Dell PowerEdge R910 Quick start guide

PowerEdge R910
Technical Guide
The Dell PowerEdge
R910 is easy to deploy,
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Designed to save
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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide ii
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further notice to any products herein. The content provided is as is and without express or implied
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Dell, the Dell logo, PowerEdge, PowerVault, ReadyRails, and Dell OpenManage are trademarks of
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and strictly forbidden.
September 2013 | Version 6.0

Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide iii
Table of Contents
1Product Comparison ...........................................................................................6
1.1 Overview ..................................................................................................6
1.2 Purpose-Built for Reliability ............................................................................6
1.3 Efficient Infrastructure..................................................................................6
1.4 Intelligent Platforms, Connected Foundations.......................................................6
1.5 Comparison ...............................................................................................7
2Key Technologies...............................................................................................8
2.1 Overview ..................................................................................................8
2.2 Intel Processors Feature Set............................................................................8
2.3 Memory Controller .......................................................................................9
2.4 Internal Dual SD Module (IDSM) ........................................................................9
2.5 10Gb Embedded NIC .....................................................................................9
3System Information .......................................................................................... 10
4Mechanical .................................................................................................... 13
4.1 Chassis Description..................................................................................... 13
4.2 Dimensions and Weight................................................................................ 13
4.3 Front Panel View and Features ...................................................................... 14
4.4 Back Panel View and Features ....................................................................... 15
4.5 Power Supply Indicators............................................................................... 15
4.6 NIC Indicators........................................................................................... 15
4.7 Rails and Cable Management ......................................................................... 16
4.8 Fans ...................................................................................................... 16
4.9 Security.................................................................................................. 16
4.9.1 Cover Latch ....................................................................................... 16
4.9.2 Bezel ............................................................................................... 16
4.9.3 Hard Drive......................................................................................... 16
4.9.4 Trusted Platform Module (TPM) ................................................................ 16
4.9.5 Power Off Security ............................................................................... 17
4.9.6 Intrusion Alert .................................................................................... 17
4.9.7 Secure Mode ...................................................................................... 17
4.10 USB Key.................................................................................................. 17
4.11 Battery................................................................................................... 17
4.12 Field Replaceable Units (FRU)........................................................................ 17
4.13 User Accessible Jumpers, Sockets, and Connectors............................................... 17
5Power, Thermal, Acoustic .................................................................................. 18
5.1 Power Supplies and Power Subsystem .............................................................. 18
5.2 Environmental Specifications......................................................................... 20
5.3 Thermal.................................................................................................. 21
5.4 Acoustics ................................................................................................ 21
6Processors..................................................................................................... 24
6.1 Overview ................................................................................................ 24
6.2 Features ................................................................................................. 24
6.3 Supported Processors.................................................................................. 25
6.4 Processor Configurations.............................................................................. 25
6.5 Additional Processor Information .................................................................... 26
7Memory ........................................................................................................ 27
7.1 Overview ................................................................................................ 27
7.2 Slots and Risers......................................................................................... 27
7.3 Key Features of the Memory Subsystem ............................................................ 27
7.4 Memory Speed Limitations............................................................................ 28

Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide iv
7.5 Sparing................................................................................................... 28
7.6 Mirroring................................................................................................. 28
7.7 RAID ...................................................................................................... 28
7.8 Supported Configurations ............................................................................. 28
8Chipset ........................................................................................................ 29
8.1 Intel 7500 Chipset I/O Hub (IOH) .................................................................... 29
8.2 IOH QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) ................................................................... 29
8.3 PCI Express Generation 2 ............................................................................. 29
8.4 Direct Media Interface (DMI) ......................................................................... 29
8.5 Intel I/O Controller Hub 10 (ICH10) ................................................................. 29
8.6 PCI Express Connectors................................................................................ 30
9BIOS ............................................................................................................ 31
9.1 Overview ................................................................................................ 31
9.2 I2C........................................................................................................ 31
10 Embedded NICs/LAN on Motherboard (LOM) ............................................................. 32
10.1 Overview ................................................................................................ 32
10.2 Option 1: 1GbE I/O riser .............................................................................. 32
10.3 Option 2: 10Gb I/O riser .............................................................................. 32
11 PCI Slots ....................................................................................................... 33
11.1 Overview ................................................................................................ 33
11.2 Quantities and Priorities .............................................................................. 33
11.3 PCI Card Dimensions ................................................................................... 33
12 Storage ........................................................................................................ 34
12.1 Overview ................................................................................................ 34
12.2 Backplanes .............................................................................................. 34
12.2.1 2.5” x4 Backplane................................................................................ 34
12.2.2 2.5” x16 Backplane .............................................................................. 34
12.3 Flash BIOS Memory ..................................................................................... 34
12.4 Drives .................................................................................................... 34
12.5 RAID Configurations.................................................................................... 35
12.6 Storage Controllers .................................................................................... 37
12.6.1 PERC H200......................................................................................... 37
12.6.2 PERC H700......................................................................................... 37
12.6.3 PERC H800......................................................................................... 38
12.6.4 Storage Card Support Matrix.................................................................... 38
12.7 LED Indicators .......................................................................................... 39
12.8 Optical Drives........................................................................................... 39
13 Video........................................................................................................... 40
14 Rack Information............................................................................................. 41
14.1 Overview ................................................................................................ 41
14.2 Rails ...................................................................................................... 41
14.3 Cable Management Arm (CMA) ....................................................................... 42
14.4 Rack View ............................................................................................... 42
15 Operating Systems ........................................................................................... 44
16 Systems Management........................................................................................ 45
16.1 Overview ................................................................................................ 45
16.2 Server Management.................................................................................... 45
16.3 Embedded Server Management ...................................................................... 46
16.4 Dell Lifecycle Controller and Unified Server Configurator ....................................... 46
16.5 Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller.......................................................... 46
16.6 iDRAC Express........................................................................................... 47
16.7 iDRAC6 Enterprise...................................................................................... 47
16.8 iDRAC6 Enterprise with Virtual Flash (vFlash) Media ............................................. 47

Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide v
17 Peripherals.................................................................................................... 50
17.1 USB peripherals......................................................................................... 50
Appendix A. Volatility........................................................................................... 51
Appendix B. Certifications ..................................................................................... 60
B 1. Regulatory Certifications ............................................................................. 60
B 2. Product Safety Certifications......................................................................... 60
B 3. Electromagnetic Compatibility....................................................................... 61
B 4. Ergonomics, Acoustics and Hygienics ............................................................... 61
Appendix C. Industry Standards ............................................................................... 62
Tables
Table 1. Comparison of PowerEdge R910 to R710 and R810 ...............................................7
Table 2. Features Summary .................................................................................. 10
Table 3. Power Supply Status ................................................................................ 15
Table 4. Power Supply System Configurations ............................................................. 19
Table 5. Power Supply Specifications ....................................................................... 20
Table 6. Environmental Specifications...................................................................... 20
Table 7. Acoustical Performance ............................................................................ 23
Table 8. Supported Intel Xeon E7-8800 Product Family .................................................. 25
Table 9. Supported Intel Xeon E7-4800 Product Family .................................................. 25
Table 10. Supported Intel Xeon Processor 7500 Series .................................................... 25
Table 11. Supported Hard Drives.............................................................................. 35
Table 12. RAID Configurations................................................................................. 35
Table 13. Storage Card Support Matrix....................................................................... 38
Table 14. Supported Video Modes ............................................................................ 40
Table 15. Rack Types Supported .............................................................................. 42
Table 16. Rail Adjustability Range and Depth............................................................... 42
Table 17. Unified Server Configurator Features and Description......................................... 46
Table 18. Features List for Base Management Functionality, iDRAC, and vFlash Media .............. 48
Table 19. Volatility Information............................................................................... 51
Table 20. Product Safety Certifications...................................................................... 60
Table 21. Electromagnetic Compatibility Certifications................................................... 61
Table 22. Ergonomics, Acoustics and Hygienics............................................................. 61
Table 23. Industry Standards .................................................................................. 62
Figures
Figure 1. Dimensions ........................................................................................... 13
Figure 2. Front Panel View .................................................................................... 14
Figure 3. Back Panel View..................................................................................... 15
Figure 4. Power Supply ........................................................................................ 18
Figure 5. 2.5” Hard Drive Carrier ............................................................................ 35
Figure 6. ReadyRails Sliding Rails with Optional CMA ..................................................... 41
Figure 7. R910 Mounted in the B2 Sliding Rails............................................................. 43
Figure 8. R910 CMA Mounted on the Side Opposite the Power Supplies (Recommended) ........... 43

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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide 6
1Product Comparison
1.1 Overview
The Dell™ PowerEdge™ R910 provides performance and reliability in a scalable 4U, four-socket
server. The memory density and powerful I/O capability of the R910 makes it a great virtualization
environment for large workload consolidation. The R910 provides extreme reliability, from the
processor-level Intel®Advanced RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability) Technology to the
internal dual SD modules it uses for hypervisor redundancy. The built-in reliability of Dell servers
minimizes downtime for mission-critical workloads.
The R910 is designed to maximize the efficiency of each component of the server—memory, I/O and
energy consumption. The R910 also has intelligence integrated into the hardware in the form of the
Lifecycle Controller, making the management of your infrastructure easier.
1.2 Purpose-Built for Reliability
The PowerEdge R910 is built for reliability through factory integration and validation. The Dell “one-
touch” process is designed to ensure one person is responsible for the entire server build, resulting in
greater quality control. Every fully configured Dell server is tested (and re-tested) before it leaves
the factory, providing customers with a fully configured and tested, ready-to-deploy server.
In addition, an internal dual (redundant) SD module provides failover for the hypervisor. This feature
was designed based on customer reliability feedback. Dell listened and delivered.
With Intel Advanced RAS Technology features never before seen in an industry-standard server, the
PowerEdge R910 can automatically monitor, report, and recover from hardware errors to maintain
data integrity and keep mission-critical services online.
1.3 Efficient Infrastructure
To maximize workload capability in the data center, performance resources, power efficiency, I/O
and memory scalability are essential. The PowerEdge R910 delivers the high-performing Intel Xeon®
E7-4800 and E7-8800 product family or the Intel Xeon processor 7500 series, up to 2 TB of DDR3
memory, and 2 x 10Gb optional LOM with ten PCIe slots to help consolidate inefficient workloads.
The PowerEdge R910 uses an energy-efficient design that leverages Energy Smart technologies. It
includes power management features that enable power capping, power inventory, and power
budgeting in your specific environment. The design also considers the layout of the internal
components to allow airflow direction to keep the server cool.
1.4 Intelligent Platforms, Connected Foundations
The PowerEdge R910 follows the eleventh-generation PowerEdge behavioral specifications with the
same system design commonality and usability as the entire portfolio. All eleventh-generation
servers are designed to make the user experience easier while saving time and money.
Dell system management solutions focus on simplicity, efficiency, cost containment and reduction,
and an adherence to open standards. Our systems management solutions are complemented by,
connected to, and integrated with third-party offerings, delivering comprehensive solutions across
the complete solutions stack.
The Lifecycle Controller is a chip that is integrated on the server. It helps to simplify administrator
tasks by performing a complete set of provisioning functions such as system deployment, system
updates, hardware configuration, and diagnostics in a pre-OS environment—all from a single,
intuitive interface called the Unified Server Configurator (USC).

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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide 7
1.5 Comparison
A product comparison of the PowerEdge R910 to the R710 and R810 servers is detailed in Table 1.
Table 1. Comparison of PowerEdge R910 to R710 and R810
Feature
PowerEdge R710
PowerEdge R810
PowerEdge R910
Chipset
Intel®5520
Intel®7500
Intel®7500
Processor
Intel Xeon®5500/5600
Quad-core or six-core
Intel Xeon®E7-2800,
E7-4800, and E7-8800
product family
Intel Xeon processor 6500
and 7500 series
Intel Xeon®E7-4800 and
E7-8800 product family
Intel Xeon processor 7500
series
Sockets
2
2 or 4
4
Memory
Up to 18 x DDR3
Up to 32 x DDR3
Up to 64 x DDR3
DIMM Capacity
1, 2, 4, 8, and 32GB
1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32GB
1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32GB
Slots
4 PCIe Gen2 slots + 1 storage
slot:
Two x8 slots
Two x4 slots
One x4 storage slot
6 PCIe Gen2 slots + 1
storage slot:
Five x8 slots
One x4 slot
One storage x4 slot
Standard: 7 PCIe Gen2 slots
(two x4, four x8, one x16)
Optional: 10 PCIe Gen2
(six x4, four x8)
(Slot5 is G1)
Hard Drive Bays
8 x 2.5” or 6 x 3.5”
Hot-plug
6 x 2.5”
Hot-plug
16 x 2.5”
Hot-plug
Power Supply
Hot-plug, redundant
Hot-plug, redundant
Hot-plug, redundant
NIC/LOM
Broadcom®BCM5709C
4 x iSCSI TOE
Optional: various NICs
available
Broadcom®BCM5709C
4 x iSCSI TOE
Optional: various NICs
available
1GbE or 10Gb Embedded NIC
Options:
4-port (4 x 1GbE) Embedded
NIC Broadcom 5709c, or
4-port (2 x 10Gb SFP+ and 2
x 1GbE) Embedded NIC
Broadcom®57711 +
Broadcom 5709c
Optional: various NICs
available
Server
Management
iDRAC6 Express, BMC, IPMI
2.0, Dell™OpenManage™
Optional: iDRAC6 Enterprise,
vFlash media
iDRAC6 Express, BMC, IPMI
2.0, Dell™ OpenManage™
Optional: iDRAC6 Enterprise,
vFlash media
iDRAC6 Express, BMC, IPMI
2.0, Dell™ OpenManage™
Optional: iDRAC6 Enterprise,
vFlash media

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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide 8
2Key Technologies
2.1 Overview
The Intel®Xeon®E7-4800 and E7-8800 product family and the Intel Xeon processor 7500 series are
designed specifically for server applications. These processors feature 4-core, 6-core, 8-core, and
10-core processing to maximize performance and performance/watt for data center infrastructures
and highly dense deployments. These Intel Xeon processors also feature Intel Core™ micro-
architecture and Intel 64 architecture for flexibility in 64-bit and 32-bit applications and operating
systems.
The PowerEdge R910 implements a number of new technologies:
Intel®Xeon®E7-8800 and E7-4800 product family
32GB low-voltage (LV) DIMMs
Fusion-io®solid-state storage cards
The Dell™ PowerEdge™ R910 also implements some existing key technologies:
Intel 7500 chipset
DDR3 RDIMM memory
Internal dual SD module
6G SAS technology
10GbE Embedded NIC
2.2 Intel Processors Feature Set
Key features of the Intel Xeon E7-4800 and E7-8800 product family include:
Up to ten cores per processor
Up to 30 MB shared L3 cache
32 nm process technology
Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) and AESNI (AES New Instructions)
RAS DDDC (Double Device Data Correct)
Intel HyperThreading (2 threads/core)
Key features of the Intel Xeon processor 7500 series include:
Up to eight cores per processor
Four full-width, bidirectional point-to-point Intel®QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) links at
6.4 GT/s
Four Intel®Scalable Memory Interconnects (SMI) at 6.4 GT/s
Socket –LS, LGA 1567 package
No termination required for non-populated processors (must populate CPU socket 1 first)
64-byte cache line size
RISC/CISC hybrid architecture
Compatible with existing x86 code base
Optimized for 32-bit code
MMX support
Execute Disable Bit
Intel®Wide Dynamic Execution (Executes up to four instructions per clock cycle)
Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) capability (2 threads/core)
Support for CPU Turbo Mode on certain models (increases processor frequency if operating
below thermal, power, and current limits)
Streaming SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) Extension 4

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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide 9
Intel®64 Technology
Intel®VT-x and VT-d Technology for virtualization support
Enhanced Intel®SpeedStep®Technology
Demand-based switching for active CPU power management as well as support for ACPI
P-States, C-States, and T-States
2.3 Memory Controller
The PowerEdge R910 features Intel®7500 Scalable Memory Interconnect (SMI), which includes:
Up to 4 Gb DRAM support
Up to 32 GB RDIMMs
Low voltage DDR3L RDIMMs
Up to 6.4 GT/s
DDR3 channels (up to 1333 MT/s)
2.4 Internal Dual SD Module (IDSM)
The PowerEdge R910 also offers a second internal USB port dedicated for embedded hypervisor for
virtualization operating systems like Citrix and VMware through a dual SD-to-USB daughter card
called an Internal Dual SD Module. The IDSM port is located on the back of the I/O riser board. The
SD Flash Cards contain a bootable OS image for virtualized platforms. IDSM consists of up to two SD
cards that are mirrored when set in the redundant mode for the higher availability.
2.5 10Gb Embedded NIC
10Gb I/O cards (Embedded NICs) are designed to provide higher data throughput for demanding
applications like virtualization.
The 10Gb NICs are Broadcom®BCM57711 Gigabit MAC with BCM8727 SFP+ PHY. Features include:
x8 PCI Express Gen2 capable interface
SFP+ interface supported with SR and LRM optics or direct attached cable
TOE (TCP Offload Engine)
iSCSI controller
RDMA controller (RNIC) (enabled through an optional hardware key)
NC-SI (Network Controller-Sideband Interface) connection
Wake-On-LAN (WOL)
PXE 2.0 remote boot
iSCSI boot
IPv4 and IPv6 support
Bare metal deployment support

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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide 10
3System Information
Table 2 lists a summary of features for the Dell™ PowerEdge™ R910. For the latest information on
supported features, visit Dell.com.
Table 2. Features Summary
Feature
Details
Processor
Intel®Xeon®E7-4800 and E7-8800 product family
Intel Xeon processor 7500 series
Two or four 4-core, 6-core, 8-core, or 10-core
95W, 105W, and 130W TDP options
Front Side Bus
Intel®QuickPath Interconnect (QPI)
# Cores
4, 6, 8, or 10 cores
L2/L3 Cache
12MB, 16MB, 24MB, 30MB
Chipset
Intel 7510
Maximum Internal1
Storage
Up to 16TB
Memory1
Up to 2TB (64 DIMM slots): 1GB/2GB/4GB/8GB/16GB/32GB DDR3 up to 1333MT/s
Hard Drive Bays
Hot-plug hard drives
Up to sixteen 2.5” drives
Hard Drive Types
SATA SSD, SAS, nearline SAS, SATA
External Drive Bay(s)
External USB floppy
Optional SATA half-height optical drives such as DVD-ROM or DVD+RW
Optional SATA or SCSI half-height (or full-height) tape back-up drive
Hard Drive Controller
Internal: PERC Η200 or PERC Η700
Optional: PERC H800 and 6Gbps SAS
BIOS
4MB flash for system BIOS and Video BIOS
Video
Integrated Matrox®G200, 8MB shared video memory
Availability
Hot-plug hard drives, hot-plug power; Memory SDDC, ECC, Control Line Parity,
Redundant Cooling, Add Interactive LCD with hot-plug hard drive chassis
Server Management
Dell™Embedded Server Management provides IPMI 2.0 compliance.
Remote Management
iDRAC6 Express + Optional iDRAC6 Enterprise
I/O Slots
Standard: 7 PCIe Gen2 slots (two x4, four x8, one x16)
Optional: 10 PCIe Gen2 (six x4, four x8)
The storage controller card has a dedicated slot (PCIe x8) apart from the available
10 PCIe slots.
RAID
PERC H200, PERC H700, PERC H800 and 6Gbps SAS

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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide 11
Feature
Details
Network Interface
Cards
Embedded NICs:
1GbE or 10Gb embedded NIC options with iSCSI offload
Broadcom®5709c 4-port (4 x 1GbE) Embedded NIC or
Broadcom 57711 4-port (2 x 10GbE + 2 x 1GbE) Embedded NIC + Broadcom 5709c
Optional NICs:
Broadcom 57710 Single Port 10GbE NIC, Copper CAT6 PCIe-8
Intel DA 10GbE NIC, Dual Port, Optical, PCIe-8
Intel 10GbE Single Port 10GbE NIC, Copper, PCIe-8
Broadcom NetXtreme®II 5709 Gigabit NIC with TOE and iSOE, Quad Port, Copper,
PCIe-4 (low-profile option)
Broadcom 5709 Dual Port 1GbE NIC with TOE PCIe-4 (low-profile option)
Broadcom 5709 Dual Port 1GbE NIC with TOE iSCSI, PCIe-4 (low-profile option)
Broadcom NetXtreme II 57711 10GbE NIC w/TOE & iSOE, Dual Port, SFP+, PCIe-8
Intel Gigabit ET NIC, Dual Port, Copper, PCIe-4 (low-profile option)
Intel Gigabit ET NIC, Quad Port, Copper, PCIe-4 (low-profile option)
Brocade®CNA Dual-port adapter
Emulex®CNA iSCSI HBA stand up adapter OCE10102-IX-D
Emulex CNA iSCSI HBA stand up adapter OCE10102-FX-D
Brocade CNA BR1020
QLogic QLE2660 FC16 Single Port, PCIe 3.0 x4
QLogic QLE2662 FC16 Dual Port, PCIe 3.0 x4
USB
Total: 5 ports, USB 2.0 compliant
2 back
2 front
1 internal
Power Supplies
Hot-plug redundant power supply units
4 x 750W (Energy Smart)
or
4 x 1100W (high-output)
Front Panel
The system control panel is located on the front of the system chassis to provide
user access to buttons, display, and I/O interfaces
LCD on front panel for error messaging
System ID
System ID switch with LED indicator at back side and LCD indication at front side
128x20 pixel LCD with controls on front panel for system ID and error messaging
System ID for PowerEdge R910 is 0x02d3
Fans
Redundant Cooling
Chassis
4U rack-mount
Chassis depth is 29.6”
Rack Support
ReadyRails™ sliding rails for tool-less mounting in 4-post racks with square or
unthreaded round holes, with support for optional tool-less cable management arm

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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide 12
Feature
Details
Operating Systems
Microsoft®Windows Server® 2012
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2, x86/x64 (x64 includes Hyper-V®)
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, x64 (includes Hyper-V)
Microsoft Windows HPC Server 2008
Novell® SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server
Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®
Virtualization Options:
VMware® vSphere®ESXi™
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization®
For more information on the specific versions and additions, visit
Dell.com/OSsupport.
Systems Management
Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), IPMI 2.0 compliant, Dell™ OpenManage™
featuring Dell Management Console, Unified Server Configurator, Lifecycle
Controller enabled with optional iDRAC6 Express, iDRAC6 Enterprise, and vFlash
media
1 GB means 1 billion bytes and TB equals 1 trillion bytes; actual capacity varies with preloaded material and
operating environment and will be less.

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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide 13
4Mechanical
4.1 Chassis Description
The Dell™ PowerEdge™ R910 fits in a rack mount 4U chassis. The R910 chassis brings some new
features over previous generations, including:
DIMMs on memory risers
Updated industrial design including a new LCD, bezel, and hard drive carriers
Toolless rack latches
Pull-out tray for Express Service Tag and customer labels
Support for persistent storage (internal USB and SD card slots and external SD card slot)
Updated, easier power supply removal process
4.2 Dimensions and Weight
The R910 weight with maximum configuration is 47.60 kg (105 lb). Weight empty is 26.31 kg (58 lb).
Xa
(width
with rack
latches)
Xb
(width
without
rack
latches)
Y
(Height)
Za
(depth
with
bezel)
Za
(depth
without
bezel)
Zb
(depth
without
power
supply and
bezel)
Zc
(depth
with
power
supply)
482.4mm
422.0mm
172.6mm
35.0mm
20.4mm
699.0mm
753.0mm
Figure 1. Dimensions

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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide 14
4.3 Front Panel View and Features
Figure 2. Front Panel View
The following components and connectors are located on the front of the R910:
Power-on indicator, power button
USB connectors; connects USB devices to the system; two 4-pin, USB 2.0-compliant
LCD menu buttons which allow you to navigate the control panel LCD menu
LCD panel which provides system ID, status information, and system error messages
Non-Maskable Interrupt (NMI) button
Ambient temperature sensor
System identification button
Optical drive (optional)
Hard drives
The LCD panel is a graphics display controlled by the iDRAC. Error codes can be sent to the display by
either ESM or BIOS. See the Front-Panel Features and Indicators section in the About Your System
chapter of the PowerEdge R910 Hardware Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals for more
information.
BIOS has the ability to enter a Secure Mode through Setup, which locks the Power and NMI buttons.
When in this mode, pressing either button has no effect and does not mask other sources of NMI and
power control.
The system control panel is located on the front of the system chassis to provide user access to
buttons, display, and I/O interfaces. See the Front-Panel Features and Indicators section in the About
Your System chapter of the PowerEdge R910 Hardware Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals
for more information.
Features of the system control panel include:
ACPI-compliant power button with an integrated green power LED (controlled by iDRAC6)
128x20 pixel LCD panel with controls
Two navigation buttons
One select button
One system ID button
Non-Maskable Interrupt (NMI) button (recessed)
Ambient temperature sensor
Two external USB 2.0 connectors

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Dell PowerEdge R910 Technical Guide 15
4.4 Back Panel View and Features
Figure 3. Back Panel View
For detailed information, see the Back-Panel Features and Indicators section in the About Your
System chapter of the PowerEdge R910 Hardware Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals.
4.5 Power Supply Indicators
The PowerEdge R910 redundant power supplies have one status bi-color LED: green for AC power
present and amber for a fault as detailed in Table 3.
Table 3. Power Supply Status
LED
Power Supply Status
AC Power is not present
AC Power is present
Fault of any kind is detected
DC Power is applied to the system
↔
Redundant power supply mismatch
(when hot-plugged/swapped)
See the Power Indicator Codes section in the About Your System chapter of the PowerEdge R910
Hardware Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals for more information.
4.6 NIC Indicators
See the NIC Indicator Codes section in the About Your System chapter of the PowerEdge R910
Hardware Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals for more information.

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4.7 Rails and Cable Management
ReadyRailsTM Sliding Rails for 4-post racks support the following:
Toolless installation in 19” EIA-310-E compliant square or unthreaded round hole 4-post racks
including all generations of Dell racks. (Note: Threaded 4-post racks require Dell’s fixed shelf
or third-party adapter brackets available through Dell Software & Peripherals.)
Full extension of the system out of the rack to allow serviceability of key internal components
Optional cable management arm (CMA) except on racks less than 1m in depth including Dell
4200 and 2400 racks.
Measurements and adjustment ranges for the rack:
Rail depth without the CMA: 755 mm
Rail depth with the CMA: 883 mm
Square-hole rack adjustment range: 686–883 mm
Round-hole rack adjustment range: 672–876 mm
See Section 14, Rack Information, for more information.
4.8 Fans
Six 120mm single-rotor hot-pluggable fans are mounted in a fan bay in the back of the chassis. Each
fan has a single wire harness that plugs into the planar fan connectors (FAN1 through FAN6).
The Embedded Server Management (ESM) logic in the system controls and monitors the speed of the
fans. A fan speed fault or over-temperature condition results in a notification by ESM.
The R910 power supply units have integrated fans. The system requires a blank in place of the empty
power supply slot. System fan speed is pulse-width modulated.
The iDRAC6 controls and monitors the speed of the fans. A fan speed fault or over-temperature
condition results in a notification by iDRAC6.
4.9 Security
4.9.1 Cover Latch
A tooled latch is integrated in the side cover to secure it to the tower chassis. A locked bezel secures
the cover latch.
4.9.2 Bezel
A lock on the bezel is used to protect unauthorized access to system hard drives and the system
cover. System status (through the LCD) is viewable when the bezel is installed.
4.9.3 Hard Drive
The front bezel of the system contains a lock. A locked bezel secures the system hard drives.
4.9.4 Trusted Platform Module (TPM)
TPM is used to generate/store keys, protect/authenticate passwords, and create/store digital
certificates. TPM can also be used to enable the BitLocker™ hard drive encryption feature in Windows
Server 2008.

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TPM is enabled through a BIOS option and uses HMAC-SHA1-160 for binding. A Trusted Computing
Module (TCM) version of the planar is available for use where TCM is the standard, for example, in
China.
4.9.5 Power Off Security
The control panel is designed such that the power switch cannot be accidentally activated. The lock
on the bezel secures the switch behind the bezel. In addition, there is a setting in the CMOS setup
that disables the power button function.
4.9.6 Intrusion Alert
A switch mounted on the cooling shroud is used to detect chassis intrusion. When the cover is
opened, the switch circuit closes to indicate intrusion to the iDRAC6. When enabled, the software
can provide notification to the customer that the cover has been opened.
4.9.7 Secure Mode
BIOS has the ability to enter a secure boot mode via Setup. This mode includes the option to lock out
the power and NMI switches on the Control Panel or set up a system password.
4.10 USB Key
An optional USB memory key installed inside your system can be used as a boot device, security key,
or mass storage device. The USB connector must be enabled by the Internal USB Port option in the
Integrated Devices screen of the System Setup program.
To boot from the USB memory key, configure the USB memory key with a boot image and then
specify the USB memory key in the boot sequence in the System Setup program.
4.11 Battery
A replaceable coin cell CR2032 3V battery is mounted on the planar to provide backup power for the
Real-Time Clock and CMOS RAM on the ICH10 chip.
4.12 Field Replaceable Units (FRU)
The planar contains a serial EEPROM to store FRU information including Dell part number, part
revision level, and serial number. The backplane SEP and the power supply microcontroller are also
used to store FRU data.
4.13 User Accessible Jumpers, Sockets, and Connectors
For detailed information, see the Jumpers and Connectors section in the PowerEdge R910 Hardware
Owner’s Manual on Support.Dell.com/Manuals.

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5Power, Thermal, Acoustic
The Dell™ PowerEdge™ R910 achieves enhanced power efficiency by implementing the following
features:
User-selectable power cap (subsystems will throttle to maintain the specified power cap)
Improved power budgeting
Larger heat-sinks for processors and IOH
Accurate inlet temperature
Power supply and voltage regulator (VR) efficiency improvements
Switching regulators instead of linear regulators
Closed loop thermal throttling
Increased back venting and 3D venting
PWM fans with an increased number of fan zones and configuration-dependent fan speeds
Use of DDR3 memory (lower voltage than DDR2)
Processor VR dynamic phase shedding
Memory VR static phase shedding
Random time interval for system start
Allows an entire rack to power on without exceeding the available power
BIOS Power/Performance options page
BIOS-based CPU P-state manager (power management in a virtualized environment)
Ability to slow down or throttle memory
Ability to disable a processor core
Ability to turn off items not being used (USB ports, embedded NICs, unused PCIe lanes)
Option to run PCIe at Gen1 speeds instead of Gen2
5.1 Power Supplies and Power Subsystem
PowerEdge R910 supports two types of power supply units:
1100W high-output
750W Energy Smart
Figure 4. Power Supply
The power supply bay is designed to prevent unsupported power supplies from being installed. Mixing
of 1100W and 750W power supplies is not supported. R910 power supplies have embedded cooling
fans and one bi-colored status LED.
The PowerEdge R910 power supplies have a FRU EEPROM; FRU data is stored in the memory of the
power supply microcontroller. iDRAC can update the power supply firmware over the PMBus. Power is
“soft-switched,” allowing power cycling using a switch on the front of the system enclosure or

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through a software control (through server management functions). The power system is compatible
with industry standards, such as ACPI and the Microsoft Windows Server Hardware Design Guide.
If not using all four power supplies, it is preferred that the power supply be installed starting from
PS1 bay in order to avoid power loss in the PDB copper planes. However, there is nothing that
prevents the use of the rest of the bays in that case. The empty bays should be populated with the
PS sheet metal blanks for thermal reasons.
The system power distribution consists of one, two, three or four AC-to-DC power supplies connected
to the planar through the PDB. The power supply only provides +12V and +12Vaux. The power
supplies connect indirectly to the planar through the power distribution board (PDB). There is a
power cable that connects the PDB and the backplane. Another cable also connects the PDB to the
optical and/or tape drives. There are no cables involved for delivering the power from the power
supplies to the motherboard.
The 12V power is then distributed to the rest of the subsystems like the backplane and optical drive
from the motherboard using cables. There are several voltage regulators in the system to supply
different voltage levels needed by different logic devices.
R910 has four power supply bays. Power supply system configurations are shown in Table 4.
Table 4. Power Supply System Configurations
Power Supply
Configuration
High-output power supply (1100W)
Non-redundant configuration (1+0)
Redundant Energy Optimal configuration (1+1)
Non-redundant Full-power configuration (2+0)
Failover configuration (2+1)
Redundant Full-power configuration (2+2)
Energy Smart power supply (750W)
Non-redundant configuration (1+0)
Redundant Energy Optimal configuration (1+1)
Non-redundant Full-power configuration (2+0)
Failover configuration (2+1)
Redundant Full-power configuration (2+2)
There are two different redundancy modes with two of the power supplies. One is (2+0) non-
redundant capable of running full system configuration, and the other is (1+1) redundant running
limited configuration. You can switch the mode between (1+1) and (2+0) using the iDRAC GUI only for
the two power supply cases, depending on if the system is capable of supporting the new mode or
not. The other modes of redundancy are automatics based on the functional supplies present when
AC is applied and the system is powered on.
In the (2+2) mode, if the power supplies are evenly split across two separate grids on the AC line
side, then this mode would also be considered “AC or Grid” redundant in addition to power.

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Table 5. Power Supply Specifications
AC Power supply (per power supply)
Wattage
1100W (High Output PSU)
750W (Energy Smart PSU)
Voltage
90–264V, 47–63Hz, auto-ranging
Heat dissipation
8407 BTU/hr maximum (with two or four
1100W power supplies)
5732 BTU/hr maximum (with two or four
750W power supplies)
Maximum inrush current
Under typical line conditions and over the
entire system ambient operating range, the
inrush current may reach 55A per power
supply for 10ms or less
5.2 Environmental Specifications
Table 6 details the environmental specifications for the R910.
Table 6. Environmental Specifications
Temperature
Operating
10°C to 35°C (50°to 95°F) with a maximum temperature gradation of 10oC per hour.
Note: For altitudes above 2950 feet, the maximum operating temperature is derated
1°F/550 feet.
Storage
–40°C to 65°C (-40°to 149°F) with a maximum temperature gradation of 20°C per
hour
Relative Humidity
Operating
20% to 80% (noncondensing) with a maximum humidity gradation of 10% per hour
Storage
5% to 95% (noncondensing) with a maximum humidity gradation of 10% per hour
Maximum Vibration
Operating
0.26 Grms at 5-350Hz in operational orientations
Storage
1.54 Grms at 10-250Hz in all orientations
Maximum Shock
Operating
Half sine shock in all operational orientations of 31G +/- 5% with a pulse duration of
2.6 ms +/- 10%
Storage
Half sine shock on all six sides of 71G +/- 5% with a pulse duration of 2 ms +/-10%;
Square wave shock on all six sides of 27 G with velocity change @ 235 in/sec or
greater
Altitude
Operating
-16 to 3048m (-50 to 10,000ft) Note: For altitudes above 2950 feet, the maximum
operating temperature is derated 1oF/550 feet
Storage
-16 to 10,600m (-50 to 35,000ft)