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Memory mirroring, Advanced Setup, Memory Settings, Initialization Scrub Control

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A more detailed description and the exact sequence for installation is provided in the IBM: System x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 Installation Guide, available from: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-5073028 If you want to install the full 256 GB, remove the existing DIMMs and fully populate the x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 with four memory cards, each with 8 GB DIMMs. 3.2.3 Memory mirroring Memory mirroring is available on the x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 for increased fault tolerance. Memory mirroring is operating system-independent, because all mirroring activities are handled by the hardware. This setting can be changed as described in section 3.2.6, "Memory configuration in BIOS" on page 121. The x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 have four separate memory power buses that each power one of the four memory cards. Figure 3-12 on page 113 shows the location of the memory cards, which are numbered 1 to 4, from left to right. The DIMM sockets and Memory card LEDs are shown in Figure 3-14 on page 116. Mirroring takes place across two memory cards, as follows: The memory DIMMs in card 1 are mirrored to the memory DIMMs in card 2. The memory DIMMs in card 3 are mirrored to the memory DIMMs in card 4. Therefore, with memory mirroring enabled in the BIOS, you can hot-swap any memory card if the hot-swap enabled LED is lit. For instructions to hot-swap a memory card, see IBM: System x3850 M2 and System x3950 M2 User's Guide: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-5073029 After memory-mirroring is enabled, the data that is written to memory is stored in two locations. For read operations, data is read from the DIMMs with the least amount of reported memory errors reported through memory scrubbing. Table 3-8 shows the possible BIOS settings for the initialization of scrub control. The setting is accessed by going to (from the system startup Main Menu) Advanced Setup → Memory Settings → Initialization Scrub Control. Table 3-8 Initialization scrub control Setting Function Scrub on Every Boot Performs full memory test on every boot Scrub only after AC Cycle Performs scrub only after AC has been removed or applied 118 Planning, Installing, and Managing the IBM System x3950 M2

Section	Page
Go to the current abstract on ibm.com/redbooks	1
Contents	5
Notices	11
Trademarks	12
Preface	15
The team that wrote this book	15
Become a published author	17
Comments welcome	18
Chapter 1. Technical overview	19
1.1 IBM eX4-based servers	20
1.1.1 Features of the x3950 M2 and x3850 M2 servers	20
1.1.2 x3950 M2: scalable hardware components	25
1.2 Model numbers and scalable upgrade options	27
1.2.1 Finding country-specific model information	28
1.2.2 x3850 M2 model information	28
1.2.3 x3950 M2 model information	29
1.2.4 Scalable upgrade option for x3850 M2	29
1.3 Multinode capabilities	32
1.4 x3950 M2 Windows Datacenter models	33
1.4.1 IBM Datacenter Unlimited Virtualization offering	34
1.4.2 IBM Datacenter Unlimited Virtualization with High Availability	34
1.4.3 Upgrading to Datacenter Edition	35
1.4.4 Datacenter multinode configurations	37
1.4.5 Datacenter cluster configurations	37
1.5 Integrated virtualization: VMware ESXi	37
1.5.1 Key features of VMware ESXi	38
1.5.2 VMware ESXi on x3850 M2	39
1.5.3 Comparing ESXi to other VI3 editions	40
1.5.4 VMware ESXi V3.5 licensing	43
1.5.5 Support for applications running on VMware ESX and ESXi	44
1.6 IBM fourth generation XA-64e chipset	45
1.6.1 Hurricane 4	47
1.6.2 XceL4v dynamic server cache	48
1.6.3 PCI Express I/O bridge chip	48
1.6.4 High-speed memory buffer chips	48
1.6.5 Ranks	49
1.6.6 Comparing IBM eX4 to X3 technologies	49
1.7 Processors	51
1.8 Memory subsystem	57
1.9 SAS controller and ports	60
1.10 PCI Express subsystem	61
1.11 Networking	62
1.11.1 Main features	62
1.11.2 Redundancy features	63
1.12 Systems management features	65
1.12.1 Light path diagnostics	65
1.12.2 BMC service processor	66
1.12.3 Remote Supervisor Adapter II	67
1.12.4 Active Energy Manager	69
1.13 Trusted Platform Module and where used	69
Chapter 2. Product positioning	71
2.1 Focus market segments and target applications	72
2.2 Positioning the IBM x3950 M2 and x3850 M2	74
2.2.1 Overview of scale-up, scale-out	74
2.2.2 IBM BladeCenter and iDataPlex	75
2.3 Comparing x3850 M2 to x3850	77
2.4 Comparing x3950 M2 to x3950	80
2.5 System scalability	82
2.6 Operating system scalability	84
2.6.1 Scaling VMware ESX	86
2.6.2 Scaling Microsoft Windows Server 2003	91
2.6.3 Scaling Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-V	93
2.6.4 Scaling Linux server operating systems	94
2.7 Application scalability	97
2.7.1 Microsoft SQL Server 2005	98
2.7.2 Microsoft SQL Server 2008	101
2.8 Scale-up or scale-out	102
2.8.1 Scale-up	102
2.8.2 Scale-out	103
Chapter 3. Hardware configuration	107
3.1 Processor subsystem	108
3.1.1 Processor options	109
3.1.2 Installation of processor options	111
3.1.3 Processor (CPU) configuration options	117
3.2 Memory subsystem	129
3.2.1 Memory options	129
3.2.2 Memory card	131
3.2.3 Memory mirroring	136
3.2.4 Hot-swap memory	137
3.2.5 Hot-add memory	138
3.2.6 Memory configuration in BIOS	139
3.3 Internal drive options and RAID controllers	142
3.3.1 LSI 1078 SAS onboard controller	142
3.3.2 SAS disk drive options	145
3.3.3 ServeRAID-MR10k RAID controller	146
3.3.4 ServeRAID-MR10M SAS/SATA II controller	153
3.3.5 SAS expansion enclosure (unit)	160
3.3.6 Updating the SAS storage controllers	166
3.4 Configuring RAID volumes	172
3.4.1 Starting the LSI1078 controller BIOS	172
3.4.2 Starting the ServeRAID-MR10k controller WebBIOS	176
3.4.3 Working with LSI MegaRAID controller WebBIOS	177
3.5 PCI Express options	206
3.5.1 PCI and I/O devices	206
3.5.2 PCI device scan order	206
3.5.3 PCI adapter installation order	207
3.5.4 PCI Express device-related information in the BIOS	208
3.5.5 Supported PCI Express adapter options	212
Chapter 4. Multinode hardware configurations	213
4.1 Introduction and terminology	214
4.2 Multinode capabilities	216
4.3 Understanding scalability	217
4.3.1 Complex Descriptor	217
4.3.2 Complex Descriptor contents	218
4.4 Prerequisites to create a multinode complex	219
4.5 Upgrading an x3850 M2 to an x3950 M2	222
4.5.1 Installing the ScaleXpander key (chip)	222
4.5.2 Configuring for a LAN connection	224
4.5.3 Updating the code levels, firmware	226
4.6 Cabling of multinode configurations	227
4.6.1 Two-node configuration	230
4.6.2 Three-node configuration	232
4.6.3 Four-node configuration	234
4.7 Configuring partitions	238
4.7.1 Understanding the Scalable Partitioning menu	238
4.7.2 First steps in configuring the partition	243
4.7.3 Creating partitions	244
4.8 Working with partitions	246
4.8.1 Managing partitions	246
4.8.2 Behaviors of scalability configurations	250
4.9 Observations with scalability configurations	255
4.9.1 Problem with merging if prerequisites were met	255
4.9.2 Problems with merging if prerequisites were not met	257
4.9.3 Known problems	258
Chapter 5. Installation	263
5.1 Updating firmware and BIOS	264
5.1.1 Prerequisite checklist	264
5.1.2 Downloading the firmware	265
5.1.3 Performing the updates	265
5.2 Confirming BIOS settings	272
5.3 Supported operating systems	275
5.3.1 VMware ESX operating systems	277
5.3.2 Windows Server 2003 and 2008 operating systems	277
5.3.3 Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating systems	279
5.3.4 SUSE Linux Enterprise Server operating systems	280
5.3.5 Solaris operating systems	281
5.4 Installing the operating system	282
5.4.1 Installing (configuring) VMware ESXi 3.5 embedded	282
5.4.2 Installing VMware ESXi 3.5 Installable	297
5.4.3 Installing VMware ESX 3.5 Update 1	299
5.4.4 Installing Windows Server 2003	303
5.4.5 Installing Windows Server 2008	307
5.4.6 Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Update 1	311
5.4.7 Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP1	313
Chapter 6. Management	317
6.1 BMC configuration options	318
6.1.1 BMC connectivity	320
6.1.2 BMC LAN configuration in BIOS	320
6.1.3 Event Log	322
6.1.4 User Account Settings menus	323
6.1.5 Remote control using SMBridge	323
6.1.6 BMC monitoring features	324
6.1.7 BMC firmware update	325
6.1.8 Installing the BMC device drivers	326
6.1.9 Ports used by the BMC	334
6.2 Remote Supervisor Adapter II	334
6.2.1 RSA II connectivity	337
6.2.2 RSA LAN configuration in BIOS	337
6.2.3 Web interface	339
6.2.4 Remote console and media	342
6.2.5 Updating firmware	345
6.2.6 Implementing the RSA II in the operating system	347
6.2.7 TCP/UDP ports used by the RSA II	350
6.2.8 MIB files	351
6.2.9 Error logs	351
6.3 Use of IBM Director with VMware ESX	352
6.4 Active Energy Manager	352
6.4.1 Active Energy Manager terminology	353
6.4.2 Active Energy Manager components	354
6.4.3 Active Energy Manager tasks	356
6.4.4 Active Energy Manager 3.1 functions	358
6.5 IBM Director: Implementation of servers	364
6.5.1 Integrating x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 into IBM Director	365
6.5.2 Level 0: Implementation by service processors	366
6.5.3 Level 1: Implementation by the IBM Director Core Services	367
6.5.4 LSI MegaRAID Provider	370
6.5.5 Level 2: Implementation by the IBM Director agent	371
6.6 System management with VMware ESXi 3.5	373
6.6.1 Hypervisor systems	373
6.6.2 Implementation of x3850 M2 Hypervisor systems	373
6.7 Power management	374
6.7.1 Processor features	374
6.7.2 Power consumption measurement and capping	375
6.7.3 Virtualization	375
6.8 Power Distribution Units (PDU)	375
6.8.1 Key features	376
6.8.2 Availability and flexibility of Enterprise PDUs	377
6.8.3 Comparing PDU and intelligent PDU	378
6.8.4 Assembling of intelligent PDU	379
6.8.5 Intelligent PDU power management Web interface	382
6.9 DSA Preboot	384
6.9.1 Updating DSA Preboot	387
6.9.2 Working with the command line interface	390
6.9.3 Working with the graphical user interface (GUI)	394
6.9.4 Scalability partition management	397
Abbreviations and acronyms	399
Related publications	403
IBM Redbooks	403
Product publications	403
Online resources	404
How to get Redbooks	412
Help from IBM	412
Index	413

Match case Limit results 1 per page

118

Planning, Installing, and Managing the IBM System x3950 M2

A more detailed description and the exact sequence for installation is provided in

the

IBM: System x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 Installation Guide

, available from:

http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-5073028

If you want to install the full 256 GB, remove the existing DIMMs and fully

populate the x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 with four memory cards, each with 8 GB

DIMMs.

3.2.3

Memory mirroring

Memory mirroring is available on the x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 for increased fault

tolerance. Memory mirroring is operating system-independent, because all

mirroring activities are handled by the hardware. This setting can be changed as

described in section 3.2.6, “Memory configuration in BIOS” on page 121.

The x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 have four separate memory power buses that each

power one of the four memory cards. Figure 3-12 on page 113 shows the

location of the memory cards, which are numbered 1 to 4, from left to right. The

DIMM sockets and Memory card LEDs are shown in Figure 3-14 on page 116.

Mirroring takes place across two memory cards, as follows:

The memory DIMMs in card 1 are mirrored to the memory DIMMs in card 2.

The memory DIMMs in card 3 are mirrored to the memory DIMMs in card 4.

Therefore, with memory mirroring enabled in the BIOS, you can hot-swap any

memory card if the hot-swap enabled

LED is lit. For instructions to hot-swap a

memory card, see

IBM: System x3850 M2 and System x3950 M2 User’s Guide

http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-5073029

After memory-mirroring is enabled, the data that is written to memory is stored in

two locations. For read operations, data is read from the DIMMs with the least

amount of reported memory errors reported through memory scrubbing.

Table 3-8 shows the possible BIOS settings for the initialization of scrub control.

The setting is accessed by going to (from the system startup Main Menu)

Advanced Setup

→

Memory Settings

→

Initialization Scrub Control

Table 3-8

Initialization scrub control

Setting

Function

Scrub on Every Boot

Performs full memory test on every boot

Scrub only after AC Cycle

Performs scrub only after AC has been removed or applied