DELL VRTX Specification

PowerEdge VRTX

Technical Guide

The world’s first integrated IT solution designed from the ground up specifically for office environments.

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January 2014 | Version 3.1 ii PowerEdge VRTX Technical Guide

Table of contents

1 System overview ..................................................................................................................................................................5

Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................5

Specifications ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7

2 System features .................................................................................................................................................................. 9

3 Processors ..........................................................................................................................................................................14

4 Memory ............................................................................................................................................................................... 15

5 Storage ................................................................................................................................................................................ 16

Infrastructure ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16

Supported hard drives ...................................................................................................................................................... 17

PERC8 storage controller................................................................................................................................................ 17

6 Networking .........................................................................................................................................................................18

Fabric A system management ........................................................................................................................................18

Fabric A pass-through cards ...........................................................................................................................................18

Fabric A switches .............................................................................................................................................................. 19

7 PCIe Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................................................... 20

Supported PCIe cards ..................................................................................................................................................... 20

8 Power, thermal and acoustics ........................................................................................................................................ 21

Power consumption and energy efficiency ................................................................................................................. 21

Power supply units .......................................................................................................................................................... 22

Thermal ............................................................................................................................................................................. 23

Acoustics ........................................................................................................................................................................... 23

9 Rack, rails and cable management ............................................................................................................................... 26

Cable management ......................................................................................................................................................... 27

10 Operating systems and virtualization ........................................................................................................................... 28

Supported operating systems ........................................................................................................................................ 28

Supported virtualization ................................................................................................................................................. 28

11 Dell OpenManage systems management .................................................................................................................... 29

Systems management solutions ................................................................................................................................... 29

OpenManage systems management ........................................................................................................................... 30

Dell server management operations ............................................................................................................................ 38

Appendix A.

Additional specifications .......................................................................................................................... 40

Chassis dimensions and weight .................................................................................................................................... 40

Environmental specifications ........................................................................................................................................ 40

USB peripherals ................................................................................................................................................................ 42

Appendix B.

Standards compliance ............................................................................................................................. 43

Appendix C.

Additional resources ................................................................................................................................. 44

iii PowerEdge VRTX Technical Guide

Tables

Table 1.

Table 2.

Table 3.

Table 4.

Table 5.

Table 6.

Table 7.

Table 8.

Table 9.

Table 10.

Table 11.

Table 12.

Table 13.

Table 14.

Table 15.

Table 16.

Table 17.

Table 18.

Table 19.

Table 20.

Table 21.

Key technologies .................................................................................................................................................. 6

Technical specifications ....................................................................................................................................... 7

VRTX chassis features ......................................................................................................................................... 11

VRTX security features ........................................................................................................................................ 12

Supported hard drives ........................................................................................................................................ 17

Power tools and technologies .......................................................................................................................... 21

1100W PSU specifications................................................................................................................................. 22

1100W PSU efficiency ........................................................................................................................................ 23

Supported rack rail system ............................................................................................................................... 26

Rail adjustability range ....................................................................................................................................... 26

Primary operating systems support ................................................................................................................ 28

Virtualization support ........................................................................................................................................ 28

iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller functions and benefits ........................................................................... 30

Detailed feature comparison for iDRAC7 Enterprise and iDRAC7 Express for VRTX .............................. 31

Enterprise and Express CMC licensing for VRTX .......................................................................................... 35

One-to-one and one-to-many operations .................................................................................................. 39

VRTX tower form factor dimensions .............................................................................................................. 40

VRTX rack form factor dimensions ................................................................................................................. 40

Environmental specifications ............................................................................................................................41

Industry standards documentation ................................................................................................................. 43

Additional resources .......................................................................................................................................... 44

Figures

Figure 1.

VRTX tower with 3.5-inch drives ....................................................................................................................... 9

Figure 2.

VRTX tower with 2.5-inch drives ..................................................................................................................... 10

Figure 3.

VRTX rack with 3.5-inch (top) and 2.5-inch (bottom) drives ..................................................................... 10

Figure 4.

VRTX back view ................................................................................................................................................... 11

Figure 5.

PowerEdge VRTX block diagram ...................................................................................................................... 13

Figure 6.

CMC Virtual Disks tab ......................................................................................................................................... 16

Figure 7.

Fabric A Ethernet pass-through card configuration .....................................................................................18

Figure 8.

Fabric A Ethernet switch configuration ........................................................................................................... 19

Figure 9.

VRTX acoustics ................................................................................................................................................... 24

Figure 10.

Dell systems management solutions .............................................................................................................. 29

Figure 11.

Systems management server lifecycle ........................................................................................................... 38

iv PowerEdge VRTX Technical Guide

1 System overview

Introduction

The Dell™ PowerEdge™ VRTX platform brings order to chaos, redefines IT operations and allows users to deploy performance anywhere. PowerEdge VRTX is a powerful, scalable and easy-tomanage solutions platform, optimized specifically for office environments. Clear up the complexity of disparate hardware, multiple management tools and hardware sprawl with an optimized platform that integrates up to four PowerEdge M-series server nodes, storage, networking and management into a compact 5U chassis.

With extensive scalability available inside the chassis, additional servers and hard drives can be inserted without the need for more floor space or rack space, and without any additional cables.

VRTX’s feature-rich, two-socket, half-height Dell PowerEdge M520 and M620 server nodes are proven platforms and technologies that deliver exceptional flexibility and scalable performance.

With a choice of up to 12 3.5-inch or 25 2.5-inch hot-plug hard drives delivering up to 48TB, VRTX is equipped with massive internal shared storage, keeping you ahead of the pace of data growth.

Integrate networking through the 1GbE internal switch module or an optional Ethernet pass-through module with eight 1GbE ports. Take advantage of flexible, expandable I/O with eight

PCI Express ® controllers.

(PCIe) slots — three full-height/full-length and five low-profile/half-length. Capitalize with redundant 1100W AC power supplies, fans, blower modules and chassis management

Simplified systems management, without compromise

VRTX’s Chassis Management Controller (CMC) resolves the problems of systems management tool proliferation and complexity by providing converged management of server nodes, shared storage, networking and power in a unified tool, all managed through a single console.

The CMC’s intuitive, easy-to-use GUI can be accessed from a web browser, and works together with a variety of Dell OpenManage™ tools including the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller version 7 (iDRAC7) with Lifecycle Controller embedded in each server node. Embedded management in the VRTX platform allows IT administrators to manage this Dell hardware in physical, virtual, local and remote environments, and gives the choice of managing the system out-of-band, completely agent-free, or in-band with or without a systems management software agent installed.

CMC’s unified management console for VRTX server nodes, storage and networking can reduce complexity, enhance productivity and help to enable maximum uptime, which in turn can reduce administration time and the cost of ownership.

For remote management, OpenManage Essentials, a free software download from

Dell.com/Support , monitors and manages multiple VRTX platforms in different locations. Exclusive to VRTX systems with Enterprise-licensed CMC, the geographical mapping health status. feature of OpenManage

Essentials can be configured to show each system’s location as well as system and component

OpenManage iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller integrates and connects to leading third-party systems management solutions (such as those from Microsoft, VMware and BMC Software), so users can maintain a single point of control and capitalize on an existing systems management investment.

5 PowerEdge VRTX Technical Guide

Flexibility within a stable platform

VRTX is both flexible and stable. Flexible in its extensive hardware configurability and scalability, while consistent and uniform in performing systems management operations. These characteristics give users confidence that VRTX can readily adapt to accommodate new workload requirements, while protecting existing investments in hardware, software, management tools and skills.

Key technologies

VRTX shared storage provides a massive amount of local storage within the chassis — up to 48TB with the 3.5-inch hard drive chassis. The storage is shared among the server nodes and is managed through the VRTX CMC. Using the CMC, you can create and assign virtual disks to single or multiple server nodes.

You can also use the CMC to flexibly assign PCIe slots to server nodes — up to four PCIe slots to a single server node. The assignments are flexible during initial setup in that any PCIe slot may be assigned to any server node, and the assignment may then be reassigned.

Table 1 summarizes other key technologies offered on the Dell PowerEdge VRTX platform.

Table 1.

Key technologies

New technologies

Intel Xeon processor

E5-2400, E5-2600 and

E5-2600 v2 product families

Detailed descriptions

New Intel processors that work with the Intel C602 series chipset. These processors are more advanced than the previous generation and have embedded

PCIe lanes that improve I/O performance.

Intel C602 series chipset New Intel Platform Controller Hub (PCH) chip that replaced the ICH.

1866MT/s DDR3 memory

LRDIMM

Flexible LOM

Advanced Intel Xeon E5-2600 processors support 1600MT/s memory; Intel Xeon

E5-2600 v2 processors support 1866MT/s memory.

This new memory option, load reduced DIMM (LRDIMM), is designed with a buffer chip (or chips) to replace the register to help minimize loading. LRDIMMs can increase overall server system memory capacity and speed.

The Dell Select Network Adapter options allow you to customize your LAN port combinations from your choice of controller vendors.

PERC S110 software RAID

Solution

This new software RAID solution supports RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10; supports maximum of four hot-plug SATA hard drives or SATA solid-state drives.

Dell PowerEdge RAID

Controller (PERC) options

VRTX supports the new PERC8 controller cards with improved functionality and faster performance. iDRAC7 with Lifecycle

Controller

Advanced power management

The second-generation embedded systems management solution for Dell servers provides agent-free hardware and firmware inventory and alerting, in-depth memory alerting, faster performance, a dedicated gigabit port, and many more features.

VRTX supports advanced power monitoring and power capping tools that can help manage power consumption.


Fresh Air cooling

Failsafe hypervisors

Dell has tested and validated an integrated data center solution that enables you to operate at higher temperatures or even chiller-less.

The internal dual SD module enables Dell's unique failsafe virtualization architecture, ensuring uptime by providing failover capability for embedded hypervisors, such as VMware ®

2012 with Hyper-V ® .

vSphere ® ESXi™ and Microsoft ® Windows Server ®

Specifications

Table 2 lists the technical specifications for the PowerEdge VRTX platform. For the latest information

on supported features, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge .

Feature

Table 2.

Technical specifications

Technical specification

Form factor

Server node options

Storage

Power supplies

Cooling

Input devices

5U rackable tower chassis

Tower configuration:

 H: 48.4 cm (19.1 in) with system feet

 W: 31.0 cm (12.2 in) with system feet opened

 D: 73.0 cm (28.7 in)

 Weight (empty) = 31.7 kg (69.7 lb)

 Weight (maximum) = 74.8 kg (164.9 lb)

Rack configuration:

 H: 21.9 cm (8.6 in)

 W: 48.2 cm (19.0 in)

 D: 73.0 cm (28.7 in)

 Weight (empty) = 24.7kg (54.5 lb)

 Weight (maximum) = 68.7kg (151.5 lb)

Up to 4 hot-plug, serviceable Dell PowerEdge M620 and M520

Shared PERC8

Redundant power supply units

 110/220V auto-sensing

 Redundant power supplies support 2+2 (AC redundancy), and 3+1, 2+1 and

1+1 (power supply redundancy) modes

VRTX comes standard with six hot-pluggable, redundant fan modules and 4 blower modules

 Based on Dell Energy Smart Technologies, VRTX fans and blowers are a breakthrough in power and cooling efficiency

 The fans and blowers deliver low-power consumption, but also use nextgeneration fan technologies to ensure the lowest possible amount of fresh air is consumed to cool the enclosure

 Front control panel with interactive graphical LCD

— Supports initial configuration wizard

— Local server blade, enclosure, and module information and troubleshooting

 Two USB keyboard/mouse connections and one video connection for local front “crash cart” console connections


Feature Technical specification

Drive bays and hard drives

Embedded NIC

 Optional DVD-RW

Up to 12 x 3.5 in NLSAS, SAS, or SAS SSD hot-plug drives or

Up to 25 x 2.5 in NLSAS, SAS, or SAS SSD hot-plug drives

1GbE internal switch module (standard) with 16 internal 1GbE ports and 8 external ports

Ethernet pass-through module with 8 external ports (optional)

I/O slots

Eight flexible PCIe slots

 Three full-height/full-length slots (150W) with double-wide card support

(225W)

 Five low-profile/half-length slots (25W)

Systems management

Chassis Management Controller (CMC), a unified management tool, manages all resources — server nodes, storage, networking and power — inside the chassis

 Delivers comprehensive functionality that is easy to use

 Monitors up to nine VRTX systems (up to 36 servers) from a single, consolidated CMC console

 Provides local and remote management





Enterprise or Express CMC licensing



Optional redundant Chassis Management Controller

Server nodes each contain proven iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller for agent-free systems management fully supported within the OpenManage product portfolio and select third-party management solutions

Rack support ReadyRails ™ II sliding rails for 4-post racks with square, round or threaded holes


2 System features

The Dell PowerEdge VRTX integrates compute and storage capabilities through a 5U rackable tower chassis. VRTX supports up to four 12 th -generation, hot-plug PowerEdge M520 or PowerEdge M620 blade servers. The M620 is a half-height blade server that supports up to 24 DIMMs and two processors. The M520 is a half-height blade server that supports up to 12 DIMMs and two processors.

VRTX can be configured into four different chassis types:



Tower form factor supporting up to 12 3.5-inch drives (Figure 1)



Tower form factor supporting up to 25 2.5-inch drives (Figure 2)



5U rack form factor supporting up to 12 3.5-inch drives (top of Figure 3)



5U rack form factor supporting up to 25 2.5-inch drives (bottom of Figure 3)

Figure 1. VRTX tower with 3.5-inch drives


Figure 2. VRTX tower with 2.5-inch drives

Figure 3. VRTX rack with 3.5-inch (top) and 2.5-inch (bottom) drives


The chassis design of the VRTX is optimized for easy access to components and for airflow for

effective and efficient cooling. Figure 4 shows components on the back of the VRTX chassis

including the PCIe expansion cards, CMC ports, blower modules and I/O modules.

Figure 4. VRTX back view

VRTX provides the features and components listed in Table 3.

Table 3.

VRTX chassis features

Feature

Power button

LCD panel

Drives

USB connectors

Information tag

Description

Powers on the system

Provides system information and status or messages

Up to 24 front-accessible, hot-plug, 2.5-inch drives or up to 12 front-

accessible, hot-plug, 3.5-inch drives; see the Storage section for details

2 ports for keyboard and mouse connection

Slide-out label panel for system information including the Express Service tab, embedded NIC and MAC address


Feature Description

Video connector

Optical drive

Vents

Server modules

Power supply units

PCIe expansion card slots

I/O module ports

Serial connector

CMC ports

Connects a monitor to the system

Optional SATA DVD-ROM drive or DVD+/-RW drive

Vents for the temperature sensor

Up to 4 PowerEdge M520 or M620 server modules specifically configured for the enclosure

Up to 4 1100W AC

Connects up to 3 full-height and 5 low-profile PCIe expansion cards

Network interface for I/O modules

DB-9 serial connector for local CMC configuration

2 ports; connects the primary CMC

Blower modules 4 modules provide cooling for the server modules

Quick Resource Locator

(QRL)

Use a smartphone application to scan this code on the chassis to access additional information and resources for the server, including videos, reference materials, service tag information and Dell contact information

VRTX offers the features listed in Table 4 to help ensure the security of your data center.

Table 4.

VRTX security features

Security feature Description

Cover latch

A tooled latch is integrated on the top cover with a coin key lock to secure the system.

Bezel

TPM

An optional metal bezel is mounted to the chassis front to provide the Dell ID. A lock on the bezel is used to protect unauthorized access to hard drives. System status is viewable on the LCD screen when the bezel is installed.

The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is used to generate/store keys, protect/authenticate passwords, and create/store digital certificates. It also supports the Intel Xeon TXT functionality. TPM can also be used to enable the BitLocker™ hard drive encryption feature in Windows Server

2008. TPM 1.2 is supported. No TPM version is available for China or Russia.

Power-off security

Intrusion alert

Secure mode

BIOS has the ability to disable the power button function.

When the cover is opened, the intrusion alert switch circuit closes to indicate intrusion to CMC. When enabled, the software will provide notification that the cover has been opened.

For the server nodes, BIOS has the ability to enter a secure boot mode through

Setup. This mode includes the option to lock out the server node power and server node NMI switches on the control panel or set up a system password.


Figure 5 illustrates the underlying architecture of VRTX.

For more detailed information on features and descriptions for VRTX, see the

Systems Owner's Manual

on Dell.com/Support/Manuals .

Dell PowerEdge VRTX

Figure 5. PowerEdge VRTX block diagram


3 Processors

See the

Dell PowerEdge M520 Technical Guide

and the


Dell.com/PowerEdge for detailed information on supported processors.

at

For more information on the Intel Xeon processor E5 product family, visit Intel.com

.


4 Memory

See the


and the


Dell.com/PowerEdge for detailed information on supported memory.

on


5 Storage

The PowerEdge VRTX platform provides comprehensive, shared internal storage options, including several drive types to choose from. VRTX supports up to 48TB of internal, low-latency storage.

All four server nodes have access to the full storage space. Each server node sees the storage as its own singular storage pool. You can assign virtual disks to single server nodes or across server nodes

(with clustering) using the CMC.

Infrastructure

One of the key differentiators for VRTX is the integrated shared storage. Virtualization support at remote sites requires shared storage for VM migration. To date, shared storage solutions have been too expensive for these applications; however VRTX is able to leverage existing PERC technology to deliver a low-cost 6Gb/s direct-attached storage (DAS) solution and virtualization support.

The PERC provides multiple channels of virtual I/O. PCIe switches provide the ability to map virtual functions to multiple servers through virtual PCIe hierarchies. CMC has a web interface you can use

to create maps to the servers, and create and assign corresponding virtual drives. Figure 6 shows the

Virtual Disks tab on the CMC web interface.

Figure 6. CMC Virtual Disks tab


Supported hard drives

The VRTX shared storage supports the internal drives listed in Table 5.

Form factor

Type

Table 5.

Supported hard drives

Speed

(rpm)

Capacities

2.5"

Nearline SAS (6Gb)

SAS (6Gb)

SAS (6Gb)

SSD (SLC)

7.2K

10K

15K

N/A

500GB, 1TB

600GB, 900GB, 1.2TB

146GB, 300GB

200GB, 400GB

3.5"

Nearline SAS (6Gb)

SAS (6Gb)

7.2K

10K

1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB

600GB, 900GB, 1.2TB

SAS (6Gb) 15K 300GB, 450GB, 600GB

For the latest information on supported hard drives, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge .

PERC8 storage controller

The shared PERC8 card is located between the storage array and the power distribution board on the VRTX planar. The shared PERC8 slot routes SAS to the nearby planar miniSAS connectors, which are used to internally cable SAS from the PERC to the SAS expander cards in the storage array .

The VRTX shared PERC8 card has additional features, beyond a standard monolithic PERC-mini card, at the driver and firmware level to support shared storage. A unique PCIe ID is used to indicate shared storage capability and compatibility in the VRTX system.

For more information about the latest PERC offerings, see Dell.com/PERC .


6 Networking

VRTX supports up to eight Ethernet connections on the back of the system. The Fabric A infrastructure supports either a pass-through or a switch card installed in the back of the chassis.

These cards plug directly into the midplane.

Fabric A is limited by the following physical restraints:

 Fabric A internal connections limited to four server nodes times four lanes, or 16 lanes total

 Fabric A bulkhead space for external connection is limited to eight RJ45 connectors

 Fabric A is limited to a single cold service card

For Fabric A, the M520 uses a quad-port 1GbE LOM. The M620 has a network daughtercard (NDC) option for Fabric A that includes Broadcom and Intel cards.

Fabric A system management

The system management paradigm for Fabric A is non-redundant. A single SMBus, serial port or

Ethernet management fabric is presented to the CMC for Fabric A, including the pass-through mode which is fabric redundant.

Fabric A pass-through cards

The 1GB Ethernet pass-through card is defined as having no single points of failure at the Ethernet signal level. Maximum Ethernet signal pass-through is limited to eight lanes due to the bulkhead limit of eight RJ45 connectors.

Server

Midplane

Server 1

Server 2

Server 3

Server 4

LOM A1

LOM A2

LOM A3

LOM A4

LOM A1

LOM A2

LOM A3

LOM A4

LOM A1

LOM A2

LOM A3

LOM A4

LOM A1

LOM A2

LOM A3

LOM A4


Server 1 A1

Server 2 A1

Server 3 A1

Server 4 A1

Ethernet Fabric A Passthrough Card

Quad

Ethernet

Transceiver

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Server 1 A2

Server 2 A2

Server 3 A2

Server 4 A2

Quad

Ethernet

Transceiver

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Fabric A switches

A single switch is implemented for all I/O, and allows maximum signal consolidation without forcing bifurcation of the Ethernet fabric. Switches accept up to 16 lanes from Fabric A and output up to eight lanes at the external ports. A switch is the only Fabric A card that can support the full four-lane count from Fabric A. When equipped with four M520 servers and quad-port LOMs, VRTX can take full advantage of all 16 internal ports (four per server node).

Server 1

Server 2

Server 3

Server 4

LOM A1

LOM A2

LOM A3

LOM A4

LOM A1

LOM A2

LOM A3

LOM A4

LOM A1

LOM A2

LOM A3

LOM A4

LOM A1

LOM A2

LOM A3

LOM A4

Server

Midplane

Server 1 A1

Server 1 A2

Server 1 A3

Server 1 A4

Server 2 A1

Server 2 A2

Server 2 A3

Server 2 A4

Server 3 A1

Server 3 A2

Server 3 A3

Server 3 A4

Server 4 A1

Server 4 A2

Server 4 A3

Server 4 A4

Ethernet Fabric A Switch Card

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Switch

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection

Ethernet

Connection


7 PCIe Infrastructure

Instead of using traditional I/O modules for Fabric B or Fabric C, Dell has designed the PowerEdge

VRTX to use PCIe slots using two PCIe switches — one for Fabric B and one for Fabric C. Each PCIe switch ties into one of the two mezzanine cards on the server nodes.

The Fabric B PCIe switch provides connectivity to the following:

 PCIe slot 3

 PCIe slot 5

 PCIe slot 6

 PCIe slot 7

 PCIe Slot 8

 Shared PowerEdge RAID Controller (SPERC)

The Fabric C PCIe switch provides connectivity to the following:

 PCIe slot 1

 PCIe slot 2

 PCIe slot 4

 PCIe slot 5

The PCIe slots are non-shared and thereby dedicated to one server node within the PowerEdge

VRTX system. The PCIe slots can be reassigned to a different server through the CMC as needed.

Each slot is capable of being exclusively assigned to any server node, although it does require powering the server node off.

You can assign up to four PCIe slots to one server node.

Supported PCIe cards

VRTX supports the following PCIe expansion cards.

 AMD FirePro™ W7000

 6Gb/s SAS HBA (low-profile and full-height)

 Broadcom ® dual-port 1Gb (low-profile and full-height)

 Intel dual-port 1Gb (low-profile and full-height)

 Intel dual-port 10Gb Base-T (low-profile and full-height)

 Intel dual-port 10Gb Base-SFP+ (low-profile and full-height)

 Intel quad-port 1Gb (low-profile and full-height)

 Broadcom dual-port 10Gb Base-SFP+ (low-profile and full-height)


8 Power, thermal and acoustics

Lower overall system-level power draw is a result of Dell’s breakthrough system design. The

PowerEdge VRTX chassis maximizes performance-per-watt through a combination of power and cooling, energy-efficient technologies, and tools. Additionally, VRTX has an extensive collection of sensors that automatically track thermal activity, which helps regulate temperature thereby reducing server noise and power consumption.

Power consumption and energy efficiency

With the rise in the cost of energy coupled with increasing data center density, Dell provides tools and technologies to help you realize greater performance with less energy cost and waste. More efficient data center usage can reduce costs by slowing the need for additional data center space.

Table 6 lists the tools and technologies Dell offers to help you achieve your data center goals by

lowering power consumption and increasing energy efficiency.

Feature

Table 6.

Power tools and technologies

Description

Power supply units (PSU) portfolio

Dell’s PSU portfolio includes intelligent features such as dynamically optimizing efficiency while maintaining availability and redundancy.

Tools for right-sizing

Industry compliance

Power monitoring accuracy

Power capping

Systems management

Energy Smart Solution Advisor (ESSA) helps you determine the most efficient configuration possible. With Dell’s ESSA, you can calculate the power consumption of your hardware, power infrastructure and storage.

ESSA can help you determine exactly how much power your server will use at a given workload, and the PSU Advisor can help you choose the best, most efficient PSU for your workload. Learn more at Dell.com/ESSA .

Dell’s servers are compliant with all relevant industry certifications and guidelines, including 80 PLUS, Climate Savers, and ENERGY STAR ® .

PSU power monitoring improvements include:

 Dell’s power monitoring accuracy is currently 1%, whereas the industry standard is 5%

 More accurate reporting of power

 Better performance under a power cap

Use OpenManage systems management to set the power cap limit for your systems to limit the output of a PSU and reduce system power consumption.

Dell is the first hardware vendor to leverage Intel Node Manager for circuitbreaker fast capping.

iDRAC7 Enterprise with Lifecycle Controller provides server-level management that monitors, reports and controls power consumption at the processor, memory and system level.

Dell OpenManage Power Center delivers group power management at the rack, row and data center level for servers, power distribution units (PDUs) and uninterruptible power supplies.


Feature Description

Active power management

Dell Fresh Air cooling

Intel Node Manager is an embedded technology that provides individual server-level power reporting and power limiting functionality. Dell offers a complete power management solution comprised of Intel Node Manager accessed through Dell iDRAC7 Enterprise and OpenManage Power Center that allows policy-based management of power and thermals at the individual server, rack and data center level.

Hot spare reduces power consumption of redundant power supplies.

Thermal control of fan speed optimizes the thermal settings for your environment to reduce fan consumption and lower system power consumption.

Idle power enables Dell servers to run as efficiently when idle as when at full workload.

With the thermal design and reliability of Dell products, certain configurations have the capability to operate at excursion-based temperatures beyond the industry standard of 35°C (95°F) up to 45°C (113°F) for excursionary periods of time and up to a 26°C dew point at 90% relative humidity without impacting your availability model. Find more details at

Dell.com/FreshAir .

Rack infrastructure

Dell offers some of the industry’s highest-efficiency power infrastructure solutions, including:

 Power distribution units

 Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)

 Energy Smart containment rack enclosures

Find additional information at Dell.com/Rack Infrastructure for the Efficient

Data Center .

Find additional information at Dell.com/PowerAndCooling and Power.com/PowerCenter .

Power supply units

VRTX is powered by two to four Dell 1100W PSUs. VRTX uses these PSUs to support both low-line

(115 VAC) and high-line (220 VAC) power sources. Dell 1100W PSUs support a maximum of four

PSUs with the current sharing circuitry. The low-line and high-line power capabilities are roughly equivalent, with only slightly more power available in high-line power sources.

VRTX PSUs support three power supply redundant options (1+1, 2+1, or 3+1) or one AC redundancy mode (2+2).

Due to the strict acoustic requirements for VRTX, it is preferred to always run four PSUs in the system for best distribution of the power loading and lowest fan speed for the PSU fans. PSU fans exhibit an exponential increase in noise based upon fan speed.

Attribute

80 Plus

Power factor correction

FCC classification


Table 7.

1100W PSU specifications

Value

Platinum Plus

Active

Class A

Attribute Value

Max output current

Input voltage range

108.0 Amps

90–264V AC, 47–63Hz

Iin (100–240V AC) for rating on safety label 12.0 Amps–6.5 Amps

Initial in-rush current 55 Amps (peak)

Secondary in-rush current 25 Amps (peak)

Table 8.

1100W PSU efficiency

10% load 20% load 50% load 100% load

Power supply efficiency at 115VAC 87% 91% 92.5% 90%

Power supply efficiency at 230VAC 89%

Thermal

93% 94.5% 92%

Four blower modules with dual blowers are located on the back of the VRTX chassis.

Six fans are located between the SAS backplane and expander cards and the system planar components. You can check fan status using the control panel LCD or the systems management interfaces.

In chassis standby mode, all components are unpowered except the CMC, the LCD control panel, and two fans for cooling the CMC components. For chassis standby mode, the system needs to run one or two fans at low RPM to ensure that the CMCs are properly cooled.

Acoustics

PowerEdge VRTX has been consciously designed with an open office layout in mind, including its acoustical design. Acoustic intensity has been minimized as a function of delivered airflow, and tones (buzzes, hums, whistles) have been removed. The result is a smooth sound generally masked by that of normal office air conditioning or conference room conversations. Certain configurations and utilizations are quieter than others — if your environment is acoustically sensitive, Dell can help you choose the right configuration.


Figure 9. VRTX acoustics

Value measured at

your ears

LpA, dBA, re 20 µPa

Loudness, sones

Equivalent familiar

noise experience

90 80 Loud concert

PowerEdge VRTX with

standard M620s

PowerEdge VRTX with all

“enhanced acoustics” M620s

and/or all M520s

75

60

45

35

30

39

10

4

2

1

Data center, vacuum cleaner, voice must be elevated to be heard

Conversation levels

Whispering, open office layout, normal living room

Quiet office

Quiet library

20 0 Recording studio

For background information on Dell Enterprise acoustics, such as metrics and operating conditions, see the Dell white paper Dell Enterprise Acoustics .

Data summary for VRTX acoustics

Acoustical data for a typical configuration standards) are as follows:

1 2.5-inch hard drive version of the VRTX platform with three sample blade configurations and utilizations in 23 ± 2 °C ambient (per ISO acoustical

 All M520 server nodes at idle and operating 2

— LwA-UL

— LpA 4

3 = 5.5 bels

= 37 dBA

— No prominent tones 5

— What this means: These levels would be masked by most open office environments, such as air-conditioning noise and conference room conversation. For this configuration, the system at 50% workload sounds the same as at idle.

 One or more M620 server nodes with the enhanced acoustics processor and heatsink option

— Idle 2

>

>

LwA-UL 3

LpA 4

= 5.5 bels

= 37 dBA

— Operating 2

>

>

>

LwA-UL

LpA 4

3 = 5.8 bels

= 38 dBA

No prominent tones 5

— What this means: These levels would be masked by most open office environments, such as air-conditioning noise and conference room conversation. For this configuration, the system at 50% workload is 30% louder than at idle. The enhanced acoustics option uses fewer


balanced DIMMs; 16 balanced DIMMs versus 24 balanced DIMMs with a standard M620 blade server.

 One or more M620 server nodes with the standard processor and heatsink option

— Idle 2

>

>

LwA-UL 3

LpA 4

= 5.5 bels

= 37 dBA

— Operating 2

>

>

>

LwA-UL

LpA 3

2 = 6.2 bels

= 41 dBA

No prominent tones 4

— What this means: Operating values would begin to compete with normal conference room environments or conversation levels depending upon proximity to PowerEdge VRTX chassis.

For this configuration, the system at 50% workload is 50% louder than at idle.

Other acoustical information includes the following:

 TurboBoost mode: Acoustical levels can be further reduced during operating mode by choosing to turn TurboBoost mode off for the processor.

 Utilization: As workload on the processor increases, acoustical levels also increase. The M520 and the enhanced acoustics M620 are less sensitive to utilization changes, but the standard

M620 exhibits significant acoustical change with utilization. As utilization exceeds 50% workload, acoustical output exceeds those values listed for operating above for the respective configuration.

 Transients: As utilization changes, such as from moderate to high workloads, blower module speeds may temporarily exceed the steady-state values causing the acoustics to temporarily increase.

 Background noise levels vary from office to office and around the world, affecting what we hear.

For example, some offices may not use air conditioning and not experience the associated broadband ambient background noise. If you are in a quiet open office area, you may wish to choose one of the quieter acoustical configurations, such as the enhanced acoustics option for the M620.

Data summary footnotes

1 Typical configuration:

— Three M520 or M620 server nodes with Intel Xeon E5-2660 processors

— Six 8GB DIMMs

— Sixteen 10k 2.5-inch hard disk drives

— Four 1100W power supplies

2 Test conditions follow sections 3.1 and 5.3 of ISO 7779 (2010) for idle and operating, where operating is simulated by exercising processor at 50% of the thermal design power (TDP.)

3 LwA – UL: Upper limit sound power levels (LwA) calculated per section 4.4.1 of ISO 9296 (1988) and measured in accordance to ISO 7779 (2010).

4 LpA: Front bystander position A-weighted sound pressure level calculated per section 4.3 of ISO

9296 (1988) and measured in accordance with ISO 7779 (2010). The system is placed at a deskside location next to the standard ISO 7779 table.

5 Prominent tone: Criteria of D.6 and D.11 of ECMA-74 11th edition (2010) are followed to determine if discrete tones are prominent; system is placed in deskside location next to ISO 7779 table and acoustic transducer is at front bystander position, ref ISO 7779.


9 Rack, rails and cable management

VRTX supports ReadyRails II sliding rails for 4-post racks and cable management arm (CMA) options:

 Support for toolless installation in 19-inch EIA-310-E compliant square or unthreaded round hole 4-post racks including all generations of Dell racks

 Support for tooled installation in 19-inch EIA-310-E compliant threaded hole 4-post racks

 Support full extension of the system out of the rack to allow serviceability of key internal components

 Support for optional CMA

 Minimum rail mounting depth without the CMA: 714 mm

 Minimum rail mounting depth with the CMA: 845 mm

 Square-hole rack adjustment range: 608–915 mm

 Round-hole rack adjustment range: 594–908 mm

 Threaded-hole rack adjustment range: 608–930 mm

The rails ship in the toolless mounting configuration but can be converted to the tooled

configuration very quickly and easily. Table 9 lists the rack rail system that the VRTX system supports.

Note that static rail mounting in 2-post racks is not supported.

Table 9.

Supported rack rail system

Rack Types Supported

Product

Rail

Identifier

Mounting Interface Rail Type 4-Post 2-Post

VRTX C3 ReadyRails II Sliding

Square Round Thread Flush Center

   x x

Other factors to consider when deploying the VRTX system include the spacing between the front and back mounting flanges of the rack, the type and location of any equipment mounted in the back

of the rack such as PDUs, and the overall depth of the rack. See Table 10 for more information.

Table 10.

Rail adjustability range

Rail adjustability range (mm) Rail depth (mm)

Product

Rail identifier

Rail type Square Round Threaded

Min Max Min Max Min Max without

CMA with

CMA

VRTX C3 Sliding 608 915 594 908 608 930 756 845

Note that the adjustment range of the rails is a function of the type of rack in which they are being mounted. The minimum and maximum values listed above represent the allowable distance between the front and rear mounting flanges in the rack. Rail depth represents the minimum depth of the rail as measured from the rack front mounting flanges when the rail rear bracket is positioned all the way forward.


Cable management

The optional CMA can be mounted on either the left or right side of the rails without the use of tools for fast and easy deployment.

The optional CMA for the VRTX organizes and secures the cords and cables exiting the back of the server and unfolds to allow the server to extend out of the rack without having to detach the cables.

Key features of the VRTX CMA include:

 Large U-shaped baskets to support dense cable loads

 Open vent pattern for optimal airflow

 Mounting on either side by simply swinging the attachment housings from one side to the other

 Simple and intuitive snap-in mounting design eliminates the need for tools for both the CMA and tray

 Hook-and-loop straps, rather than plastic tie wraps, to eliminate the risk of cable damage during cycling

 Low-profile fixed tray to both support and retain the CMA in its fully closed position


10 Operating systems and virtualization

The Dell PowerEdge VRTX supports a wide range of industry-standard operating systems and virtualization software. For the latest information on supported operating systems, see

Dell.com/OSsupport.

Supported operating systems

Table 11 lists the operating systems supported on the VRTX platform.

Operating system

Table 11.

Primary operating systems support

Microsoft Windows Server 2012

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2

Platform x64 x64 x32 x64

Edition

Standard

Enterprise

Datacenter

Standard

Enterprise

Datacenter

HPC

Standard

Enterprise

Standard

Enterprise

Datacenter

Supported virtualization

Table 12 lists virtualization support on the VRTX platform.

Table 12.

Virtualization support

Operating system

VMware

Install version

Factory options

FI/DIB

Internal dual SD module install support

Yes

Hyper-V vSphere v5.1

Integrated in Windows Server operating system

ESXi

2008, 2008 R2,

2012

FI/DIB No


11 Dell OpenManage systems management

Whether your IT environment consists of a few servers or a few thousand servers, the

Dell OpenManage systems management portfolio provides comprehensive management for evolving IT environments. OpenManage is based on open standards and offers both agent-free and agent-based server lifecycle management functionality for Dell PowerEdge servers. OpenManage solutions help you automate and streamline essential hardware management tasks.

The advanced management capabilities of Dell OpenManage also integrate and connect with thirdparty systems management solutions that you may already use, making Dell platforms easy to manage and deploy in any IT environment. If you have already standardized on offerings from industry leaders, such as BMC Software, Microsoft, VMware or other vendors, you can leverage

OpenManage integration and connections developed for use with your existing systems management framework to efficiently manage Dell servers, storage, business-client PCs and network devices.

OpenManage systems management solutions consist of a combination of embedded management features and software products that help you automate and simplify the entire server lifecycle: deploy, update, monitor and maintain. OpenManage solutions are innovatively designed for simplicity and ease of use to help you reduce complexity, save time, achieve efficiency, control costs and empower productivity.

Systems management solutions

Dell systems management solutions include a wide variety of tools, products, and services that

enable you to leverage an existing systems management framework. As shown in Figure 10, Dell

systems management solutions are centered on the OpenManage embedded server management feature iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller.

Figure 10. Dell systems management solutions


OpenManage systems management

The Dell OpenManage systems management portfolio includes powerful hardware and software management tools and consoles.

iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller

The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 7 (iDRAC7) with Lifecycle Controller is the heart of the second generation of Dell PowerEdge embedded management functionality. In addition to enabling agent-free management, iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller provides remote access to the system — whether or not there is a functioning operating system or hypervisor running on the server.

These embedded features help simplify and automate all aspects of server lifecycle management:

deployment, updates, monitoring and maintenance. Table 13 describes the functions and benefits of

iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller.

Feature

Table 13.

iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller functions and benefits

Function Benefit

Out-of-band

Single code base iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller offers real-time, out-of-band discovery, inventory, deployment, monitoring, alerting and updates for server nodes and internal storage

Manage servers independent of the

OS/hypervisor type or status — even if an

OS/hypervisor is not installed or operational

All Dell PowerEdge 12 th hardware and firmware

generation servers use the same embedded management

Simplified, consistent and uniform maintenance across server platforms

Dedicated

GigE port

(PowerEdge rack and tower systems)

Gigabit Ethernet replaces 10/100 on predecessor iDRAC6

Fast throughput for better performance; compatibility with setup for switches

Email alerts

Simplified, informative, and actionable messaging including key information on systems and components, warranty and service tag

More detail allows IT administrators to be more efficient in diagnosing and remediating if an issue occurs; alerts include a direct, embedded URL in the email notification to further speed resolution vFlash media

Electronic licensing

Enabled with iDRAC7 Enterprise

To obtain a software license key for iDRAC7 Express or iDRAC7 Enterprise after server purchase, submit a request to purchase a software license key through the Dell Licensing Portal or with a Dell sales representative.

Allows for use of a non-Dell SD card

If iDRAC7 Express or iDRAC7 Enterprise is ordered at the time of purchase, a license key will be factory installed. For customers who purchase a key after the point of purchase, Dell electronic licensing enables license upgrades and accompanying feature enhancements that will not require installation of additional hardware or system downtime.


iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller for VRTX configuration options iDRAC7 Enterprise is the standard offering for VRTX as it is designed for optimal remote management. iDRAC7 Express is optional and offers a reduced feature set for cost-conscious customers. iDRAC7 Enterprise and Express are available for PowerEdge VRTX M620 and M520 server

nodes. Table 14 compares the features available with iDRAC7 Express or iDRAC7 Enterprise.

Table 14.

Detailed feature comparison for iDRAC7 Enterprise and iDRAC7 Express for VRTX

Feature iDRAC7 Express iDRAC7 Enterprise

Interface and

Standards Support

Connectivity

Security and

Authentication

IPMI 2.0

Web-based GUI

SNMP and IPMI discovery

WS-MAN

SMASH-CLP (SSH)

RACADM command line (SSH and local)

RACADM command line (remote)

NTP and time zone support

DNS

VLAN tagging

IPv4

IPv6

Dynamic DNS

Role-based authority

Local users

SSL encryption

Active Directory

Generic LDAP support

Two-factor authentication 1

Single sign-on


Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Remote

Management

and Remediation

Monitoring and

Power

Feature

Public key authentication (for SSH)

Embedded diagnostics

Remote firmware update

Server power control

Serial-over-LAN (with proxy)

Serial-over-LAN (no proxy)

Last crash screen capture

Last crash video capture/playback

Boot video capture/playback

Virtual Media 2

Virtual Console 2

Virtual Console sharing

Remote Virtual Console launch

Virtual folders

Virtual Console chat

Remote file share

Virtual Flash

Virtual Flash partitions

Sensor monitoring and alerting

SNMP Alerts (v1, v2)

SNMPv3 Gets

Email alerts

DIMM ranking

Historical power counters

Power budgeting

32 PowerEdge VRTX Technical Guide iDRAC7 Express

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes iDRAC7 Enterprise

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Feature iDRAC7 Express

Real-time power monitoring

Real-time power graphing

Real-time power capping

System event log

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Logging

RAC log

Trace log

Lifecycle Controller Log

Remote sysLog

Yes

Yes

Yes

Local updates

Driver packs

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Lifecycle Controller

One-to-many hardware configuation

(WS-MAN or RACADM)

Asset inventory export

Remote services (via WS-MAN)

Yes

Yes

Settings restoration for replaced parts

Replacement Reconfiguration

Yes

System backup and restore No

1 Two-factor authentication is available via ActiveX and therefore only supports Internet Explorer ®

2 Virtual Console and Virtual Media are available via both Java and ActiveX plug-ins.

. iDRAC7 Enterprise

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes


Upgrade options after point of sale (APOS)

You can evaluate and purchase upgrades from Dell from your iDRAC web interface with no need to install additional hardware. You have a choice of ordering either the software-only license, or ordering an Enterprise license that includes an 8GB or 16GB vFlash SD card. The vFlash is factory installed, but requires a license key for activation. You may also purchase and use a non Dellsupplied SD card if you need more memory. You can create multiple partitions on the SD card, but individual partition size is limited to 4GB.

Agent-based systems management

Most systems management solutions require software agents to be installed on each compute node in order to be managed within the IT environment. Additionally, the systems management agent is often used as a local interface into the hardware health and may be accessed remotely as a management interface, typically referred to as a one-to-one interface. For customers that prefer to use agent-based management solutions, Dell provides OpenManage Server Administrator software as an alternative to embedded, agent-free systems management.

OpenManage Server Administrator

The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) agent provides a comprehensive, one-to-one systems management solution for both local and remote servers and their storage. OMSA can help simplify single-server monitoring with a secure CLI or web interface. It can also be used to view system configuration, inventory, health and performance.

Agent-free embedded systems management

Dell PowerEdge 12 th generation servers include embedded server management via the onboard iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller, so in many cases there is no need to install an OpenManage systems management software agent into the operating system running on a Dell PowerEdge VRTX system. This greatly simplifies and streamlines monitoring and management for these platforms.

Dell OpenManage consoles

Chassis Management Controller console

As mentioned previously, the Dell CMC is a systems management hardware and software solution for managing multiple VRTX server nodes and chassis. The CMC is a hot-pluggable module inserted inside the VRTX chassis. Dell also offers an option to install a second redundant CMC module within the VRTX chassis. The CMC provides a secure interface that allows an IT administrator to inventory, perform configuration and monitoring tasks, remotely power on/off server nodes, and enable alerts for events related to the VRTX chassis, server nodes and components, shared storage and networking within the VRTX system. The CMC uses iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller to perform management functions, such as opening a remote console session from the CMC interface.

As Table 15 shows, additional advanced functionality is available with the default Enterprise CMC license as opposed to an Express license for CMC. CMC licensing is required in addition to iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller licenses. Each Dell PowerEdge server module within the VRTX platform must have an iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller license, either Enterprise or Express, in the equivalent level (Enterprise or Express license) for the CMC. The CMC is used to manage the VRTX platform, not just the server modules, so separate licenses are required.


Table 15.

Enterprise and Express CMC licensing for VRTX

Feature

CMC network

CMC serial port

CMC stacking port

RACADM (SSH, Local and Remote)

WS-MAN

SNMP

Telnet

SSH

Web-based interface

Email alerts

LCD deployment

CMC settings restore and backup

Remote sysLog

Directory services

Single sign-on support

Two-factor authentication

Public key authentication

Remote file share

Enclosure level power capping

Dynamic power supply engagement

Multi-chassis management

FlexAddress enablement

PCIe adapter mapping

Virtual adapter-to-slot mapping

Virtual adapter-to-slot unmapping

One-to-many server firmware update

One-to-many configuration

OME VRTX Geographic View enablement

Express

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Enterprise

Yes

For more information on these and other features, see the VRTX CMC User Guide

Dell online License Management portal, go to Dell.com/Support/Retail/lkm .

at

Dell.com/EnterpriseManagement and go to the Dell Tech Center page for CMC at Dell.com/omcmc . For the

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes


Dell OpenManage Essentials v1.2 console

OpenManage Essentials (OME) provides a comprehensive view of Dell systems, devices and components in an enterprise network. It is used to discover, inventory and monitor Dell PowerEdge servers, Compellent, EqualLogic™ and PowerVault™ storage, Dell Networking switches, and business client PCs; to perform agent-free updates and configuration for Dell 11 th –12 th -generation servers; and to create asset reports including service tag and warranty information.

OpenManage Essentials also communicates health status alerts for Dell servers, storage and network devices to the Dell KACE™ K1000 service desk and enables automated hardware monitoring and support functionality through integration with the Dell SupportAssist proactive remote support service.

Exclusive to enterprise-licensed VRTX systems, OpenManage Essentials provides Geographic View for VRTX to map, monitor and manage geographically dispersed VRTX systems across town or around the globe. IT administrators and service providers can instantly locate and access remote

VRTX systems, drill down on component and warranty information, and perform agent-free monitoring and updates to the VRTX Chassis Management Controller (CMC), shared hardware components in the chassis, the server nodes, and components on the server nodes. OpenManage

Essentials is available as a no-charge software download from Dell.com/Support .

OpenManage systems management tools and utilities

Dell Repository Manager

The Dell Repository Manager (RM) is a standalone GUI-based productivity tool that helps simplify the process of managing downloads and baseline BIOS, firmware and driver updates. Repository

Manager can create deployment disks as well as create and manage customized repositories.

Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility

The Dell Server Update Utility (SUU) is a DVD-based application for identifying and applying BIOS and firmware updates to Dell PowerEdge servers.

Dell OpenManage Systems Build and Update Utility

The Dell System Build and Update Utility (SBUU) provides one-to-one and one-to-many deployment and single-server update capabilities in the pre-operating system environment.

Dell Update Packages

The Dell Update Packages (DUPs) are self-contained executables in standard package format that update software elements on Dell PowerEdge servers, such as the BIOS, drivers, firmware and other software updates.

Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit

The Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit (DTK) is a CLI-based tool that includes a set of utilities for configuring and deploying Dell PowerEdge systems, and can be used to build scripted, unattended OS installations to deploy quantities of Dell servers in a reliable fashion.

RACADM

The RACADM command-line utility provides a scriptable interface that allows local or remote configuration iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller.

IPMITool

The IPMITool includes scriptable console application programs used to control and manage remote systems using IPMI version 1.5 and later protocol versions.


OpenManage Integration with third-party consoles

Dell OpenManage integrates iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller functionality with several leading thirdparty consoles, including Microsoft System Center, VMware vCenter, BMC Software BladeLogic and

ProactiveNet Performance Management.

Microsoft System Center offers management of applications, services, physical resources, hypervisors, software defined networks, configuration and automation in a single comprehensive platform. For customers with existing investments in MS System Center, Dell offers the OpenManage

Integration Suite for Microsoft System Center, a portfolio of software tools that streamline and optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of managing Dell hardware with System Center.

Dell OpenManage Integration Suite for Microsoft System Center includes:

Dell Server Management Pack Suite for Microsoft System Center Operations

Manager (SCOM)

This suite of Dell Server Management Packs enables several functions through System Center

Operations Manager, including agent-free and agent-based in-band and out-of band discovery and monitoring of PowerEdge racks, towers, blades and VRTX systems,

Dell Lifecycle Controller Integration (DLCI) for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager

(SCCM)

This tool provides DLCI, within SCCM to manage Dell PowerEdge servers agent-free, including auto-discovery, operating system deployment and configuration of hardware elements, (RAID, NIC,

BIOS, iDRAC), OS and hypervisor agnostic updates, firmware management, and system viewer utilities.

Dell Server Deployment Pack and Dell Hardware Update Catalogs

Dell Server Deployment Pack automates bare-metal configuration and deployment of a variety of

Microsoft Windows operating system and application versions from a central location to Dell

PowerEdge servers across a network.

Dell Server Update Catalogs scan and update BIOS, firmware and drivers for PowerEdge servers, blades and VRTX.

Dell Server PRO Management Pack with PRO-Tips for Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine

Manager (SCVMM)

This pack integrates Dell PowerEdge server knowledge with Microsoft SCVMM and Operations

Manager (SCOM). Dell Server PRO Management Pack provides effective management of Dell physical servers that host virtual workloads running on Microsoft Windows Server Hyper-V by monitoring the health of the host system and enabling recommendations and remedial actions

(PRO-Tips) when a compromised system is identified.

Dell Management Plug-in for VMware vCenter

This plug-in allows IT administrators to monitor, provision, and manage the physical PowerEdge server, blade and VRTX hardware and firmware from a dedicated Dell menu accessed through the

VMware vCenter console. IT administrators use the same role-based, access-control model within vCenter to combine physical and virtual server management

BMC Software

BMC offers best-in-class integration of OpenManage iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller technology within select BMC Enterprise Systems Management (ESM) portfolio products.


OpenManage Connections with third-party consoles

Dell OpenManage Connections are designed specifically for monitoring Dell server and storage platforms within infrastructures managed by HP Operations Manager, IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus or Computer Associates (CA) Network and Systems Management (NSM). OpenManage Connections improve operational efficiency and flexibility in managing Dell hardware in large heterogeneous data center environments.

Dell OpenManage Connection for Computer Associates Network and Systems Management

This connection enables monitoring of PowerEdge servers and PowerVault storage arrays in environments managed by Computer Associates Network and Systems Management (CA NSM) with no installation of the CA agent required on the Dell hardware.

Dell OpenManage Connection for HP Operations Manager

This connection enables several functions through HP Operations Manager, including autogrouping, SNMP trap reception, global health monitoring and a context-sensitive launch of

OpenManage Server Administrator.

Dell OpenManage Connection for IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIBus

This connection provides event monitoring capabilities to monitor Dell PowerEdge servers and Dell

EqualLogic systems. It allows event monitoring, automatic event correlation, and launching device consoles from the Netcool/OMNIbus console.

Dell server management operations

Dell OpenManage systems management automates the most essential hardware management

tasks — deploy, update, monitor and maintain. Figure 11 illustrates systems management operations

that are performed more efficiently, and with fewer tools, through utilization of the Dell PowerEdge embedded management feature iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller.

Figure 11. Systems management server lifecycle


Table 16 lists the products that are available for one-to-one and one-to-many operations, and when

they are used in the server’s lifecycle:

Operation

Deploy

Table 16.

One-to-one and one-to-many operations

One-to-one One-to-many

 iDRAC with Lifecycle

Controller GUI

 DTK

 SBUU

 Symantec Deployment

Server

 OpenManage Integration for

VMware vCenter

 KACE K1000 Appliance

 Lifecycle Controller Remote

Services

 BMC BladeLogic integration with Lifecycle Controller

 Dell Server Deployment Pack

(DSDP) for Microsoft System

Center Configuration Manager and Dell Lifecycle Controller

Integration (DLCI) for Microsoft

System Center Configuration

Manager

Update

 iDRAC7 with Lifecycle

Controller GUI

 Repository Manager

 DUP

 SUU

 SBUU

 OpenManage

Integration for VMware vCenter


Controller

 OMSA

 Dell OpenManage Essentials


Services

 Dell Update Catalogs for

Microsoft System Center

Configuration Manager

 Dell Lifecycle Controller



Manager

Monitor

Maintain

 IPMI


Controller GUI

 Dell OpenManage Essentials

 BMC ProactiveNet

Performance Management integration with Lifecycle

Controller

 Dell OpenManage Power

Center


Services

 OpenManage Integration for

VMware vCenter

 BMC ProactiveNet Performance

Management integration with

Lifecycle Controller

 Dell Server Management Pack

Suite for Microsoft System Center

Operations Manager (SCOM)

Remediate:

 Dell Server PRO Management

Pack for Microsoft System Center

Virtual Machine Manager

(SCVMM)

Automated configuration of replaced parts to preexisting settings:

 Dell Lifecycle Controller



Manager

For additional detailed information on Dell’s systems management portfolio, see the

Dell Systems

Management Overview Guide

on Dell.com/Support/Manuals .


Appendix A. Additional specifications

Chassis dimensions and weight

The VRTX chassis dimensions for the tower and rack form factors differ due to chassis feet and rack ears. Also, while chassis depth measured at the base chassis sheet metal is less than 26 inches, server handles and power supply handles increase the depth slightly.

Table 17.

VRTX tower form factor dimensions

VRTX tower variations Dimensions

Height with system feet

Height without system feet

Width without system feet

Width with system feet open

Depth with or without bezel

Weight (empty)

Weight (maximum)

48.4 cm (19.1 in)

46.4 cm (18.3 in)

21.9 cm (8.6 in)

31.0 cm (12.2 in)

73.0 cm (28.7 in)

31.7 kg (69.7 lb)

74.8 kg (164.9 lb)

Table 18.

VRTX rack form factor dimensions

VRTX tower variations Dimensions

Height

Width without rack ears

Width with rack ears

Depth with or without bezel

Weight (empty)

21.9 cm (8.6 in)

44.6 cm (17.6 in)

48.2 cm (19.0 in)

73.0 cm (28.7 in)

24.7 kg (54.5 lb)

Weight (maximum)

Environmental specifications

68.7 kg (151.5 lb)

Table 19 details the environmental specifications for VRTX. For additional information about

environmental measurements for specific system configurations, see

Dell.com/environmental_datasheets .


Table 19.

Environmental specifications

Dell Fresh Air: temperature, humidity, altitude de-rating

Expanded operation

Expanded operating temperature ranges are supported for fresh air environments.

≤10% of annual operating hours: 5°C to 40°C at 5% to 85% RH with 26°C dew point.

≤1% of annual operating hours: –5°C to 45°C at 5% to 90% RH with 26°C dew point.

Outside the standard operating temperature (10°C to 35°C), the system can operate down to

5°C or up to 40°C for a maximum of 10% of its annual operating hours. For temperatures between 35°C and 40°C, de-rate maximum allowable dry bulb temperature by 1°C per 175 m above 950 m (1°F per 319 ft).

Outside the standard operating temperature (10°C to 35°C), the system can operate down to

–5°C or up to 45°C for a maximum of 1% of its annual operating hours.

For temperatures between 40°C and 45°C, de-rate maximum allowable dry bulb temperature by 1°C per 125 m above 950 m (1°F per 228 ft).

When operating in the expanded temperature range, system performance may be impacted.

When operating in the expanded temperature range, ambient temperature warnings may be reported on the LCD and in the System Event Log.

Various configuration limitations will apply to systems eligible to run in the expanded operating temperature ranges.

Continuous operation

10°C to 35°C (50°F to 95°F) at 20% to 80% relative humidity with 26°C (78.8°F) maximum dew point (maximum wet bulb temperature). De-rate maximum allowable dry bulb temperature at 1°C per 300 m above 900 m (1°F per 547 ft above 2953 ft).

Temperature

Operating

Storage

See Dell Fresh Air for temperature information

–40 o C to 65 o C (–40 o F to 149 o F) with a maximum temperature gradation of 20 o C per hour

Relative humidity

Operating

Storage

See Dell Fresh Air for relative humidity information

5% to 95% at a maximum wet bulb temperature of 33°C (91°F); atmosphere must be noncondensing at all times

Maximum vibration

Operating 0.26 Grms at 5Hz to 350Hz for 15 minutes

Storage

Maximum shock

1.54 Grms at 10Hz to 250Hz for 15 minutes

Operating 1 shock pulse in the positive z axis (one pulse on each side of the system) of 31G for up to

2.6ms

Storage 6 consecutively executed shock pulses in the positive and negative x, y and z axes (one pulse on each side of the system) of 71G for up to 2ms


Altitude

Operating

Storage

–15.2 m to 3048 m (–50 ft to 10,000 ft)

–15.2 m to 10,668 m (–50 ft to 35,000 ft)

Airborne contaminant level

Class G1 or lower as defined by ISA-S71.04-1985

USB peripherals

VRTX supports USB peripherals through the front USB ports, which are USB 2.0 compliant.


Appendix B. Standards compliance

VRTX conforms to the industry standards in Table 20.

Table 20.

Industry standards documentation

Standard

ACPI

Advance Configuration and Power Interface

Specification, v2.0c

Ethernet

IEEE 802.3-2005

HDG

Hardware Design Guide Version 3.0 for

Microsoft Windows Server

IPMI

Intelligent Platform Management Interface, v2.0

DDR3 Memory

DDR3 SDRAM Specification, Rev. 3A

URL for information and specifications acpi.info

standards.ieee.org/getieee802/802.3.html

microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/pcdesign/desguide/serv erdg.mspx

intel.com/design/servers/ipmi jedec.org/download/search/JESD79-3C.pdf

LPC

Low Pin Count Interface Specification, Rev.

1.1

PCI Express

PCI Express Base Specification Rev. 2.0 and

3.0

SAS

Serial Attached SCSI, v1.1

SATA

Serial ATA Rev. 2.6; SATA II, SATA 1.0a

Extensions, Rev. 1.2

SMBIOS

System Management BIOS Reference

Specification, v2.7

TPM

Trusted Platform Module Specification, v1.2

UEFI

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface

Specification, v2.1

USB

Universal Serial Bus Specification, Rev. 2.0

Windows Logo

Windows Logo Program System and Device

Requirements, v3.10 developer.intel.com/design/chipsets/industry/lpc.htm

.pcisig.com/specifications/pciexpress t10.org

sata-io.org

dmtf.org/standards/smbios/ trustedcomputinggroup.org

uefi.org/specs usb.org/developers/docs microsoft.com/whdc/winlogo/hwrequirements.mspx


Appendix C. Additional resources

Table 21 provides a list of documents and websites that provide for more information about VRTX.

Table 21.

Additional resources

Resource

Dell PowerEdge

VRTX Systems

Owner’s Manual

Dell PowerEdge

VRTX Getting

Started Guide

Rack Installation

Instructions

Cable

Management Arm

Installation

Instructions

System

Information Label

Quick Resource

Locator (QRL)

Information

Update

Description of contents

This manual, available in PDF format, provides the following information:

 Chassis features

 System setup program

 System messages

 System codes and indicators

 System BIOS

 Remove and replace procedures

 Troubleshooting

 Diagnostics

 Jumpers and connectors

This guide ships with the system, and is also available in

PDF format on the Dell support site. This guide provides the following information:

 Initial setup steps

 Key system features

 Technical specifications

This document ships with the rack kits, and provides instructions for installing a system in a rack.

This document ships with the rack kits, and provides instructions for installing the cable management arm on a rack.

The system information label documents the system board layout and system jumper settings.

This code on the chassis can be scanned by a phone application to access additional information and resources for the server, including videos, reference materials, service tag information and Dell contact information.

This document ships with the system, and is also available in PDF format on the Dell support site. This document provides system update information.

Location

Dell.com/Support/Manuals




On the system

On the system



Resource Description of contents Location

Energy Smart

Solution Advisor

(ESSA)

OpenManage

Advisor

This Dell online advisor enables easier and more meaningful estimates to help you determine the most efficient configuration possible. Use ESSA to calculate the power consumption of your hardware, power infrastructure and storage.

Dell.com/ESSA

Use this simple web-based utility to assist in determining systems management requirements for IT environments of all sizes. Enter end-user information in the tool to determine a recommended systems management solution bases upon user-specified criteria.

Provides details for improving energy efficiency in the data center.

Dell.com/openmanageadvis or

Dell.com/PNC Power and cooling technologies

Energy management

Operating system matrix for Dell

PowerEdge systems

WS-MAN Script

Library

Provides information on Dell Fresh Air cooling solutions.

Provides updated information on which operating systems are available on which PowerEdge systems.

Processor and chipset

Dell PowerEdge

RAID controllers

Web Services for Management (WS-MAN) is a standardsbased protocol for managing servers, devices and applications. The Dell WS-MAN Script Library helps simplify development of customized scripts.

Provides more information about system processors and chipset.

Provides more information on Dell PERC cards.

Power distribution unit

Provides help selecting a PDU.

Provides help selecting a UPS model. Uninterruptible power supply

Volatility information

Contact your Dell Sales Representative.

Dell Enterprise

Acoustics

White paper that explores the mechanisms of, people’s reaction to, language of, and Dell’s work to control noise from Enterprise products.

Dell.com/FreshAir

Dell.com/OSsupport delltechcenter.com/page/Sc ripting+the+Dell+Lifecycle+

Controller

Intel.com

Dell.com/PERC

DellPDU.com

DellUPS.com

Dell.com/downloads/global/ products/pedge/en/acoustic al-education-dellenterprise-white-paper.pdf


DELL VRTX Specification

PowerEdge VRTX

Technical Guide

The world’s first integrated IT solution designed from the ground up specifically for office environments.

Table of contents

Tables

Figures

1 System overview

Introduction

Simplified systems management, without compromise

Flexibility within a stable platform

Key technologies

Specifications

2 System features

Systems Owner's Manual

Dell PowerEdge VRTX

3 Processors

Dell PowerEdge M520 Technical Guide

Dell PowerEdge M620 Technical Guide

4 Memory

Dell PowerEdge M520 Technical Guide

Dell PowerEdge M620 Technical Guide

5 Storage

Infrastructure

Supported hard drives

PERC8 storage controller

6 Networking

Fabric A system management

Fabric A pass-through cards

Fabric A switches

7 PCIe Infrastructure

Supported PCIe cards

8 Power, thermal and acoustics

Power consumption and energy efficiency

Power supply units

Thermal

Acoustics

Data summary for VRTX acoustics

9 Rack, rails and cable management

Cable management

10 Operating systems and virtualization

Supported operating systems

Supported virtualization

11 Dell OpenManage systems management

Systems management solutions

OpenManage systems management

iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller

Dell OpenManage consoles

OpenManage systems management tools and utilities

OpenManage Integration with third-party consoles

OpenManage Connections with third-party consoles

Dell server management operations

Dell Systems

Management Overview Guide

Appendix A. Additional specifications

Chassis dimensions and weight

Environmental specifications

USB peripherals

Appendix B. Standards compliance

Appendix C. Additional resources

Related manuals

Dell

PowerEdge VRTX

Dell

PowerEdge VRTX

Dell

PowerEdge VRTX

AIC

RMC-3S

Dell

OpenManage Software 7.3

Dell

OpenManage Software 7.2

Dell

Lifecycle Controller 2 Version 1.4.0

Dell

PowerEdge VRTX

Table of contents