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IBM BladeCenter

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IBM BladeCenter
Company typeProduct line
IndustryComputer hardware
PredecessorIBM eServer BladeCenter
Founded2002
SuccessorIBM Flex System
OwnerIBM

The IBM BladeCenter represented IBM's blade server platform until it was succeeded by the Flex System in 2012. The x86 server segment was divested to Lenovo in 2014.

History

After beginning development in 1999, the IBM eServer BladeCenter was introduced in 2002, entering the blade server arena later than many competitors. It supported a variety of x86 Intel processors and offered multiple I/O configurations.

In 2005, the product line was renamed IBM BladeCenter, and in 2006, IBM rolled out the BladeCenter H, which incorporated built-in 10 Gigabit Ethernet and InfiniBand 4X switching capabilities.

The BladeCenter user base was fostered by Blade.org until approximately 2009.

IBM launched the Flex System in 2012 as the next-generation replacement for BladeCenter.

IBM BladeCenter (E)

The initial IBM BladeCenter was eventually designated as BladeCenter E. Over time, its power supplies were enhanced from 1200 watts up to 2320 watts.

Developed jointly with Intel, the BladeCenter E included:

  • A 7U enclosure housing 14 blade slots
  • A shared media tray containing an optical drive, floppy drive, and USB 1.1 port
  • One management module, upgradeable to two
  • Two slots dedicated to Gigabit Ethernet switches or optical/copper pass-through modules
  • Two additional slots for switches or pass-through modules compatible with Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand, or Myrinet 2000
  • Two power supplies (expandable to four) equipped with C19/C20 connectors
  • Two redundant high-speed cooling fans

IBM BladeCenter T

The telecommunications variant of the original BladeCenter, known as BladeCenter T, supports both AC and DC (48 V) power inputs. It features eight blade slots within an 8U chassis and utilizes the same blades and switches as the standard BladeCenter E. To comply with NEBS Level 3 / ETSI standards, specially certified NEBS-compliant blades are available.

IBM BladeCenter H

Introduced in 2006, the BladeCenter H offered enhanced design elements with high-speed fabric options while maintaining backward compatibility with previous BladeCenter blades and switches. Its specifications include:

  • Fourteen blade slots within a 9U chassis
  • A shared media tray equipped with an optical drive and USB 2.0 port
  • One Advanced Management module, expandable to two
  • Two slots for Gigabit Ethernet switches supporting both optical and copper pass-through
  • Two additional slots for optional switches or pass-through modules compatible with Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand, or Myrinet 2000
  • Four slots available for high-speed switch or pass-through modules supporting 10 Gbit Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X
  • An optional hard-wired serial port
  • Power supplied by two modules (upgradeable to four) featuring Souriau UTG input connectors
  • Two redundant high-velocity cooling blowers

IBM BladeCenter HT

The telecommunications edition of the BladeCenter H, named BladeCenter HT, supports AC or DC (48 V) power sources. It provides twelve blade slots housed in a 12U chassis and shares compatibility with the standard BladeCenter H’s blades and switches. NEBS Level 3 / ETSI compliance is ensured through specialized NEBS-certified blades.

IBM BladeCenter S

Tailored for medium-sized enterprises, the BladeCenter S incorporates integrated storage within its chassis, removing dependence on external storage devices. It operates on 120 V power suitable for North American environments, enabling deployment beyond traditional data centers; however, chassis capacity is somewhat reduced at this voltage level. Its main features include:

  • Six blade slots within a 7U enclosure
  • Shared media tray containing an optical drive and two USB 2.0 ports
  • A standard Advanced Management module without a secondary option
  • Storage capabilities supporting up to twelve hot-swappable 3.5" drives or twenty-four 2.5" SAS/SATA drives with RAID levels 0, 1, and 1E; optional RAID 5 and SAN functionality are available via dual SAS RAID controllers
    • Two optional Disk Storage Modules each accommodating six 3.5" SAS/SATA drives
  • Four bays for hot-swappable I/O switch modules
  • Power delivered through two hot-pluggable modules rated at 950/1450 watts with optional redundancy modules; equipped with C19/C20 connectors
  • Four hot-swappable redundant cooling fans plus an additional fan per power supply unit

Blade nodes overview

IBM BladeCenter blade node inventory
wide sockets 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
x86 architecture Intel processors 2 1-4 HS40 model
1(2) 2(4) HX5 series
1 1-2 HS20 series HS21 series HS22 series HS23 model
1 1 HS12 model
HC10 model
AMD processors 2 1-4 LS41 series LS42 series
1 1-2 LS20 series LS21 series
Power architecture (P) POWER processors 2 4 JS43 Expansion[1] PS704 model
2 2 PS702 model
1 2 JS22Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name JS23[1] PS703 model
1 1 JS12Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name PS701 model
PS700 model
PowerPC processors 1 2 JS20Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name JS21 series
Cell processors 2 2 QS20Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
1 QS21Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name QS22Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Intel-based blades

Blade modules utilizing x86 CPUs manufactured by Intel.

HS12

(Released 2008) Key specifications:

  • CPU: Ranges from single-core Celeron 445 up to quad-core Intel Xeon at 2.83GHz maximum clock speed
  • RAM: Equipped with 6 DIMM slots supporting up to 24GB
  • Supports hot-swappable drive bays

HS20

(Available 2002–2006) Highlights:

  • Processors: Single or dual Intel Xeon DP CPUs, either single or dual-core
  • Memory slots: Four DIMM sockets
  • Storage options include one or two 2.5-inch drives supporting ATA100, SCSI U320, or Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interfaces
  • Dual 1Gbit/s Ethernet network ports
  • One expansion slot enabling up to two additional ports such as Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand

HS21

(Produced 2007–2008) Compatible with BladeCenter H’s High-speed IO capabilities while maintaining backward compatibility with standard BladeCenter chassis. Features include:

  • Processor choices: One or two Intel Xeon DP CPUs, available in dual or quad-core variants
  • Memory capacity: Four DIMM slots
  • Storage options for one or two 2.5-inch SAS drives
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet ports (1Gbit/s)
  • One expansion slot for up to two additional ports (Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • One High-speed expansion slot accommodating up to two extra ports supporting 10Gbit/s Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X

HS21 XM

(Manufactured 2007–2008) An enhanced version of the HS21 offering increased memory and storage flexibility; supports High-speed IO and backward compatibility. Specifications:

  • Processors: One or two Intel Xeon DP CPUs with dual or quad-core options
  • Memory: Eight DIMM slots for expanded capacity
  • Storage options include one SAS 2.5-inch drive or one/two SAS-based SSDs
  • Dual 1Gbit/s Ethernet ports
  • One expansion slot supporting up to two additional ports (Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • One High-speed expansion slot for up to two extra ports (10Gbit/s Ethernet, InfiniBand 4X, as well as Fibre Channel or Ethernet)

HS22

(2009–2011) Specifications:

  • Processors: Supports one or two Intel Xeon 5500/5600 series CPUs (up to 3.6GHz quad-core or 3.46GHz six-core)
  • Memory: Maximum of 192GB DDR3 across 12 VLP DIMM slots
  • Storage options include two hot-swappable 2.5" SAS drives or SSDs with support for RAID levels 0 and 1
  • Equipped with two 1Gbit/s Ethernet interfaces (Broadcom 5709S)
  • Includes one CIOv slot and one CFFh slot, enabling up to eight I/O ports including four high-speed connections
  • Requires the use of an Advanced Management Module

HS22v

(2010–2011) Similar to the HS22 but with enhanced memory capacity and different storage options:

  • Memory: Up to 288GB DDR3 utilizing 18 VLP DIMM slots
  • Storage supports up to two non-hot-swappable 1.8" SSDs
  • Advanced Management Module is necessary

HS23

(2012) Details:

  • Single-wide form factor
  • Processors: One or two Intel Xeon E5-2600 series CPUs
  • Memory: Features 16 DIMM slots supporting speeds up to 1600MHz
  • Two hot-swappable HDDs (SATA/SAS) or SSDs available
  • Onboard dual 10G/1G Ethernet, expandable further
  • Includes Virtual Fabric and vNIC capabilities onboard
  • Requires Advanced Management Module

HS23E

(2012) Overview:

  • Single-wide design
  • Processors: One or two Intel Xeon E5-2400 processors
  • Memory: Contains 12 DIMM slots with support up to 1600MHz
  • Two hot-swappable HDDs (SATA/SAS) or SSDs supported
  • Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports featuring TOE functionality
  • Necessitates Advanced Management Module

HS40

(2004) Key features:

  • Double-wide configuration occupying two slots
  • Processors: One to four Intel Xeon MP CPUs
  • Memory: Equipped with 8 DIMM slots
  • Storage options include one or two ATA100 2.5" drives
  • Four 1Gbit/s Ethernet ports provided
  • Two expansion slots allow for up to four additional ports supporting Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand

HC10

(2008) Designed primarily for workstation use. Includes:

  • Processor: Single Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
  • Memory: Up to 8GB via four DIMM slots
  • NVidia graphics adapter installed
  • One SATA hard drive of 60GB capacity
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet ports

HX5

(2010–2011) Targeted at virtualization workloads. Features include:

  • Processors: Between two and four Intel E7 series Xeon CPUs (6500 or 7500), with 4 to 10 cores each, running up to 2.67GHz
  • Memory: Supports up to 256GB across 16 DIMM slots; expandable to a total of 40 slots using a MAX 5 memory blade, reaching a maximum of 640GB
  • Each blade includes two Gigabit Ethernet ports

AMD based

Blade modules utilizing AMD x86 processors.

LS20

(2005–2006) Specifications:

  • Processors: One or two AMD Opteron CPUs (single- or dual-core)
  • Memory: DDR memory across four VLP DIMM slots
  • Supports one or two SCSI U320 2.5" drives as optional storage
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet ports included
  • One expansion slot enabling up to two additional ports (Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)

LS21

(2006) Compatible with both BladeCenter H and standard BladeCenter chassis. Features:

  • Processors: One or two dual-core AMD Opteron CPUs; supports quad-core 65nm processors after BIOS update
  • Memory: Up to 32GB via eight DIMM slots
  • Storage option for one SAS or SATA 2.5" drive
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces provided
  • One expansion slot allowing up to two additional ports (Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • Includes one high-speed expansion slot supporting up to two additional ports (10Gbit/s Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X)

LS22

(2008) Enhanced version of the LS21. Features:

  • Processors: Supports one or two AMD Opteron CPUs fabricated on a 45nm process with quad- or six-core configurations
  • Memory: Up to 64GB RAM across eight DIMM slots
  • Storage options include two SAS or SATA 2.5" drives
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet ports included
  • One expansion slot for up to two additional ports (Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • One high-speed expansion slot supporting up to two extra ports (10 Gbit Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X)

LS41

(2006–2007) Compatible with both the BladeCenter H's High-speed IO option and standard BladeCenter chassis. Key specifications:

  • Occupies two slots (double-wide)
  • Processors: Supports one to four AMD Opteron dual-core CPUs
  • Memory: Maximum capacity of 64GB RAM across 16 DIMM slots
  • Optional configuration for one or two 2.5" SAS drives
  • Equipped with four Gigabit Ethernet ports
  • Includes two expansion slots allowing up to four additional ports (options include Fibre-Channel storage, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • Contains one High-speed expansion slot supporting up to two ports (10Gbit/s Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X)

LS42

(2008–2009) An enhanced version of the LS41. Features include:

  • Double-wide design requiring two slots
  • Processors: One to four AMD Opteron CPUs, available in quad-core or six-core variants
  • Memory: Supports up to 128GB RAM via 16 DIMM slots
  • Option to configure with one or two 2.5" SAS drives
  • Four Gigabit Ethernet ports provided
  • Two expansion slots enabling up to four additional ports (Fibre-Channel storage, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • One High-speed expansion slot for up to two ports (10Gbit/s Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X)

Power based

Blades utilizing IBM processors based on the PowerPC or Power ISA architectures.

JS20

(2006) Specifications:

  • Compatible with AIX and Linux
  • Processors: Dual PowerPC 970 CPUs running at either 1.6 or 2.2 GHz
  • Memory: Four PC2700 ECC DIMM slots supporting up to 8 GB
  • Optional support for one or two ATA100 2.5" hard drives
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet ports included
  • One expansion slot accommodating up to two additional ports (Fibre Channel storage, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)

JS21

(2006) Compatible with BladeCenter H High-speed IO and standard BladeCenter systems. Features:

  • Runs on AIX or Linux, with virtualization capabilities including Dynamic Logical Partitioning (DLPAR)
  • Processors: Two single-core PowerPC 970FX at 2.7 GHz or two dual-core PowerPC 970MP at 2.5 GHz
  • Memory: Four PC2-3200/4200 ECC DIMM slots with a maximum of 16 GB capacity
  • Option for one or two 2.5" SAS drives
  • Equipped with two Gigabit Ethernet ports
  • One expansion slot supporting up to two additional ports (Fibre Channel storage, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • One High-speed expansion slot capable of supporting up to two ports (10 Gbit Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X)

JS22

(2009) Key features:

  • Supports operating systems including IBM i, AIX, and Linux, with virtualization support via DLPAR and IBM Integrated Virtualization Manager (IVM)
  • Processors: Dual POWER6 dual-core CPUs running at 4.0 GHz
  • Memory: Four ECC Chipkill DDR2 SDRAM DIMM slots, maxing out at 32 GB
  • Includes one 2.5" SAS drive up to 146 GB capacity
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet ports provided
  • One expansion slot for up to two additional ports (Fibre Channel storage, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • One High-speed expansion slot allowing up to two ports (10 Gbit Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X)

JS23

(2009) Features overview:

  • Compatible with IBM i, AIX, and Linux
    • Supports virtualization through Dynamic Logical Partitioning (DLPAR) and IBM Integrated Virtualization Manager (IVM)
  • Processors: Two dual-core POWER6 CPUs clocked at 4.2 GHz each
    • Contains a combined 64 MB L3 cache (32 MB per processor)
  • Memory: Four ECC Chipkill DDR2 SDRAM DIMM slots supporting up to 64 GB total
  • Storage options include one 2.5" SAS drive up to 300 GB or a single SSD
  • Equipped with two Gigabit Ethernet ports
  • One expansion slot permitting up to two additional ports (Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • One high-speed expansion slot for up to two ports (10 Gbit Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X)
  • Includes one CIOv PCIe expansion slot

JS43 Express

Specifications:

  • Double-wide chassis design
  • Compatible with IBM i, AIX, or Linux
    • Supports virtualization through DLPAR and IVM
  • Processors: Four POWER6 dual-core CPUs running at 4.2 GHz
    • Equipped with 128 MB L3 cache total (32 MB per CPU)
  • Memory: Eight ECC Chipkill DDR2 SDRAM DIMM slots, expandable up to 128 GB
  • Storage options: up to two 2.5" SAS drives (maximum 300 GB each) or two SSDs
  • Includes two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
  • One expansion slot available for additional connectivity (Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • One high-speed expansion slot supporting extra ports (10 Gbit Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X)
  • Two PCIe CIOv expansion slots included

JS12 Express

Specifications:

  • Compatible with IBM i, AIX, or Linux
    • Virtualization enabled via DLPAR and IVM
  • Processor: Single POWER6 dual-core processor at 3.8 GHz
  • Memory: Eight ECC Chipkill DDR2 SDRAM DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB
  • Storage: zero to two 2.5" SAS drives, each up to 146 GB capacity
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet ports standard; optional dual Gigabit Ethernet card available
  • One expansion slot for additional port options (Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • One high-speed expansion slot for extra connectivity (4 Gbit/s Fibre Channel, iSCSI, or InfiniBand 4X)

PS700

Part of the IBM Power Systems family. Features include:

  • Support for IBM i, AIX, or Linux on Power
    • Virtualization capabilities via DLPAR
  • Processor: Single POWER7 quad-core CPU at 3 GHz
  • Memory: Up to 64 GB supported
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet ports standard; optional dual Gigabit card available

PS701

Comparable to PS700 with upgraded specifications:

  • Processor: Eight-core POWER7 processor
  • Memory: Maximum capacity of 128 GB

PS702

Effectively two PS701 units joined back-to-back to form a double-wide blade.

PS703

Similar to the PS701 but features:

  • Processors: Dual eight-core CPUs running at 2.4 GHz

PS704

Consists of two PS703 units combined back-to-back, creating a double-wide blade configuration.

Cell based

Modules utilizing Cell processors developed by IBM.

QS20

Highlights:

  • Double-wide module requiring two slots
  • Operating system: Linux
  • Processors: Two Cell processors clocked at 3.2 GHz each
  • Memory: 1 GB XDRAM total (512 MB per processor)
  • Storage: 40 GB IDE100 2.5" hard drive
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet ports provided
  • Optional support for InfiniBand 4X connectivity

QS21

Highlights:

  • Single-wide form factor
  • Runs on Linux
  • Processors: Dual Cell processors operating at 3.2 GHz each
  • Memory: Total of 2 GB (1 GB allocated per processor)
  • Two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces included
  • Expansion slot available for up to two additional ports (Fibre-Channel storage, Ethernet, Myrinet 2000, or InfiniBand)
  • High-speed expansion slot supports up to two extra ports (10 Gbit Ethernet or InfiniBand 4X)

QS22

Highlights:

  • Single-wide design
  • Linux operating system support
  • Processors: Two PowerXCell 8i processors at 3.2 GHz each
  • Memory: Supports up to 32 GB of DDR2 SDRAM
  • Includes two Gigabit Ethernet ports
  • Expansion slots accommodate SAS, an InfiniBand 4X DDR daughter card, and an 8 GB uFDM Flash Drive

UltraSPARC-based: 2BC

Around 2008, Themis Computer launched a blade server operating on Sun Solaris. Each unit was equipped with a single UltraSPARC T2 processor featuring 64 threads running at 1.2 GHz and supported up to 32 GB of DDR2 SDRAM memory.

Enhanced network: PN41

Created in partnership with CloudShield, this blade includes the following features:

  • Single-wide form factor design
  • Processor: Intel IXP2805 network processor
  • Comprehensive payload inspection utilizing deep packet inspection (DPI)
  • Complete Layer 7 processing and management capabilities
  • Programmability through an Eclipse-based IDE and RAVE language
  • Quad 1 Gbit plus quad 10 Gbit Ethernet controllers
  • DPI throughput reaching up to 20 Gbit/s per blade
  • Capabilities for selective traffic capture, modification, and redirection
  • Support for both LAN and WAN interfaces

Switch modules

The BladeCenter chassis accommodates up to four switch modules, with two bays restricted to either Ethernet switch or Ethernet pass-through modules. To activate other bays, blades must be fitted with specific daughtercards tailored for SAN, Ethernet, InfiniBand, or Myrinet functionalities. Combining different daughtercard types within the same chassis is not allowed.

Gigabit Ethernet

Gigabit Ethernet switch modules were manufactured by IBM, Nortel, Cisco Systems, and BLADE Network Technologies (later acquired by IBM). Internal communication speeds between blades are non-blocking. External connections include four to six ports supporting both copper and optical fiber.

Storage Area Network

SAN switch modules from QLogic, Cisco, McData (later acquired by Brocade), and Brocade provide Fibre Channel speeds of 1, 2, 4, and 8 Gbit. The actual operational speed is determined by the lowest common denominator between the blade’s HBA daughtercards and the SAN switch. External ports range from two to six.

InfiniBand

Cisco developed an InfiniBand switch module offering IB 1X (2.5 Gbit) internally. On the external side, it features one IB 4X port and one IB 12X port; the 12X port can be subdivided into three separate 4X ports, yielding a total of four IB 4X ports and an external bandwidth capacity of up to 40 Gbit.

Pass-through

Two types of pass-through modules are available: copper-only (Ethernet) and fiber-compatible (supporting Ethernet, SAN, or Myrinet).

Bridge

Bridge modules are exclusive to BladeCenter H and HT models. These modules convert Ethernet or SAN traffic into InfiniBand internally while preserving standard OS-level connectivity. This allows traffic routing via InfiniBand within the chassis.

High-speed switch modules

High-speed modules are designed exclusively for BladeCenter H and HT variants. Blades must have corresponding high-speed daughtercards installed. Mixing various high-speed daughtercard types within one chassis is prohibited.

10 Gigabit Ethernet

BLADE Network Technologies produced a 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch module that supports 10 Gbit/s connections both internally between blades and externally.

InfiniBand 4X

Available options include:

  • Cisco’s high-performance InfiniBand 4X SDR switch module providing IB 4X connectivity per blade; externally it offers two IB 4X ports plus two IB 12X ports (the latter can be divided into three 4X ports), totaling eight IB 4X ports and delivering up to 80 Gbit bandwidth. The internal switching fabric is non-blocking.
  • A high-speed InfiniBand pass-through module allowing blades to connect directly to external InfiniBand switches supporting SDR and DDR speeds.
  • Voltaire’s (later Mellanox Technologies) high-speed InfiniBand 4X QDR switch module featuring sixteen QSFP ports that provide full IB 4X QDR connectivity for each blade.

Roadrunner TriBlade (customized module)

The IBM Roadrunner supercomputer, operational from 2008 to 2013, incorporated a specialized TriBlade module. This expansion blade links two QS22 modules, each equipped with 8 GB of RAM, to an LS21 module possessing 16 GB of RAM, utilizing four PCIe x8 connections—allocating two connections per QS22 module. Additionally, it provides external interfacing through an Infiniband 4x DDR adapter. Each TriBlade consumes four slots, and a single BladeCenter H chassis can house three of these modules.

See also

External links

eServer -
p Series: - JS/QS nodesTemplate:Brintroduced in 2004 PS nodesTemplate:Brintroduced in 2009
x Series: x86 HS/HX/JS/JX nodesTemplate:Brintroduced in 2000
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :02
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