Lenovo 68Y8588 Flex System Storage Expansion Node User Guide

Flex System Storage Expansion Node
Product Guide

68Y8588 Flex System Storage Expansion Node

The Flex System™ Storage Expansion Node is a storage enclosure that attaches to a single half-wide compute node to provide that compute node with additional direct-attach local storage. The Storage Expansion Node provides flexible storage to match capacity, performance, and reliability needs.
Ideal workloads include distributed databases, transactional databases, NAS infrastructure, video surveillance, and streaming solutions. For example, when coupled with third-party NAS software, the combined compute node and storage expansion node make for an ideal infrastructure platform for network-attached storage (NAS) server.
Figure 1 shows the Flex System Storage Expansion Node attached to a Flex System x240 Compute Node.

Figure 1. Flex System Storage Expansion Node (right) attached to an x240 Compute Node (left)
Did you know?
The Storage Expansion Node adds 12 drive bays to the attached compute node and all bays in the expansion node are hot-swap. The drive bays slide out on an internal rail system; provided that a suitable RAID level is employed, a failed drive can be removed while the system is still running. With a storage capacity of up to 19 TB, the Storage Expansion Node is ideal for applications that can use large amounts of additional local storage.

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Part number information

Table 1. Ordering part number and feature code

The part number includes the following items:

• Flex System Storage Expansion Node
• Double-wide shelf
• Documentation flyer
• Warranty Information and Safety flyers and Important Notices document

Supported servers

The Flex System Storage Expansion Node is supported when it is attached to the Flex System compute nodes listed in Table 2. Only one Expansion Node can be attached to each compute node.
Note: The Storage Expansion Node is not supported with any Power Systems compute nodes.
Table 2. Support for Flex System servers

• The Storage Expansion Node requires that both processors be installed in the attached server.

Features

The System Expansion Node has the following features:

• Connects directly to supported compute nodes via a PCIe 3.0 interface to the compute node’s interposer connector (also known as the ETE connector)

• Support for 12 hot-swap 2.5-inch drives, accessible via a sliding tray

• Support for 6 Gbps SAS and SATA drives, both HDDs and SSDs

• Based on an LSI SAS2208 6 Gbps RAID on Chip (ROC) controller

• Optional 512 MB or 1 GB cache with cache-to-flash supercapacitor off-load

• Supports RAID 0, 1, and 10 as standard. JBOD is also supported. Optional RAID 5, 50 with cache upgrade.
  (Note: The original RAID 6, 60 upgrade option is withdrawn from marketing)

• Includes an expansion shelf to physically support the Storage Expansion Node and its compute node attached together

• Internal and external light path diagnostics

• Optional support for SSD performance acceleration with Features on Demand upgrade

• Support for up to 64 virtual drives, up to 128 drive groups, up to 16 virtual drives per one drive group, and up to 32 physical drives per one drive group

• Support for logical unit number (LUN) sizes up to 64 TB

• Configurable stripe size up to 1 MB

• Compliant with Disk Data Format (DDF) configuration on disk (COD)

• S.M.A.R.T. support

• Managed through the IMMv2 management processor on the compute node and with the MegaRAID Storage Manager management software

Architecture

Figure 2 shows the architecture of the Storage Expansion Node when connected to a compute node.

Figure 2. The architecture of the Storage Expansion Node
The Expansion Node connects to a standard-width compute node using the interposer cable, which plugs into the expansion connector on the compute node. This link forms a PCIe 3.0 x8 connection between Processor 2 on the compute node and the LSI RAID controller in the Expansion Node. The result is that the compute node sees the disks in the expansion node as locally attached. Management of the Storage Expansion Node is via the IMMv2 located on the compute node.
Note: The expansion connector in the x220 and x240 compute nodes is routed through processor 2. Therefore, processor 2 must be installed in the compute node.

Supported drives

The Storage Expansion Node is a PCIe 3.0 and a SAS 2.1 complaint enclosure supporting up to twelve 2.5inch drives. The drives can be HDD or SSD, and both SAS or SATA. Drive modes supported are JBOD or RAID. Supported RAID modes are RAID-0, 1, 5, 10, and 50 (cache upgrade required for RAID 5, 50 support).
The drives are accessed by opening the handle on the front of the Storage Expansion Node and sliding out the drive tray. Opening the drive tray can be done while it is operational. Figure 3 shows the Storage Expansion Node connected to an x240 compute node and with the drive tray extended part way out. With the drive tray extended, all twelve hot-swap drives can be accessed on the left side of the tray.

Figure 3. Storage Expansion Node with drive tray part-way extended
The following tables list the hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) supported within the Storage Expansion Node. Drive support is dependent on the compute node that is attached to the expansion node.
Both SSDs and HDDs can be installed inside the unit at the same time. The preferred practice when creating logical drives is to use similar disk types. For example, for a RAID 1 pair, choose identical drive types, SSD or HDD.

Table 3. Supported HDDs

Table 4. Supported SSDs

Feature upgrades

The Storage Expansion Node supports the upgrades listed in the following table.
Table 5. Supported adapter cards

Cache upgrades (also adds support for RAID 5 and RAID 50)
81Y4559| A1WY| ServeRAID M5100 Series 1GB Flash/RAID 5 Upgrade for System x®| 1
81Y4487| A1J4| ServeRAID M5100 Series 512MB Flash/RAID 5 Upgrade for System x| 1
Features on Demand upgrades (license only)|
90Y4412| A2Y2| ServeRAID M5100 Series Performance Accelerator for Flex System| 1″

• The cache upgrades are mutually exclusive.
  ** FoD upgrades require one of the cache upgrades also be ordered (81Y4559 or 81Y4487). FoD upgrades for ServeRAID are system-wide: If you have these features installed on the M5115 in the compute node they will automatically be activated on the LSI controller in the Storage Expansion Node.

ServeRAID M5100 Series 512MB and 1GB Flash Upgrade option part numbers include the following items:

• Cache module
• Flash power module
• Cable

The cache module is installed at the rear of the Storage Expansion Node and the power module is installed near the front of the expansion node. The provided cable is used to connect the cache module to the power module.
Figure 4 shows the flash-backed cache module, power module, and power cable.

Figure 4. Flash-backed cache module, power module, and power cable
The Performance Accelerator Upgrade for Flex System, part number 90Y4412 (implemented using the LSI MegaRAID FastPath software) provides high- performance I/O acceleration for SSD-based virtual drives by using an extremely low latency I/O path to increase the maximum I/O per second (IOPS) capability of the controller. This feature boosts the performance of applications with a highly random data storage access pattern, such as transactional databases. Part number 90Y4412 is a Feature on Demand license. Requires one of the cache upgrades also be ordered (81Y4559 or 81Y4487).

FoD upgrades are system-wide: The FoD upgrades are the same ones as those used with the server M5115 is available for use internally in the x220 and x240 compute nodes. If you have an M5115 installed in the attached compute node and have installed any of these upgrades, the upgrades will automatically be activated on the LSI controller in the Storage Expansion Node. You do not need to purchase the FoD upgrades separately for the expansion node.

LED indicators

The Storage Expansion Node has a number of LEDs on the lower right front for identification and status purposes, as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. LEDs on the front of the Storage Expansion Node The following table identifies the meanings of the LEDs.
Table 6. External LED status table

drive number.
Fault/Locate| Amber| • Solid: Indicates a fault on one of the drives
• Blink: One of the drives is set to “identify”
Tray Open| Amber| • Flash/beep 15-sec interval: The drawer is not fully closed.
• Flash/beep 5-sec interval: Drawer has been opened too long, close drawer immediately
• Flash/beep .25 sec interval: Expansion node has reached the thermal threshold. They the close door immediately to avoid drive damage.

In addition to the lights described in the previous table, there are LEDs locally on each of the drive trays.
These lights can be observed when the drive tray is extended and the unit is operational. A green LED indicates disk activity and an amber LED indicates a drive fault.
With the Storage Expansion Node removed from the Flex System chassis and its cover removed, there are additional LEDs visible. If there is a fault detected then the relevant LED will light:

• Flash/RAID adapter: RAID Cache card fault.
• Control panel: LED panel card not present
• Temperature: A temperature event has occurred
• Storage expansion: Fault on the storage expansion unit
• Light path: Verify that the light path diagnostic function, including the battery, is operating properly

Physical specifications

Dimensions and weight (approximate):

• Height: 56 mm (2.2 in.)
• Depth: 504 mm (19.8 in.)
• Width: 229 mm (9.2 in.)
• Maximum weight: 5.9 kg (13 lb)

Shipping dimensions and weight (approximate):

• Height: 240 mm (9.5 in.)
• Depth: 680 mm (26.8 in.)
• Width: 601 mm (23.7 in.)
• Weight: 9.5 kg (21 lb)

Operating environment

When the unit is powered on, it is supported in the following environment:

• Temperature: 5° C to 40° C (41° F to 104° F)
• Humidity, non-condensing: -12° C dew point (10° F) and 8% – 85% relative humidity
• Maximum dew point: 24° C (75° F)
• Maximum altitude: 3048 m (10,000 ft)
• The maximum rate of temperature change: 5° C/hr (41° F/hr)

Regulatory compliance

The unit conforms to the following standards:

• ASHRAE Class A3
• FCC – Verified to comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Class A
• Canada ICES-004, issue 3 Class A
• UL/IEC 60950-1
• CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1
• NOM-019
• Argentina IEC 60950-1
• Japan VCCI, Class A
• IEC 60950-1 (CB Certificate and CB Test Report)
• China CCC (GB4943); (GB9254, Class A); (GB17625.1)
• Taiwan BSMI CNS13438, Class A; CNS14336
• Australia/New Zealand AS/NZS CISPR 22, Class A
• Korea KN22, Class A, KN24
• Russia/GOST ME01, IEC 60950-1, GOST R 51318.22, GOST R
• 51318.249, GOST R 51317.3.2, GOST R 51317.3.3
• IEC 60950-1 (CB Certificate and CB Test Report)
• CE Mark (EN55022 Class A, EN60950-1, EN55024, EN61000-3-2,
• EN61000-3-3)
• CISPR 22, Class A
• TUV-GS (EN60950-1/IEC 60950-1, EK1-ITB2000)

Related publications

For more information, see the following resources:

• Flex System product page
  https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/c/servers-storage/servers/blades-flex/

• Flex System Interoperability Guide
  http://lenovopress.com/fsig

• Operating System Interoperability Guide
  http://lenovopress.com/osig

• Flex System Information Center
  http://flexsystem.lenovofiles.com/help/index.jsp

• ServerProven hardware compatibility page for Flex System
  http://www.lenovo.com/us/en/serverproven/flexsystem.shtml

• Product Guide on the ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller for Flex System
  http://lenovopress.com/tips0884

Related product families

Product families related to this document are the following:

• Blade Expansion Units

Notices
Lenovo may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in all countries. Consult your local Lenovo representative for information on the products and services currently available in your area. Any reference to a Lenovo product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only the Lenovo product, program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or service that does not infringe any Lenovo’s intellectual property right may be used instead. However, it is the user’s responsibility to evaluate and verify the operation of any other product, program, or service. Lenovo may have patents or pending patent applications covering the subject matter described in this document. The furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents. You can send license inquiries, in writing, to:

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Attention: Lenovo Director of Licensing

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This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. Lenovo may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time without notice.
The products described in this document are not intended for use in implantation or other life support applications where malfunction may result in injury or death to persons. The information contained in this document does not affect or change Lenovo product specifications or warranties. Nothing in this document shall operate as an express or implied license or indemnity under the intellectual property rights of Lenovo or third parties. All information contained in this document was obtained in specific environments and is presented as an illustration. The result obtained in other operating environments may vary. Lenovo may use or distribute any of the information you supply in any way it believes appropriate without incurring any obligation to you. Any references in this publication to non-Lenovo Web sites are provided for convenience only and do not in any manner serve as an endorsement of those Web sites. The materials at those Web sites are not part of the materials for this Lenovo product, and use of those Web sites is at your own risk.
Any performance data contained herein was determined in a controlled environment. Therefore, the result obtained in other operating environments may vary significantly. Some measurements may have been made on development- level systems and there is no guarantee that these measurements will be the same on generally available systems. Furthermore, some measurements may have been estimated through extrapolation. Actual results may vary. Users of this document should verify the applicable data for their specific environment.
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This document, TIPS0914, was created or updated on March 23, 2017.
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Lenovo and the Lenovo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both. A current list of Lenovo trademarks is available on the Web at https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/legal/copytrade/.

The following terms are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both:
Lenovo®
Flex System
ServeRAID
ServerProven®
System x®
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Flex System Storage Expansion Node

References

• Lenovo Flex System Documentation
• Flex System Interoperability Guide > Lenovo Press
• ServeRAID M5115 SAS/SATA Controller for Flex System Product Guide (withdrawn product) > Lenovo Press
• Welcome | ServerProven
• Blade Expansion Units > Lenovo Press
• Flex System Storage Expansion Node Product Guide > Lenovo Press
• Blade Server | Shop Efficient Flex Blade Server Systems | Lenovo US
• Copyright and Trademark Information | Lenovo US | Lenovo US

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