Choosing IBM Flex System for Your Private Cloud Infrastructure

Redpaper
Srihari Angaluri

Choosing IBM Flex System for Your
Private Cloud Infrastructure
Table of contents
“Introduction”
“Private cloud requirements” on page 2
“IBM PureFlex System” on page 3
“IBM Flex System” on page 5
“Advantages of PureFlex over Flex System” on page 7
“Cloud reference architecture with Flex System” on page 10
“Compute node choices in the Flex System” on page 15
“Cloud management software” on page 23
“Conclusion” on page 24
“References” on page 25

Introduction
IBM® Flex System™ is a new platform technology that was introduced for organizations that
are deploying IT for emerging data center applications, such as cloud computing, Big Data,
Analytics, Technical computing, and Smarter Planet®. IBM Flex System combines advances
in processor, memory, networking, storage, and management technologies such that they are
integrated into a single, cohesive system. This system provides an efficient platform for
addressing data center challenges for capacity, flexibility, scalability, reliability, and IT
acquisition and maintenance costs.
There are several solutions available in the marketplace today for people who want to create
private cloud infrastructures. Starting from the infrastructure layer, some vendors are
providing “fully integrated” solutions with preselected components for almost all layers in the
cloud.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012. All rights reserved.

ibm.com/redbooks

1

For example, IBM provides the BladeCenter® Foundation for Cloud1, which is reference
architecture for creating a private cloud infrastructure by using the IBM BladeCenter, Intel
processor-based BladeCenter servers, disk storage for virtual image repositories, integrated
networking with 10 Gbps Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) switches, and the
IBM SmartCloud™ Entry software stack for virtualization and platform management.
Although fully integrated solutions might address the needs of certain customers, the other
end of the market segment is interested in creating their own private cloud infrastructures by
integrating the piece parts. The IBM Flex System provides all of the components that are
necessary for creating the cloud, including compute, networking, storage, and management
software. In this paper, we describe how to integrate a custom private cloud infrastructure
solution by using the IBM Flex System.
This IBM Redpaper™ is intended for customers and IBM Business Partners who are creating
custom private cloud infrastructures and looking for various hardware and software options
that are available from IBM. This paper also provides a technical overview of the IBM Flex
System components for cloud infrastructure architects and hardware integration specialists.

Private cloud requirements
In constructing a private cloud infrastructure, you must look at the full stack of requirements
and address them individually. You also must ensure that all the individual layers of the stack
are well-integrated to create a seamless cloud system.
The different layers of a typical cloud environment are shown in Figure 1. A more fine-grained
view of the cloud shows other layers. These layers include the platform virtualization layer that
is used for storage and networking, the middle-ware application layer that sits between the
virtual images, and the management layers. However, from a high level, Figure 1 shows the
important layers that almost every cloud environment features.

Management Layer
Service
Management

Hardware
Management

Virtualization
Management

Web Portal

Virtual Images Layer – Operating Systems
Linux

Windows

AIX

Other

Virtualization Layer - Hypervisors
VMware

KVM

Xen

Hyper-V

PowerVM

Physical Infrastructure
Compute

Storage

Networking

Figure 1 Typical layers in a cloud infrastructure

1

2

See IBM BladeCenter Foundation for Cloud: Integration Guide, REDP-4773, available at this website:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/redp4773.html?Open

Choosing IBM Flex System for Your Private Cloud Infrastructure

At the physical infrastructure layer, we have the compute nodes, servers, networking, and all
the other necessary support hardware (for example, management appliances). This layer is
the fundamental layer of the cloud and is where people who are creating private clouds must
spend the most time to select the correct hardware components. This selection process is
critical because the choices that are made at this layer drive the choices for the other layers
farther up in the stack.
For example, selecting x86 based servers versus POWER® based servers drives the choices
for the hypervisors and the virtualization management tools and affects the application
choices.
In addition, key characteristics of the cloud environment, such as the performance, scalability,
upgradability, serviceability, and manageability, is determined by the physical infrastructure
layer. The per-VM metrics, such as the number of virtual CPUs, amount of virtual memory,
disk capacity, and network bandwidth, also are influenced by the choices for the hardware
components at the physical infrastructure layer.
Most often, the hardware choices also are driven by the layers that are above the Physical
Infrastructure layer, as shown in Figure 1 on page 2. For instance, applications that require
much compute capacity and memory, such as database servers, force you to choose a
robust, high-end platform with multiple CPU sockets. Also, support is needed for large
memory (for example, a four-socket server with 64 memory DIMMs).
In 2012, IBM introduced a new hardware platform, IBM Flex System, which is a set of
technologies that are designed to address many challenges. These challenges include IT
complexity, growth, deployment, acquisition, and maintenance costs. The new platform also
was designed to address the IT infrastructure needs of emerging markets, such as cloud
computing, Business Analytics, Big Data, and Smarter Planet.
IBM Flex System enables new integrated solutions that are optimized on the hardware
platform to take advantage of the full system capabilities for performance, scalability,
robustness, and Systems Management. IBM Flex System provides an efficient platform to
customers for addressing some of these challenges. It is an ideal platform for organizations
that are creating their own solutions, such as custom private cloud infrastructures.

IBM PureFlex System
IBM PureFlex™ System is a comprehensive infrastructure system that provides an expert
integrated computing system. It combines the IBM Flex System components, such as
servers, enterprise storage, networking, virtualization, and management, into a single
structure. Its built-in expertise enables organizations to manage and flexibly deploy integrated
patterns of virtual and physical resources through unified management. These systems are
ideally suited for customers who want a system that delivers the simplicity of an integrated
solution and can tune middleware and the runtime environment.
IBM PureFlex System combines advanced IBM hardware and software with patterns of
expertise into three optimized configurations that are simple to acquire and deploy so you
realize fast time-to-value.
PureFlex features the following advantages:
Configurations that ease acquisition experience and match your needs
Optimized to align with targeted workloads and environments
Designed for cloud with SmartCloud Entry included on Standard and Enterprise versions


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Choice of architecture, operating system, and virtualization engine
Designed for simplicity with integrated, single-system management across physical and
virtual resources
Simplified ordering that accelerates deployment into your environments
Ships as a single integrated entity directly to you
Includes factory integration and lab services optimization
The PureFlex System is available in one of the following configurations:
IBM PureFlex System Express, which is designed for small and medium-sized businesses
and is the most affordable entry point for PureFlex System.
IBM PureFlex System Standard, which is optimized for application servers with supporting
storage and networking, and is designed to support your key ISV solutions.
IBM PureFlex System Enterprise, which is optimized for transactional and database
systems. It has built-in redundancy for highly reliable and resilient operation to support
your most critical workloads.
The PureFlex System configuration features the following main hardware and software
components:
Preinstalled and configured IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis
Compute nodes with IBM POWER or Intel Xeon processors
IBM Flex System Manager™, preinstalled with management software and licenses for
software activation
IBM Storwize® V7000 external storage unit
All hardware components are preinstalled in an IBM PureFlex System 42U rack
Choice of operating system:
–
–
–
–
–

IBM AIX®
IBM i
Microsoft Windows
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

Virtualization software:
–
–
–
–

IBM PowerVM®
KVM
VMware vSphere
Microsoft Hyper V

SmartCloud Entry (see “IBM SmartCloud Entry” on page 23)
Complete pre-integrated software and hardware
On-site services included to get you up and running quickly
For more information about the PureFlex System, see this website:
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/puresystems/us/en/pf_pureflex.html
More information also is available from the IBM Redbooks® publication IBM PureFlex System
and IBM Flex System Products and Technology, SG24-7984, which is available from this
website:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247984.html

4


IBM Flex System
The Flex System features the following key components:
Flex System Manager: The hardware and software management appliance.
Flex Compute Nodes: The servers that are based on Intel and POWER processors.
Flex Storage: The capabilities for integrating local and remote storage.
Flex Networking: A broad array of integrated networking technologies.
The following sections briefly describe each of these Flex System components. For more
information, see the IBM Redbooks publication IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System
Products and Technology, SG24-7984, which is available from this website:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247984.html

Flex System Manager
IBM Flex System Manager is designed to optimize the physical and virtual resources of the
IBM Flex System infrastructure and simplify and automate repetitive tasks. It provides easy
system set-up procedures by using wizards and built-in expertise. IBM Flex System Manager
also provides consolidated monitoring for all of your resources, including compute, storage,
networking, virtualization, and energy.
IBM Flex System Manager provides core management functionality and automation. It is an
ideal solution with which you can reduce administrative expense and focus your efforts on
business innovation.
A single user interface controls the following features:
Intelligent automation
Resource pooling
Improved resource utilization
Complete management integration
Simplified setup

Compute nodes
The compute nodes are designed to take advantage of the full capabilities of IBM POWER7®
and Intel Xeon processors. This configuration offers the performance that you need for your
critical applications.
With support for a range of hypervisors, operating systems, and virtualization environments,
the compute nodes provide the foundation for the following applications:
Virtualization solutions
Database applications
Infrastructure support
Line of business applications


5

Storage
The storage capabilities of IBM Flex System give you advanced functionality with storage
nodes in your system, and take advantage of your existing storage infrastructure through
advanced virtualization. IBM Flex System simplifies storage administration with a single user
interface for all your storage. The management console is integrated with the comprehensive
management system. You can use these management and storage capabilities to virtualize
third-party storage with nondisruptive migration of your current storage infrastructure. You can
also take advantage of intelligent tiering so you can balance performance and cost for your
storage needs. The solution also supports local and remote replication, and snapshots for
flexible business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities.

Networking
The range of available adapters and switches to support key network protocols allow you to
configure IBM Flex System to fit in your infrastructure. However, you can do so without
sacrificing being ready for the future. The networking resources in IBM Flex System are
standards-based, flexible, and fully integrated into the system. This combination gives you
no-compromise networking for your solution. Network resources are virtualized and managed
by workload. These capabilities are automated and optimized to make your network more
reliable and simpler to manage.
IBM Flex Systems gives you the following key networking capabilities:
Supports the networking infrastructure that you have today, including Ethernet, Fibre
Channel, and InfiniBand
Offers industry-leading performance with 1 Gb, 10 Gb, and 40 Gb Ethernet; 8 Gb and
16-Gb Fibre Channel; and FDR InfiniBand
Provides pay-as-you-grow scalability so you can add ports and bandwidth when needed

Chassis Infrastructure
The IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis is the foundation of the offering. It supports
intelligent workload deployment and management for maximum business agility. The
14-node, 10 U chassis delivers high-performance connectivity for your integrated compute,
storage, networking, and management resources. The chassis is designed to support
multiple generations of technology, and offers independently scalable resource pools for
higher utilization and lower cost per workload.
The IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis is shown in Figure 2 on page 7.

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Figure 2 IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis

Advantages of PureFlex over Flex System
Although IBM PureFlex System is based on the Flex System building blocks, PureFlex
provides the following advantages over Flex System:
Infrastructure Solution
PureFlex provides an infrastructure platform solution by combining the Flex System
chassis elements with the other necessary components at the rack level, such as
top-of-the-rack network or SAN switches, external storage enclosures, and power
distribution.
Factory Integration
PureFlex is delivered as a fully integrated platform solution. When you order one of the
PureFlex offerings (Express, Standard, or Enterprise), the system is fully assembled by
IBM manufacturing. The system includes the hardware assembly, racking, and cabling,
and is shipped as a single unit.
However, Flex System is not delivered as a fully integrated system. When the Flex System
and the respective parts, such as switches, storage, and power distribution units (PDUs)
are ordered, these elements are not integrated by IBM manufacturing. The elements are
shipped as stand-alone items to be integrated by the customer or an IBM Business
Partner.


7

Flexibility
PureFlex is offered as predefined configurations, which are pre-built bundles of hardware
and software. However, within these configurations, there is much built-in flexibility for the
various choices. For example, customers can add compute nodes or storage capacity that
is based on their application needs in any of the configurations within the allowed
limitations to keep the key aspects intact. PureFlex configurations can be customized but
still benefiting from the integration and delivery principles. PureFlex also is designed so
that a customer can start with any of the three offerings (Express, Standard, or Enterprise)
and scale that environment to the next level (for example, Express to Standard, or
Standard to Enterprise).
Built-in expertise
PureFlex incorporates the best practices of IBM in architecture, integration, test, and
deployment to create a robust platform solution. The choices of the hardware components,
such as compute nodes, network switches, storage, and management are influenced by
various factors that include typical customer technical needs, application demands, and
solution cost versus functionality trade-offs. Hence, PureFlex System is optimal for a broad
set of applications and still allows sufficient leeway for customization and tuning for
specific applications.
Simplified configuration and ordering
IBM configuration tools allow easy configuration of the PureFlex bundles. IBM trained
sales people and IBM Business Partners can create PureFlex configurations by using
either of the build-to-order configurations of IBM, x-config or e-config. The tools provide a
simplified interface to build PureFlex configurations that start from the base offering
building blocks and allow further customization according to the built-in rules to preserve
the solution integrity.
Depending on the specific sales channel that is used, you can order PureFlex through one
of the ordering systems: AAS, XCC, or HVEC. Although Flex System also can be ordered
through one of these channels, it is up to the sales person or IBM Business Partner to
choose the options to configure. They make these choices by using the configurator tools
to ensure that the solution is valid and is not missing any critical components.
Deployment services
PureFlex System bundles before the November 2012 announcement included lab
services days for on-site integration at the customer site. Post the November 2012
announcement, this implementation service is optional, although customers or partners
can include the services for an additional price.
The advantage of lab services is that the IBM trained professionals ensure the deployment
and integration of the PureFlex solution into the customer environment. The Flex System
BTO does not include services by default. A custom services agreement should be
negotiated with the lab services that based on the specific customer needs.
A comparison of Flex System and PureFlex System is shown in Figure 3 on page 9.

8


Flex System (elements of PureFlex)
Chassis
14 half-wide bays
for nodes

Compute
Nodes

IBM PureFlex System
Pre-configured, pre-integrated
infrastructure systems with compute,
storage, networking, physical and virtual
management, and entry cloud
management with
integrated expertise.

x86 and POWER

Storage Node
V7000
Expansion inside or
outside chassis

Management
Node

Starting Point
Configurations:
Express
Infrastructure for small
and midsize businesses
Standard
Infrastructure for cloud
deployments
and server consolidation

Optional

Networking
10/40 GbE, FCoE,
IB, 8/16 Gb FC

Expansion

Enterprise
Infrastructure for largescale deployments;
highly redundant for
resilient operations
(POWER & x86)

PCIe
Storage
Figure 3 Flex System and PureFlex


9

Cloud reference architecture with Flex System
In this section, we describe sample configurations of a private cloud system that uses the Flex
System components and the various hardware options that are available in Flex System.

Sample configuration
The rack-level diagram (without cabling) of a private cloud system that uses Flex System
hardware is shown in Figure 4.

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Storage Expansion

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Service Manager

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IBM Flex System
Enterprise
Chassis

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Compute Node

Compute Node

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Management
Node

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Flex Compute
Nodes

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Supply
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10 GbE Data
Network Switch
1 GbE Management
Network Switch
Rack Power
Distribution Units

Storage
Storage
Flex System FC5022 16 Gb SAN Scalable Switch

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Flex System Manager

Power
Distribution Units

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10

1 Gbps Management
Switch

Flex System Fabric EN4093 10 Gb Scalable Switch

SAN Storage

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10 Gbps Data Switch

Chassis Management Module (CMM)

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Figure 4 Front and rear view of a sample cloud that uses IBM Flex System hardware components

The configuration that is provided here is for reference only. The specific hardware choices
are described at a high level to illustrate the different components that are available in the
Flex System for building a custom cloud. The actual hardware choices, such as the number
and type of compute nodes, type of processors, amount of physical RAM, disk storage
capacity, and networking and SAN switches, are largely dependent upon various factors.
These factors include the virtual machine (VM)-specific metrics, system performance
requirements, scalability, redundancy, and environmental restrictions (power, cooling, space).
Detailed requirements analysis and planning should be conducted to design the system and
make the component selections that meet the requirements.
The example system that is shown in Figure 4 consists of a single Flex System Enterprise
Chassis that is populated with compute nodes, redundant scalable chassis switch modules
for Ethernet and SAN, and chassis management modules. The rack also includes a disk
storage system with an entry storage controller and an expansion module. In addition, the
rack consists of top-of-rack Ethernet switches for management and data networks.

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Networking architecture
Often in a cloud environment, there are multiple network fabric types for various functions.
Figure 5 shows these different fabric types and their purpose. From a virtual machine
standpoint, there are three types of fabric: service management, storage access, and
user/data.

User Access/Data Network
10 Gbps
Ethernet

Virtual Machine

1 Gbps (iSCSI)
10 Gbps (iSCSI/FCoE)
8/16 Gbps Fibre Channel

10 Gbps
Ethernet

Service Management
Network

Storage
Network

Figure 5 Network fabric types for private cloud

These fabric types are described in the following subsections.

Service management network
This network fabric is used for managing the physical and virtual resources. This network
fabric often is physically isolated from the other fabrics for better isolation, security, and
reliability of the management fabric. This same fabric is used for in-band and out-of-band
management, although some customers prefer to isolate the in-band management from
out-of-band.
The in-band fabric is used for managing the operating systems and hypervisors. For example,
communicating with the VMware ESXi server from the management node for deploying
virtual images on the compute node. At the same time, the same fabric is used for monitoring
the operating system resources in-band by using platform agents, for example, IBM Systems
Director agent.
Physical hardware resources, such as the compute nodes, network switches, and storage
controllers, are managed via the out-of-band network fabric. For example, managing the Intel
x86 compute nodes by using their Integrated Management Module (IMM) interface via the
Flex Chassis Management Module (CMM) is done via the out-of-band network. The service
management network fabric often is 1 Gbps Ethernet because of the low-bandwidth service
traffic.


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User access/data network
This fabric is used for communication from the client network to the virtual machines. This
fabric also is used for data access to and from the VMs. This fabric is also used for remote
access of the VMs. For example, if the VM is running a desktop environment, this access
fabric is used for remote login to the desktop. This fabric often is 10 Gbps Ethernet.
Optionally, it can be 1 Gbps Ethernet if the fabric is not to be used for heavy traffic.
The compute nodes should have the appropriate network interface cards to support the data
fabric. The compute node of Flex System (for example, Intel x86 based x240 server) should
have the embedded on-board 10-Gbps daughter card or a separate PCIe adapter installed. In
addition, the Flex System chassis should have 10 GbE switches that are installed to support
the 10-Gbps network to the nodes.

Storage network
This fabric is used for providing access to the attached disk storage, which often is used in a
private cloud environment for storing virtual image templates library. It also provides storage
for the VM file system data storage for applications that run inside the VMs.
An entry-level or mid-range disk storage system, such as the IBM DS3000, DS5000, or IBM
Storwize V7000 series storage controllers, are attached in a storage area network (SAN) type
configuration as the storage solutions for small-scale private cloud environments.
For larger-sized clouds that require storage for large volumes of data (hundreds of thousands
of VMs or mission-critical environments), a high-end storage solution such as the IBM XiV
can be used.

12


Figure 6 shows how the different types of network connections are made in the sample cloud
configuration.

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10 Gbps for
data network

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data network
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expansion

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network

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Figure 6 Network connections for sample cloud configuration

Depending upon the performance, scalability, protocol support, administration preferences,
and cost considerations, various SAN interfaces can be used. These interfaces include the
traditional Fibre Channel (8 Gbps or 16 Gbps speeds), Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) (6 Gbps
speed), iSCSI (1 Gbps or 10 Gbps speeds), or Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) (10 Gbps
speed).
The different Flex System component choices that are available for building a private cloud
system are summarized in Table 1 on page 14.


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Table 1 Components of the private cloud configuration
Description

Part number

Feature codesa

Compute nodes
IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node

Machine type 8787


Machine type 7906


Machine type 7917

Network adapters for compute nodes (management and data fabrics)
EN2024 4-port 1 Gb Ethernet Adapter

49Y7900

1763


90Y3466

None


None

1762

CN4054 10 Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter

90Y3554

None

FC3172 2-port 8 Gb FC Adapter

69Y1938

1764


95Y2375

None


88Y6370

None

IBM Flex System Fabric EN4093 10 Gb Scalable Switch

49Y4270

A0TB / 3593

IBM Flex System EN4091 10 Gb Ethernet Pass-thru

88Y6043

A1QV / 3700

IBM Flex System EN2092 1 Gb Ethernet Scalable Switch

49Y4294

A0TF / 3598

IBM Flex System FC5022 16 Gb SAN Scalable Switch

88Y6374

A1EH / 3770

IBM Flex System FC5022 24-port 16 Gb ESB SAN Scalable Switch

90Y9356

A1EJ / 3771

IBM Flex System FC3171 8 Gb SAN Switch

69Y1930

A0TD / 3595

IBM Flex System FC3171 8 Gb SAN Pass-thru

69Y1934

A0TJ / 3591

Fibre Channel adapters for compute nodes (storage access)

Network Switch Modules

SAN Switch Modules

a. The first feature code that is listed is for configurations that are ordered through System x® sales channels. The
second feature code is for configurations that are ordered through the IBM Power Systems™ channel.

14


Compute node choices in the Flex System
In the following sections, we describe the Intel processor-based compute node choices that
are available in the Flex System.

The IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node is a high-performance server that offers
outstanding performance for virtualization with new levels of CPU performance and memory
capacity, and flexible configuration options. The x240 Compute Node is an efficient server
that is designed to run a range of workloads. It is armed with advanced management
capabilities that allow you to manage your physical and virtual IT resources from a
single-pane of glass.
The x240 Compute Node is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7 The IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node

Scalability and performance
The x240 offers the following features to boost performance, improve scalability, and reduce
costs:
The Intel Xeon Processor E5-2600 product family improves productivity by offering
superior system performance with up to eight core processors and up to 3.3 GHz core
speeds. Also, depending on the CPU’s number of cores, up to 20 MB of L3 cache, and
QPI interconnect links of up to 8 GT/s.
The Intel Xeon Processor E5-2600 provides up to 80% performance boost over the
previous generation, the Intel Xeon Processor 5600 (Westmere EP).
Up to two processors, 16 cores, and 32 threads maximize the concurrent execution of
multi-threaded applications.
Intelligent and adaptive system performance with Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 allows
CPU cores to run at maximum speeds during peak workloads by temporarily exceeding
processor thermal design power (TDP).
Intel Hyper-Threading Technology boosts performance for multi-threaded applications by
enabling simultaneous multi-threading within each processor core, up to two threads per
core.
Intel Virtualization Technology integrates hardware-level virtualization hooks that allow
operating system vendors to better use the hardware for virtualization workloads.


15

Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVT) significantly improve floating point performance
for compute-intensive technical and scientific applications that are compared with Intel
Xeon 5600 series processors.
Up to 24 DDR3 ECC memory Registered DIMMs (RDIMMs) provide speeds up to 1600
MHz and a memory capacity of up to 384 GB. Load-reduced DIMMs (LRDIMMs) are
supported by a maximum capacity of 768 GB.
The theoretical maximum memory bandwidth of the Intel Xeon processor E5 family is
51.6 GBps, which is 60% more than in the previous generation of Intel Xeon processors.
The use of solid-state drives (SSDs) instead of or along with traditional spinning drives
(HDDs) can significantly improve I/O performance. An SSD can support up to 100 times
more I/O operations per second (IOPS) than a typical HDD.
Up to 16 virtual I/O ports per compute node with integrated 10 Gb Ethernet ports are
available, which offers the choice of Ethernet, Fibre Channel, iSCSI, or FCoE connectivity.
The x240 offers PCI Express 3.0 I/O expansion capabilities that improve the theoretical
maximum bandwidth by 60% (8 GT/s per link), compared with the previous generation of
PCI Express 2.0.
With Intel Integrated I/O Technology, the PCI Express 3.0 controller is integrated into the
Intel Xeon processor E5 family. This integration helps to dramatically reduce I/O latency
and increase overall system performance.
Support for high-bandwidth I/O adapters is available, up to two in each x240 Compute
Node. Support for 10 Gb Ethernet, 16 Gb Fibre Channel, and FDR InfiniBand also is
available.
The components on the front of the x240 are shown in Figure 8.

Two 2.5” HS
drive bays
Light path
diagnostics
panel

USB port

Console breakout
cable port

Power

LED
panel

Figure 8 Front view of the IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node

16


The internal components of the x240 are shown in Figure 9.
Hot-swap drive bay
backplane

Processor 2 and 12
memory DIMMs

Processor 1 and 12
memory DIMMs

Light path
diagnostics

I/O connector 1
Fabric Connector

I/O connector 2

Connector for
Expansion Nodes

Figure 9 Internal view of the x240

Embedded 10 Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter
Some models of the x240 include an embedded 10 Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter (VFA, also
known as LAN on Motherboard or LOM) that is built into the system board. Each x240 model
that includes the embedded 10 Gb VFA also has the Compute Node Fabric Connector that is
installed in I/O connector 1 (and physically screwed onto the system board) to provide
connectivity to the Enterprise Chassis midplane. Figure 3 on page 9 shows the location of the
Fabric Connector.
The Fabric Connector enables port 1 on the embedded 10 Gb VFA to be routed to I/O module
bay 1 and port 2 to be routed to I/O module bay 2. The Fabric Connector can be unscrewed
and removed to allow the installation of an I/O adapter on I/O connector 1.
The embedded 10 Gb VFA is based on the Emulex BladeEngine 3 (BE3), which is a
single-chip, dual-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) Ethernet Controller.
The embedded 10 Gb VFA includes the following features:
PCI-Express Gen2
x8 host bus interface
Supports multiple virtual NIC (vNIC) functions
TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE enabled)
SRIOV capable
RDMA over TCP/IP capable
iSCSI and FCoE upgrade offering via IBM Features on Demand (part number 90Y9310).


17

Network adapters
The network adapters that the x240 supports are listed in Table 2.
Table 2 Network adapters that are supported in the x240
Part
number

Feature
code

Description

Number
of ports

Maximum
supporteda

10 Gb Ethernet
90Y3554

A1R1

IBM Flex System CN4054 10-Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter

4

2

90Y3558

A1R0

IBM Flex System CN4054 Virtual Fabric Adapter:
Software upgrade
Feature on Demand to provide FCoE and iSCSI support
One license is required per adapter

License

2

90Y3466

A1QY

IBM Flex System EN4132 2-port 10-Gb Ethernet Adapter

2

2

A10Y

IBM Flex System EN2024 4-port 1-Gb Ethernet Adapter

4

2

A1QZ

IBM Flex System IB6132 2-port FDR InfiniBand Adapter

2

2

1 Gb Ethernet
49Y7900
InfiniBand
90Y3454

a. For x2x models with the Embedded 10-Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter standard, the Compute Node Fabric
Connector occupies the same space as an I/O adapter in I/O slot 1. Because of this configuration, you must
remove the Fabric Connector if you want to install an adapter in I/O slot 1.

For more information about the x240, including a list of available models, see the IBM
Redbooks Product Guide at this website:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/tips0860.html?Open

A building block for the IBM PureFlex System family, the IBM Flex System x440 Compute
Node is a four-socket Intel Xeon processor-based server that is optimized for high-end
virtualization, mainstream database deployments, and memory-intensive, high-performance
environments. It is price-performance that is optimized with a wide range of processors,
memory, and I/O options to help you match system capabilities and cost to workloads without
compromise.
With a dense design, the Flex System x440 Compute Node can help reduce floor space that
is used and lower data center power and cooling costs.

18


Figure 10 shows the front of the compute node, including the location of the controls, LEDs,
and connectors. The light path diagnostic panel is on the upper edge of the front panel bezel,
which is in the same place as the x240.
Two 2.5” HS
drive bays

Light path
diagnostics
panel

Power
USB port

LED
panel

Console breakout
cable port

Figure 10 The IBM Flex System x440 Compute Node

costs:
The Intel Xeon processor E5-4600 product family improves productivity by offering
superior system performance with eight core processors and up to 2.9 GHz core speeds,
up to 20 MB of L3 cache, and up to two 8 GTps QPI interconnect links.
Up to 4 processors, 32 cores, and 64 threads maximize the concurrent execution of
multithreaded applications.
processor cores to run at maximum speeds during peak workloads by temporarily
exceeding processor TDP.
Intel Hyper-Threading Technology boosts performance for multithreaded applications by
enabling simultaneous multithreading within each processor core, up to two threads per
core.
Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) improve floating-point performance for
compute-intensive technical and scientific applications that are compared to Intel Xeon
5600 series processors.
Up to 48 DDR3 ECC memory RDIMMs provide speeds up to 1600 MHz and a memory
capacity of up to 768 GB. LRDIMMs are supported by a maximum capacity of 1.5 TB of
memory.
The use of SSDs instead of or along with traditional HDDs can significantly improve I/O
performance. An SSD can support up to 100 times more IOPS than a typical HDD.
Up to 32 virtual I/O ports per compute node with integrated 10 Gb Ethernet ports, which
offers the choice of Ethernet, Fibre Channel, iSCSI, or FCoE connectivity. With models
without integrated 10 Gb ports, you can have up to 64 virtual I/O ports by installing four
CN4054 10 Gb Virtual Fabric Adapters.
The x440 offers PCI Express 3.0 I/O expansion capabilities that improve the theoretical
maximum bandwidth by 60% (8 GTps per link), compared with the previous generation of
PCI Express 2.0.


19

Intel Xeon processor E5 family. This configuration reduces I/O latency and increases
overall system performance.
Support for high-bandwidth I/O adapters, up to four in each x440 Compute Node. Support
for 10 Gb Ethernet, 16 Gb Fibre Channel, and FDR InfiniBand is included.
The components on the system board of the x440 are shown in Figure 11.

Each
processor has
12 local
memory
DIMMs

3

1
I/O
adapters:
1 (top) to
4 (bottom)

Hot-swap
drive bays

4

2

Light path
diagnostics

USB
ports

Figure 11 Layout of the IBM Flex System x440 Compute Node system board

The x440 supports the same network adapters as the x240, as listed in “Network adapters”
on page 18. Some models of the x440 also include two embedded, dual-port 10 Gb Ethernet
controllers, as described in “Embedded 10 Gb Virtual Fabric Adapter” on page 17.

20


The IBM Flex System x220 Compute Node is the next-generation, cost-optimized compute
node that is designed for less-demanding workloads and low-density virtualization. The x220
is efficient and equipped with flexible configuration options and advanced management to run
a broad range of workloads.
Figure 12 shows the front of the compute node, including the location of the controls, LEDs,
and connectors.
Two 2.5” HS
drive bays

USB port

Console breakout
cable port

Power

Light path
diagnostics
panel

LED
panel

Figure 12 IBM Flex System x220 Compute Node

The IBM Flex System x220 Compute Node is a high-availability, scalable compute node that
is optimized to support the next-generation microprocessor technology. With a balance
between cost and system features, the x220 is an ideal platform for general business
workloads. This section describes the key features of the server.

costs:
The Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family improves productivity by offering
affordable dual-socket system performance with eight-core processors with up to 2.3 GHz
core speeds, up to 20 MB of L3 cache, and one QPI interconnect link of up to 8 GTps.
Up to two processors, 16 cores total, and 32 threads maximize the concurrent execution of
multithreaded applications.
processor cores to run at maximum speeds during peak workloads by temporarily
exceeding processor TDP.
Intel Hyper-Threading Technology boosts performance for multithreaded applications by
enabling simultaneous multithreading within each processor core, up to two threads per
core.
Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVT) improve floating point performance for
compute-intensive technical and scientific applications that are compared to Intel Xeon
5600 series processors.
There are 12 DIMM sockets that support low profile (LP) RDIMMs and UDIMMs, with a
total capacity of up 192 GB.
Supports memory speeds of up to 1600 MHz to maximize memory performance.

21

Support for IBM eXFlash solid-state drives to maximize IOPS and significantly improve
application performance.
The theoretical maximum memory bandwidth of the Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product
family is 38.4 GBps, which is 20% more than in the previous generation of Intel Xeon 5600
processors.
The server offers PCI Express 3.0 I/O expansion capabilities that improve the theoretical
maximum bandwidth by 60% (8 GTps per link) compared to the previous generation of
PCI Express 2.0.
Intel Xeon processor E5 family. This integration reduces I/O latency and increases overall
system performance.
Support for high-bandwidth I/O adapters, up to two in each x220 Compute Node. Support
for 10 Gb Ethernet, 16 Gb Fibre Channel, and FDR InfiniBand expansion cards.
Supports the PCIe Expansion Node for support for up to six more I/O adapters.
The components on the system board of the x220 are shown in Figure 13.
Hot-swap drive bay
backplane

Light path
diagnostics

Processor 2 and
six memory DIMMs

Optional
ServeRAID H1135

USB
port 1

USB
port 2

Broadcom
Ethernet

I/O connector 1
Fabric Connector

Processor 1 and I/O connector 2
six memory DIMMs

Expansion
Connector

Figure 13 Layout of the IBM Flex System x220 Compute Node system board


22


Cloud management software
It is a challenge to deliver new capabilities as your data, applications, and physical hardware
(such as servers, storage, and network) needs increase. The traditional means of deploying,
provisioning, managing, and maintaining physical and virtual resources can no longer meet
the demand of IT infrastructure. Virtualization simplifies and improves efficiency and
utilization, and helps manage growth beyond physical resource boundaries.
Adapting Cloud in IT environments includes the following advantages:
Reduces data center footprint and management cost
Offers automated server request and provisioning solution
Improves utilization, workload management, and capability to deliver new services
Includes rapid service deployment that improves from several weeks to days or hours
Features built-in metering system
Improves IT governance and risk management
IBM simplifies the customer journey from server consolidation to cloud management. IBM
provides a complete cloud solution, including hardware, software technologies, and services
for implementing private cloud.
In this section, we describe the IBM SmartCloud Entry cloud management software stack that
allows you to build on your current virtualization strategies to continue to gain IT efficiency,
flexibility, and control.

IBM SmartCloud
IBM SmartCloud™ is a family of integrated enterprise-class cloud-computing technologies
and services for securely building and using private, public, and hybrid clouds. Built upon
open standards that are combined with IBM expertise and best practices, SmartCloud is
designed for complex high-performance computing environments. SmartCloud goes beyond
securely delivering new cloud efficiencies and cost savings to drive fundamental innovation
for lasting marketplace advantage.
For more information about IBM SmartCloud, see this website:
http://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing/

IBM SmartCloud Entry
IBM SmartCloud™ Entry is robust software that simplifies the management of your virtualized
environment. Users can request and provision an environment quickly through an
easy-to-use web-based interface. IT managers can monitor and manage this environment for
improved efficiency and utilization of the data center. IBM SmartCloud Entry v2.4 release
includes heterogeneous server architecture support from a single SmartCloud Entry user
interface. This support enables greater flexibility as customers can manage across System x,
BladeCenter, IBM Flex System, and PureFlex platforms with a single, consolidated image of
SmartCloud Entry software.


23

By using IBM SmartCloud Entry 2.4, you can maintain control over the allocation of resources
with a web-based application. You can perform the following common public or private cloud
operations:
Provisioning and de-provisioning servers
Drafting and cloning workloads
Capturing workloads
Starting and stopping servers as part of a workload
Resizing existing servers
Creating projects to give team-specific access to workloads
Providing network configurations which set unique network properties to different
workloads
Billing, accounting, and metering support
Providing request and approval workflow support
IBM SmartCloud Entry 2.4 software is optimized and available as standard as part of the
PureFlex solution (optional on the Express foundation). For a build-to-order (BTO)
configuration with Flex System, you can purchase Solutions Consultant Express software as
a stand-alone package.
For more information about IBM SmartCloud Entry, see this website:
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/wikis/home?lang=en#/wiki/W21ed
5ba0f4a9_46f4_9626_24cbbb86fbb9

Conclusion
IBM Flex System offers a brand new platform for creating solutions to address emerging
market applications, such as Cloud, Big Data, Analytics, and Smarter Planet. In this paper,
we described how to create a custom private cloud configuration that uses Flex System.
Various hardware choices that are available for building the cloud were outlined, including the
IBM Flex chassis, management modules, Flex System Manager, Intel processor-based
compute nodes, Ethernet and Fibre Channel adapter choices, and the Scalable Chassis
Switch Elements.

24


References
The following IBM Redbooks publications provide additional information about the topics in
this document. Note that some publications referenced in this list might be available in
softcopy only:
IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and Technology, SG24-7984:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247984.html?Open
IBM Flex System Networking in an Enterprise Data Center, REDP-4834:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/redp4834.html?Open
IBM Flex System Interoperability Guide, REDP-FSIG:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/fsig
IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node, TIPS0860:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/Rabstracts/tips0886.html?Open

The team who wrote this paper
Srihari Angaluri works as the Program Manager for the newly launched IBM PureFlex
System offering. His focus is on engaging with clients and IBM Business Partners for early
proof-of-concepts for PureFlex and bringing the field feedback to the development
organization. Previously, Srihari was a technical solution architect who focused on cloud
integrated solutions on the System x platform. In this role, he designed solutions, such as
CloudBurst® and BladeCenter Foundation for Cloud.
Thanks to the following people for their contributions to this project:
IBM marketing:
Ajay Dholakia
Sander Kim
IBM Redbooks:
Linda Robinson
David Watts


25

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27

This document REDP-4920-00 was created or updated on December 5, 2012.
®

Send us your comments in one of the following ways:
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28


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