Sun x86 Servers Overview

Oracle
© 2008 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary

© 2012 Oracle and
Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential
Confidential
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Sun X86 Servers Overview Course

Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Identify the x86 product lineup
• Describe the individual functions of the products and
their components
• Identify the components that are common across the entire x86
product line
• Determine which components are FRUs and which are CRUs
© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

x86 Servers – General Categories
Workstations Sun Ultra
Sun x86 Servers

Rack Mount Servers Sun Fire
Blade Servers Sun Blade Sun Blade x86

Servers
Telco Servers Sun Netra Sun Netra x86

Servers
Press PLAY (4) to Continue NEBS Compliance

Sun x86 Servers Portfolio
Examples:
Sun Server X3-2L

(Sun Fire X4270 M3)
Sun Server X3-2
(Sun Fire X4170 M3) Netra Server X3-2
(Sun Netra X4270 M3)
Ultra 27
Sun Blade 6000
NOTE: Some of the x86 Servers, like

the Sun Server X3-2 and X3-2L, are
used within the Engineered Systems
like the Exadata, Exalogic and the
SPARC SuperCluster

Former Sun x86 Servers Model Numbers
1st digit = x86 Servers Sun Blade X6240
2nd digit = Model Series Sun Fire X4140

This digit can be 2 or 4 for Rack based units, and 6 or 8 for Blade based units. A 2 here
indicates a lower-end product. A 4,6,8 indicates a higher-end product.
3rd digit = CPU Sun Fire X4170 M3 = 1RU Sun Fire X4270 M3 = 2RU
This digit gives a *rough* indication of sizing. A small/medium/large height in rack units
AND/OR a low or high CPU socket count.
4th digit = CPU Sun Fire X4140 = AMD Sun Fire X4170 M3 = Intel
This digit can be 0,2,4 for AMD and 0,5,7 for Intel. A digit value of 0 can mean AMD or Intel
depending on the 3rd digit. For example X4800 = Intel and X4600 = AMD.
Exception: The Sun Ultra 24 is an Intel platform

AMD – Even Number while the Ultra 25 is a SPARC workstation.
Intel – Odd Number Press PLAY (4) to Continue

New Sun x86 Servers Model Numbering
Sun Server X 3 - 2 L
Sun Server, x86 2,3 or 4 = The - 2,4 or 8 = B for Blade, L

Sun Blade, or generation of the separator Number for Large
Netra Server = Intel Core Xeon™ of CPU (Optional)
Product Line processor (1st sockets
generation are not (Not CPU
included so cores)
numbering starts at
2)
Press PLAY (4) to Continue

New Sun x86 Servers Model Numbers
Oracle’s x86 Server Type Former Product Name New Product Name
2 socket 1U Enterprise Sun Fire X4170 M3 Sun Server X3-2
2 socket 2U Enterprise Sun Fire X4270 M3 Sun Server X3-2L
2 socket 2U Carrier-Grade Sun Netra X4270 M3 Netra Server X3-2
2 socket Blade Enterprise Sun Blade X6270 M3 Sun Blade X3-2B
2 socket Blade Carrier- Sun Netra X6270 M3 Netra Blade X3-2B
Grade

How Many Units are in a Server?
Server Rack Units
A rack unit is a unit of measure used to describe the unit the height of the
server mounting in a rack.
1U – 1.75 in (4.45 cm)
2U – 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
4U – 7.0 in (17.8 cm)
Rack Units

Blade Rack Units
A Sun Blade 6000 Modular System enclosure measures:
10U – 17.5 in (44.5 cm)
One of Ten Blades

Accessing The Sun System Handbook
The Sun System Handbook is one of most common

Sun System resources that you will use to find data about
Handbook customer issues.
Access Access methods: Internal and External
Web URLs:
Internal
Web URLs
https://support.us.oracle.com/handbook_internal/index.html
Subscription access - (customer site)
https://support.oracle.com/handbook_private/index.html

The Sun System Handbook Homepage
1. How many ways can you view

the Sun System Handbook?

Sun System Handbook Systems Links
2 Pertinent links on this page
Current Systems – to EOL System – list of

locate the list of current “End of Life” x86
x86 Platforms Platforms

x86 Systems List in the Handbook
Blade and Entry

Level Servers Telco Systems

CRUs and FRUs
• CRU (Customer Replaceable Unit) – Component or unit

that can be replaced by a customer, whether as a
purchase or under warranty.
CRU Replacement Policy
• FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) – Component or unit that

requires replacement by a qualified Oracle or Oracle
partner field technician.
Handbook – X3-2L (X4270 M3)


Selecting CRUs and FRUs from the Handbook
This This
CPU 8GB DIMMasisisadesignated
is a FRU CRU as is
by the [F]
designated by the [C]

Central Processing Units
Intel ® is a manufacturer of system processors,

Intel like the Xeon ® , that are used in some Sun x86
platforms
AMD ® (Advanced Micro Devices) is a

AMD manufacturer of system processors, like the
Opteron ® , that are used in some Sun x86
platforms

CPU Hyperthreading and TurboBoost
• Hyperthreading is a simultaneous multithreading implementation

that is supported by enabling two logical processors on a single
core which allows for a single thread to be executed on each
logical processor, concurrently.
• Hyperthreading makes a two core CPU look like a four core CPU
and a four core CPU look like an eight core CPU, etc, which
improves parallel performance but may make it difficult to pinpoint
CPU related issues.
• TurboBoost is a technology that enables a CPU to run above its

base operating frequency by varying the CPUs clock rate. The rate
is limited by the CPU’s power, current and thermal limits as well as
the number of cores in use.

Service Processors
Service processors start up and manage the

server.
• ILOM (Integrated Lights Out Manager)

• ELOM (Embedded Lights Out Manager)
• Newisys SP

BIOS for the x86 Platform
BIOS, or the Basic Input/Output System firmware

Supports the boot of the operating system as well as the
Power On Self Test (POST) which tests and initializes the
server before boot up of an Operating System.

Management Ports for Service Processors (SP)
Two types of Management Ports located on the back of x86 models
Sun Server X3-2 (Sun Fire X4170 M3)
Network Management Port – This Serial Management Port –

port needs to be configured before To communicate with this port,
you can use it. These settings are configure to 9600 baud, 8 bits,
site-dependent. no-parity, one-stop bit
Sun Server X3-2L (Sun Fire X4270 M3)

Memory Modules
Memory Modules that are used in the x86 Platforms are:
• DIMM (dual in-line memory module) – These modules are

integrated circuit modules that are mounted on a printed
circuit board and designed for use in personal computers,
workstations and servers.
• DDR (DDR1), DDR2 and DDR3 (double-
data-rate memory) are the 3 generations
used in x86 servers as integrated memory.
• FB-DIMM (Fully Buffered DIMM) is a

memory technology which can be used
to increase reliability, speed and
density of memory systems.

Locations of Memory DIMMs
P0 P1
Sun Server X3-2 (Sun Fire X4170 M3) Top View


Disk Controllers
Disk Controllers on x86 Platform rack systems:
Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) supported

by PCIe slots on rack servers
Embedded on system motherboards
Legacy Devices
SCSI and IDE legacy storage devices are not
covered in this course

Blade Server Disk Controllers
Disk Controllers on blade systems:
Integrated circuit modules as part of the blade system:

REM (RAID Expansion Module) – a daughter card on server blades
that supports disk controllers.
REM

Disk Drive Types
Six Disk Drive Types supported by x86 Servers:
• SAS – Serial Attached SCSI
• SATA – Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
• SSD – Solid-State Drive
• Flash Module (FMOD)
• USB Thumb drive
• Compact Flash Card (CF card)

Ethernet Interfaces
x86 Servers are equipped with either 2 or 4 Ethernet Ports
Sun Server X3-2 (Sun Fire X4170 M3) – rear
Network Management interface Host Network interfaces

10 /100 Mb Ethernet 10/100/1000/10000 Mb Ethernet
Net 2 -> <- Net 3
Net 0 -> <- Net 1
PCIe Slots Host Network interfaces PCIe Slots

10/100/1000 /10000 Mb Ethernet

Local Ports and Slots
These are some of the Local Ports you will find:

• USB – depends on the server design
• RJ45 – Serial and network management ports
• DB9 – Serial management ports
Local Slots include:

• PCI, PCI-X, and PCIe Slots
• Disk Slots
• SAS HDD
• SAS SSD
• SATA HDD
• SATA SSD

RJ45 and USB Ports
USB Ports
Sun Server X3-2 (Sun Fire X4170 M3) – front
RJ45 – RJ45 –
Serial Port Mgmt Port USB Ports

Disk Drives on a Blade
Sun Blade X3-2B (Sun Blade X6270 M3)
SAS or SATA Disk Drive Slots

PCIe Slots
Example of a x86 Server equipped with PCIe Slots
Sun Server X3-2 (Sun Fire X4270 M3) – front
PCIe Slots
NOTE: Earlier server models may also have dedicated PCI-X and
PCI slots that should be labeled on the slots themselves but can
be confirmed within the server’s System Handbook entry.

PCIe Riser Cards
Sun Server X3-2

(X4170 M3 Server)

I/O Interconnects and I/O Buses
I/O Interconnects and I/O Buses supported on x86 Servers:

• PCIe (PCI Express - Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) is a
computer expansion card standard
• PCIe2 (PCI Express – Peripheral Component Interconnect Express 2) is the
2nd generation of this computer expansion card standard
• I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit), is a multi-master serial computer bus that is
used to gather system status, control the system LEDs, and reads system
sensors, current, voltage and temperatures. I2C is also known as the SM
Bus
• SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) – disk I/O interfaces based on original
SCSI interface that supports disk drives
• SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) - disk I/O interfaces based on

original IDE interface that supports disk drives

I/O Adapters
I/O Adapters for the x86 Platform:
PCI, PCI-X, PCIe Cards – third party or Sun I/O adapters

that are supported on rack mount servers

Netra CT900
Specific I/O Adapters include:
• RTM (Rear Transition Module)

User’s Guide
• ARTM (Advanced Rear Transition Module)

Data Sheet

I/O Adapters Specific to a Sun Netra Server
Example of a Sun Netra CT900 Server equipped with both RTM and
ARTM Adapter Cards
RTM /ARTM Adapter Cards

for Server Blades
RTM or ARTM Adapter Cards

for Switch Blades

I/O Adapters for Blades
Sun Blade 6000 – specific I/O Adapters:
• FEM (Fabric Expansion Module) – Specialized,

optional, I/O Adapter that will always connect to
a NEM
• REM (Raid Expansion Module) – Specialized,

optional, I/O Adapter that supports internal disk
drives on or off of the disk storage blade

REM and FEM Adapters
Sun Blade X3-2B (Sun Blade X6270 M3)
FEM
REM

Blade System EM and NEM
Specialized I/O Adapters:
• EM (Expansion Module) PCIe third party module that is

supported in a PCIe slot, referred to as an EM slot, on rack
servers.
• NEM (Network Expansion Module) A module supported on
Blade systems that is used to provide I/O ports for all server
blades that are present in the Blade system chassis. There
are a number of NEMs that can support Ethernet, SAS, SATA
and InfiniBand ports.

I/O Storage Devices
Specialized I/O storage devices on x86 systems
• Compact Flash Card (CF Card) – used for disk storage, currently
providing up to 32 gigabyte of storage and can be used as regular
disk storage.
• USB Thumb Drive – used for disk storage, and can deliver storage
similar to any externally attached disk.

Compact Flash Card and Thumb Drive
Compact Flash Card
USB Thumb Drive

Operating Systems
Operating Systems generally supported on the x86 Platform

include:
• Solaris ®
• Linux ®
• Microsoft Windows ®
• VMware ®

Sun x86 Platform Overview Summary
You should now have a working knowledge of how to use the

appropriate Sun resources to determine accurate information about a
specific server and its configuration.
• Determine the Platform CPU, service processor, and understand
the management software it utilizes for the server operation
• Define FRU and CRU and locate supported devices on x86
systems
• Identify the server configuration as far as the type of disk
controller(s) and disk storage, other memory devices
• Identify and locate Ethernet interfaces and local ports, as well as
I/O interconnects, buses, adapters and specialized I/O devices on
your customer’s x86 system
• Locate operating systems supported on x86 servers

End of Sun x86 Servers Overview Course

WZD-SSX64-301
Thank You

Oracle

Sun x86 Servers Overview

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Oracle

© 2008 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary

Sun X86 Servers Overview Course

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

Workstations Sun Ultra

Sun x86 Servers

Blade Servers Sun Blade Sun Blade x86

Telco Servers Sun Netra Sun Netra x86

Press PLAY (4) to Continue NEBS Compliance

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

Sun Server X3-2L

Sun Blade 6000

NOTE: Some of the x86 Servers, like

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

1st digit = x86 Servers Sun Blade X6240

2nd digit = Model Series Sun Fire X4140

Exception: The Sun Ultra 24 is an Intel platform

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

Sun Server, x86 2,3 or 4 = The - 2,4 or 8 = B for Blade, L

Press PLAY (4) to Continue

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

Press PLAY (4) to Continue

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

1U – 1.75 in (4.45 cm)

2U – 3.5 in (8.9 cm)

4U – 7.0 in (17.8 cm)

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

10U – 17.5 in (44.5 cm)

One of Ten Blades

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

The Sun System Handbook is one of most common

Access Access methods: Internal and External

Press PLAY (4) to Continue

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

1. How many ways can you view

Press PLAY (4) to Continue

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

Current Systems – to EOL System – list of

Press PLAY (4) to Continue

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

Blade and Entry

Press PLAY (4) to Continue

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

• CRU (Customer Replaceable Unit) – Component or unit

• FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) – Component or unit that

Handbook – X3-2L (X4270 M3)

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

Intel ® is a manufacturer of system processors,

AMD ® (Advanced Micro Devices) is a

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

• Hyperthreading is a simultaneous multithreading implementation

• TurboBoost is a technology that enables a CPU to run above its

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

Service processors start up and manage the

• ILOM (Integrated Lights Out Manager)

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

BIOS, or the Basic Input/Output System firmware

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

Network Management Port – This Serial Management Port –

Sun Server X3-2L (Sun Fire X4270 M3)

© 2012 Oracle Corporation – Proprietary and Confidential

• DIMM (dual in-line memory module) – These modules are