Asus RS720-X7 User manual

RS720-X7/RS8
Conguration Guide

II
Copyright © 2012 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted,
transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means,
except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission
of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
ASUS provides this manual “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not
limited to the implied warranties or conditions of merchantability or tness for a particular purpose. In no
event shall ASUS, its directors, ofcers, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, special, incidental,
or consequential damages (including damages for loss of prots, loss of business, loss of use or data,
interruption of business and the like), even if ASUS has been advised of the possibility of such damages
arising from any defect or error in this manual or product.
Specications and information contained in this manual ae furnished for informational use only, and are
subject to change at any time without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by ASUS.
ASUS assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual,
including the products and software described in it.
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied or altered, unless
such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the
product is defaced or missing.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or
copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identication or explanation and to the
owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.
E7389
First Edition V1
June 2012

III
Contents
Revision history.......................................................................................... III
Safety information ...................................................................................... IV
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Key features.................................................................................. 1-2
1.2 System overview.......................................................................... 1-3
1.3 Front panel features..................................................................... 1-4
1.4 Rear panel features...................................................................... 1-4
1.5 Systemspecications ................................................................. 1-5
Chapter 2: Components
2.1 Upgrading CPU and CPU heatsink............................................. 2-2
2.2 Upgrading system memory......................................................... 2-4
2.3 Upgrading hard disk drives......................................................... 2-6
2.4 Installing ASUS PIKE RAID module............................................ 2-7
2.5 Installing an expansion card to the riser card bracket............. 2-8
2.6 Installing optical drive ................................................................. 2-9
2.7 OS support list ........................................................................... 2-10
Revision history
Revision Revision history Date
V1 First release of RS720-X7/RS8 conguration guide June 2012

IV
Safety information
Electrical Safety
• Before installing or removing signal cables, ensure that the power cables for
the system unit and all attached devices are unplugged.
• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the
electrical outlet before relocating the system.
• When adding or removing any additional devices to or from the system, contact
a qualied service technician or your dealer. Ensure that the power cables for
the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are connected. If possible,
disconnect all power cables from the existing system before you service.
• If the power supply is broken, do not try to x it by yourself. Contact a qualied
service technician or your dealer.
Operation Safety
• Servicing of this product or units is to be performed by trained service
personnel only.
• Before operating the server, carefully read all the manuals included with the
server package.
• Before using the server, ensure all cables are correctly connected and the
power cables are not damaged. If any damage is detected, contact your dealer
as soon as possible.
• To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.
• Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Place the server on a stable
surface.
This product is equipped with a three-wire power cable and plug for the user’s
safety. Use the power cable with a properly grounded electrical outlet to avoid
electrical shock.
Lithium-Ion Battery Warning
CAUTION! Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced.
Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer. Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
CD-ROM Drive Safety Warning
CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT
Heavy System
CAUTION! This server system is heavy. Ask for assistance when moving or
carrying the system.

1-
This chapter describes the key features
of RS920A-E6 and RS926A-E6. It
includes the product overview and
general specications.
Chapter 1
Product introduction

Chapter 1: Product introduction1-2
1.1 Key features
Mass Storage Capacity in a 2U Chassis with 92% Power
Efciency
Based on the Intel® Socket R E5-2600 processor platform, the ASUS RS720-X7/
RS8 server offers customers assured quality of service with high memory
capacity, outstanding power efciency, quad LAN, and mass storage. It also
enables comprehensive server management and exible RAID, offering functional
integration that makes it an excellent all-round choice for any IT application.
Mass storage capacity in a 2U chassis
The RS720-X7/RS8 features eight SAS/SATA 2.5”/3.5” hard drive bays and
supports up to 24TB storage capacity in 2U. Its hot-swap design provides 24/7
non-stop service, high availability, and easy upgrades.
Upto92%powerefciency
Equipped with 1+1 redundant 770W 80 PLUS Gold power supplies, the RS720-X7/
RS8 saves users money on energy costs while maintaining strict environmental
protection standards. The two power supplies also utilize a hot-swap design that
allows work to continue even if one of them requires maintenance or replacement.
Extensive expandability
The expansion slot design includes up to one PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot and six PCI
Express 3.0 x8 slots, meeting future expansion demands with ease.
Quad LAN support
Four LAN ports offer higher networking bandwidth with load-balancing and fault-
tolerance functions. The RS720-X7/RS8 supports ASUS-made and most other
available 10Gb/s LAN cards for the fastest networking currently possible.
Intelligent thermal design
The front-parallel placement of the CPU and memory guides smooth airow
throughout the chassis, while smart fan control technology adjusts fan speeds
automatically based on system load.
Flexible RAID
The RS720-X7/RS8 supports optional ASUS RAID PIKE upgrade kits. With these,
users can integrate server capabilities with greater data security and quickly
upgrade storage from SATA to SAS.
Built-in remote server management
The web and graphical interface-based ASMB6-iKVM module lets users fully
control the server with out-of-band management using the IPMI 2.0 standard
for real time remote monitoring. Additionally, ASWM Enterprise provides one-to-
multiple centralized management, including BIOS ashing, remote control, power
control, and asset management, all via a user-friendly interface.

ASUS RS720-X7/RS8 1-3
1.2 System overview
Items Items
1. Central processing unit (CPU) 5. �DD trays�DD trays
2. CPU cooler 6. �ard disk drives�ard disk drives
3. System FANSystem FAN 7. ASUS PIKE SAS RAID card (optional)
4. System memory 8. Friction rackmount rail kitFriction rackmount rail kit
1
2
3
4
5
7
8
8
6

Chapter 1: Product introduction1-4
1.3 Front panel features
1.4 Rear panel features
PS/2 keyboard port
USB ports
LAN port 1
VGA port
7 Expansion slots LAN port 2
Power cord connector
PS/2 mouse port
Redundant power supply DM_LAN1 port*
LAN port 3 LAN port 4
Power Supply dummy
1
2
Optical drive (optional) USB ports
Power
button
Power
LED
LAN2/4 LED
HDD Access LED
LAN1/3 LED
Message LED
Location
switch
Reset button
Location LED
HDD 1 HDD 5 HDD 2 HDD 6 HDD 3 HDD 7 HDD 4 HDD 8
* This port is for ASUS ASMB6-iKVM controller only.

ASUS RS720-X7/RS8 1-5
1.5 Systemspecications
(continued on the next page)
Model Name RS720-X7/RS8
Processor / System Bus
2 x Socket-R 2011
Intel® Xeon® Processor E5-2600 product
family(115W)
QPI 6.4 / 7.2 / 8.0 GT/s
Core Logic Intel® C602-A PC� chipset
ASUS Features Smart Fan √
ASWM Enterprise √
Memory
Total Slots 12 (4-channel per CPU, 8 DIMM per CPU1,
4 DIMM per CPU2)
Capacity
Maximum up to 96GB (UDIMM)
Maximum up to 384GB (RDIMM)
Maximum up to 384GB (LRDIMM)
Memory Type
DDR3 800 / 1066 / 1333 / 1600 RDIMM
DDR3 1066 / 1333 ECC UDIMM/Non-ECC
UDIMM
DDR3 1066 / 1333 LR-DIMM
Memory Size
1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB (RDIMM)
1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB (UDIMM)
8GB, 16GB, 32GB (LRDIMM)
Expansion Slots
Total PCI/PCI-X/
PCI-E Slots 7
Slot Type
Low-prole:
- 1 x PCI-E x16 (Gen3 x16 link) + 5 x PCI-E x8
(Gen3 x8 link)
or
- 1 x PCI-E x16 (Gen3 x8 link) + 6 x PCI-E x8
(Gen3 x8 link)
Additional Slot 1 1 x PIKE slot for storage enhancement
Storage
SATA Controller
Intel® C602-A:
2 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
4 x SATA 3Gb/s ports
Intel Rapid Storage Technology (for Windows only)
- Supports software RAID 0, 1, 10 & 5
LSI® Mega RAID (for Windows/Linux)
- Supports software RAID 0, 1, & 10
SAS Controller
Optional:
- ASUS PIKE 2008 8-port SAS 6G RAID card
- ASUS PIKE 2008/IMR 8-port SAS 6G RAID
card
- ASUS PIKE 2108 8-port SAS 6G �/W RAID
card
�DD Bays
I = internal
A or S will be
hot-swappable
8 x �ot-swap 3.5” �DD Bays

Chapter 1: Product introduction1-6
*Specicationsaresubjecttochangewithoutnotice.
Model Name RS720-X7/RS8
Networking LAN 4 x Intel 82574L + 1 x Mgmt LAN per Node
Graphic VGA Aspeed AST2300 16MB
Auxiliary Storage Device Bay
(Floppy / Optical Device)
1 x Slim-type optical Device Bay
Options: No Device / DVD-RW
Onboard I/O
2 x Internal Serial Port
5 x RJ-45 ports (1 for ASMB6-iKVM)
4 x USB 2.0 ports (Front x 2, Rear x 2)
1 x Internal A Type USB Port
1 x VGA port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
OS Support
Windows® Server 2008 R2
Windows® Server 2008 R2 Enterprise
Windows® Server 2008 Enterprise 32/64-bit
Red�at® Enterprise Linux AS5.6/6.0 32/64-bit
SuSE® Linux Enterprise Server 11.2 32/64-bit
CentOS 5.6 32/64-bit
VMWare ESX4.1/ESXi4.1
(Subject to change without any notice)
Management
Solution
Out of Band
Remote
Hardware
Onboard ASMB6-iKVM for KVM-over-IP
Software ASWM Enterprise
Dimension (HH x WW x DD) 615mm x 444mm x 87.0mm (2U)
Net Weight Kg (CPU, DRAM &
HDD not inclu ded) 22 Kg
Power Supply 1+1 Redundant 770W 80PLUS Gold Power Supply
(following different conguration by region)
Environment
Operating temperature: 10°C–35°C
Non operating temperature: -40°C–70°C
Non operating humidity: 20%–90%
(Non-condensing)

1-
This chapter lists the key components
and optional accessories for the server
system.
Chapter 2
Components

Chapter 2: Components2-2
2.1 Upgrading CPU and CPU heatsink
The motherboard comes with two surface mount LGA 2011 Socket R designed for
the Intel® Xeon® E5-2600 series processor family.
A
B
B
A
Position the CPU over the socket, ensuring that the notch match
the socket.
Tighten the four heatsink screws in a diagonal sequence.
6
5
2
1
3
4
8
7
10
9
11

ASUS RS720-X7/RS8 2-3
P/N Description
90-S000U0C87T E5-2670 2.6G (8C/20M/115W/DDR3 1600/8.00 GT) with �eatsink
90-S000U0C88T E5-2665 2.4G (8C/20M/115W/DDR3 1600/8.00 GT) with �eatsink
90-S000U0C89T E5-2660 2.2G (8C/20M/95W/DDR3 1600/8.00 GT) with �eatsink
90-S000U0C8AT E5-2650 2.0G (8C/20M/95W/DDR3 1600/8.00 GT) with �eatsink
90-S000U0C8BT E5-2640 2.5G (6C/15M/95W/DDR3 1333/7.20GT) with �eatsink
90-S000U0C8CT E5-2630 2.3G (6C/15M/95W/DDR3 1333/7.20GT) with �eatsink
90-S000U0C8DT E5-2620 2.0G (6C/15M/95W/DDR3 1333/7.20GT) with �eatsink

Chapter 2: Components2-4
2.2 Upgrading system memory
The motherboard comes with eight (for CPU1) and four (for CPU2) Double Data
Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.
You may install 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB* RDIMMs or 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and
8GB* UDIMMs or 8GB, 16GB and 32GB* LR-DIMMs into the DIMM sockets using the
memory congurations in this section.
1CPUConguration(mustonCPU1)
A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 D1 D2
1 DIMMs P
2 DIMMs P P
3 DIMMs P P P
4 DIMMs P P P P
5 DIMMs P P P P P
6 DIMMs P P P P P P
7 DIMMs PPPPPPP
8 DIMMs P P P P P P P P
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
DIMM_A1
DIMM_A2
DIMM_B1
DIMM_B2
5
6
7
8
DIMM_D2
DIMM_D1
DIMM_C2
DIMM_C1
9
10
11
12
DIMM_E1
DIMM_F1
DIMM_G1
DIMM_H1

ASUS RS720-X7/RS8 2-5
2CPUConguration
A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 D1 D2 E1 F1 G1 H1
1 DIMMs P
2 DIMMs P P
3 DIMMs PPP
4 DIMMs P P P P
5 DIMMs PPP PP
6 DIMMs P P P P P P
7 DIMMs PPPPPPP
8 DIMMs P P P P P P P P
9 DIMMs P P P P P P P P P
10 DIMMs PPP PPP PPPP
11 DIMMs PPPPPPP PPPP
12 DIMMs PPPPPPPPPPPP
Order P/N Description
90-S000I0600T DDR3 1600 ECC REG 4G 240P SINGLE PACK
90-S000I0610T DDR3 1600 ECC REG 8G 240P SINGLE PACK
90-S000I0620T DDR3 1600 ECC REG 16G 240P SINGLE PACK

Chapter 2: Components2-6
2.3 Upgrading hard disk drives
The hard disk drive installed on the drive tray connects to the motherboard SATA/
SAS ports via the SATA/SAS backplane.
When installed, the SATAII/SAS connector on the drive connects to the SATAII/
SAS interface on the backplane.
Order P/N Description
90-S000�64R0T 300GB 6G SAS15Krpm with �DD Tray (Single Pack)
90-S000�64S0T 450GB 6G SAS15Krpm with �DD Tray (Single Pack)
90-S000�64T0T 600GB 6G SAS15Krpm with �DD Tray (Single Pack)
90-S000�65D1T 500GB SATA3 6Gb 7200 rpm with �DD Tray (Single Pack)
90-S000�65B1T 1TB SATA3 6Gb 7200 rpm with �DD Tray (Single Pack)
90-S000�65V0T 500GB SATA3 7200 rpm with �DD Tray (Single Pack)
90-S000�65U0T 1TB SATA3 7200 rpm with �DD Tray (Single Pack)
90-S000�65T0T 2TB SATA3 7200 rpm with �DD Tray (Single Pack)
90-S000�65E2T 3TB SATA3 7200 rpm with �DD Tray (Single Pack)

ASUS RS720-X7/RS8 2-7
2.4 Installing ASUS PIKE RAID module
Follow the steps below to install an optional ASUS RAID card on your motherboard.
1
4
5
2
PSAS1
PSAS2
PSAS3
PSAS4
1. Locate the PIKE RAID card slot on the motherboard, then remove the screw
at the end of the PIKE slot on the motherboard.
2. Tighten the screw to secure the PIKE card on the motherboard.
3. Remove the SATA/SAS cables from the onboard SATA1–4 connectors.
4. Connect the SATA/SAS cables to the onboard SAS1–4 connectors (blue).
5. Move the SGPIO_SEL1 jumper on the SATA/SAS backplane to 2–3.
Order P/N Description
90-S00CS0130T PIKE2008 8-port SAS 6G card. RAID Kit (RAID 0, 1, 10, 1E)
90-S00CS0140T PIKE 2008/IMR 8-port SAS 6G card. RAID Kit (RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 50)
90-S00CS0150T PIKE 2108 8-port SAS 6G card.
RAID Kit (�/W RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 6, 50, 60)

Chapter 2: Components2-8
2.5 Installing an expansion card to the
riser card bracket
In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following subsections
describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support.
3
2
1
1
4
6
6
5

ASUS RS720-X7/RS8 2-9
2.6 Installing optical drive
P/N Description
90-S000C4000T SLIM DVD-ROM 8X MODULE
90-S000C2000T SLIM DVD-RW MODULE

Chapter 2: Components2-10
2.7 OS support list
P/N Description
90-S00SW7151T WINDOWS SERVER 2008 STD R2 64 (64-bit only)
90-S00SW8200T Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise (1-8 CPU, 10CAL)
OS support list
WindowsR Server 2008 R2
WindowsR Server 2008 R2 Enterprise
WindowsR Server 2008 Enterprise 32/64-bit
Red�atR Enterprise Linux AS5.6/6.0 32/64-bit
SuSER Linux Enterprise Server 11.2 32/64-bit
CentOS 5.6 32/64-bit
VMWare ESX4.1/ESXi4.1