Intel Server System SR1695GPRX 1U 1P 4x Hot Swap = Excellent SBS Virtualization Platform

The question was asked a while back in the comments section about the platform we would use to virtualize both servers included with SBS 2008 Premium.

It is our preference to set up and install rack mount server products so that everything can be mounted in a relatively inexpensive enclosure thus keeping them physically secured.

Standalone Virtualization Server

To date, we have been using the Intel Server System SR1630HGP outfitted with an Intel Xeon X3450 or X3460 CPU and 16 GB of RAM. The RAM would either be four 4 GB Kingston Intel tested DIMMs or recently we have been looking into the 8 GB Hynix Intel tested DIMMs that we can get branded as a SuperMicro product.

We then install an Intel RS2BL040 RAID controller with the battery backup and three 300 GB or larger Seagate 15K RPM SAS drives.

• Intel Server System SR1630HGP(NA) 1U 1P rack mount server system
• 3x hot swap bays for SAS/SATA
• 2x Intel Gigabit NICs
• Intel Xeon Processor X3450 or X3460
• 16 GB ECC RAM (4x 4GB Kingston Intel Approved)
• Intel RAID Controller RS2BL040 PCI-E 8x Gen 2.
• Intel RAID Smart Battery Backup
• 3x 300 GB Seagate 15K.6 or 15K.7 SAS drives
• Advanced rack mount rail kit for in-rack servicing (AXXHERAIL or AXXHERAIL2)

The newer Intel Server System SR1630HGPRX 1U 1P system is an “almost there” as far as needed product features in an entry level 1U server. We gain access to remote KVM over IP via the RMM3LITE add-in along with the five NICs on the server board. One NIC will be dedicated to the RMM3LITE while the other four are enterprise class Intel PRO/1000 EB NICs that support hardware acceleration for virtualization features.

Since they have become available here in Canada recently we have been using them as our base platform for all 1U 1P server systems.

Ideal Standalone Virtualization Server

As mentioned above, Intel has been moving towards providing us with Intel branded server systems that compete with Tier 1 systems that have had needed server features such as remote management and multiple NICs for years. This is a very welcome change in the rack mount product line.

The system we would configure for a client requiring a standalone server with the Hyper-V role set up on it and SBS 2008 along with Windows Server 2008 as guests would be as follows:

• Intel Server System SR1695GPRX2AC(NA)
• Dual power supply version of the server system.
• 5 Intel Gigabit NICs (4x EB series)
• Intel Xeon Processor X3460
• 16 GB Kingston ECC RAM (4x 4 GB Intel Approved)
• Intel RAID Controller RS2BL040
• We would option out the RAID battery.
• Cost wise it does not make sense to use the budget I/O Expansion Module RAID controllers.
• 4x 146 GB 15K Seagate SAS drives RAID 10
• Trays support both 3.5” and 2.5” drives so X25-M SSD would be an option to our clients.
• Intel Remote Management Module 3 (AXXRMM3LITE)
• Gives us out-of-band remote KDVM console access to the system whether the host OS is functional or not.
• Intel Tool-less Rail Kit (AXXHERAIL2)
• Quick and easy access to the chassis.

The Intel ServerConfigurator Site shows the new server system product but there are still some parts like the dual and quad port Gigabit I/O Expansion Modules (product site) that are missing.

Those missing components are important in that the SR1695GPRX provides an excellent platform for an inexpensive 2 node Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 cluster using iSCSI for SAN access.

We posted a base server configuration sheet similar to what our clients would get on our Web site:

• MPECS Inc Web Site: Intel Server Configuration Sheet Folder

The premium for this particular base 1U versus our SBS base pedestal is actually not that high. Since we are going to be running both the SBS 2008 OS and the Windows Server 2008 OS on this one box we provide power and cooling savings over the 36 month life of the system.

Hyper-V Features

Now, the one thing that we would miss with the SBS 2008 Premium setup would be the hot swap disk capabilities that we have in the R2 version of Hyper-V. Given that the cost of an Open Value License plus SA is not that expensive year over year we would discuss the option of running Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard x64 as our host OS. Having hot swap capabilities means no down-time when there is a need to swap out external USB/eSATA backup drives.

Once SBS v7 RTMs we will have a Premium SKU that adds a separate Windows 2008 R2 Standard license just as SBS 2008 Premium adds a Windows Server 2008 Standard license. When that happens then we can use the 1+1 licensing of the Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard to virtualize our SBS v7 “Premium” solution.

• SBS v7 Beta Site
• SBS v7 Beta Brochure (PDF)
• Note that these links will probably break once SBS RTMs.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Here is a picture of the inside of an Intel Server System SR1630HGP looking from the front of the unit towards the back:

On the left side of the picture is the Intel RAID Controller RS2BL040 that drives the three 450GB 15K SAS drives in a RAID 5 array.

There is a black plastic air duct that runs from the blower pair near the front of the server to the CPU heat sink that we see here and also the memory DIMMs near the top right of the image.

After a closer look, it became clear that there would be an air flow problem for the CPU heat sink! 8|

Yes, it is 90 degrees in the _wrong_ direction.

Fortunately, one of the habits we have before we fire up a server for the first time is to double check all of the settings, connections, cables, and other components.

A sort of pre-flight check if you will.

We do that because we never know and we can not assume that we will get things right every time.

To boot, there are just too many distractions happening at the same time when we are as busy as we are. Even when the day is quiet and we may not be fully attentive to what we are doing and miss even a small thing such as the right port to plug a cable into.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Intel Memory Configuration Tool – Relieve That Pain!

One of the most significant brain busters with Intel’s new Core i7 architecture as well as the new Intel Xeon Processor 3400 Series and 5500 Series architectures is trying to get a straight answer on how to come out with a certain amount of RAM in the system.

This is the Intel Server Board S3420GP Xeon 3400 series memory page out of the product’s technical product specifications manual:

There are more pages both before and after this one that get into how to configure memory for this particular server board without really making things entirely clear.

There is the Intel Server Configurator Tool that will only allow certain RAM part combinations during the configuration process, but it does not tell us why it allows or does not allow us to choose a certain amount of RAM like 24GB for one box.

In comes Intel’s new Memory Configurator Tool:

We are looking to have a Xeon 3400 series server configured with 24GB. This tool will actually show us the how/what/where/why of getting there.

• Intel Memory Configuration Tool Download 

The tool at least takes some of the guess work out of configuring servers.

The above 24GB configuration request yielded the following result:

It says we can do 6x 4GB Registered DIMMs at 800MHz up top with the bottom right quadrant indicating the DIMMs can be Single, Dual, or Quad Rank when it comes to the memory chips on the DIMMs themselves.

Now, is the tool right?

Well, we will find out in short order since we have an SR1630HGP 1U server system based on the S3420GPLC series server board with six 4GB Kingston quad ranked registered ECC RAM sitting in the shop waiting to be built.

When we run through the Intel Server Configurator Tool and come to the memory configuration portion, we get the following:

The Configurator indicates up to 4x 4GB Registered Quad Rank DIMMs which does not meet our 24GB need. So, we shall see soon enough which one is right.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

New Intel Uniprocessor Servers – 1U And Pedestal Get Awesome Enterprise Level Features For SMB!

Our number one complaint when it came to the SMB focused server systems, read uniprocessor,  we implement for our more local clients are the following missing features:

• Remote Management Module built-in.
• More than 8GB of ECC RAM.
• No plug-in I/O or LAN modules to save the one PCI-E slot in 1U form factor servers.

The biggest drawback was the lack of the remote management module. For the cost of the module to be included in a server we only needed one or two visits to our client’s site to pay for it.

We found an alternative in the StarTech IP KVMs and their PDU units that would allow us to manage the server remotely along with the ability to power cycle it if need be.

With the release of the new SR1630GP and SR1630HGP 1U servers as well as the Intel Server Board S3420GP for pedestal applications we now have access to the following options:

• Remote Management Module 3 in plug-in module format.
• SAS 4 port RAID plug-in module.
• 32GB of ECC Registered RAM supported.

Both the RMM3 and the SAS 4 port modules plug directly into the server board thus saving the PCI-E slot in a 1U configuration for something important such as a 2 or 4 port PCI-E Gigabit Server NIC for virtualization needs.

For the first time in immediate memory, we have a notation that the product line was developed with Small Business Server in mind. From the Intel Xeon Processor 3400 Series Product Brief (PDF File) on page 6:

For those of us that prefer to build our own servers based on the Intel name brand that also ties in the Intel Channel Partner Program, these new features are a huge step forward.

We are no longer at a disadvantage with the Tier 1 server builders that could offer the above features in their step up from entry level server systems.

We build our servers so that we can know them through and through. This product knowledge facilitates the troubleshooting process significantly. Another advantage is that we do not get caught between the hardware vendor and the software vendors blaming each other for a stability problem.

The new 1U SR1630HGP server systems will be perfect for small business virtualization needs. Since the new Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 now includes failover clustering and its free, we will be looking to basing our entry level clusters on these units.

Lots of neat things to come! :)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer