IBM 7944 User manual

System x3550 M3
Installation and User's Guide
Machine Type: 4254 and 7944

Note
Before using t is information and t e product it supports, read t e general information in Appendix A
“Getting elp and tec nical assistance” on page 123, Appendix B “Notices” on page 127, t e Warranty
Information document, and t e Safety Information and Environmental Notices and User Guide documents on
t e IBM Documentation CD.
Thirteenth Edition (September 2023)
© Copyright Lenovo 20 4, 2023.
LIMITED AND RESTRICTED RIGHTS NOTICE: If data or software is delivered pursuant a General Services
Administration (GSA) contract, use, reproduction, or disclosure is subject to restrictions set forth in Contract No.
GS-35F-05925.

Contents
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Safety statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Chapter . The Lenovo System
x3550 M3 server . . . . . . . . . . . . .
T e IBM Documentation CD . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Hardware and software requirements . . . . . 3
Using t e Documentation Browser . . . . . . 3
Related documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Notices and statements in t is document . . . . . . 5
Features and specifications . . . . . . . . . . . 5
W at your server offers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Reliability, availability, and serviceability . . . . . 12
IBM Systems Director . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
T e UpdateXpress System Pack Installer . . . . . 13
Server controls, LEDs, and power. . . . . . . . 14
Front view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Operator information panel . . . . . . . . 15
Lig t pat diagnostics panel . . . . . . . . 16
Rear view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
System pulse LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Server power features . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chapter 2. Installing optional
devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Instructions for IBM Business Partners . . . . . . 33
How to send DSA data . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Server components . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
System-board internal connectors. . . . . . 35
System-board external connectors . . . . . 35
System-board switc es and jumpers. . . . . 36
System-board LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . 39
System-board optional device connectors . . 40
Installation guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
System reliability guidelines . . . . . . . . 42
Working inside t e server wit t e power on . . 43
Handling static-sensitive devices . . . . . . 43
Internal cable routing and connectors . . . . . . 44
Removing t e cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Removing t e DIMM air baffle . . . . . . . . . 49
Removing t e microprocessor 2 air baffle. . . . . 50
Installing a memory module . . . . . . . . . . 51
DIMM installation sequence . . . . . . . . 54
Memory mirroring . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Online-spare memory. . . . . . . . . . . 56
Installing a DIMM . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Installing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Installing a ot-swap ard disk drive . . . . . 58
Installing a simple-swap ard disk drive . . . 59
Installing an optional DVD drive . . . . . . . 61
Replacing a PCI riser-card assembly . . . . . . 64
Installing an adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Replacing a PCI Express assembly wit a PCI-X
assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Replacing a PCI-X assembly wit a PCI Express
assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Installing a ServeRAID SAS/SATA controller on t e
SAS/SATA RAID riser card . . . . . . . . . . 70
Installing an optional ServeRAID adapter advanced
feature key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Installing a ot-swap fan assembly . . . . . . . 75
Installing a ot-swap ac power supply . . . . . . 76
Installing a USB embedded ypervisor flas
device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Installing t e virtual media key . . . . . . . . . 80
Installing t e optional two-port Et ernet adapter . . 81
Installing a RAID adapter battery remotely in t e
server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Installing t e DVD enablement kit . . . . . . . . 89
Installing a SAS/SATA 4 Pac HDD option . . . . . 92
Installing a second microprocessor and eat
sink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
T ermal grease . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Completing t e installation . . . . . . . . . . 100
Installing t e microprocessor 2 air baffle . . . 100
Installing t e DIMM air baffle . . . . . . . . 101
Installing t e cover . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Connecting t e cables . . . . . . . . . . 102
Updating t e server configuration . . . . . . 103
Chapter 3. Configuring the
server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05
Using t e Setup utility . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Starting t e Setup utility. . . . . . . . . . 106
Setup utility menu c oices . . . . . . . . . 107
Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Using t e Boot Manager program . . . . . . . . 111
Starting t e backup server firmware . . . . . . . 111
Using t e ServerGuide Setup and Installation
CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
ServerGuide features . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Setup and configuration overview . . . . . . 112
© Copyrig t Lenovo 2014, 2023 i

Typical operating-system installation. . . . . 113
Installing your operating system wit out using
ServerGuide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Using t e integrated management module . . . . 113
Using t e remote presence capability and blue-
screen capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Enabling t e remote presence feature . . . . 115
Obtaining t e IP address for t e IMM . . . . 115
Logging on to t e Web interface . . . . . . 116
Using t e embedded ypervisor . . . . . . . . 116
Recovering t e flas device image. . . . . . 117
Enabling t e Broadcom Gigabit Et ernet Utility
program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Configuring t e Gigabit Et ernet controller . . . . 117
Using t e LSI Configuration Utility program . . . . 117
Starting t e LSI Configuration Utility
program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Formatting a ard disk drive . . . . . . . . 119
Creating a RAID array of ard disk drives . . . 119
IBM Advanced Settings Utility program . . . . . 119
Updating Systems Director . . . . . . . . . . 120
Installing a newer version . . . . . . . . . 120
Installing updates wit your management
server is connected to t e Internet. . . . . . 120
Installing updates wit your management
server is not connected to t e Internet . . . . 120
T e UpdateXpress System Pack Installer . . . . . 121
Appendix A. Getting help and
technical assistance . . . . . . . . . . 23
Before you call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Using t e documentation . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Getting elp and information from t e World Wide
Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
How to send DSA data . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Creating a personalized support web page . . . . 124
Software service and support . . . . . . . . . 124
Hardware service and support . . . . . . . . . 125
Taiwan product service . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Appendix B. Notices. . . . . . . . . . 27
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Important notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Recycling information . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Particulate contamination . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Telecommunication regulatory statement. . . . . 129
Electronic emission notices . . . . . . . . . . 129
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Industry Canada Class A emission compliance
statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Avis de conformité à la réglementation
d'Industrie Canada. . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Australia and New Zealand Class A
statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
European Union EMC Directive conformance
statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Germany Class A statement . . . . . . . . 130
Japan VCCI Class A statement . . . . . . . 131
Japan Electronics and Information
Tec nology Industries Association (JEITA)
statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Korea Communications Commission (KCC)
statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Russia Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
Class A statement . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
People's Republic of C ina Class A electronic
emission statement . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Taiwan Class A compliance statement . . . . 132
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
ii System x3550 M3Installation and User's Guide

Safety
Before installing t is product, read t e Safety Information.
Antes de instalar este produto, leia as Informações de Segurança.
Læs sikker edsforskrifterne, før du installerer dette produkt.
Lees voordat u dit product installeert eerst de veilig eidsvoorsc riften.
Ennen kuin asennat tämän tuotteen, lue turvao jeet ko dasta Safety Information.
Avant d'installer ce produit, lisez les consignes de sécurité.
Vor der Installation dieses Produkts die Sic er eits inweise lesen.
Prima di installare questo prodotto, leggere le Informazioni sulla Sicurezza.
Les sikker etsinformasjonen (Safety Information) før du installerer dette produktet.
Antes de instalar este produto, leia as Informações sobre Segurança.
© Copyrig t Lenovo 2014, 2023 iii

Antes de instalar este producto, lea la información de seguridad.
Läs säker etsinformationen innan du installerar den är produkten.
Safety statements
T ese statements provide t e caution and danger information t at is used in t is documentation.
Important: Eac caution and danger statement in t is documentation is labeled wit a number. T is number
is used to cross reference an Englis -language caution or danger statement wit translated versions of t e
caution or danger statement in t e Safety Information document.
For example, if a caution statement is labeled Statement 1, translations for t at caution statement are in t e
Safety Information document under Statement 1.
Be sure to read all caution and danger statements in t is documentation before you perform t e procedures.
Read any additional safety information t at comes wit your system or optional device before you install t e
device.
Statement
iv System x3550 M3Installation and User's Guide

DANGER
Electrical current from power, telephone, and communication cables is hazardous.
To avoid a shock hazard:
• Do not connect or disconnect any cables or perform installation, maintenance, or reconfiguration
of this product during an electrical storm.
• Connect all power cords to a properly wired and grounded electrical outlet.
• Connect to properly wired outlets any equipment that will be attached to this product.
• When possible, use one hand only to connect or disconnect signal cables.
• Never turn on any equipment when there is evidence of fire, water, or structural damage.
• Disconnect the attached power cords, telecommunications systems, networks, and modems
before you open the device covers, unless instructed otherwise in the installation and
configuration procedures.
• Connect and disconnect cables as described in the following table when installing, moving, or
opening covers on this product or attached devices.
To Connect: To Disconnect:
1. Turn everyt ing OFF.
2. First, attac all cables to devices.
3. Attac signal cables to connectors.
4. Attac power cords to outlet.
5. Turn device ON.
1. Turn everyt ing OFF.
2. First, remove power cords from outlet.
3. Remove signal cables from connectors.
4. Remove all cables from devices.
Statement 2
CAUTION:
When replacing the lithium battery, use only Part Number 33F8354 or an equivalent type battery
recommended by the manufacturer. If your system has a module containing a lithium battery, replace
it only with the same module type made by the same manufacturer. The battery contains lithium and
can explode if not properly used, handled, or disposed of. Do not:
• Throw or immerse into water
• Heat to more than 00°C (2 2°F)
• Repair or disassemble
Dispose of the battery as required by local ordinances or regulations.
Statement 3
CAUTION:
© Copyrig t Lenovo 2014, 2023 v

When laser products (such as CD-ROMs, DVD drives, fiber optic devices, or transmitters) are
installed, note the following:
• Do not remove the covers. Removing the covers of the laser product could result in exposure to
hazardous laser radiation. There are no serviceable parts inside the device.
• Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein
might result in hazardous radiation exposure.
DANGER
Some laser products contain an embedded Class 3A or Class 3B laser diode. Note the following.
Laser radiation when open. Do not stare into the beam, do not view directly with optical
instruments, and avoid direct exposure to the beam.
Statement 4
CAUTION: Use safe practices when lifting.
≥ 18 kg (39.7 lb) ≥ 32 kg (70.5 lb) ≥ 55 kg (121.2 lb)
Statement 5
CAUTION:
vi System x3550 M3Installation and User's Guide

The power control button on the device and the power switch on the power supply do not turn off the
electrical current supplied to the device. The device also might have more than one power cord. To
remove all electrical current from the device, ensure that all power cords are disconnected from the
power source.
1
2
Statement 6
CAUTION:
If you install a strain-relief bracket option over the end of the power cord that is connected to the
device, you must connect the other end of the power cord to an easily accessible power source.
Statement 8
CAUTION:
Never remove the cover on a power supply or any part that has the following label attached.
Hazardous voltage, current, and energy levels are present inside any component that has this label
attached. There are no serviceable parts inside these components. If you suspect a problem with one
of these parts, contact a service technician.
Statement 2
CAUTION:
The following label indicates a hot surface nearby.
© Copyrig t Lenovo 2014, 2023 vii

Statement 26
CAUTION:
Do not place any object on top of rack-mounted devices.
Rack Safety Information, Statement 2
DANGER
• Always lower the leveling pads on the rack cabinet.
• Always install stabilizer brackets on the rack cabinet.
• Always install servers and optional devices starting from the bottom of the rack cabinet.
• Always install the heaviest devices in the bottom of the rack cabinet.
viii System x3550 M3Installation and User's Guide

Chapter . The Lenovo System x3550 M3 server
T is publication contains information and instructions for setting up your Lenovo System x3550 M3 server,
instructions for installing some optional devices, cabling and configuring t e server, removing and replacing
devices, and diagnostics and troubles ooting information.
In addition to t e instructions in C apter 2 “Installing optional devices” on page 33 for installing optional
ardware devices, updating firmware and device drivers, and completing t e installation, IBM Business
Partners must also complete t e steps in “Instructions for IBM Business Partners” on page 33.
T e Lenovo System x3550 M3 Type 4254 and 7944 server is a 1-U- ig 1rack model server for ig -volume
network transaction processing. T is ig -performance, multi-core server is ideally suited for networking
environments t at require superior microprocessor performance, input/output (I/O) flexibility, and ig
manageability.
Performance, ease of use, reliability, and expansion capabilities were key considerations in t e design of t e
server. T ese design features make it possible for you to customize t e system ardware to meet your needs
today and provide flexible expansion capabilities for t e future.
T e server comes wit a limited warranty. For information about t e terms of t e warranty, see t e Warranty
Information document t at comes wit t e server.
T e server contains IBMX-Arc itecture tec nologies, w ic elp increase performance and reliability. For
more information, see “W at your server offers” on page 8 and “Reliability, availability, and serviceability” on
page 12.
You can obtain up-to-date information about t e server and ot er IBM server products at ttp://
www.ibm.com/systems/x/. At ttp://www.ibm.com/support/mysupport/, you can create a personalized support
page by identifying IBM products t at are of interest to you. From t is personalized page, you can subscribe
to weekly email notifications about new tec nical documents, searc for information and downloads, and
access various administrative services.
If you participate in t e IBM client reference program, you can s are information about your use of
tec nology, best practices, and innovative solutions; build a professional network; and gain visibility for your
business. For more information about t e IBM client reference program, see ttp://www.ibm.com/ibm/
clientreference/.
If firmware and documentation updates are available, you can download t em from t e IBM website. T e
server mig t ave features t at are not described in t e documentation t at comes wit t e server, and t e
documentation mig t be updated occasionally to include information about t ose features, or tec nical
updates mig t be available to provide additional information t at is not included in t e server documentation.
To c eck for updates, go to ttp://www.ibm.com/supportportal/.
Note: T e illustrations in t is document mig t differ slig tly from your model.
T e ot-swap server models support up to eig t 2.5-inc ot-swap SAS/SATA ard disk drives. T e simple-
swap server models support up to four 2.5-inc simple-swap SATA ard disk drives. T e following
illustration s ows t e ot-swap server model.
© Copyrig t Lenovo 2014, 2023
1. Racks are marked in vertical increments of 1.75 inc es eac . Eac increment is referred to as a unit, or a “U”. A 1-U-
ig device is approximately 1.75 inc es tall.

Hard disk drive
activity LED (green)
Hard disk drive
status LED (amber)
Drive bay 0 Drive bay 2
Drive bay 1 Drive bay 3
Drive bay 4 Drive bay 6
Drive bay 5 Drive bay 7
Figure 1 Front view: 2 5-inch model
On server models wit an optional optical drive bay, t e servers support up to four 2.5-inc simple-swap
SATA or ot-swap SAS/SATA ard disk drives.
Video
connector
USB 1
connector
Operator
information
panel
Drive bay 0 Drive bay 2
Drive bay 1 Drive bay 3
Rack
release
latch
Rack
release
latch
Hard disk drive
activity LED (green)
Hard disk drive
status LED (amber) Optional
optical drive
eject button
Optional
optical drive
activity LED
Power-control
button and LED
Operator information
panel release latch
USB 2
connector
Optional
drive bay
Figure 2 Front view: 2 5-inch model with optical drive bay
If firmware and documentation updates are available, you can download t em from t e IBM Web site. T e
server mig t ave features t at are not described in t e documentation t at comes wit t e server, and t e
documentation mig t be updated occasionally to include information about t ose features, or tec nical
updates mig t be available to provide additional information t at is not included in t e server documentation.
To c eck for updates, go to ttp://www.ibm.com/supportportal/.
Record information about t e server in t e following table.
Product name Lenovo System x3550 M3 server
Machine type 4254 or 7944
Model number _____________________________________________
Serial number _____________________________________________
T e model number and serial number are on t e ID label on t e front of t e server, as s own in t e following
illustration.
Note: T e illustrations in t is document mig t differ slig tly from your ardware.
2System x3550 M3Installation and User's Guide

ID label
Figure 3 ID label
You can download an IBM ServerGuide Setup and Installation CD to elp you configure t e ardware, install
device drivers, and install t e operating system.
For a list of supported optional devices for t e server, see ttp://www.ibm.com/systems/info/x86servers/
serverproven/compat/us/.
See t e Rack Installation Instructions document on t e IBM System x Documentation CD for complete rack
installation and removal instructions.
The IBM Documentation CD
T e IBM Documentation CD contains documentation for t e server in Portable Document Format (PDF) and
includes t e IBM Documentation Browser to elp you find information quickly.
Hardware and software requirements
T e IBM Documentation CD requires t e following minimum ardware and software:
• Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Red Hat Linux
• 100 MHz microprocessor
• 32 MB of RAM
• Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 (or later) or xpdf, w ic comes wit Linux operating systems
Using the Documentation Browser
Use t e Documentation Browser to browse t e contents of t e CD, read brief descriptions of t e documents,
and view documents, using Adobe Acrobat Reader or xpdf.
T e Documentation Browser automatically detects t e regional settings in use in your server and displays t e
documents in t e language for t at region (if available). If a document is not available in t e language for t at
region, t e Englis -language version is displayed.
Use one of t e following procedures to start t e Documentation Browser:
• If Autostart is enabled, insert t e CD into t e CD or DVD drive. T e Documentation Browser starts
automatically.
• If Autostart is disabled or is not enabled for all users, use one of t e following procedures:
– If you are using a Windows operating system, insert t e CD into t e CD or DVD drive and click Start ➙
Run. In t e Open field, type
e:\win32.bat
w ere e is t e drive letter of t e CD or DVD drive, and click OK.
C apter 1.T e Lenovo System x3550 M3 server 3

– If you are using Red Hat Linux, insert t e CD into t e CD or DVD drive; t en, run t e following
command from t e /mnt/cdrom directory:
sh runlinux.sh
Select t e server from t e Product menu. T e Available Topics list displays all t e documents for t e
server. Some documents mig t be in folders. A plus sign (+) indicates eac folder or document t at as
additional documents under it. Click t e plus sign to display t e additional documents.
W en you select a document, a description of t e document is displayed under Topic Description. To select
more t an one document, press and old t e Ctrl key w ile you select t e documents. Click View to view t e
selected document or documents in Acrobat Reader or xpdf. If you selected more t an one document, all t e
selected documents are opened in Acrobat Reader or xpdf.
To searc all t e documents, type a word or word string in t e Search field and click Search. T e
documents in w ic t e word or word string appears are listed in order of t e most occurrences. Click a
document to view it, and press Crtl+F to use t e Acrobat searc function, or press Alt+F to use t e xpdf
searc function wit in t e document.
Click Help for detailed information about using t e Documentation Browser.
Related documentation
T is publication contains general information about t e server including ow to set up and cable t e server,
ow to install supported optional devices, ow to configure t e server, and information to elp you solve
problems yourself and information for service tec nicians. T e following documentation also comes wit t e
server:
• Environmental Notices and User GuideT is document is in PDF format on t e IBMDocumentation CD. It
contains translated environmental notices.
• IBM License Agreement for Machine CodeT is document is in PDF format on t e IBMDocumentation CD.
It provides translated versions of t e IBM License Agreement for Machine Code for your product.
• Important NoticesT is document is in printed format and comes wit t e server. It contains information
about t e safety, environmental, and electronic emission notices for your IBM product.
• Licenses and Attributions DocumentsT is document is in PDF format on t e IBMDocumentation CD. It
provides t e open source notices.
• Rack Installation InstructionsT is printed document contains instructions for installing t e server in a rack
and comes wit t e rack kit.
• Rack Safety InformationT is multilingual document provides translated versions of t e caution and danger
statements t at appear in t e rack documentation. Eac caution and danger statement as an assigned
number, w ic you can use to locate t e corresponding statement in your native language.
• Safety InformationT is document is in PDF format on t e IBM Documentation CD. It contains translated
caution and danger statements. Eac caution and danger statement t at appears in t e documentation
as a number t at you can use to locate t e corresponding statement in your language in t e Safety
Information document.
• Safety Information LabelsT is document provides t e Simplified C inese, Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur, and
Z uang translated versions of t e product safety labels.
• Warranty InformationT is document is in printed format and comes wit t e server. It contains warranty
terms and a pointer to t e IBM Statement of Limited Warranty on t e IBM website.
Depending on t e server model, additional documentation mig t be included on t e IBMDocumentation CD.
4System x3550 M3Installation and User's Guide

T e ToolsCenter for System x and BladeCenter is an online information center t at contains information
about tools for updating, managing, and deploying firmware, device drivers, and operating systems. T e
ToolsCenter for System x and BladeCenter is at ttp://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/toolsctr/v1r0/.
T e server mig t ave features t at are not described in t e documentation t at you received wit t e server.
T e documentation mig t be updated occasionally to include information about t ose features, or tec nical
updates mig t be available to provide additional information t at is not included in t e server documentation.
T ese updates are available from t e IBM website. To c eck for updates, go to ttp://www.ibm.com/
supportportal/.
Notices and statements in this document
T e caution and danger statements in t is document are also in t e multilingual Safety Information
document, w ic is on t e IBMSystem x Documentation CD. Eac statement is numbered for reference to
t e corresponding statement in your language in t e Safety Information document.
T e following notices and statements are used in t is document:
• Note: T ese notices provide important tips, guidance, or advice.
• Important: T ese notices provide information or advice t at mig t elp you avoid inconvenient or
problem situations.
• Attention: T ese notices indicate potential damage to programs, devices, or data. An attention notice is
placed just before t e instruction or situation in w ic damage mig t occur.
• Caution: T ese statements indicate situations t at can be potentially azardous to you. A caution
statement is placed just before t e description of a potentially azardous procedure step or situation.
• Danger: T ese statements indicate situations t at can be potentially let al or extremely azardous to you.
A danger statement is placed just before t e description of a potentially let al or extremely azardous
procedure step or situation.
Features and specifications
T e following information is a summary of t e features and specifications of t e server.
Depending on t e server model, some features mig t not be available, or some specifications mig t not
apply.
C apter 1.T e Lenovo System x3550 M3 server 5

Table 1 Features and specifications
Microprocessor:
• Supports up to two Intel Xeon™
multi-core microprocessors (one
installed)
• Level-3 cac e
• QuickPat Interconnect (QPI) links
speed up to 6.4 GT per second
Notes:
• Do not install an Intel Xeon™ 5500
series microprocessor and an
Xeon™ 5600 series
microprocessor in t e same
server.
• Use t e Setup utility program to
determine t e type and speed of
t e microprocessors.
• For a list of supported
microprocessors, see ttp://
www.ibm.com/systems/info/
x86servers/serverproven/compat/
us/.
Memory:
• Minimum: 2 GB
• Maximum: 288 GB
– 48 GB using unbuffered DIMMs
(UDIMMs)
– 288 GB using registered DIMMs
(RDIMMs)
• Type: PC3-10600R-999, 800,
1066, and 1333 MHz, ECC, DDR3
registered or unbuffered SDRAM
DIMMs
• Slots: 18 dual inline
• Supports (depending on t e
model):
– 2 GB and 4 GB unbuffered
DIMMs
– 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB
registered DIMMs
SATA optical drives (optional):
• DVD-ROM
• Multi-burner
Hot-swap fans:
T e server comes standard wit five
dual-motor ot-swap fans.
Hard disk drive expansion bays
(depending on the model):
• Up to eig t 2.5-inc ot-swap
SAS or ot-swap SATA ard disk
drive bays
• Up to four 2.5-inc ot-swap
SAS/SATA or simple-swap SATA
ard disk drive bays (on server
models wit an optional optical
drive bay)
PCI expansion slots:
Supports two PCI riser slots:
• Slot 1 supports low-profile cards
(PCI Express Gen2 x16 or PCI-X
1.0a 64-bit/133 MHz ).
• Slot 2 supports alf-lengt , full-
eig t cards (PCI Express Gen2
x16 or PCI-X 1.0a 64-bit/133
MHz).
Video controller (integrated into
IMM):
• Matrox G200eV (two analog ports
- one front and one rear t at can
be connected at t e same time)
Note: T e maximum video
resolution is 1600 x 1200 at 75
Hz.
– SVGA compatible video
controller
– DDR2 250 MHz SDRAM video
memory controller
– Avocent Digital Video
Compression
– 16 MB of video memory (not
expandable)
Power supply:
• Maximum of two ot-swap power
supplies for redundancy support
– 460-watt ac
– 675-watt ac
– 675-watt ig -efficiency ac
– 675-watt dc
Note: You cannot mix 460-watt and
675-watt power supplies, ig -
efficiency and non- ig -efficiency
power supplies, or ac and dc power
supplies in t e server.
Environment:
• Air temperature:
– Server on: 10°C to 35°C (50°F to
95°F); altitude: 0 to 914.4 m
(3000 ft), decrease system
temperature by 1.0°C for every
1000-foot increase in altitude
– Server off: 5°C to 45°C (41°F to
113°F); maximum altitude: 3048
m (10000 ft)
– S ipment: -40°C to 60°C (-40°F
to 140°F); maximum altitude:
3048 m (10000 ft)
• Humidity:
– Server on: 20% to 80%;
maximum dew point: 21°C;
maximum rate of c ange: 5 °C/ r
– Server off: 8% to 80%; maximum
dew point: 27°C
• Particulate contamination:
Attention: Airborne particulates
and reactive gases acting alone or
in combination wit ot er
environmental factors suc as
umidity or temperature mig t pose
a risk to t e server. For information
about t e limits for particulates and
gases, see “Particulate
contamination” on page 129.
Heat output:
Approximate eat output:
• Minimum configuration: 662 Btu per
our (194 watts)
• Maximum configuration: 2302 Btu
per our (675 watts)
Integrated functions:
• Integrated Management Module
(IMM), w ic provides service
processor control and monitoring
RAID controllers (depending on
the model):
• A ServeRAID-BR10il v2 SAS/
SATA adapter t at provides RAID
Electrical input:
• Sine-wave input (47 - 63 Hz)
required
• Input voltage low range:
– Minimum: 100 V ac
6System x3550 M3Installation and User's Guide

Table 1 Features and specifications (continued)
functions, video controller, and
(w en t e optional virtual media
key is installed) remote keyboard,
video, mouse, and remote ard
disk drive capabilities
• Broadcom BCM5709 Gb Et ernet
controller wit TCP/IP Offload
Engine (TOE) and Wake on LAN
support
• Five Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
ports (two front and two rear of t e
c assis, and one on t e SAS/
SATA RAID riser card in w ic t e
optional USB flas device wit
embedded ypervisor software is
installed)
• Four Et ernet ports (two on
system board and two additional
ports w en t e optional IBM Dual-
Port 1 Gb Et ernet Daug ter Card
is installed)
• One System Management RJ-45
on t e rear to connect to a
systems management network.
T is system management
connector is dedicated to t e IMM
functions. T is connector is active
wit or wit out t e optional IBM
Virtual Media Key installed.
• One serial port
levels 0, 1, and 1E (comes
standard on some ot-swap
models).
• An optional ServeRAID-BR10i
SAS/SATA adapter t at provides
RAID levels 0, 1, and 1E can be
ordered.
• An optional ServeRAID-MR10i
SAS/SATA adapter t at provides
RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and
60 can be ordered.
• An optional ServerRAID M1015
SAS/SATA adapter t at provides
RAID levels 0, 1, and 10 wit
optional RAID 5/50 and SED (Self
Encrypting Drive) upgrade.
• An optional ServeRAID M5014
SAS/SATA adapter t at provides
RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10 and 50
wit optional RAID 6/60 and SED
upgrade.
• An optional ServeRAID M5015
SAS/SATA adapter t at provides
RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10, and 50
wit optional RAID 6/60 and SED
upgrade.
Size:
• 1U
• Heig t: 43 mm (1.7 inc es)
• Dept : 711 mm (28.0 inc es)
• Widt : 440 mm (17.3 inc es)
• Weig t: approximately 15.9 kg
(35.1 lb) w en fully configured
Acoustical noise emissions:
• Sound power, idling: 6.1 bels
maximum
• Sound power, operating: 6.1 bels
maximum
– Maximum: 127 V ac
• Input voltage ig range:
– Minimum: 200 V ac
– Maximum: 240 V ac
• Input kilovolt-amperes (kVA),
approximately:
– Minimum: 0.090 kVA
– Maximum: 0.700 kVA
Notes:
1. Power consumption and eat
output vary depending on t e
number and type of optional
features installed and t e power-
management optional features in
use.
2. T e sound levels were measured
in controlled acoustical
environments according to t e
procedures specified by t e
American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) S12.10 and ISO
7779 and are reported in
accordance wit ISO 9296. Actual
sound-pressure levels in a given
location mig t exceed t e average
values stated because of room
reflections and ot er nearby noise
sources. T e noise emission level
stated in t e declared (upper limit)
sound-power level, in bels, for a
random sample of system.
EU Regulation 6 7/20 3 Technical Documentation:
International Business Mac ines Corporation
New Orc ard Road
Armonk, New York 10504
ttp://www.ibm.com/customersupport/
For more information on t e energy efficiency program, go to ttp://www.ibm.com/systems/x/ ardware/
energy-star/index. tml
Product Type:
Computer Server
Year first manufactured:
2010
C apter 1.T e Lenovo System x3550 M3 server 7

Internal/external power supply efficiency:
PSU 1:
Table 2 Power supply efficiency (PSU 1)
IRMS A PF ITHD (%) Load (%) Input Watts
Output
Watts Efficiency %
0.41 0.811 39.8% 10% 77.25 67.50 87.38%
0.72 0.901 30.5% 20% 148.45 134.74 90.76%
1.65 0.956 21.8% 50% 361.99 336.34 92.91%
3.28 0.976 17.5% 100% 736.58 670.10 90.97%
PSU 2:
Table 3 Power supply efficiency (PSU 2)
IRMS A PF ITHD (%) Load (%) Input Watts
Output
Watts Efficiency %
0.50 0.694 19.02% 10% 79.4 68.2 85.9%
0.74 0.867 15.1% 20% 148.4 134.8 90.8%
1.63 0.968 4.85% 50% 362.1 336.1 93.0%
3.24 0.988 5.3% 100% 737.3 672.3 91.2%
Maximum power (watts):
See Power supply.
Idle state power (watts):
129
Sleep mode power (watts):
N/A for servers
Off mode power (watts):
Not available
Noise levels (the declared A-weighed sound power level of the computer):
See Acoustical noise emissions.
Test voltage and frequency:
230V / 50 Hz or 60 Hz
Total harmonic distortion of the electricity supply system:
T e maximum armonic content of t e input voltage waveform will be equal or less t an 2%. T e
qualification is compliant wit EN 61000-3-2.
Information and documentation on the instrumentation set-up and circuits used for electrical testing:
ENERGY STAR Test Met od for Computer Servers; ECOVA Generalized Test Protocol for Calculating
t e Energy Efficiency of Internal Ac-Dc and Dc-Dc Power Supplies.
Measurement methodology used to determine information in this document:
ENERGY STAR Servers Version 2.0 Program Requirements; ECOVA Generalized Test Protocol for
Calculating t e Energy Efficiency of Internal Ac-Dc and Dc-Dc Power Supplies.
What your server offers
T e server uses t e following features and tec nologies.
8System x3550 M3Installation and User's Guide

• Integrated Management Module: T e Integrated Management module (IMM) combines service
processor functions, video controller, and (w en an optional virtual media key is installed) remote
presence function in a single c ip. T e IMM provides advanced service-processor control, monitoring,
and alerting function. If an environmental condition exceeds a t res old or if a system component fails,
t e IMM lig ts LEDs to elp you diagnose t e problem, records t e error in t e event log, and alerts you to
t e problem. Optionally, t e IMM also provides a virtual presence capability for remote server
management capabilities. T e IMM provides remote server management t roug t e following industry-
standard interfaces:
– Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) version 2.0
– Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) version 3
– Common Information Model (CIM)
– Web browser
For additional information, see “Using t e integrated management module” on page 113.
• UEFI-compliant server firmware: IBM System x Server Firmware (server firmware) offers several
features, including Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) 2.1 compliance; Active Energy Manager
tec nology; en anced reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) capabilities; and basic input/output
system (BIOS) compatibility support. UEFI replaces t e BIOS and defines a standard interface between
t e operating system, platform firmware, and external devices. UEFI-compliant System x servers are
capable of booting UEFI-compliant operating systems, BIOS-based operating systems, and BIOS-based
adapters as well as UEFI-compliant adapters.
Note: T e server does not support DOS (Disk Operating System).
• IBM Dynamic System Analysis Preboot diagnostics programs: T e Dynamic System Analysis (DSA)
Preboot diagnostics programs are stored on t e integrated USB memory. It collects and analyzes system
information to aid in diagnosing server problems. T e diagnostic programs collect t e following
information about t e server:
– System configuration
– Network interfaces and settings
– Installed ardware
– Lig t pat diagnostics status
– Service processor status and configuration
– Vital product data, firmware, and UEFI (formerly BIOS) configuration
– Hard disk drive ealt
– RAID controller configuration
– Event logs for ServeRAID controllers and service processors
T e diagnostic programs create a merged log t at includes events from all collected logs. T e information
is collected into a file t at you can send to IBM service and support. Additionally, you can view t e
information locally t roug a generated text report file. You can also copy t e log to a removable media
and view t e log from a Web browser.
For additional information about DSA Preboot diagnostics, see t e Problem Determination and Service
Guide on t e IBM System x Documentation CD
• Multi-core processing: T e server supports up to two Intel Xeon™ multi-core microprocessors. T e
server comes wit only one microprocessor installed.
• IBM Systems Director: IBM Systems Director is a workgroup- ardware-management tool t at you can
use to centrally manage System x and xSeries servers. For more information, see t e IBM Systems
Director Information Center at ttp://pic.d e.ibm.com/infocenter/director/pubs/index.jsp?topic=
%2Fcom.ibm.director.main. elps.doc%2Ffqm0_main. tml and “IBM Systems Director” on page 13.
C apter 1.T e Lenovo System x3550 M3 server 9

• IBMX-Architecture technology: IBMX-Arc itecture tec nology combines proven, innovative IBM
designs to make your Intel-processor-based server powerful, scalable, and reliable. For more information,
see ttp://www.ibm.com/systems/x/ ardware/enterprise/xarc itecture. tml.
– Active™ Memory: T e Active Memory feature improves t e reliability of memory t roug memory
mirroring. Memory mirroring mode replicates and stores data on two pairs of DIMMs wit in two
c annels simultaneously. If a failure occurs, t e memory controller switc es from t e primary pair of
memory DIMMs to t e backup pair of DIMMs. For more information about installing DIMMs for memory
mirroring, see “Installing a memory module” on page 51.
– Remote presence capability and blue-screen capture: T e remote presence and blue-screen
capture features are integrated functions of t e Integrated Management Module (IMM) and are
available wit t e purc ase of t e optional IBM Virtual Media Key. A virtual media key is required to
enable t e remote presence and blue-screen capture features. T e remote presence feature provides
t e following functions:
– Remotely viewing video wit grap ics resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 at 75 Hz, regardless of t e
system state
– Remotely accessing t e server, using t e keyboard and mouse from a remote client
– Mapping t e CD or DVD drive, diskette drive, and USB flas drive on a remote client, and mapping
ISO and diskette image files as virtual drives t at are available for use by t e server
– Uploading a diskette image to t e IMM memory and mapping it to t e server as a virtual drive
T e blue-screen capture feature captures t e video display contents before t e IMM restarts t e server
w en t e IMM detects an operating-system ang condition. A system administrator can use t e blue-
screen capture to assist in determining t e cause of t e ang condition.
See “Using t e remote presence capability and blue-screen capture” on page 114 for additional
information.
– Large system-memory capacity: T e memory bus supports up to 192 GB of system memory w en
registered DIMMs are installed. T e server supports up to 48 GB if unbuffered DIMMs are installed. T e
memory controller supports error correcting code (ECC) for up to 18 industry-standard PC3-10600R-
999, 800, 1067, and 1333 MHz, DDR3 (t ird-generation double-data-rate), sync ronous dynamic
random access memory (SDRAM) dual inline memory modules (DIMMs).
• IBMServerGuide Setup and Installation CD: T e ServerGuide Setup and Installation CD, w ic you can
download from t e Web, provides programs to elp you set up t e server and install a Windows operating
system. T e ServerGuide program detects installed optional ardware devices and provides t e correct
configuration programs and device drivers. For more information about t e ServerGuide Setup and
Installation CD, see “Using t e ServerGuide Setup and Installation CD” on page 111.
• Integrated network support: T e server comes wit an integrated dual-port Broadcom Gigabit Et ernet
controller, w ic supports connection to a 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or 1000 Mbps network. For more
information, see “Configuring t e Gigabit Et ernet controller” on page 117.
• Integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM): T is integrated security c ip performs cryptograp ic
functions and stores private and public secure keys. It provides t e ardware support for t e Trusted
Computing Group (TCG) specification. You can download t e software to support t e TCG specification,
w en t e software is available. See ttp://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/xseries/scalable_family. tml for
details about t e TPM implementation. You can enable TPM support t roug t e Setup utility under t e
System Security menu option.
• Large data-storage capacity and hot-swap capability: T e ot-swap server models support a
maximum of eig t 2.5-inc ot-swap Serial Attac ed SCSI (SAS) ard disk drives or ot-swap Serial ATA
(SATA) ard disk drives. T e simple-swap server models support a maximum of four 2.5-inc simple-
swap SATA ard disk drives.
Wit t e ot-swap feature, you can add, remove, or replace ard disk drives wit out turning off t e server.
0 System x3550 M3Installation and User's Guide