Dell PowerEdge FC430 Server for the FX2

Description

Recognized as one of the most reliable servers for distributed environments and an optimum choice for enterprise workloads, the Dell PowerEdge FC430 server excels at midsized virtualization and database applications. Up to eight PowerEdge FC430 compute blocks can be installed in the Dell PowerEdge FX2 2U shared infrastructure platform or paired with compute or storage blocks. With Dell's FC430 you'll have the right mix of memory, performance, and super-fast I/O to quickly deploy resources when running mission critical applications. DDR4 memory and SSD storage offer high availability and reliability when running multiple apps in virtualized environments or encompassing different clients as a host. With discrete separation, a server failure will never disrupt your operations and there are several ways to configure the FC430 for optimal workload performance.

Performance

The Dell FC430 uses Intel's C610 chipset and supports either two multi-core E5-2600 v3 CPUs, two E5-2600 v4 CPUs, or a single socket E5-1600 v3 processor. Up to eight FC430s can be installed in a single 2U FX2 chassis for up to 16 CPUs total and 224 processing cores.

Memory

Eight DIMM slots supply up to 512MB with all eight slots loaded with 64GB DDR4 memory and dual processors. Using v4 processors will achieve transfer speeds of up to 2400MT/s, when used with compatible memory modules, providing industry leading memory capacity and speed in an ultra-compact quarter-width form factor. It can also be paired with either the half-width 2-socket PowerEdge FC630 or the full-width 4-socket PowerEdge FC830 compute modules for more processing power and virtualization. Four FC430 compute blocks can also be paired with two FD332 storage modules outfitted with dual PERC HD/RAID controllers with each storage block sharing half the installed drives with two of the four compute blocks for substantial direct attached storage (DAS).

Storage

There are two 1.8-inch drive bays up front that can support two hot-swappable 1.8-inch uSATA SSDs. For faster throughput and lower latency, an optional configuration features a 1.8-inch drive combines with two QSFP+ compact, hot-pluggable transceiver connectors for Ethernet or Infiniband connectivity. The PowerEdge FC430 can also be paired with the FD332 storage module to provide Direct Attached Storage that includes 16 additional SFF HDs per half-width node.

For RAID, the FC430 uses the PERC S130 (SW RAID) internal controller. Other PERC controllers are also supported.

Expansion

Each FC430 has access to one of the eight PCIe express modules located on the FX2s chassis to support additional components, including the FD323 storage module. PCIe 3.0 slots support double the speed of the PCIe 2.0 and offer several ways to add additional NICs and HBAs.

Management

Dell's FC430 server nodes use Dell's Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 8 (iDRAC 8) with LifeCycle Controller and the OpenManage Essentials portfolio of tools provide remote access from a standard browser. Deployments, configurations, and diagnostics can also be automated using the embedded Chassis Management Controller (CMC). iDRAC8 with Lifecycle Controller is embedded in every Gen13 PowerEdge server and provides agent-free automated systems management. Upgrading to an Express or Enterprise license offers more functionality to best suit specific management needs.

Summary

The FC430 server is designed for the FX2 converged infrastructure platform. Up to eight FC430s can be installed in the FX2s providing a superb compute solution that blends high speed throughput, memory, and performance—all in a 2U chassis. With two 1.8-inch SSDs the system is an excellent choice for mainstream enterprise workloads including web serving, dedicated hosting, virtualization, and analytics. Configured with the infiniband option, the FC430 excels at High Performance Computing (HPC), high-Frequency Trading (HFT) and other tasks that require extra-low latency.

FX2 Shared Infrastructure Platform

Dell's PowerEdge FX2 is a 2U converged infrastructure platform that offers the easy deployment of a rack server with the performance of a mini blade enclosure in a 2u rack space. There are two FX2 chassis. One with no PCIe slots, the FX2, and another which supports eight PCIe slots, the FX2s. Both are compatible with the PowerEdge FC430, PowerEdge FC630, PowerEdge FC830, and the FD332 storage block. However, the PowerEdge FM120x4 is designed specifically for the FX2 with no PCIe slots and cannot be used with the FD332 storage block.

FC630 Compute Module

The Dell PowerEdge FC630 is a half-width, two-socket compute module that can support a maximum of two Xeon E5-2600 v3 or E5-2600 v4 processors. Up to four FC630s can be installed in the FX2s chassis and each automatically connects maps to two of the eight PCIe modules. The FC630 can also be used in conjunction with other compute modules or the PowerEdge FD332 storage module for dense direct attached storage. The FC630 has 24 DIMM slots that can provide up to 1.5TB of memory. With four FC630 sleds installed in the FX2s enclosure, a maximum of 6TB of memory is available. Up front there's room for two 2.5-inch drives or another FC630 chassis that supports up to eight 1.8-inch SSDs. This unit is deal for large databases or highly virtualized environments.

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FC830 Compute Module

The FC830 is a four socket, full-width compute module that supports the Xeon E5-4600 v3 or v4 processors. It can be used in conjunction with the other compute modules or with the FD332 for Direct Attached Storage. The FX2s chassis can support two of the full-width FC830 compute sleds or a single node with four FC430s, two FC630s, or two FD332 storage modules. Each FC830 has 48 DDR4 DIMM slots, 12 slots per processor, for 1.5TB of memory per sled with transfer speeds of up to 2400 MT/s when paried with an appropriate Xeon v4 processor. The FC830 also features generous, scalable on-board storage with either eight 2.5-inch drives or an optional configuration with 16 x 1.8" SAS or SATA HDDs or SSDs. The FC830 is ideal for the database tier of web tech, HPC environments or large-scale virtualization.

FD332 Storage Module

Each compute module features its own hot-plug storage, either SAS or SATA HDDs or SSDs. For more storage, Administrators can install up to three FD332 storage blocks for dense, scalable DAS. Each FD332 supports up to 16 hot-plug direct attached SFF drives either SAS or SATA SSDs or HDDS. An optional dual RAID controller provides split access to the supported drives. Depending on configuration up to three FD332s can be installed on the system with either the FC430, FC630, or the FC830 compute sleds.

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FM120x4 Compute Module for the FX2 chassis (no PCI)

The FM120x4 is a half-width compute module designed specifically for the FX2 enclosure without any PCIe slots. Offering a cost effective option, each compute sled features four Atom C2000 processors. The C2000 Atom processors are described by Intel as a system-on-a-chip (SoC). With four modules installed up to 16 micro-servers are available in each FX2 chassis. The FM120x4 is the only compute module that uses the Intel Atom C2000 System on a Chip processor with up to eight cores. Each module supports four processors and each processor supports two DIMM modules, UDIMM only, for 8 DIMMS per sled. Each processor also supports one 2.5-inch HD or two 1.8-inch SSDs. No PCI slots are available and communications are handled by the pass through, with 2 per processor for 8 total that are capable of 1Gb through the FX2 chassis. Only software RAID is supported. This system is a lower cost alternative to the FX2s and is ideal for static web hosting and light-weight processing.

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