Lenovo System x3850 X6 User manual

© Copyright Lenovo 2015. All rights reserved. ibm.com/redbooks 1
Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6
Quick Start Guide
Abstract
The Lenovo® System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 servers are new four-socket and eight-socket
servers that deliver fast application performance thanks to an innovative scalable design and
new storage technology that is designed to optimize overall solution performance. These
servers are based on the highly scalable Intel Xeon processor E7-4800 v2 and E7-8800 v2
product families and are the first servers designed and optimized for eXFlash™
memory-channel storage, the latest in ultra-low latency flash storage technology.
This quick start guide addresses the preferred practices for setting up the x3850 X6 and
x3950 X6 servers. It provides all of the information necessary to unpack a system and be up
and running in the minimal amount of time. The paper provides insightful information from
experts in the field and in development and covers the system architecture and major
subsystems such as memory, I/O, power and cooling. The paper also offers a pre-installation
checklist and tips on troubleshooting. This paper is intended for pre-sales and post-sales
technical support professionals.
Contents
Introducing the x3850 X5 and x3950 X6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Memory subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
I/O subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Power subsystem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Cooling subsystem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Pre-installation checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Troubleshooting tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Related publications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
John R. Encizo
Timothy M. Wiwel
Loc X. Nguyen

2Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide
Introducing the x3850 X5 and x3950 X6
The Lenovo X6 product portfolio represents the sixth generation of servers that are built upon
Enterprise X-Architecture. Enterprise X-Architecture is the culmination of generations of
Lenovo technology and innovation that is derived from the experience in high-end enterprise
servers. Now, with the X6 servers, scalable systems can be expanded on demand and
configured by using a building block approach that optimizes system design for your workload
requirements. These servers scale to more processor cores, memory, and I/O than previous
systems, enabling them to handle greater workloads than the systems that they supersede.
Power efficiency and server density are optimized, making them affordable to own and
operate.
The Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 servers deliver fast application performance
thanks to an innovative scalable design and new storage technology that is designed to
optimize overall solution performance. The X6 servers are the first servers designed and
optimized for eXFlash memory-channel storage. With eXFlash memory-channel storage, they
can deliver up to 12.8 TB of ultra-low latency flash storage. With the new Intel Xeon processor
E7-4800 v2 and E7-8800 v2 product families, the x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 servers can deliver
up to 6.0 TB or 12 TB of memory and 60 or 120 cores of processing power, respectively.
Figure 1 shows the x3850 X6 server.
Figure 1 x3850 X6 server
The x3850 X6 server has the following key characteristics:
򐂰Up to four Intel Xeon processor E7-4800 v2 or E7-8800 v2 product family processors
򐂰Up to 96 DIMM slots (24 DIMM slots per processor) for up to 6 TB of memory (using
64 GB DIMMs)
򐂰Up to 1600 MHz DDR3 memory speeds and up to 2667 MHz SMI2 link speeds
򐂰Up to 12.8 TB of eXFlash memory-channel storage
򐂰Up to eight 2.5-inch hot-swap drives or up to 16 1.8-inch hot-swap solid-state drives
(SSDs)
򐂰Support for 12 Gbps serial-attached SCSI (SAS) connectivity for the internal storage

Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide 3
򐂰Mezzanine LOM (ML) slot for the integrated network interface controller (NIC) functionality
(choice of dual-port 10 GbE or quad-port 1 GbE adapters)
򐂰Up to 11 PCIe 3.0 I/O slots
򐂰Internal USB port for the embedded hypervisor
򐂰Three USB ports on the front of the server, 2x USB 3.0 and 1x USB 2.0
Figure 2 shows the x3950 X6 server.
Figure 2 x3950 X6 server
The x3950 X6 server has the following key characteristics:
򐂰Up to eight Intel Xeon processor E7-8800 v2 product family processors
򐂰Up to 192 DIMM slots (24 DIMM slots per processor) for up to 12 TB of memory (using
64 GB DIMMs)
򐂰Up to 1600 MHz DDR3 memory speeds and up to 2667 MHz SMI2 link speeds
򐂰Up to 12.8 TB of eXFlash memory-channel storage
򐂰Up to 16 2.5-inch hot-swap drives or up to 30 two 1.8-inch hot-swap SSDs
򐂰Support for 12 Gbps SAS connectivity for the internal storage
򐂰Two ML slots for the integrated NIC functionality (choice of dual-port 10 GbE or quad-port
1 GbE adapters)
򐂰Up to 22 PCIe 3.0 I/O slots
򐂰Two internal USB ports for the embedded hypervisors
򐂰Six USB ports on the front of the server, 4x USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0

4Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide
The supported operating systems for both x3850 X6 server and x3950 X6 server include:
򐂰Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
򐂰Microsoft Windows Server 2012
򐂰Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
򐂰Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5+
򐂰SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP1+
򐂰VMware vSphere (ESXi) 5.1 U1+
򐂰VMware vSphere (ESXi) 5.5
Architecture
To ensure proper function of the X6 server, the system should be configured correctly at the
time of purchase. The block diagram of the system in Figure 3 shows that proper memory and
I/O placement is critical for optimal performance. With the move to the Intel Ivy Bridge
processors in the X6 platform, the I/O is now directly attached to the processors. Additionally,
memory population rules have become more complex because each channel now has three
DIMMs and different memory modes.
There are a few general preferred practices in regards to configuring the system. Memory
should be installed in quantities of eight DIMMs per CPU for optimal performance and to
avoid any potential issues with memory installation order interfering with the memory mode
chosen. For best I/O performance, install the correct amount of adapters so that as many
processors as possible have a direct connection to I/O.
Figure 3 x3850 X6 system architecture
SMI
links
MB 2
MB 1
X6 DDR3
Compute Book
QPI links
Intel
Xeon
CPU 1
MB 2
MB 1
MB 2
MB 1
MB 2
MB 1
MB 2
MB 1
DMI
links
Slot 7: PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16)
Slot 9: PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16)
MB 2
MB 1
MB 2
MB 1
MB 2
MB 1
8x USB
Serial
Management
Video
IMM2
PCIe x1
Slot 10: Mezz LOM (x8)
Slot 12: PCIe 3.0 x16 (x8)
Intel
Xeon
CPU 2
Slot 8: PCIe 3.0 x16 (x8)
Slot 11: PCIe 3.0 x16 (x8)
Intel
Xeon
CPU 4
Intel
Xeon
CPU 3
Slot 1: PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16)
Slot 2: PCIe 3.0 x8 (x8)
Slot 3: PCIe 3.0 x8 (x8)
Slot 4: PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16)
Slot 5: PCIe 2.0 x8 (x8)
Slot 6: PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16)
Storage Book
Primary I/O Book
PCIe 3.0 lanes
Full Length I/O Book
Half Length I/O Book
PCIe 3.0 lanes
Intel
I/O Hub
PCIe
switch

Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide 5
Memory subsystem
The memory subsystem can operate in one of the following modes:
򐂰Independent (Performance) mode
򐂰Lockstep (RAS) mode
In Performance mode, each channel on an SMI is addressed independently, essentially
providing the ability to run two transactions at once. In Lockstep mode, a pair of DIMMs
spread across both channels on an SMI is addressed simultaneously. Lockstep mode
provides higher memory frequency and memory reliability (Double Device Data Correction
+1 bit) but at the expense of higher memory bandwidth. Conversely, Independent mode
provides higher memory bandwidth at the cost of advanced memory RAS features and
memory frequency (Single Device Data Correction only).
Figure 4 shows the two memory modes.
Figure 4 Memory modes: Performance mode (left) and RAS mode (right)
Intel Xeon processor
DIMM
Memory
controller
DIMM
DIMM
Memory
controller
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
Memory
buffer
Memory
buffer
Memory
buffer
Memory
buffer
Data 1Data 0
Intel Xeon processor
DIMM
Memory
controller
DIMM
DIMM
Memory
controller
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
DIMM
Memory
buffer
Memory
buffer
Memory
buffer
Memory
buffer
Data
Lockstep
channel
SMI2
links
DDR3
links
Memory performance mode Memory RAS mode

6Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide
Table 1 shows the characteristics of the supported DIMMs and the memory speeds.
Table 1 Characteristics of the supported DIMMs and the memory speeds
DIMM
Specification
RDIMM LR-DIMM
Ranks Single-rank DIMM Dual-rank DIMM 4R LR-DIMM 8R LR-DIMM
Part number 00D5024 (4 GB)
00D5036 (8 GB)
46W0672 (16 GB) 46W0676
(32 GB)
46W0741
(64 GB)
Rated speed 1600 MHz 1600 MHz 1600 MHz 1333 MHz
Rated voltage 1.35 V 1.35 V 1.35 V 1.35 V
Operating voltage 1.35 V 1.5 V 1.35 V 1.5 V 1.35 V 1.5 V 1.35 V 1.5 V
Maximum quantity
supported
96 96 96 96
Maximum DIMM
capacity
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64 GB
Maximum memory
capacity
768 GB 1.5 TB 3 TB 6 TB
Maximum operating speed: Independent (Performance) mode
1 DIMM/channel 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz
2 DIMMs/channel 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz
3 DIMMs/channel 1066 MHz 1333 MHz 1066 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz
Maximum operating speed: Lockstep (RAS) mode
1 DIMM/channel 1333 MHz 1600 MHz 1333 MHz 1600 MHz 1333 MHz 1600 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz
2 DIMMs/channel 1333 MHz 1600 MHz 1333 MHz 1600 MHz 1333 MHz 1600 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz
3 DIMMs/channel 1066 MHz 1333 MHz 1066 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz 1333 MHz

Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide 7
Figure 5 shows the Intel Xeon E7 memory controller architecture. Note that memory is
populated from the furthest DIMM (Slot 0) to the closest DIMM slot (Slot 2).
Figure 5 Xeon E7 memory controller architecture
Intel
Xeon
processor
Memory
controller 1
Memory
buffer 1
DIMM 19 DIMM 21 DIMM 20
Slot2Slot1Slot0
Slot2Slot1Slot0
DIMM 1 DIMM 3 DIMM 2
Memory
controller 2
Memory
buffer 2
DIMM 6 DIMM 4 DIMM 5
Slot2Slot1Slot0
Slot2Slot1Slot0
DIMM 24 DIMM 22 DIMM 23
Memory
buffer 3
DIMM 16 DIMM 18 DIMM 17
Slot2Slot1Slot0
Slot2Slot1Slot0
DIMM 10 DIMM 12 DIMM 11
Memory
channel 0
Memory
channel 1
Memory
channel 2
Memory
channel 3
Memory
buffer 0
DIMM 9 DIMM 7 DIMM 8
Front DIMMs
Slot2Slot1Slot0
Slot2Slot1Slot0
DIMM 15 DIMM 13 DIMM 14
DDR3 ch 0
DDR3 ch 1
DDR3 ch 0
DDR3 ch 1
DDR3 ch 0
DDR3 ch 1
DDR3 ch 0
DDR3 ch 1
Back DIMMs

8Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide
Figure 6 and Figure 7 show the central processing unit (CPU) board layout.
Figure 6 CPU layout (left side of board)
Figure 7 CPU layout (right side of board)
DIMM 1 DIMM 2 DIMM 3
DIMM 4 DIMM 5 DIMM 6 DIMM 10 DIMM 11 DIMM 12
DIMM 7 DIMM 8 DIMM 9Microprocessor
(Left side of board)
DIMM 24
DIMM 23
DIMM 22
DIMM 19DIMM 20
DIMM 21
DIMM 15
DIMM 14
DIMM 13
DIMM 18
DIMM 17
DIMM 16
(Right side of board)

Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide 9
Table 2 shows the memory layout.
Table 2 Memory layout
Table 3 shows the Independent mode population sequence.
Table 3 Independent mode population sequence
Table 4 shows the Lockstep (RAS) mode population sequence.
Table 4 Lockstep (RAS) mode population sequence
CPU memory channel DDR3 channel DIMM number DDR3 slot number
Channel 0 DDR3 Channel 0 9, 8, 7 0, 1, 2
DDR3 Channel 1 15, 14, 13 0, 1, 2
Channel 1 DDR3 Channel 0 19, 20, 21 0, 1, 2
DDR3 Channel 1 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2
Channel 2 DDR3 Channel 0 6, 5, 4 0, 1, 2
DDR3 Channel 1 24, 23, 22 0, 1, 2
Channel 3 DDR3 Channel 0 16, 17, 18 0, 1, 2
DDR3 Channel 1 10, 11, 12 0, 1, 2
Installation Population sequence DIMM number DDR3 slot number
1st 1 SMI0, Channel0, Slot0 Front
2nd 2 SMI2, Channel0, Slot0 Front
3rd 3 SMI1, Channel1, Slot0 Front
4th 4 SMI3, Channel1, Slot0 Front
5th 5 SMI0, Channel1, Slot0 Back
6th 6 SMI2, Channel1, Slot0 Back
7th 7 SMI1, Channel0, Slot0 Back
8th 8 SMI3, Channel0, Slot0 Back
... 9 - 16 Repeat order, move to Slot1 Four front, four back
... 17 - 24 Repeat order, move to Slot 2 Four front, four back
Installation Population sequence Controller location Physical location
1st 1 & 2 SMI0, Channel0, Slot0 & SMI0, Channel1, Slot0 Front & back
2nd 3 & 4 SMI2, Channel0, Slot0 & SMI2, Channel1, Slot0 Front & back
3rd 5 & 6 SMI1, Channel1, Slot0 & SMI1, Channel0, Slot0 Front & back
4th 7 & 8 SMI3, Channel1, Slot0 & SMI3, Channel0, Slot0 Front & back
5th 9 & 10 Repeat order, move to Slot1 Front & back
6th 11 & 12 Repeat order, move to Slot1 Front & back
7th 13 & 14 Repeat order, move to Slot1 Front & back

10 Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide
Table 5 shows the memory population order for both Independent (Performance) mode and
Lockstep (RAS) mode.
Table 5 Memory population order for both Independent (Performance) mode and Lockstep (RAS)
8th 15 & 16 Repeat order, move to Slot1 Front & back
... 18 - 24 Repeat order, move to Slot2 Front & back
Installation Population sequence Controller location Physical location
DIMM installation order DIMM slots
Performance mode Performance + mirroring RAS mode RAS + mirroring
1 DIMM 9 DIMM 9, 19 DIMM 9, 15 DIMM 1, 9, 15, 19
2 DIMM 6 DIMM 6, 16 DIMM 6, 24 DIMM 6, 10, 16, 24
3 DIMM 1 DIMM 1, 15 DIMM 1, 19 DIMM 2, 8, 14, 20
4 DIMM 10 DIMM 10, 24 DIMM 10, 16 DIMM 5, 11, 17, 23
5 DIMM 15 DIMM 8, 20 DIMM 8, 14 DIMM 3, 7, 13, 21
6 DIMM 24 DIMM 5, 17 DIMM 5, 23 DIMM 4, 12, 18, 22
7 DIMM 19 DIMM 2, 14 DIMM 2, 20 Not applicable
8 DIMM 16 DIMM 11, 23 DIMM 11, 17 ....
9 DIMM 8 DIMM 7, 21 DIMM 7, 13
10 DIMM 5 DIMM 4, 18 DIMM 4, 22
11 DIMM 2 DIMM 3, 13 DIMM 3, 21
12 DIMM 11 DIMM 12, 22 DIMM 12, 18
13 DIMM 14 Not applicable Not applicable
14 DIMM 23 .... ....
15 DIMM 20
16 DIMM 17
17 DIMM 7
18 DIMM 4
19 DIMM 3
20 DIMM 12
21 DIMM 13
22 DIMM 22
23 DIMM 21
24 DIMM 18

Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide 11
Important notes
Keep in mind the following important aspects of the memory subsystem when setting up and
using your server:
򐂰The optimal memory configuration is to install DIMMs in quantities of eight per CPU. This
configuration ensures that every channel on every memory buffer is populated.
Additionally, it ensures that no matter what memory mode is chosen, the system functions
correctly.
򐂰Proper memory population rules for DIMMs include:
– Higher capacity (ranked) DIMMs must be installed first. Follow the population
sequence for the appropriate mode.
– The server supports a maximum of eight ranks (octal-rank) per DDR3 channel. Note
that LR-DIMMs might exceed eight ranks per channel through rank multiplication.
– The server supports 1.35-volt (low-voltage) registered DIMMs, depending on the
memory configuration settings in the Setup utility. The server can also operate at
1.5-volt.
– RDIMMs and LR-DIMMs cannot be mixed in the same system. Make sure to populate
the largest DIMMs in the channel first to enable optimal performance.
• RDIMMs are available in 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB.
• LR-DIMMs are available in 32 GB and 64 GB.
– A minimum of one DIMM must be installed for each Compute Book. Depending on the
memory mode (for example, Lockstep), this configuration might not be sufficient for
operation.
򐂰The default memory mode for the X6 system is Lockstep, which is important for those
scenarios where less than the optimal number of DIMMs per processor are installed.
Always be sure to properly configure the memory mode in Unified Extensible Firmware
Interface (UEFI) before changing the DIMM installation order, but prior to a reboot, for this
configuration to take effect.
When not fully populating system memory according to preferred practices, changing the
memory mode can cause the system to fail to boot. The memory population label on the
CPU book is for Performance mode. Lockstep mode DIMMs should be installed in pairs.
You can use the Advanced Settings Utility™ (ASU) tool to remotely flip the memory mode.
For example:
asu64 Memory.MemoryMode Independent OR ./asu64 Memory.MemoryMode Lockstep
򐂰The maximum operating speed of the server's memory is determined by the slowest
DIMM in the server.
򐂰If swapping out a failed DIMM, make sure you move the DIMM to a different SMI and
re-enable the failed DIMM slot.
򐂰If planning to install eXFlash DIMMs, note that eXFlash DIMMs are RDIMMs and,
therefore, cannot be used with either the 32 GB or 64 GB LR-DIMMs.
򐂰No more than one eXFlash DIMM per channel is supported, and at least one RDIMM must
already be present in the same channel as the eXFlash DIMM that it will be installed in.

12 Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide
򐂰General eXFlash DIMM population rules are as follows:
– A maximum of four processor books can be configured with eXFlash DIMMs.
– For the x3950 X6, the primary node (lower processor books) must host the eXFlash
DIMM modules.
򐂰Population rules for up to eight eXFlash DIMMs and up to eight memory modules in a
Processor Book (two DIMMs per channel is 1333 MHz) are as follows:
– RDIMMs install to DIMM slots 9, 6, 1, 10, 15, 24, 19, 16
– eXFlash DIMMs install to DIMM slots 8, 5, 2, 11, 14, 23, 20, 17
򐂰Population rules for up to eight eXFlash DIMM and up to 16 memory modules in a
Processor Book (two DIMMs per channel is 1333 MHz) are as follows:
– RDIMMs install to DIMM slots 9, 6, 1, 10, 15, 24, 19, 16, 8, 5, 2, 11, 14, 23, 20, 17
– eXFlash DIMMs install to DIMM slots 7, 4, 3, 12, 13, 22, 21, 18
I/O subsystem
Figure 8 shows an overview of the I/O layout of the x3850 X6 server.
Figure 8 I/O layout of the x3850 X6 server
4x hot-swap power supplies:
• 750 W AC
• 900 W AC
• 1400 W AC
1x Primary I/O Book:
• 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 wired)
• 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x8 wired)
• 1x Mezz LOM (ML2) PCIe 3.0 x8
(2x 10 GbE or 4x 1 GbE options)
• 1x internal USB 2.0 for hypervisor
• 4x external USB 2.0
• 1x DB9 serial
• 1x DB15 video
• 1x RJ45 IMM2 management
Optional I/O Book 1 and I/O Book 2:
• Half-length book:
– 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 wired)
– 2x PCIe 3.0 x8 (x8 wired)
• Full-length book:
– 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 wired)
– 1x PCIe 2.0 x8 (x4 wired)
• Support hot swap

Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide 13
The I/O layout of the x3950 X6 server is essentially the same as the x3850 X6, just with twice
the components.
The I/O subsystem is directly attached to a processor.
򐂰Socket 1 (the CPU book closest to the Storage Book) is responsible for the ML2 slot, Slot
9 and Slot 12.
򐂰Socket 2 is responsible for Slots 7- 8 and Slot 11.
򐂰Both sockets 1 and 2 drive their respective I/O through the Primary I/O Book.
򐂰Socket 3 is attached to Slots 4-6, and Socket 4 is connected to slots 1-3.
򐂰Slots 1-6 are configurable in how they present I/O. In the case of the FH/HL I/O Book, this
is presented as 1x16 slot and two x8 slots. For the FH/FL I/O Book, this configuration is
presented as 2x16 slots and 1x8 slot.
򐂰You can opt for any combination of the two possible I/O Books.
򐂰In an eight-socket configuration, Socket 1 is in the bottom node.
Table 6 shows the processor and PCIe slot association.
Table 6 Processor and PCIe slot association
Figure 9 shows the numbering of the PCIe slots on the x3850 X6.
Figure 9 x3850 X6 PCIe slot numbering
Processor PCIe slot association
CPU 0 (Compute Book 1) 9, 10 (Primary I/O Book) and Storage Book Slot 12
CPU 1 (Compute Book 2) 7, 8 (Primary I/O Book) and Storage Book Slot 11
CPU 2 (Compute Book 3) 4, 5, and 6 (I/O Book 2)
CPU 3 (Compute Book 4) 1, 2, and 3 (I/O Book 1)
Slot 10 configuration: Slot 10 is intended for Mezzanine LOM 2 (ML2) network adapters
only and cannot be used for regular PCIe adapters.
Slots: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Bay 1 Bay 2

14 Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide
Figure 10 shows the numbering of the PCIe slots of the x3950 X6.
Figure 10 x3950 X6 PCIe slot numbering
Important notes
Keep in mind the following important aspects of the I/O subsystem when setting up and using
your server:
򐂰Proper I/O placement is dependent on the types of adapter cards. Have at least two of any
type of adapter in the system to maintain enough I/O to keep the processors busy. For low
latency or high bandwidth applications, consider using one adapter per processor to give
each CPU direct access to I/O. In general, at least one host bus adapter (HBA), if HBAs
are used, and one NIC should be present in the Primary I/O Book (Slots 7-9 in a
four-socket configuration or Slots 39-41 in an eight-socket configuration) and the
additional adapters should be populated so that you have one adapter type per book. If
using an eight-socket configuration, have at least one HBA in slots 39-41 and Slots 7-9
first. After the initial one adapter type per CPU population is complete, go back and
populate from higher numbered slots to lower numbered slots using the same population
rule as before (one adapter type per I/O Book).
򐂰Take care when inserting I/O Books to avoid damaging either the connector on the I/O
Book itself or the midplane. Inserting the I/O Book at an angle or with I/O cables attached
can lead to the I/O Book damaging the midplane.
To install the Full Length I/O Book, do the following, as shown in Figure 11:
a. Install the support plate.
b. Insert the long I/O Book.
Slots: 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76
Bay 1 Bay 2
Slots: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Bay 3 Bay 4

Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide 15
Figure 11 Install the F/L I/O Book
To install the Primary I/O Book, do the following: as shown in Figure 12 on page 16:
a. Validate that the system has AC power removed.
b. Place the I/O Book into the system. There are two (non-hot swap) handles on the
Primary I/O Book. These handles should be engaged at the same time to lock the
board into place.
c. Reapply the AC power.
Release latch
Handle
Extension
bracket
Filler
panel

16 Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide
Figure 12 Install the Primary I/O Book
򐂰If an I/O Book is removed without first pressing the attention button (Figure 13) on the I/O
Book to shut off power to all adapters in that book, I/O Books can cause the system to
experience instability.
Figure 13 Attention button
򐂰Use care when installing PCIe cards so that the metal PCIe card retention latch is fully
seated. Failure to properly align and seat the retention PCIe card retention latch can lead
to either PCIe cards becoming loose (causing system stability issues) or the PCIe
retention latch to break when the I/O Book is installed.
򐂰With back-level firmware, the middle slot on FH/FL I/O Books can become disabled. This
is connected in UEFI 1.0 (BuildID A8E112A).
Fan-pack 9 Fan-pack 10
NMI
button
Serial port USB 2.0
connectors
Systems
management
ethernet port
3V battery
error LED
I/O board
error LED
Locate LED
System
power LED
System
error LED
VGA video
connector
Power LED
Attention LED
Attention button

Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide 17
򐂰The Integrated Management Module (IMM) defaults to acquire a DHCP IP address. In
those cases where the IMM has been previously assigned an IP address or you are
unsure what IP address it has acquired, the front LCD panel (Figure 14) can be used to list
the IP address of the IMM. The default IMM IP address is 192.168.70.100.
Figure 14 System properties on the LCD system information panel
SystemName
SystemStatus
Errors
Error 1
Error 2
Error 3
Error n
System
VPD
MTM #
Serial #
UUID
String
pDSA Code
System
FW Levels
UEFI
Primary Level
UEFI
Backup Level
IMM Primary
Level
IMM Backup
Level
IMM Hostname
IMM
Network Info.
IMM Ext MAC
or IMM
Shared MAC
IP Add.
DNS Primary
DNS Secondary
DNS Tertiary
System
Environmental
Ambient Temp
CPU1...CPU4
Temps
Estimated Power
Consumption
AC Input Voltage
Subnet
Gateway
IPV6 Add.
Scroll Up Button
Select Button
Scroll Down Button
Actions
System
reset
1 2
3 4
0x23

18 Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide
򐂰The Primary I/O board is required in any system. The Primary I/O board hosts the IMM
and UEFI code, as well as the system battery, USB hypervisor port, and the Mezzanine
LAN-on-motherboard generation 2 (ML2) adapter slot. The ML2 slot (Slot 10, as
highlighted in Figure 15) is designed exclusively for ML2 adapters. ML2 network adapter
cards only work in the ML2 slot.
Figure 15 ML2 slot
Slot 10,
ML2 slot

Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide 19
Power subsystem
The x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 systems are designed with modular power subsystem. This
design allows for one to choose the optimally-sized power supplies for your system
configuration. The power subsystem is designed around two zones to ensure that in the event
of a loss of a power feed the system continues to function.
Power supplies are numbered (from left to right) 4, 3, 2, and 1, as shown in Figure 16. The
even power supplies are in one power feed zone, and the odd power supplies are in the other
power feed zone.
Figure 16 Power supplies
For the power subsystem, keep in mind the following notes:
򐂰Power supply unites (PSUs) are installed in the following order for the x3850 X6:
a. Power supply bay 3
b. Power supply bay 2
c. Power supply bays 1 and 4
򐂰If systems have mixed 900W and 1400W PSUs, make sure the PSUs are populated
correctly: 1400W PSUs in the odd numbered bays and 900W PSUs in the even numbered
bays.
򐂰A reboot is required to recalibrate system power any time settings are changed that impact
overall power draw on the system.
򐂰Systems plugged into 110/120V power have their 1400W PSUs operate at 900W. Keep
this in mind when calculating the system power.
򐂰When changing power redundancy settings, be aware that this impacts overall power
requirements for a system. Setting a system to a power redundancy level that its input load
cannot support can cause the system to go into a reboot loop. If the system fails to power
and reboot after the “Recalibrating System Power …” message displays on the screen,
complete the following steps:
a. Log in to the IMM.
b. Click the Server Power Management tab, as shown in Figure 17 on page 20.
c. Select Power Supply Redundancy. The Power Policies window opens, as shown in
Figure 18 on page 20.
d. Make sure there is enough power to power the system.
e. Make sure there is enough power to run the system with the level of redundancy
required.
  

20 Lenovo System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6 Quick Start Guide
򐂰In an eight-socket system, the top four supplies power the top four CPUs, and the bottom
four supplies power the bottom four CPUs.
Figure 17 Server Power Management tab
Figure 18 Power Policies window