared network.

  • UEFI-compliant server firmware

    Lenovo System x Server Firmware (server firmware) offers several features, including Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) 2.1 compliance; enhanced reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) capabilities; and basic input/output system (BIOS) compatibility support. UEFI replaces the BIOS and defines a standard interface between the operating system, platform firmware, and external devices. UEFI-compliant System x servers are capable of booting UEFI-compliant operating systems, BIOS-based operating systems, and BIOS-based adapters as well as UEFI-compliant adapters.
    Note
    The server does not support DOS (Disk Operating System).

  • VMware ESXi embedded hypervisor

    The VMware ESXi embedded hypervisor software is available on the optional USB flash device or SD adapter. Hypervisor is virtualization software that enables multiple operating systems to run on a host system at the same time. The USB embedded hypervisor flash device can be installed in the internal USB connector on the system board. The SD adapter wit embedded hypervisor software can be installed in the SD adapter connector on the system board. For more information about using the embedded hypervisor, see Using the embedded hypervisor.