Asus RS720Q-E9-RS8-S User manual

2U Rackmount Server
RS720Q-E9-RS8
RS720Q-E9-RS8-S
User Guide

ii
Copyright © 2020 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 are 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.
E16293
Revised Edition V5
February 2020

iii
Contents
Notices ...................................................................................................................... vii
REACH ......................................................................................................vii
Safety information.................................................................................................... viii
Australia statement notice...............................................................................ix
About this guide.......................................................................................................... x
Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1.1 System package contents......................................................................... 1-2
1.2 Serial number label....................................................................................1-3
1.3 System specifications ...............................................................................1-4
1.4 Front panel features...................................................................................1-6
1.5 Rear panel features....................................................................................1-7
1.6 Internal features .........................................................................................1-8
1.7 LED information .........................................................................................1-9
1.7.1 Front panel LEDs ........................................................................ 1-9
1.7.2 LAN (RJ-45) LEDs .................................................................... 1-10
1.7.3 HDD status LEDs...................................................................... 1-10
Chapter 2: Hardware Information
2.1 Removing the server node........................................................................ 2-2
2.2 Air Duct ......................................................................................................2-3
2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................................. 2-4
2.3.1 Installing the CPU and heatsink.................................................. 2-4
2.4 System memory .........................................................................................2-7
2.4.1 Overview ..................................................................................... 2-7
2.4.2 Memory Congurations............................................................... 2-7
2.5 Storage devices..........................................................................................2-9
2.6 Expansion slots........................................................................................2-11
2.6.1 The PCI Express riser card....................................................... 2-11
2.6.2 Installing Mezzanine cards........................................................ 2-14
2.6.3 Conguring an expansion card ................................................. 2-15
2.7 Backplane and Mid Plane cabling ..........................................................2-16
2.8 Removable/optional components...........................................................2-20
2.8.1 System fan ............................................................................... 2-20
2.8.2 Power supply module................................................................ 2-22

iv
Contents
Chapter 3: Installation Options
3.1 Tool-less Friction Rail Kit..........................................................................3-2
3.2 Rail kit dimensions ....................................................................................3-4
Chapter 4: Motherboard Information
4.1 Motherboard and Mid plane layout...........................................................4-2
4.1.1 Layout contents........................................................................... 4-4
4.2 Jumpers ......................................................................................................4-5
4.3 Internal connectors..................................................................................4-11
4.4 Internal LEDs............................................................................................4-14
4.5 Mid Plane jumper .....................................................................................4-16
Chapter 5: BIOS Setup
5.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ..........................................................5-2
5.1.1 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility................................................... 5-2
5.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash Utility ................................................................. 5-3
5.1.3 BUPDATER utility ....................................................................... 5-4
5.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................................. 5-6
5.2.1 BIOS menu screen...................................................................... 5-7
5.2.2 Menu bar..................................................................................... 5-7
5.2.3 Menu items.................................................................................. 5-8
5.2.4 Submenu items ........................................................................... 5-8
5.2.5 Navigation keys........................................................................... 5-8
5.2.6 General help................................................................................ 5-8
5.2.7 Conguration elds ..................................................................... 5-8
5.2.8 Pop-up window............................................................................ 5-8
5.2.9 Scroll bar..................................................................................... 5-8
5.3 Main menu ..................................................................................................5-9
5.3.1 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx]..................................................... 5-9
5.3.2 System Time [xx:xx:xx] ............................................................... 5-9
5.4 Performance Tuning menu......................................................................5-10
5.5 Advanced menu .......................................................................................5-12
5.5.1 Trusted Computing.................................................................... 5-13
5.5.2 ACPI Settings............................................................................ 5-13
5.5.3 Smart Settings........................................................................... 5-13
5.5.4 Super IO Conguration ............................................................. 5-14
5.5.5 Serial Port Console Redirection................................................ 5-14

v
Contents
5.5.6 Onboard LAN Conguration...................................................... 5-17
5.5.7 APM .......................................................................................... 5-18
5.5.8 PCI Subsystem Settings ........................................................... 5-19
5.5.9 Network Stack Conguration..................................................... 5-23
5.5.10 CSM Conguration.................................................................... 5-24
5.5.11 NVMe Conguration.................................................................. 5-25
5.5.12 USB Conguration .................................................................... 5-25
5.5.13 Vcore Adjust.............................................................................. 5-26
5.5.14 iSCSI Conguration .................................................................. 5-26
5.5.15 Intel(R) Virtual RAID on CPU.................................................... 5-26
5.6 Platform Configuration menu ................................................................. 5-27
5.6.1 PCH Conguration .................................................................... 5-27
5.6.2 Miscellaneous Conguration..................................................... 5-29
5.6.3 Server ME Conguration........................................................... 5-29
5.6.4 Runtime Error Logging.............................................................. 5-30
5.7 Socket Configuration menu ....................................................................5-31
5.7.1 Processor Conguration............................................................ 5-31
5.7.2 Common RefCode Conguration.............................................. 5-33
5.7.3 UPI Conguration...................................................................... 5-33
5.7.4 Memory Conguration............................................................... 5-34
5.7.5 IIO Conguration....................................................................... 5-35
5.7.6 Advanced Power Management Conguration........................... 5-36
5.8 Event Logs menu ..................................................................................... 5-38
5.8.1 Change Smbios Event Log Settings ......................................... 5-38
5.8.2 View Smbios Event Log ............................................................ 5-38
5.9 Server Mgmt menu...................................................................................5-39
5.9.1 System Event Log..................................................................... 5-39
5.9.2 BMC network conguration....................................................... 5-40
5.9.3 View System Event Log ............................................................ 5-41
5.10 Security menu ..........................................................................................5-42
5.11 Boot menu ................................................................................................5-45
5.12 Tool menu.................................................................................................5-46
5.13 Save & Exit menu.....................................................................................5-46

vi
Contents
Chapter 6: RAID Configuration
6.1 Setting up RAID..........................................................................................6-2
6.1.1 RAID denitions .......................................................................... 6-2
6.1.2 Installing hard disk drives............................................................ 6-2
6.1.3 RAID conguration utilities.......................................................... 6-2
6.2 Intel®Virtual Raid on CPU in BIOS........................................................... 6-3
6.2.1 Creating a RAID set .................................................................... 6-4
6.2.2 Deleting a RAID set..................................................................... 6-5
6.3 Intel®Rapid Storage Technology enterprise (Windows)........................6-6
6.3.1 Creating a RAID set .................................................................... 6-7
6.3.2 Changing a Volume Type............................................................ 6-9
6.3.3 Deleting a volume ..................................................................... 6-10
6.3.4 Preferences............................................................................... 6-11
Chapter 7: Driver Installation
7.1 Intel RSTe RAID driver installation...........................................................7-2
7.1.1 Creating a USB ash drive with RAID driver............................... 7-2
7.1.2 Installing the RAID controller driver............................................. 7-2
7.2 Management applications and utilities installation ................................7-5
7.3 Running the Support DVD.........................................................................7-5
7.4 Intel®chipset device software installation .............................................. 7-8
7.5 Installing the Intel®I350-AM2/I210 Gigabit Adapters driver ................. 7-10
7.6 VGA driver installation ............................................................................ 7-13
7.7 Intel®Rapid Storage Technology enterprise 5.0 installation ............... 7-15
Appendix
Z11PH-D12 block diagram...................................................................................... A-2
ASUS contact information...................................................................................... A-3

vii
Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference, and
• This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential
area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct
the interference at his own expense.
The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is required
to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modications to this unit not
expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority
to operate this equipment.
REACH
Complying with the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of
Chemicals) regulatory framework, we publish the chemical substances in our products at ASUS
REACH website at http://csr.asus.com/english/REACH.htm.
Compliance Statement of Innovation, Science and Economic
Development Canada (ISED)
This device complies with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada licence
exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device
may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including
interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.
CAN ICES-3(A)/NMB-3(A)
Déclaration de conformitéde Innovation, Sciences et
Développement économique Canada (ISED)
Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d’Innovation, Sciences et Développement
économique Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence. L’exploitation est
autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes : (1) l’appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage,
et (2) l’utilisateur de l’appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le
brouillage est susceptible d’en compromettre le fonctionnement.
CAN ICES-3(A)/NMB-3(A)

viii
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, 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 add a device.
• 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
• Any mechanical operation on this server must be conducted by certied or experienced
engineers.
• 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.
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.
Heavy System
CAUTION! This server system is heavy. Ask for assistance when moving or carrying
the system.
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.
CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT

ix
DO NOT throw the motherboard in municipal waste. This product has been designed to
enable proper reuse of parts and recycling. This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin
indicates that the product (electrical and electronic equipment) should not be placed in
municipal waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.
DO NOT throw the mercury-containing button cell battery in municipal waste. This symbol
of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the battery should not be placed in municipal
waste.
Australia statement notice
From 1 January 2012 updated warranties apply to all ASUS products, consistent with the
Australian Consumer Law. For the latest product warranty details please visit https://www.
asus.com/support. Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the
Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and
compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled
to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the
failure does not amount to a major failure.
If you require assistance please call ASUS Customer Service 1300 2787 88 or visit us at
https://www.asus.com/support

x
About this guide
Audience
This user guide is intended for system integrators, and experienced users with at least basic
knowledge of conguring a server.
Contents
This guide contains the following parts:
1. Chapter 1: Product Introduction
This chapter describes the general features of the server, including sections on front
panel and rear panel specications.
2. Chapter 2: Hardware Information
This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when
installing or removing system components.
3. Chapter 3: Installation Options
This chapter describes how to install optional components into the barebone server.
4. Chapter 4: Motherboard Information
This chapter gives information about the motherboard that comes with the server. This
chapter includes the motherboard layout, jumper settings, and connector locations.
5. Chapter 5: BIOS Information
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus and
describes the BIOS parameters.
6. Chapter 6: RAID Configuration
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus.
Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.
7. Chapter 7: Driver Installation
This chapter provides instructions for installing the necessary drivers for different
system components.

xi
References
Refer to the following sources for additional information, and for product and software
updates.
1. ASUS Control Center (ACC) user guide
This manual tells how to set up and use the proprietary ASUS server management
utility. Visit asuscontrolcenter.asus.com for more information.
2. ASUS websites
The ASUS websites worldwide provide updated information for all ASUS hardware and
software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.
Conventions
To ensure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following symbols used
throughout this manual.
Typography
Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select.
Italics Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.
<Key> Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than
sign means that you must press the enclosed key.
Example: <Enter> means that you must press
the Enter or Return key.
<Key1>+<Key2>+<Key3> If you must press two or more keys simultaneously,
the key names are linked with a plus sign (+).
Example: <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Del>
Command Means that you must type the command
exactly as shown, then supply the required
item or value enclosed in brackets.
Example: At the DOS prompt, type the
command line: format A:/S
DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when
trying to complete a task.
CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when
trying to complete a task.
NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a task.
IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a task.

xii

This chapter describes the general features of the chassis kit. It
includes sections on front panel and rear panel specications.
1
Product Introduction
Chapter 1: Product Introduction

Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1-2
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
1.1 System package contents
Check your system package for the following items.
Model Name RS720Q-E9-RS8 RS720Q-E9-RS8-S
Chassis ASUS 2U Rackmount Chassis
Motherboard ASUS Z11PH-D12 Server Board
Component
2 x 1600/2200W Power Supply
4 x PCIe Riser Card (RE16L-R21L)
2 x Front Panel Board (LED Board,
FPB-R2H-A)
2 x Power Supply Distribution Board
(PDB-R2H-A)
1 x Power Connection Board
(PSB-R2H-A)
1 x Backplane Board
(BP8LE12G-25-R2H-A)
2 x Midplane Board (MP4LE8LA-
R2H-A)
2 x Back plane Fans (40mm x 28mm)
4 x System Fans (80mm x 38mm)
8 x Hot-swap 2.5” Storage Bays
2 x 1600/2200W Power Supply
4 x PCIe Riser Card (RE16L-R21L)
2 x Front Panel Board (LED Board,
FPB-R2H-A)
2 x Power Supply Distribution Board
(PDB-R2H-A)
1 x Power Connection Board
(PSB-R2H-A)
1 x Backplane Board
(BP8LE12G-25-R2H-A)
2 x Midplane Board
(MP4LE16LX12G-R2H-A)
2 x Back plane Fans (40mm x 28mm)
4 x System Fans (80mm x 38mm)
8 x Hot-swap 2.5” Storage Bays
Accessories
1 x ASUS RS720Q-E9-RS8 Series Support DVD (includes User Guide)
8 x CPU Heatsinks
1 x Bag of Screws
2 x AC Power Cables
1 x Friction Rail Kit
8 x LGA3647-P0 NRW-NF-CPU Carrier (Barebone)
4 x LGA3647-P0 NRW-F-CPU Carrier (Barebone)

RS720Q-E9-RS8 Series 1-3
1.2 Serial number label
Please take note of the product’s serial number. The Serial number contains 12 characters
such as xxS0xxxxxxxx similar to the gure shown below.
You need to provide the correct serial number to the ASUS Technical Support team member
if you need assistance or, when requesting support.
xxS0xxxxxxxx
xxS0xxxxxxxx
RS720Q-E9-RS8
RS720Q-E9-RS8-S

Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1-4
1.3 System specifications
The ASUS RS720Q-E9-RS8 Series is a 2U server system featuring the ASUS Z11PH-D12
Server Board. The server supports Intel®Xeon®processor Scalable family plus other latest
technologies through the chipsets onboard.
(continued on the next page)
Model Name RS720Q-E9-RS8 RS720Q-E9-RS8-S
Processor Support / System
Bus
2 x Socket P0 (LGA 3647) per Node
1st Gen Intel®Xeon®processor Scalable family (Up to 165W)
2nd Gen Intel®Xeon®processor Scalable family (Up to 165W)
UPI 10.4 GT/s
Core Logic Intel®C621 PCH
ASUS
Features
Fan Speed
Control
ASWM
Enterprise
Memory
Total Slots 12 (6-channel per CPU, 6 DIMM per CPU)
Capacity Maximum up to 3072GB
Memory Type
DDR4 2933 (1 DIMM per Channel)
DDR4 2666 / 2400 / 2133 RDIMM / LR-DIMM / LR-DIMM 3DS
* 2933MHz will drop to 2666MHz when using 2DPC configurations.
* Refer to ASUS server AVL for the latest update
Memory Size
4GB, 8GB, 12GB, 32GB (RDIMM)
64GB, 128GB (RDIMM 3DS)
32GB, 64GB, 128GB (LRDIMM)
64GB, 128GB, 256GB (LRDIMM 3DS)
* Refer to ASUS server AVL for the latest update
Expansion
Slots
Total PCI/
PCI-E Slots 1+1 per node
Slot Type
Per Node:
1 x PCI-E x16 (Gen3 x16 link), LP, HL
1 x OCP 2.0 Mezzanine (Gen3 x16 link)
Storage SATA Controller
Per Mid Plane:
Marvell®88SE9230
- 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
(by 1 Oculink Connector)
- 2 x Oculink ports
Marvell®RAID
Intel®VROC
(for Windows only; Support
software RAID 0, 1, 10 & 5)
Per Mid Plane:
LSI SAS3008
- 8 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
(by 2 Oculink Connectors)
- 2 x Oculink ports
LSI RAID
(Support hardware RAID 0,
1, 10)
Intel®VROC
(for Windows only; Support
software RAID 0, 1, 10 & 5)
SAS Upgrade Not supported 12G SAS Support

RS720Q-E9-RS8 Series 1-5
Model Name RS720Q-E9-RS8 RS720Q-E9-RS8-S
HDD Bays 8 x 2.5" Hot-swap Storage Bays* (8 NVMe Supported)
* CPU2 is necessary in order to support front hot-swap bays.
Networking LAN
Per Node:
1 x Dual Port Intel I350-AM2 Gigabit LAN controller
1 x Management Port
Graphic VGA Aspeed AST2500 64MB
Rear I/O Connectors
Per Node:
2 x USB 3.0 ports
1 x VGA port
2 x RJ-45 GbE LAN ports
1 x RJ-45 Mgmt LAN port
Switch/LED
Per Node:
Rear Switch/LED:
1 x Q-Code/Port 80 LED
1 x Power switch LED
Front Switch/LED:
1 x Power switch/LED
1 x Location switch/LED
1 x Message LED
LAN 1-2 LED
Management
Solution
Software ASUS Control Center (Classic)
Out of Band
Remote
Management
On-Board ASMB9-iKVM for KVM-over-IP
OS support Please nd the latest OS support from http://www.asus.com/
Regulatory Compliance BSMI, CE, C-TICK, FCC (ClassA)
Dimension 800mm x 444mm x 88mm(2U)
31.5" x 17.48" x 3.46"
Gross Weight Kg 41.5 kg
Net Weight Kg (CPU, DRAM,
and HDD not included) 32.5 kg
Power Supply
(following different
configuration by region)
1+1 Redundant 1600/2200W 80 PLUS Platinum Power Supply
Rating: 200-240Vac, 9.5A/12.6A (for each inlet), 47-63Hz, Class I
Environment
Operation temperature: 10° ~ 35°
Non operation temperature: -40° ~ 60°
Non operation humidity: 20% ~ 90% ( Non condensing)
Specications are subject to change without notice.

Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1-6
Mgmt
PORT80
1 2
Mgmt
PORT80
1 2
Mgmt
PORT80
1 2
Mgmt
PORT80
1 2
Mgmt
PORT80
1 2
Mgmt
PORT80
1 2
Mgmt
PORT80
1 2
Mgmt
PORT80
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
Refer to the Front panel LEDs section for the LED descriptions.
Turn off the system power and detach the power supply before removing or replacing any
system component.
Asset tag
The Asset tag is a small polyester lm located on the right side of the server’s front panel. It
provides information about the server such as asset barcode or serial number and is useful in
asset tracking and inventory management.
1.4 Front panel features
Node 1
(Bay 1 - 2)
Node 3
(Bay 5 - 6)
Node 2
(Bay 3 - 4)
Node 4
(Bay 7 - 8)
Front panel
Node 2
The barebone server displays easily accessible features such as the power and reset
buttons, LED indicators, and optical drive.
Front panel
Node 1
Asset tag
Front panel
Node 4
Front panel
Node 3

RS720Q-E9-RS8 Series 1-7
* This port is for ASUS ASMB9-iKVM controller and for technicians only.
1.5 Rear panel features
LAN port 2
LAN port 1
Power button
Q-Code/Port 80 LED
DM management LAN port*
USB 3.0 ports
VGA port
PSU 1 Node 3 Node 1
Node 4 Node 2
PSU 2
When installing only two nodes, install the nodes to node slot number 1 and 3 or number 2
and 4.
RS720Q-E9-RS8 / RS720Q-E9-RS8-S
Z11PH-D12 (Node)

Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1-8
1.6 Internal features
The barebone server includes the basic components as shown.
*WARNING
HAZARDOUS MOVING PARTS
KEEP FINGERS AND OTHER BODY PARTS AWAY
Turn off the system power and detach the power supply before removing or replacing any
system component.
1. Front LED Boards
2. Hot-swap storage device trays
3. Backplane
4. System fan (SYS_FAN1)
5. System fan (SYS_FAN2)
6. System fan (SYS_FAN3)
7. System fan (SYS_FAN4)
8. BP_FAN1 (top) and BP_FAN2 (bottom)
9. SATA/NVMe Mid-plane (for RS720Q-E9-RS8) or
SATA/SAS/NVMe Mid-plane (for RS720Q-E9-RS8-S)
10. ASUS Z11PH-D12 Server Board
11. Power supply and power fan
Ensure that the air duct is positioned on the gaps between the memory slots.