Dell EMC PowerEdge MX7000 Chassis

Description

Designed largely to support new processor technologies and updated I/O fabric advances, the Dell EMC PowerEdge MX7000 chassis is the perfect foundation for software-defined environments. There is also no server backplane to support next-generation compute and storage modules with the added benefit of lower latencies. It can support both dual-socket and quad-socket server nodes, plus a storage node in varying quantities. Up to 10x chassis can be daisy-chained together for multi-chassis networking using the scalable fabric networking.

Supported Servers:

Dell EMC PowerEdge MX840c Server Sled
Double width, 4-socket

Dell EMC PowerEdge MX740c Server Sled
Single-width, 2-socket

Dell EMC PowerEdge MX5016s Storage Sled
Single-width, 16x 2.5-inch SAS HDD/SSD

Performance

Choose from either dual-socket, single-width server sleds like the Dell EMC PowerEdge MX740c server or a quad-socket, double width server, like the Dell EMC PowerEdge MX840c. Each supports Intel Xeon processors with up to 28 cores and 56 threads, plus terabytes of memory for in-memory database applications. A maximum of 8x single-width modules or 4x double-width or a combination of the two can be installed. Up to 10x chassis can be daisy-chained together for multi-chassis networking using the scalable networking fabric. There is also a modular storage sled featuring 16x 2.5-inch storage bays supporting SAS HDDs or SSDs and can be allocated across compute modules and chassis. The server and storage sleds’ mezzanine cards connect directly to the I/O modules through a fabric-type specific connector. Various options for I/O are handled by up to 4x different I/O Modules to optimize workload performance. The fabric expander module provides a fabric switching mechanism to connect to other MX7000 chassis with a low-latency 25Gb Ethernet connection. Offering that 25GbE connection natively, these modular I/O units are also backwards compatible to support 10GbE and 1GbE for ease of migration and compatibility in the data center.

Power and Cooling

Powering the system is a bank of 6x 3000W power supplies that line the bottom front of the chassis for easy access. This platform also features grid redundancy. 4x high-performance fans occupy a vertical strip down the center front of the chassis and separate an equal number of server bays to either side. 5x more fans are arranged horizontally on the back of the system and pull fresh air from the front. PSUs and fans have integrated LED lights for operational status.

Storage

The chassis does not have any integrated storage and depends on the server and storage sleds. Using the MX740c server sled you get up to 6x front mounted storage drives. With the MX840c double-width module you get up to 8x 2.5-inc drive bays, but with four sockets the primary advantage of this server sled is for in-memory database applications. The Dell EMC PowerEdge MX5016s storage sled provides up to 16x 2.5-inch SAS drives that can be allocated across server sleds or additional MX7000 chassis. Drives can be assigned individually to server sleds or the entire compliment of 16x drives can be allocated to a single server sled.

Management

The complexity of this system is simplified using Dell’s comprehensive embedded systems management, Dell EMC OpenManage Enterprise – Modular Edition. It provides a single management point for one-too-many MX7000 chassis, including compute, storage, and networking. It’s also compatible with third-party manufacturers. An integrated touchscreen LCD can be used for management access, or more traditional methods like the crash cart. There’s also access provided by the OpenManage Mobile app, plus Quick Sync 2 for use at the chassis using a smart phone or tablet. All of this connects to the integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC 9.0) with Lifecycle Controller in each of the supported server and storage sleds.

Summary

Made for the modern software defined data center, the Dell EMC PowerEdge MX7000 chassis and associated compute and storage modules deliver a flexible and composable network environment that’s easy to manage and easy to scale. Released in 2019, this system also features guaranteed multi-generational support for at least three server processor microarchitecture generations, so you can be assured you’ll get the most out of your investment over the long haul.