System x3500 M4

The System x3500 M4 server provides outstanding performance for your business-critical applications. Its energy-efficient design supports more cores, memory, and data capacity in a scalable Tower or 5U Rack package that is easy to service and manage. With more computing power per watt and the latest Intel Xeon processors, you can reduce costs while maintaining speed and availability.

Suggested use: infrastructure applications, collaboration/email, web, and virtualized desktops in a workgroup or distributed environments.

Figure 1 shows the System x3500 M4.

Figure 1. The System x3500 M4

The x3500 M4 offers a flexible, scalable design and simple upgrade path to 32 HDDs, with up to eight PCIe 3.0 slots and up to 768 GB of memory. The Onboard Ethernet solution provides four standard integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports without occupying PCIe slots. Comprehensive systems management tools with the next-generation Integrated Management Module II (IMM2) make it easy to deploy, integrate, service, and manage.

A high-performance dual-socket tower server, the System x3500 M4, can deliver the scalability, reliable performance, and optimized efficiency for your business-critical applications. Start with the basics and upgrade as your business changes without jeopardizing existing investments. Virtualizing the PC infrastructure into one server can provide access to a powerful server with abundant storage space, while significantly reducing IT costs.

Scalability and performance

The x3500 M4 offers numerous features to boost performance, improve scalability, and reduce costs:

• Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family
  • Improves productivity by offering superior system performance with 4-core and 6-core processors (up to 3.5 GHz core speeds), 8-core processors (up to 3.3 GHz core speeds), 10-core processors (up to 3.0 GHz), and 12-core processors (up to 2.7 GHz core speeds), up to 30 MB of L3 cache, and up to two 8 GT/s QPI interconnect links.
  • Supports up to two processors, 24 cores, and 48 threads maximize the concurrent execution of multi-threaded applications.
  • Supports up to 1866 MHz memory speeds.
  • Will support up to 768 GB memory with 32 GB LRDIMMs when and if they become available.
• Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family
  • Improves productivity by offering superior system performance with 8-core processors and up to 2.9 GHz core speeds, up to 20 MB of L3 cache, and up to two 8 GT/s QPI interconnect links.
  • Supports up to two processors, 16 cores, and 32 threads maximize the concurrent execution of multi-threaded applications.
  • Supports up to 1600 MHz memory speeds.
  • Supports up to 768 GB memory with 32 GB LRDIMMs.
• Intelligent and adaptive system performance with Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 allows CPU cores to run at maximum speeds during peak workloads by temporary going beyond processor 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 utilize the hardware for virtualization workloads.
• Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) can significantly improve floating point performance for compute-intensive technical and scientific applications.
• Up to 32 drive bays together with internal backup and optical drive at the same time provide a flexible and scalable all-in-one platform to meet increasing demands.
• Support for 12 Gbps SAS RAID and HBA portfolio.
• 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.
• The server has four integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports that double the network throughput compared with the previous generation of System x® servers.
• The server offers PCI Express 3.0 I/O expansion capabilities that improve the theoretical maximum bandwidth by almost 100% (8 GT/s per link using 128b/130b encoding) compared to the previous generation of PCI Express 2.0 (5 GTps per link using 8b/10b encoding).
• With Intel Integrated I/O Technology, the PCI Express 3.0 controller is integrated into the Intel Xeon processor E5 family. This helps to dramatically reduce I/O latency and increase overall system performance.
• Support for NVIDIA Quadro graphics processing units (GPUs) to maximize computing power.

Availability and serviceability

The x3500 M4 provides many features to simplify serviceability and increase system uptime:

• The server offers Chipkill, memory mirroring and memory rank sparing for redundancy in the event of a non-correctable memory failure.
• Tool-less cover removal provides easy access to upgrades and serviceable parts, such as CPU, memory, and adapter cards.
• The server offers hot-swap drives supporting RAID redundancy for data protection and greater system uptime.
• The server has up to two redundant hot-swap power supplies and up to six simple swap N+N redundant fans to provide availability for business-critical applications.
• The light path diagnostics panel and individual light path LEDs quickly lead the technician to failed (or failing) components. This simplifies servicing, speeds up problem resolution and helps improve system availability.
• The Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA) detects when system components (for example, processors, memory, hard disk drives) operate outside of standard thresholds and generates pro-active alerts in advance of possible failure, therefore increasing uptime.
• Solid-state drives (SSDs) offer significantly better reliability than traditional mechanical HDDs for greater uptime.
• Built-in Integrated Management Module Version II (IMM2) continuously monitors system parameters, triggers alerts, and performs recovering actions in case of failures to minimize downtime.
• Built-in diagnostics using Dynamic Systems Analysis (DSA) Preboot speeds up troubleshooting tasks to reduce service time.
• Three-year customer replaceable unit and onsite limited warranty, next business day 9x5. Optional service upgrades available.

Manageability and security

Powerful systems management features simplify local and remote management of the x3500 M4:

• The server includes an Integrated Management Module II (IMM2) to monitor server availability and perform remote management.
• Integrated industry-standard Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) enables improved setup, configuration, and updates, and simplifies error handling.
• Integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 support enables advanced cryptographic functionality, such as digital signatures and remote attestation.
• Industry-standard AES NI support for faster, stronger encryption.
• IBM Systems Director is included for proactive systems management. It offers comprehensive systems management tools that help to increase up-time, reduce costs, and improve productivity through advanced server management capabilities.
• Intel Execute Disable Bit functionality can help prevent certain classes of malicious buffer overflow attacks when combined with a supporting operating system.
• Intel Trusted Execution Technology provides enhanced security through hardware-based resistance to malicious software attacks, allowing an application to run in its own isolated space protected from all other software running on a system.

Energy efficiency

The x3500 M4 offers the following energy-efficiency features to save energy, reduce operational costs, increase energy availability, and contribute to the green environment:

• Energy-efficient planar components help lower operational costs.
• The x3500 M4 is Energy Star 2.0 compliant. Energy Star is the trusted, US government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, with the goal of helping customers save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.
• High-efficient 550 W, 750 W and 900 W power supplies with 80 PLUS Platinum certification.
• The Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 and E5-2600 v2 product families offer significantly better performance over the previous generation while fitting into the same thermal design power (TDP) limits.
• Intel Intelligent Power Capability powers individual processor elements on and off as needed, to reduce power draw.
• Low-voltage Intel Xeon processors draw less energy to satisfy demands of power and thermally constrained data centers and telecommunication environments.
• Low-voltage 1.35 V DDR3 memory RDIMMs consume 15% less energy than 1.5 V DDR3 RDIMMs.
• Solid state drives (SSDs) consume as much as 80% less power than traditional spinning 2.5-inch HDDs.
• The server uses hexagonal ventilation holes, a part of Calibrated Vectored Cooling™ technology. Hexagonal holes can be grouped more densely than round holes, providing more efficient airflow through the system.
• IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager™ provides advanced data center power notification and management to help achieve lower heat output and reduced cooling needs.

Figure 2 shows the front of the server.

Figure 2. Front view of the System x3500 M4

Figure 3 shows the rear of the server.

Figure 3. Rear view of the System x3500 M4

Figure 4 shows the locations of key components inside the server.

Figure 4. Inside view of the System x3500 M4

The following table lists the standard specifications.

The x3500 M4 servers are shipped with the following items:

• Statement of Limited Warranty
• Important Notices
• Registration flyer
• IBM Systems Director Flyer
• Documentation CD that contains the Installation and User's Guide
• One 2.8 m C13 line cord (country-specific)

Note: EMEA models do not contain line cord. It must be purchased separately.

The following table lists the standard models.

* x in the Machine Type Model (MTM) represents a region-specific letter (for example, the EMEA MTM is 7983-A5G, and the US MTM is 7383-A5U). Ask a Lenovo representative for specifics.
† Processor detail: Processor quantity and model, cores, core speed, L3 cache, memory speed, TDP.
§ For models A5x and B5x, the standard DIMM is rated at 1600 MHz, but operates at up to 1333 MHz to match the processor memory speed. Actual memory speed maximums depend on several factors, as described in "Memory options".
‡ Rack-mount models.

† Processor detail: Processor quantity and model, number of cores, core speed, L3 cache, memory speed, power consumption.
(f) The ServeRAID M5110 RAID controller in this model includes flash-backed cache. The cache size is 512 MB or 1 GB, as indicated.

Refer to the Specifications section for information about standard features of the server.

The following table lists the express models.

** MTM = Machine Type Model
† Processor detail: Processor quantity and model, number of cores, core speed, L3 cache, memory speed, TDP.
(c) The ServeRAID M5110 RAID controller in this model includes cache memory with optional battery backup.
(f) The ServeRAID M5110 RAID controller in this model includes flash-backed cache memory.
§ For these models, the standard DIMM is rated at 1600 MHz, but operates at up to 1333 MHz to match the processor memory speed. Actual memory speed maximums depend on several factors, as described in "Memory options".

The x3500 M4 supports the processor options listed in the following table. The server supports up to two processors. This table shows which server models have each processor standard. If there is no corresponding where-used model for a particular processor, then this processor is only available through CTO.

* The first feature code is for the first processor; the second feature code is for the second processor

* The first feature code is for the first processor; the second feature code is for the second processor

Lenovo DDR3 memory is compatibility tested and tuned for optimal System x performance and throughput. Lenovo memory specifications are integrated into the light path diagnostics for immediate system performance feedback and optimum system uptime. From a service and support standpoint, Lenovo memory automatically assumes the system warranty, and Lenovo provides service and support worldwide.

The System x3500 M4 supports DDR3 memory. The server supports up to 12 DIMMs when one processor is installed and up to 24 DIMMs when two processors are installed. Each processor has four memory channels, and there are three DIMMs per channel.

The following rules apply when selecting the memory configuration:

• The server supports UDIMMs, RDIMMs, and LRDIMMs.
• Mixing different types of memory (UDIMMs, RDIMMs, and LRDIMMs) is not supported.
• Mixing 1.5 V and 1.35 V DIMMs in the same server is supported. In such a case all DIMMs operate at 1.5 V.
• The maximum number of ranks per channel is eight (with the exception of Load Reduced DIMMs, where more than eight ranks are supported because one quad-rank LRDIMM provides the same electrical load on a memory bus as a single-rank RDIMM).
• The maximum quantity of DIMMs that can be installed in a server depends on the number of CPUs, DIMM type, rank, and operating voltage, as shown in the "Max. qty supported" row in Table 5.
• All DIMMs in the server operate at the same speed, which is determined as the lowest value of:
  • Memory speed supported by specific CPU
  • Lowest maximum operating speed for the selected memory configuration that depends on rated speed, operating voltage, and quantity of DIMMs per channel, as shown in the "Max. operating speed" section in Table 5

Table 8. Maximum memory speeds (Part 1: Intel Xeon E5-2600 v2 processors - RDIMMs)

* The maximum quantity that is supported is shown for two processors installed.

* Maximum quantity supported is shown for two processors installed.

Table 10. Maximum memory speeds (Part 3: Intel Xeon E5-2600 processors - RDIMMs)

* The maximum quantity supported is shown for two processors installed.
** NS = Not supported.

Table 11. Maximum memory speeds (Part 4: Intel Xeon E5-2600 processors - UDIMMs and LRDIMMs)

* The maximum quantity supported is shown for two processors installed. When one processor installed the maximum quantity supported is a half of that shown.

The following memory protection technologies are supported:

• ECC
• Chipkill (for x4-based memory DIMMs)
• Memory mirroring
• Memory sparing

Chipkill works only in independent channel mode (default operational mode) and supports only x4-based memory DIMMs.

If memory mirroring is used, then DIMMs must be installed in pairs (minimum of one pair per CPU), and both DIMMs in a pair must be identical in type and size.

If memory rank sparing is used, then a minimum of one quad-rank DIMM or two single-rank or dual-rank DIMMs must be installed per populated channel (the DIMMs do not need being identical). In rank sparing mode, one rank of a DIMM in each populated channel is reserved as spare memory. The size of a rank varies depending on the DIMMs installed.

Note: Chipkill, memory mirroring, and memory rank sparing modes are mutually exclusive. Only one operational memory mode can be enabled on a server, and it is a system-wide setting.

The following table lists memory options available for the x3500 M4 server.

The System x3500 M4 server supports the following internal storage configurations:

• 6 Gb SAS/SATA
  • 8x 3.5" Simple Swap SATA hard drive bays (only available in CTO)
  • 8x 3.5" hot-swap SAS/SATA hard drive bays
  • 8x 3.5" hot-swap SAS/SATA drive bays + 8x 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap drive bays (only available in CTO, requires two RAID controllers)
  • 8x 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays
  • 16x 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays
  • 24x 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays
  • 32x 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays
• 12 Gb SAS/SATA
  • 8x 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays (CTO only)
  • 16x 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays
  • 24x 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays
  • 32x 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays

Figure 5 shows these configurations.

Figure 5. Internal drive configurations

Backplanes

Standard models of x3500 M4 ship with eight (all models except C4x, C7x, and C9x) 2.5" Slim-SFF SAS/SATA hot-swap drive bays. Models C4x, C7x, and C9x ship with eight 3.5" SAS/SATA hot-swap hard drive bays. The following table shows internal storage expansion options available for the x3500 M4.

Table 14. Internal storage expansion options

These options are used as follows:

• 6 Gb SAS/SATA internal drive connectivity:
  • 94Y5978 upgrades models with eight hot-swap 2.5" drive bays to 16 hot-swap 2.5" drive bays or models with 16 hot-swap 2.5" drive bays to 24 hot-swap 2.5" drive bays. This option includes a SAS expander card that is mounted on an HDD backplane, and does not consume a PCIe slot.
  • 81Y7010 upgrades models with 24 hot-swap 2.5" drive bays to 32 hot-swap 2.5" drive bays. This option does not include an SAS expander.
  • Configurations 4, 5, and 6 shown in Figure 5 can be implemented with one or two RAID controllers (M1115 or M5110). Configuration 2 requires two RAID controllers.
• 12 Gb SAS/SATA internal drive connectivity:
  • 46W9242 upgrades 12 Gb SAS/SATA models with eight hot-swap 2.5" drive bays (CTO only) to 16 hot-swap 2.5" drive bays or 12 Gbps SAS/SATA models with 16 hot-swap 2.5" drive bays to 24 hot-swap 2.5" drive bays. This option includes a SAS expander card that is mounted on an HDD backplane, and does not consume a PCIe slot.
  • 46W9243 upgrades 12 Gb SAS/SATA models models with 24 hot-swap 2.5" drive bays to 32 hot-swap 2.5" drive bays. This option does not include an SAS expander.
  • Configurations 3 and 4 shown in Figure 5 can be implemented with one N2215 SAS/SATA HBA or one or two ServeRAID M5210 SAS/SATA Controllers.
  • Configurations 5 and 6 shown in Figure 5 can be implemented with one or two ServeRAID M5210 SAS/SATA Controllers.
  • If the second M5210 controller is used, SAS cable option (46W9244) must be ordered.
  • Configurations 1 and 2 are not supported.
• 6 Gb SAS/SATA and 12 Gb SAS/SATA configurations are mutually exclusive.

As shown in Figure 5, each configuration supports an optical drive and a tape drive. All standard configurations ship with DVD-ROM optical drive. For configure-to-order (CTO) configurations, you can add a tape drive instead of an optical drive if so desired.

The following table lists the RAID controllers and additional options used for internal disk storage of the x3500 M4 server.

Table 15. RAID controllers and HBAs for internal storage (Part 1: 6 Gbps SAS/SATA)

Part number	Feature code	Description	Maximum supported	Standard models where used
6 Gb Controllers
81Y4448	A1MZ	ServeRAID M1115 SAS/SATA Controller	2	A2x, B2x, C2x, C4x, D2x, A5x, B5x, C5x, C7x, D5x
81Y4481	A347	ServeRAID M5110 SAS/SATA Controller	2	C9x, F2x, G2x, H2x, J2x, F5x, G5x, G9x, H5x, J5x
46M0912	3876	6Gb Performance Optimized HBA	1	-
46C8988	A3MW	N2115 SAS/SATA HBA	1
Features on Demand upgrades
81Y4542	A1X1	ServeRAID M1100 Series Zero Cache/RAID 5 Upgrade	1*	-
81Y4544	A1X2	ServeRAID M5100 Series Zero Cache/RAID 5 Upgrade	1*	-
81Y4546	A1X3	ServeRAID M5100 Series RAID 6 Upgrade	1*†	-
90Y4273	A2MC	ServeRAID M5100 Series SSD Performance Accelerator	1*	-
90Y4318	A2MD	ServeRAID M5100 Series SSD Caching Enabler	1*	-
Hardware upgrades
81Y4484	A1J3	ServeRAID M5100 Series 512MB Cache/RAID 5 Upgrade	2	-
81Y4487	A1J4	ServeRAID M5100 Series 512MB Flash/RAID 5 Upgrade	2	F2x, F5x
81Y4559	A1WY	ServeRAID M5100 Series 1GB Flash/RAID 5 Upgrade	2	C9x, G2x, H2x, J2x, G5x, G9x, H5x, J5x
47C8670	A4G6	ServeRAID M5100 Series 2GB Flash/RAID 5 Upgrade	1	-
81Y4508	A22E	ServeRAID M5100 Series Battery Kit	2**	-

* Only one M1100 or M5100 Series FoD software license is required per server.
** The ServeRAID M5100 Series Battery Kit (81Y4508) is only supported with ServeRAID M5100 Series 512MB Cache/RAID 5 Upgrade (81Y4484).
† The ServeRAID M5100 Series RAID 6 Upgrade (81Y4546) requires 512 MB or 1 GB cache upgrades.

* Requires cache memory upgrade (47C8656, 47C8660, or 47C8664).

The ServeRAID M1115 SAS/SATA Controller has the following specifications:

• Eight internal 6 Gbps SAS/SATA ports
• Two x4 mini-SAS internal connectors (SFF-8087)
• Supports RAID levels 0, 1, and 10
• Supports RAID levels 5 and 50 with optional M1100 Series RAID 5 upgrades
• 6 Gbps throughput per port
• PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface
• Based on the LSI SAS2008 6 Gbps ROC controller

The ServeRAID M5110 SAS/SATA Controller has the following specifications:

• Eight internal 6 Gbps SAS/SATA ports
• Two x4 mini-SAS internal connectors (SFF-8087)
• Supports RAID levels 0, 1, and 10
• Supports RAID levels 5 and 50 with optional M5100 Series RAID 5 upgrades
• Supports RAID 6 and 60 with the optional M5100 Series RAID 6 Upgrade
• Supports 512 MB battery-backed cache or 512 MB or 1 GB flash-backed cache
• 6 Gbps throughput per port
• PCIe 3.0 x8 3 host interface
• Based on the LSI SAS2208 6 Gbps ROC controller

The ServeRAID M1215 SAS/SATA Controller has the following specifications:

• Eight internal 12 Gbps SAS/SATA ports
• Up to 12 Gbps throughput per port
• Two internal mini-SAS HD connectors (SFF-8643)
• LSI SAS3008 12 Gbps RAID on Chip (ROC) controller
• Support for RAID levels 0, 1, and 10 standard; support for RAID 5, 50 with optional FoD upgrade
• Zero Controller Cache, no battery/flash backup
• Optional support for self-encrypting drives (SEDs) with MegaRAID SafeStore (with RAID 5 upgrade)
• Fixed stripe size of 64 KB

The ServeRAID M5210 SAS/SATA Controller has the following specifications:

• Eight internal 12 Gbps SAS/SATA ports
• Two x4 HD mini-SAS internal connectors (SFF-8643)
• Supports connections to SAS/SATA drives and SAS Expanders
• Supports RAID levels 0, 1, and 10
• Supports RAID levels 5 and 50 with optional M5200 Series RAID 5 upgrades
• Supports RAID 6 and 60 with the optional M5200 Series RAID 6 Upgrade
• Supports 1 GB non-backed cache or 1 GB or 2 GB flash-backed cache
• Up to 12 Gbps throughput per port
• PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface
• Based on the LSI SAS3108 12 Gbps ROC controller

The 6Gb Performance Optimized HBA has the following specifications:

• Eight internal 6 Gbps SAS/SATA ports
• Two x4 mini-SAS internal connectors (SFF-8087)
• Supports connections SSDs (does not support HDDs in x3500 M4)
• Optimized for SSD performance
• No RAID support
• Up to 6 Gbps throughput per port
• PCIe 2.0 x8 host interface
• Based on the LSI SAS2008 6 Gbps controller

The N2115 SAS/SATA HBA has the following specifications:

• Eight internal 6 Gbps SAS/SATA ports
• Two x4 mini-SAS internal connectors (SFF-8087)
• Supports connections to SSDs (does not support HDDs in x3500 M4)
• Optimized for SSD performance
• No RAID support
• Up to 6 Gbps throughput per port
• PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface
• Based on the LSI SAS2308 6 Gbps controller

The N2215 SAS/SATA HBA has the following specifications:

• Eight internal 12 Gbps SAS/SATA ports
• Two x4 HD mini-SAS internal connectors (SFF-8643)
• Supports connections to SSDs (does not support HDDs in x3500 M4)
• Optimized for SSD performance
• No RAID support
• Up to 12 Gbps throughput per port
• PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface
• Based on the LSI SAS3008 12 Gbps controller

For more information, see the list of Product Guides in the RAID adapters category:
https://lenovopress.com/servers/options/raid

The following tables lists hard disk drive options for internal storage.

The server supports the internal tape drive options listed in the following table.

Table 21. Internal tape drives

* Note: With standard models, installation of a second tape drive requires removal of DVD-ROM.

USB tape drives are attached to the internal USB connector. SAS tape drives require SAS HBA (sold separately). See Table 14 for list of available SAS HBAs.

For more information, see the list of Product Guides in the Backup units category:
https://lenovopress.com/servers/options/backup

The server supports the optical drive options listed in the following table.

Table 22. Optical drives

* This option is only available via CTO or is already installed in standard models.

The two half-high drives in the table can be installed in any open 5.25" drive bay (Figure 5).

Half-High SATA DVD-ROM supports the following media and speeds for reading:

• CD-ROM 48X
• CD-DA (DAE) 40X
• CD-R 48X
• CD-RW 40X
• DVD-ROM (single layer) 16X
• DVD-ROM (dual layer) 12X
• DVD-R (4.7 GB) 16X
• DVD-R DL 12X
• DVD+R 16X
• DVD+R DL 12X
• DVD-RW (4.7 GB) 12X
• DVD+RW 12X
• DVD-RAM (4.7/9.4 GB) 6X

Half-High SATA multiburner supports the same media and speeds for reading as HH DVD-ROM. In addition, this drive supports the following media and speeds for writing:

• CD-R 24X
• CD-RW 4X
• High Speed CD-RW 10X
• Ultra Speed CD-RW 16X
• DVD-R 8X
• DVD-R DL 8X
• DVD+R 8X
• DVD+R DL 8X
• DVD-RW 6X
• DVD+RW 8X
• DVD-RAM 3X

The server supports up to eight PCIe slots: six slots (1 to 6) when one CPU is installed or eight slots when two CPUs are installed. These are the slot form factors:

• Slot 1: PCIe x8 (x4 wired); full-height, half-length (supports optional PCI-X interposer card)
• Slot 2: PCIe x8; full-height, half-length
• Slot 3: PCIe x8; full-height, full-length
• Slot 4: PCIe x8 (x4 wired); full-height, full-length
• Slot 5: PCIe x16; full-height, full-length
• Slot 6: PCIe x8 (x4 wired); full-height, full-length
• Slot 7: PCIe x16; full-height, full-length (requires second processor)
• Slot 8: PCIe x16; full-height, full-length (requires second processor)

All PCIe slots are PCI Express 3.0 slots except Slot 1, which is a PCI Express 2.0 slot. Slot 1 can be converted to a PCI-X slot with the PCI-X Conversion Kit, which is described in the following table.

Table 23. PCI riser card options

x3500 M4 has four integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports. Integrated NICs have the following features:

• Intel I350AM4 chip
• Four GbE ports
• TCP Offload Engine (TOE) support
• Wake on LAN support
• 802.1Q VLAN tagging support
• NIC Teaming (load balancing and failover)

The following table lists additional supported network adapters.

Table 24. Network adapters

* Not supported in E5-2600 v2 processor-based models.
# Emulex Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ Integrated VFA III is only available through CTO or Special Bid (SBB 95Y3768)
** Require SFP+ optical transceivers or DAC cables that must be purchased separately.

For more information, see the list of Product Guides in the Networking adapters category:
https://lenovopress.com/servers/options/ethernet

The following table lists storage HBAs supported by the x3500 M4 server.

Table 25. Storage adapters

* Withdrawn from marketing
* Not supported in E5-2600 v2 processor-based models.

For more information, see the list of Product Guides in the Host bus adapters category:
https://lenovopress.com/servers/options/hba

The server supports attachment to external storage expansion enclosures, such as the EXP2500 series, by using the ServeRAID M5120 SAS/SATA Controller.

The following table provides the ordering part numbers for the ServeRAID M5120 SAS/SATA Controller.

Table 26. Ordering part numbers and feature codes

* The maximum number of remotely mounted battery/supercap units must not exceed 3 for all controllers installed in a server. This may further limit the maximum number of M5120 controllers supported.
** Only one M5100 Series FoD software license is required per server.

The ServeRAID M5120 SAS/SATA Controller has the following specifications:

• Eight external 6 Gbps SAS/SATA ports
• Two external x4 mini-SAS connectors (SFF-8088)
• Supports RAID levels 0, 1, and 10
• Supports RAID levels 5 and 50 with optional M5100 Series RAID 5 upgrades
• Supports RAID 6 and 60 with the optional M5100 Series RAID 6 Upgrade
• Supports 512 MB battery-backed cache or 512 MB or 1 GB flash-backed cache
• Up to 6 Gbps throughput per port
• PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface
• Based on the LSI SAS2208 6 Gbps ROC controller
• Supports connectivity to the EXP2512 and EXP2524 storage expansion enclosures

The server supports the High IOPS SSD adapters listed in the following table.

These adapters require:

• Tower to Rack Conversion Kit, part 81Y7006, feature A1X0
• Redundant Cooling Upgrade Kit, part 81Y7007, feature A1G2

Table 27. SSD adapters

* For important ordering and installation information about the Modular Adapters, see link href="http://ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=serv-ioma"}

For details about these adapters, see the Product Guides in the PCIe Flash Storage Adatper category:
https://lenovopress.com/servers/options/ssdadapter

The x3500 M4 server supports graphics processing units (GPUs) listed in the following table. Up to two GPUs are supported depending on the number of processors installed in a server (one GPU in slot 5 with one processor installed, or two GPUs in slot 5 and slot 7 with two processors installed).

Table 28. GPU adapters

* If NVIDIA Quadro 6000 is installed in a PCIe slot, the next PCIe slot can not be used (if adapter is installed in slot 5, slot 6 can not be used; if adapter is installed in slot 7, slot 8 can not be used).

The use of a GPU adapter requires installation of one or two 900 W power supplies. 550 W or 750 W power supplies are not supported. The following additional rules apply:

• If the NVIDIA Quadro 600 is installed, the maximum memory that can be installed is 128 GB.
• If the NVIDIA Quadro 2000, 4000, or 6000 is installed, the maximum memory that can be installed is 512 GB.
• If NVIDIA Quadro K600, K2000, K4000, K5000, or Tesla K2 is installed, the maximum memory that can be installed is 1 TB.

The server supports up to two redundant power supplies. Standard models come with one or two power supplies (model dependent). The server also comes standard with either two (for models with one processor installed) or three (for models with two processors installed) simple swap cooling fans. Optional upgrade is available to provide N+N cooling redundancy. The following table lists the power supplies and redundant cooling upgrade option.

Table 29. Power supplies

An AC power supply ships standard without a line cord, it must be purchased separately. The redundant cooling kit contains three simple swap fans. Certain rules apply to the selection of power supply, these rules are listed in Table 17. Table 17 uses the following conventions:

• A grey cell means that the server can be filled with drives, GPUs, processors and DIMMs up to the maximum number according to server specifications.
• A yellow cell means that the maximum number of drives, GPUs, processors or DIMMs that the server can hold is fewer than the total number listed in server specifications.

Table 30. Configuration rules based on power supply used (PSU = power supply unit, NS = no support)

* PSU redundancy

The server supports VMware ESXi installed on a USB memory key. The key is installed in a USB socket inside the server. The following table lists the virtualization options.

Table 31. Virtualization options

The server contains Integrated Management Module II (IMM2), which provides advanced service-processor control, monitoring, and an alerting function. If an environmental condition exceeds a threshold or if a system component fails, the IMM2 lights LEDs to help you diagnose the problem, records the error in the event log, and alerts you to the problem. Optionally, the IMM2 also provides a virtual presence capability for remote server management capabilities.

The IMM2 provides remote server management through industry-standard interfaces:

• Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) Version 2.0
• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Version 3
• Common Information Model (CIM)
• Web browser

The optional IMM Advanced Upgrade (software feature) is required to enable the remote presence and blue-screen capture features. The remote presence feature provides the following functions:

• Remotely viewing video with graphics resolutions up to 1600x1200 at 75 Hz with up to 23 bits per pixel color depths, regardless of the system state
• Remotely accessing the server using the keyboard and mouse from a remote client
• Mapping the CD or DVD drive, diskette drive, and USB flash drive on a remote client, and mapping ISO and diskette image files as virtual drives that are available for use by the server
• Uploading a diskette image to the IMM memory and mapping it to the server as a virtual drive

The blue-screen capture feature captures the video display contents before the IMM restarts the server when the IMM detects an operating-system hang condition. A system administrator can use the blue-screen capture to assist in determining the cause of the hang condition. The following table lists the remote management option.

Table 32. Remote management option

The server supports the following operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Datacenter x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Datacenter x86 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Enterprise x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Enterprise x86 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Standard x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Standard x86 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Web x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Web x86 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2012
• Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium Edition*
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 Standard Edition*
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Server Edition
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Server with Xen x64 Edition
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Server x64 Edition
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Server Edition
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Server x64 Edition
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 10 for AMD64/EM64T
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 10 for x86
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 for AMD64/EM64T
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 for x86
• SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 11 with Xen for AMD64/EM64T
• VMware ESX 4.1*
• VMware ESXi 4.1*
• VMware vSphere 5.0 (ESXi)
• VMware vSphere 5.1 (ESXi)
• VMware vSphere 5.5 (ESXi)

* Not supported with E5-2600 v2 processor-based servers.

See the ServerProven® website for the latest information about the specific versions and service levels supported and any other prerequisites:
http://www.lenovo.com/us/en/serverproven/

Dimensions and weight (approximate):

Tower:

• Width: 218 mm (8.6 in)
• Depth: 750 mm (29.5 in)
• Height: 440 mm (17.3 in)
• Weight:
  • Minimum configuration: 25.0 kg (55.1 lb)
  • Maximum configuration: 39.8 kg (87.7 lb)

Rack (using the Tower-to-Rack Conversion Kit, 81Y7006):

• Width: 424 mm (16.7 in)
• Depth: 702 mm (27.6 in)
• Height: 218 mm (8.5 in)
• Weight:
  • 24.5 kg (53.9 lb) (minimum configuration)
  • 39.3 kg (86.6 lb) (maximum configuration)

Supported environment:

• Air temperature
  • Server on: 10 - 35 °C (50 to 95 °F); altitude: 0 - 915 m (3,000 ft)
  • Server on: 10 - 32 °C (50 - 90 °F); altitude: 915 m (3,000 ft) - 2,134 m (7,000 ft)
  • Server on: 10 - 28 °C (50 - 83 °F); altitude: 2,134 m (7,000 ft) - 3,050 m (10,000 ft)
  • Server off (with standby power): 5 - 45 °C (41.0 - 113 °F)
  • Shipping: -40 - 60 °C (-40 - 140 °F)

• Humidity
  • Server on: 20 - 80% , Max. Dew Point 21 °C, Max. rate of change 5 °C/hr
  • Server off: 8 - 80%, Max. Dew Point 27 °C

• Electrical
  • Models with 900 W power supplies:
    • 100 to 127 (nominal) V ac; 50 Hz or 60 Hz; 11 A
    • 200 to 240 (nominal) V ac; 50 Hz or 60 Hz; 5.5 A
    • Input kilovolt-amperes (kVA) (approximately):
      • Minimum configuration: 0.6 kVA
      • Maximum configuration: 1.1 kVA
  • Models with 750 W power supplies:
    • 100 to 127 (nominal) V ac; 50 Hz or 60 Hz; 8.9 A
    • 200 to 240 (nominal) V ac; 50 Hz or 60 Hz; 4.5 A
    • Input kilovolt-amperes (kVA) (approximately):
      • Minimum configuration: 0.6 kVA
      • Maximum configuration: 0.9 kVA

• BTU output
  • Minimum configuration: 2013 Btu/hr (590 watts)
  • Maximum configuration: 3610 Btu/hr (1056 watts)

The system has a three-year warranty with 24x7 standard call center support and 9x5 Next Business Day onsite coverage. Also available are Lenovo Services warranty maintenance upgrades and post-warranty maintenance agreements, with a well-defined scope of services, including service hours, response time, term of service, and service agreement terms and conditions.

The following table explains warranty service definitions in more detail.

The following Lenovo warranty service upgrades are available:

• Warranty and maintenance service upgrades:
  • Three, four, or five years of 9x5 or 24x7 service coverage
  • Onsite response from next business day to 2 or 4 hours
  • Committed repair service
  • Warranty extension of up to 5 years
  • Post warranty extensions
• Committed Repair Service

  Committed Repair Services enhances the level of Warranty Service Upgrade or Post Warranty/Maintenance Service offering associated with the selected systems. Offerings vary and are available in select countries.

  • Priority handling to meet defined time frames to restore the failing machine to good working condition
  • Committed repair service levels are measured within the following coverage hours:
    • 24x7x6: Service performed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, within 6 hours
    • 24x7x8: Service performed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, within 8 hours
    • 24x7x24: Service performed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, within 24 hours
• Hard Disk Drive Retention

  Lenovo’s Hard Disk Drive Retention (HDDR) service is a multi-drive hard drive retention offering that ensures your data is always under your control, regardless of the number of hard drives that are installed in your Lenovo server. In the unlikely event of a hard drive failure, you retain possession of your hard drive while Lenovo replaces the failed drive part. Your data stays safely on your premises, in your hands. The Hard Drive Retention service can be purchased in convenient bundles with our warranty upgrades and extensions.

• Microcode Support

  Keeping microcode current helps prevent hardware failures and security exposure. There are two levels of service: analysis of the installed base and analysis and update where required. Offerings vary by region and can be bundled with other warranty upgrades and extensions.

• Remote Technical Support Services (RTS)

  RTS provides comprehensive technical call center support for covered servers, storage, operating systems, and applications. Providing a single source for support of hardware and software issues, RTS can reduce problem resolution time, decreasing the cost to address technical problems and increasing uptime. Offerings are available for Windows, Linux, IBM Systems Director, VMware, Microsoft business applications, and Lenovo System x storage devices, and IBM OEM storage devices.

The server conforms to the following standards:

• Energy Star 2.0
• FCC - Verified to comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules, Class A
• Canada ICES-003, issue 4, Class A
• UL/IEC 60950-1
• CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1-07
• NOM-019
• Argentina IEC60950-1
• Japan VCCI, Class A
• Australia/New Zealand AS/NZS CISPR 22:2006, Class A
• IEC-60950-1 (CB Certificate and CB Test Report)
• Taiwan BSMI CNS13438, Class A; CNS14336-1
• China CCC (GB4943-2001), GB9254-2008 class A, GB17625.1-2003
• Korea KN22, Class A; KN24
• CE Mark (EN55022 Class A, EN60950-1, EN55024, EN61000-3-2, and EN61000-3-3)
• CISPR 22, Class A
• TUV-GS EN60950-1 /IEC60950-1,EK1-ITB2000)
• Russia/GOST ME01, IEC-60950-1, GOST R 51318.22-99, GOST R 51318.24-99, GOST R 51317.3.2-99, GOST R 51317.3.3-99
• IEC 60950-1 (CB Certificate and CB Test Report)

The server supports attachment to external drive enclosures using a RAID controller with external ports or a SAS host bus adapter. Adapters supported by the server are listed in the SAS adapters for external storage section.

For details about supported drives and cables for the Lenovo Storage E1012 and E1024, see the Lenovo Press Product Guide:
http://lenovopress.com/lp0043

The following table lists the 12 Gbps SAS external drive enclosures offered by Lenovo that can be used with the server for storage expansion.

Note: Information provided in this section is for ordering reference purposes only. For the operating system and adapter support details, refer to the interoperability matrix for a particular storage enclosure that can be found on the Lenovo Data Center Support web site:
http://datacentersupport.lenovo.com

For details about supported drives, adapters, and cables, see the following Lenovo Press Product Guides:

• Lenovo Storage D1212 and D1224
  http://lenovopress.com/lp0512
• Lenovo Storage D3284
  http://lenovopress.com/lp0513

Lenovo offers the ThinkSystem DE Series and ThinkSystem DM Series external storage systems for high-performance storage. See the DE Series and DM Series product guides for specific controller models, expansion enclosures and configuration options:

• ThinkSystem DE Series Storage
  https://lenovopress.com/storage/thinksystem/de-series#rt=product-guide
• ThinkSystem DM Series Storage
  https://lenovopress.com/storage/thinksystem/dm-series#rt=product-guide
• ThinkSystem DG Series Storage
  https://lenovopress.com/storage/thinksystem/dg-series#rt=product-guide

The following table lists the external backup options that are offered by Lenovo.

For more information, see the list of Product Guides in the Backup units category:
https://lenovopress.com/servers/options/backup

The following table lists the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units that are offered by Lenovo.

† Only available in China and the Asia Pacific market.

For more information, see the list of Product Guides in the UPS category:
https://lenovopress.com/servers/options/ups

The following table lists the power distribution units (PDUs) that are offered by Lenovo.

For more information, see the Lenovo Press documents in the PDU category:
https://lenovopress.com/servers/options/pdu

The x3500 M4 server can be installed in the rack with the Tower to Rack Conversion Kit (81Y7006). The resulting server is a 5U rack-mountable server. The server supports the rack cabinets listed in the following table.

Table 40. Rack cabinets and Tower to Rack Conversion Kits

The Tower-to-Rack Conversion Kit Installation Instructions can be downloaded from:
https://ibm.com/support/entry/myportal/docdisplay?lndocid=migr-5089509

Figure 6 shows the server installed in the 5U Tower to Rack Conversion Kit.

Figure 6. The System x3500 M4 with the 5U Tower to Rack Conversion Kit

The following table lists the supported KVM consoles, keyboards, and KVM switches.

For more information, see the list of Product Guides in the KVM Switches and Consoles category:
http://lenovopress.com/servers/options/kvm

For more information see these resources:

• System x3500 M4 Installation and User's Guide
  https://ibm.com/support/entry/myportal/docdisplay?lndocid=migr-5089504
• 5U Tower-to-Rack Conversion Kit
  https://ibm.com/support/entry/myportal/docdisplay?lndocid=migr-5089509
• System x3500 M4 Problem Determination and Service Guide
  https://ibm.com/support/entry/myportal/docdisplay?lndocid=migr-5089505
• System x Support Portal
  http://ibm.com/support/entry/portal/
  http://ibm.com/support/entry/portal/Downloads/Hardware/Systems/System_x/System_x3500_M4