Lenovo ThinkSystem SD530 Server

Description

Featuring a 2U four-node (2U4N) architecture, the Lenovo ThinkSystem SD530 server can support twice the workload of a traditional 1U server. Power, cooling, networking, and management are handled at the chassis level for better efficiency. Multiple D2 enclosures can also be daisy-chain together so single or multiple chassis can be managed as a single entity, with up to 84 servers in 21 enclosures per 42U rack. Each node supports dual 1st or 2nd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, plus up to 2TB of memory with a combination of DC persistent memory and registered DIMM (RDIMM) modules. 6x hybrid drive bays up front are available but some configurations will limit the number of upfront drive bays on each server node. The actual SD530 server node can be housed in a 2U D2 Enclosure or ThinkSystem Modular enclosure*. The enclosure can also be paired with a PCIe expansion node, which stacks on top of the compute node to support 1 or 2 double-width GPUs. Outfitted with the expansion node, there is only room for either another compute node and expansion module or two node fillers must be used on the other node slots.

* The only difference between the D2 Enclosure and the ThinkSystem Modular Enclosure is that the D2 Enclosure has a single-port SMM management module and the Modular Enclosure has a dual-port SMM management module.

Performance

Processors from the 1st or 2nd generation Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum families can be installed. Platinum processors with a thermal design point (TDP) of up to 205W are supported. The processors used will also have an impact on the memory speed, plus the number of up-front drives supported. The number of servers supported in each enclosure is also dependent on the TDP of the CPUs installed in the server nodes, plus the number and capacity of the power supply units installed in the enclosure chassis. PSUs are available in non-redundant 1100W, or redundant 1+1 1600W, and 2000W capacities.

Memory

With 6x memory channels per CPU, there are 8x memory module slots per processor for 16x active slots with both processors installed. Supported memory includes registered (RDIMM) and Data Centric Persistent Memory Modules (DCPMM). Used in memory mode with DCPMM the system can support up to 2TB with 4x persistent memory and requires all 16x module slots. In AppDirect mode it will support up to 2.75TB of memory again with 4x DCPMM and the rest outfitted with 768GB or RDIMM memory modules in the remaining 12x slots.

Storage

Each of the server nodes on the Lenovo ThinkSystem SD530 Server has 6x 2.5-inch storage bays with maximum storage listed at 92TB using SAS 15.36TB drives in each bay. Also supported are NVMe and SATA drive formats. It should be noted that storage can also be affected by the server configuration. With the addition of the PCIe Expansion tray, designed to hold two GPUs, storage on the front is limited to only 4x drive bays. The drive backplane will also determine the supported drive type with only 4x NVMe drives supported at a maximum capacity of over 30TB. To boot the system, a dedicated slot on the motherboard can be used to support dual M.2 drives in mirror mode or just a single M.2 drive without redundancy. Additionally, one of the up-front drive bays in each server node can be used for a KVM module which will reduce the number of available drive bays to 5x.

Expansion

An 8-port 10Gb Ethernet I/O module (EIOM) on the back of the system provides two ports per server node in addition to a dedicated RJ45 and USB management ports. The compute module supports 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot or 2x PCIe 3.0 x8 slots. The GPU tray sits on top of the compute node increasing the height of the module from 1U to effectively 2U and provides support for 2x double-wide GPUs. Only two compute modules with an attached GPU tray can be installed per ThinkSystem D2 enclosure. A dedicated slot on the system board is used for the optional M.2 adapter.

Management

This platform features Lenovo’s XClarity Controller (XCC) to monitor chassis status and availability. Upgrades to XClarity provide remote control and keyboard, video, mouse (KVM) functions. XCC Enterprise provides additional features for remote management of the system including power capping, boot capture, and mounting of remote media files. A dual Ethernet Port SMM management module provides an Ethernet connection that can be daisy-chained across 7x enclosures and 28 servers, reducing the number of switches needed to manage multiple implementations of this system.

Summary

Offering high-density in a 2U form factor, the Lenovo ThinkSystem SD530 server offers a flexible platform to support a number of high-performance workloads, including AI and machine learning. Each of the server nodes supports dual 1st or 2nd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, hybrid storage, and more than 2TB of memory with optional DC persistent memory modules. It’s designed for rapid scale out and adaptability to changing workload requirements in the cloud, data centers, and enterprise businesses.