Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 Server (Xeon SP Gen 2)

The Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 is a high-performance server that offers enhanced security, efficiency, and reliability features to handle business-critical workloads. The blade server incorporates up to two second-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors. The processors feature up to 28 cores each and use Lenovo TruDDR4 memory, which runs at speeds up to 2933 MHz.

Suggested uses: database, virtualization, enterprise applications, collaboration and email, streaming media, Web, HPC, and cloud applications.

Figure 1 shows the ThinkSystem SN550 server.

Figure 1. ThinkSystem SN550 server

The SN550 server uses the new second-generation Intel Xeon Scalable Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum processors and memory can now operate at speeds up to 2933 MHz. It also includes the UEFI-based Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager for rapid system setup and diagnosis, and Lenovo XClarity Controller management processor for systems management and alerting.

The ThinkSystem SN550 is a high-availability, scalable blade server that is optimized to support the next-generation microprocessor technology. It is ideally suited for medium and large businesses. This section describes the key features of the server.

Scalability and performance

The SN550 offers the following features to boost performance, improve scalability, and reduce costs:

• Up to 14 SN550 servers can be installed in one Flex System Enterprise chassis.
• Supports second-generation Intel Xeon Processor Scalable processors
• Improves productivity by offering superior system performance with two processors, each up to 28 cores or up to 3.8 GHz core frequency, and supporting a processor Thermal Design Power (TDP) rating of up to 165W.
• Supports up to two processors, 52 cores, and 104 threads, which maximizes the concurrent execution of multi-threaded applications.
• Intelligent and adaptive system performance with energy-efficient Intel Turbo Boost Technology allows CPU cores to run at maximum speeds during peak workloads by temporarily going beyond processor TDP.
• Intel Hyper-Threading Technology boosts performance for multithreaded applications by enabling simultaneous multithreading within each processor core, up to two threads per core.
• Intel Virtualization Technology integrates hardware-level virtualization hooks that allow operating system vendors to better use the hardware for virtualization workloads.
• Intel Speed Select Technology provides improvements in server utilization and guaranteed per-core performance service levels with more granular control over processor performance.
• Intel Deep Learning Boost (Vector Neural Network Instruction set or VNNI) is designed to deliver significant, more efficient Deep Learning (Inference) acceleration for high-performance Artificial Intelligence (AI) workloads.
• Intel Advanced Vector Extensions 512 (AVX-512) enable acceleration of enterprise-class workloads, such as databases and enterprise resource planning.
• Each processor has 6 memory channels with up 2 two DIMMs per channel. Up to 3 TB of memory capacity using 128GB 3DS RDIMMs. Higher memory capacity by using Persistent Memory.
• Supports 2933 MHz and 2666 MHz memory DIMMs
• Supports the new Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory; up to 12 Data Center Persistent Memory Modules (DCPMMs) can be installed in conjunction with regular memory DIMMs. DCPMMs are up to 512 GB each, for a total of up to 6 TB of Persistent Memory.
• Optional support for high-performance PCIe-attached NVMe Flash Storage solid-state drives (SSDs) can significantly improve I/O performance.
• Embedded 4-port 10Gb Intel adapter built into the system board is based on the Intel Ethernet Connection X722 network controller.
• With Intel Integrated I/O Technology, the PCI Express 3.0 controller is integrated into the Intel Xeon processor Scalable family. This integration helps to dramatically reduce I/O latency and increase overall system performance.
• Support for high-bandwidth I/O adapters; up to two in each SN550 server.
• Support for up to 40 Gb Ethernet, 16 Gb Fibre Channel, and FDR InfiniBand.
• High-speed USB 3.0 port for connectivity to external devices.

Availability and serviceability

The SN550 provides the following features to simplify serviceability and increase system up-time:

• The server offers Single Device Data Correction (SDDC, also known as Chipkill), Adaptive Double-Device Data Correction (ADDDC, also known as Redundant Bit Steering or RBS), memory mirroring, and memory rank sparing for redundancy in the event of a non-correctable memory failure.
• Tool-less cover removal provides easy access to upgrades and serviceable parts, such as CPU, memory, and adapter cards.
• The Dual M.2 Boot Adapter supports RAID-1 which enables two installed M.2 drives to be configured as a redundant pair.
• Hot-swap drives support integrated RAID-1 redundancy for data protection and greater system up-time.
• Solid-state drives (SSDs), which offer significantly better reliability than mechanical HDDs for greater uptime. 
• The power source independent light path diagnostics functionality provides individual LEDs that lead the technician to failed (or failing) components, which simplifies servicing, speeds up problem resolution, and helps improve system availability.
• The built-in XClarity Controller continuously monitors system parameters, triggers alerts, and performs recovery actions in case of failures to minimize downtime.
• Proactive Platform Alerts (including PFA and SMART alerts): Processors, voltage regulators, memory, internal storage (SAS/SATA HDDs and SSDs, NVMe SSDs, flash storage adapters), RAID controllers, and server ambient and sub-component temperatures. Alerts can be surfaced through the system XClarity Controller to managers such as Lenovo XClarity Administrator, VMware vCenter, and Microsoft System Center. These proactive alerts let you take appropriate actions in advance of possible failure, thereby increasing server uptime and application availability.
• Built-in diagnostics in UEFI with Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager that supports the collection of service data to USB key drive or remote CIFS share folder for troubleshooting and reduced service time.
• Auto-restart in the event of a momentary loss of AC power (based on power policy setting in the XClarity Controller service processor). 
• Support for the XClarity Administrator Mobile app running on a supported smartphone and connected to the server through the service-enabled USB port, enables additional local systems management functions.
• Three-year customer replaceable unit and on-site limited warranty; next business day 9x5. Optional service upgrades are available.

Manageability and security

The following powerful systems management features simplify the local and remote management of the SN550:

• Support for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, providing auto-discovery, inventory tracking, monitoring, policy-based firmware updates, address pool management, configuration patterns and operating system installation.
• The server includes an XClarity Controller (XCC) management processor to monitor server availability and perform remote management. XCC Enterprise is supported as standard, which enables remote KVM, mounting of remote media files (ISO and IMG image files), boot capture, and power capping.
• UEFI-based Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager, accessible from F1 during boot, provides system inventory information, graphical UEFI Setup, platform update function, RAID Setup wizard, operating system installation function, and diagnostic functions
• Integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 support enables advanced cryptographic functionality, such as digital signatures and remote attestation.
• Supports Secure Boot to ensure only a digitally signed operating system can be used. Supported with HDDs and SSDs as well as M.2 SSD.
• Support for Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager which captures real-time power and temperature data from the server and provides automated controls to lower energy costs.
• Industry-standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) NI support for faster, stronger encryption.
• Intel Execute Disable Bit functionality can help prevent certain classes of malicious buffer overflow attacks when combined with a supporting operating system.
• Intel Trusted Execution Technology provides enhanced security through hardware-based resistance to malicious software attacks, which allows an application to run in its own isolated space that is protected from all other software that is running on a system.

Figure 2 shows the front of the server.

Figure 2. Front view of the ThinkSystem SN550 Compute Node

Figure 3 shows the locations of key components inside the server.

Figure 3. Inside view of the ThinkSystem SN550 server

The following figure shows the architectural block diagram of the SN550, showing the major components and their connections.

Figure 4. SN550 system architectural block diagram

The following table lists the standard specifications.

Table 1. Standard specifications

models can be configured by using the Lenovo Data Center Solution Configurator (DCSC).

Configure-to-order (CTO) models are used to create models with factory-integrated server customizations. For CTO models, two base CTO models are available for the SN550 as listed in the following table, CTO1WW and CTOLWW:

• The CTO1WW base CTO model is for general business and is selectable by choosing General Purpose mode in DCSC.
• The CTOLWW base model is intended for High Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) configurations and solutions, including configurations for Lenovo Scalable Infrastructure (LeSI), and is enabled using either the HPC & AI LeSI Solutions mode or HPC & AI Hardware mode in DCSC. CTOLWW configurations can also be built using System x and Cluster Solutions Configurator (x-config).

Preconfigured server models may also be available for the SN550, however these are region-specific; that is, each region may define their own server models, and not all server models are available in every region.

The following table lists the base CTO models of the server.

The following table lists the base chassis choices for CTO configurations with second-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors.

The following tables list the available models, grouped by region.

• Models for Australia and New Zealand
• Models for South East Asian regions (ASEAN)
• Models for EMEA regions
• Models for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea (HTK)
• Models for Japan
• Models for USA and Canada

Refer to the Specifications section for information about standard features of the server.

The SN550 server is supported in the Flex System chassis as listed in the following table.

Table 10. Chassis support

Up to 14 SN550 servers can be installed in the chassis; however, the actual number that can be installed in a chassis depends on the following factors:

• TDP power rating for the processors that are installed in the SN550
• Number of power supplies that are installed in the chassis
• Capacity of the installed power supplies (2100 W or 2500 W)
• The voltage of in the input power
• Chassis power redundancy policy that is used (N+1 or N+N)
• Whether node throttling is permitted

The following table provides guidelines about what number of SN550 servers can be installed. For more information, use Lenovo Capacity Planner, which is found at the following web page:
https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/solutions-and-software/software/lenovo-capacity-planner/solutions/ht504651

The following color coding was used In the table:

• Green = No restriction on the number of SN550 servers that can be installed
• Yellow = Some bays must be left empty in the chassis

The SN550 supports the second-gneration Intel Xeon Scalable processors that are listed in the following table. The server supports one or two processors. 

Topics in this section:

• Continued support for 1st Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors
• Memory capacity of processors
• Processor features
• UEFI operating modes

Some processors include a suffix letter in the processor model number:

• L: Large memory tier (supports total memory up to 4.5TB per processor)
• M: Medium memory tier (supports total memory up to 2TB per processor)
• N: NFV optimized
• S: Search optimized
• T: High Tcase
• U: Single socket
• V: VM Density optimized
• Y: Speed Select

Processors with a suffix other than L or M, as well as those without a suffix, support up to 1TB per processor.

For specifications of these processors, see the Intel Xeon Scalable Processor Reference for Lenovo ThinkSystem Servers:
https://lenovopress.com/lp1262-intel-xeon-sp-processor-reference#term=SKL

Memory capacity of processors

Second-generation Xeon Scalable processors are limited to the amount of memory they can address, as follows:

• Processors with an L suffix (eg 8280L): Up to 4.5 TB per processor
• Processors with an M suffix (eg 8280M): Up to 2 TB per processor (now withdrawn)
• All other processors: Up to 1 TB per processor

The calculation of the total memory per processor includes both the system memory DIMMs and the Persistent Memory DCPMMs installed in the server.

For example:

• A configuration using 12x 64GB DIMMs per processor is a total of 768 GB, which means that neither an M nor an L processor is required
• A configuration using 6x 32GB DIMMs + 6x 256GB DCPMMs is a total of 1.69 TB which means an M processor is required (an L processor may also be used)
• A configuration using 6x 64GB DIMMs + 6x 512GB DCPMMs is a total of 3.375 TB which means an L processor is required

Processor features

The following table compares the features of the supported second-generation Intel Xeon processors.

* L3 cache is 1.375 MB per core or larger. Processors with a larger L3 cache per core are marked with an *
** The Intel Xeon Gold 5218 and 5218B processors have similar specifications; however, they use different silicon designs and cannot be mixed in the same system.

The following table lists the feature codes that allow you to specify the mode you wish to preset in the factory for CTO orders.

The preset modes for the SN550 are as follows:

• Maximum Performance Mode (feature BFYB): Achieves maximum performance but with higher power consumption and lower energy efficiency.
• Minimal Power Mode (feature BFYC): Minimize the absolute power consumption of the system.
• Efficiency Favoring Power Savings Mode (feature BFYD): Maximize the performance/watt efficiency with a bias towards power savings. This is the favored mode for SPECpower benchmark testing, for example.
• Efficiency Favoring Performance Mode (feature BFYE): Maximize the performance/watt efficiency with a bias towards performance. This is the favored mode for Energy Star certification, for example.

For details about these preset modes, and all other performance and power efficiency UEFI settings offered in the SN550, see the paper "Tuning UEFI Settings for Performance and Energy Efficiency on Intel Xeon Scalable Processor-Based ThinkSystem Servers", available from https://lenovopress.lenovo.com/lp1477.

The SN550 with second-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors uses Lenovo TruDDR4 memory operating at up to 2933 MHz. The server supports 12 DIMMs per processor, which corresponds to 24 DIMMs with two processors installed. Each processor has six memory channels with two DIMMs per channel.

The SN550 with second-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors also supports Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory, as described in the Persistent Memory section.

With second-generation processors, the server supports these memory DIMMs:

• 2666 MHz DIMMs, that operate at 2666 MHz both at 1 DIMM per channel and 2 DIMMs per channel
• 2933 MHz DIMMs, that operate at 2933 MHz at 1 DIMM per channel, and at 2666 MHz at 2 DIMMs per channel

Note that if the processor selected has a lower memory bus speed (eg 2133 MHz or 2400 MHz), then all DIMMs will operate at lower sppeed, even if the DIMMs are rated for 2666 MHz or 2933 MHz. See the Processor features section for details.

The following table lists the memory options that are available for the server.

Lenovo TruDDR4 memory uses the highest quality components that are sourced from Tier 1 DRAM suppliers and only memory that meets the strict requirements of Lenovo is selected. It is compatibility tested and tuned to maximize performance and reliability. From a service and support standpoint, Lenovo TruDDR4 memory automatically assumes the system warranty, and Lenovo provides service and support worldwide.

The following rules apply when selecting the memory configuration:

• The server supports RDIMMs, LRDIMMs and 3DS RDIMMs. UDIMMs are not supported.
• Mixing RDIMMs, LRDIMMs or 3DS RDIMMs is not supported.
• Mixing x4 and x8 DIMMs is supported.
• Mixing of 2666 MHz and 2933 MHz is supported, however, all installed memory will operate at the lowest speed.

For best performance, consider the following:

• Ensure the memory installed is at least the same speed as the memory bus of the selected processor.
• Populate memory DIMMs in quantities of 6 or 12 per processor, so that all memory channels are used.
• When mixing 16 GB and 32 GB DIMMs in the same configuration, use 16GB 2Rx8 DIMMs instead of 16 GB 1Rx4 DIMMs for better performance.
• Populate memory channels so they all have the same total memory capacity.
• Ensure all memory controllers on a processor socket have the same DIMM configuration.
• All processor sockets on the same physical server should have the same DIMM configuration.

The following memory protection technologies are supported:

• ECC
• SDDC (for x4-based memory DIMMs; look for "x4" in the DIMM description)
• ADDDC (for x4-based memory DIMMs)
• Memory mirroring
• Memory rank sparing

If memory channel mirroring is used, then DIMMs must be installed in pairs or sets of three (minimum of one pair or set of three per processor), and all DIMMs in the pair or set of three must be identical in type and size. 50% of the installed capacity is available to the operating system.

If memory rank sparing is used, then a minimum of two single-rank or dual-rank DIMMs must be installed per populated channel (the DIMMs do not need to be identical). In rank sparing mode, one rank of a DIMM in each populated channel is reserved as spare memory. The largest rank in the channel will be automatically selected as the spare rank. The amount of memory available to the operating system depends on the number, capacity and rank counts of the DIMMs installed.

The SN550 server supports Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory, a new class of memory and storage technology explicitly architected for data center usage. Persistent Memory offers significantly lower latency than fetching data from SSDs, even NVMe SSDs, and offers higher capacities than system memory.

Using Lenovo ThinkSystem servers running applications that are tuned for Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory will result in lower data latency compared to solid-state drive technology. When data is stored closer to the processor on nonvolatile media, applications can see significant overall improvement in performance. 

The following table lists the ordering information for the DC Persistent Memory modules (DCPMMs).

The following are the requirements when installing DCPMMs:

• Only second-generation Intel Xeon Scalable Family processors support DCPMMs. First generation Xeon Scalable processors are not supported.
• Only the Platinum level, Gold level, and the Silver 4215 processor models support DCPMMs. All other Silver and all Bronze level processors do not support DCPMMs. See the Processor features section for details.
• Only Memory Mode is supported for all SN550 configurations. App Direct Mode and Mixed Mode are only supported under Special Bid conditions.
• All installed DCPMMs must be the same size. Mixing DCPMMs of different capacities is not supported
• Maximum 6 DCPMMs per processor (install 1 in each memory channel)
• Minimum 2 TruDDR4 DIMMs per processor (1 per memory controller)
• For Memory Mode, minimum 2 DCPMMs per processor (install 1 per memory controller)
• With Memory Mode, the ratio of memory to DCPMMs must be between 1:16 and 1:4, but the recommended ratio is 1:4 for the best performance. For example, 6x 16GB DIMMs + 2x 256GB DCPMMs is a ratio of 1:5.33.
• For each memory channel with both a DCPMM and a TruDDR4 DIMM installed, the DCPMM is installed in channel slot 1 (closest) and the DIMM is installed in channel slot 0
• To maximize performance, balance all memory channels
• Memory mirroring is not supported in DCPMM Memory Mode.
• Memory sparing is not supported with DCPMMs installed

App Direct Mode and Mixed Mode are only supported under Special Bid conditions. Under Special Bid conditions, the following are the requirements:

• For App Direct Mode, mimimum 1 DCPMM installed in the server (any processor)
• When Mixed Mode is used, the ratio of memory to DCPMMs must be between 1:16 and 1:4, but the recommended ratio is 1:4 for the best performance. For example, 6x 16GB DIMMs + 2x 256GB DCPMMs is a ratio of 1:5.33. This ratio requirement does not apply to App Direct mode.
• In configurations with DCPMMs installed, memory mirroring is supported, with two restrictions:
  • Mirroring is only enabled on the DRAM DIMMs installed in the server; The DCPMMs themselves do not support mirroring.
  • Only App Direct mode is supported. Memory mirroring cannot be enabled when DCPMMs are in Memory Mode or Mixed Mode.

DCPMMs offer the following memory protection technologies:

• ECC
• SDDC
• DDDC
• Patrol scrubbing
• Demand scrubbing

For more information, see the Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory (DCPMM) product guide, https://lenovopress.com/LP1066

The SN550 server has two 2.5-inch hot-swap drive bays that are accessible from the front of the blade server (see Figure 2). Depending on server configuration and installed backplane, these bays connect to either the included 6 Gbps SATA controller, optional Lenovo RAID controllers or directly to PCIe lanes for NVMe drives.

In addition, the SN550 can also support one or two M.2 form factor SSD drives on a separate adapter. The following table lists the supported M.2 adapters (enablement kits). For more information, see the ThinkSystem M.2 Drives and M.2 Adapters product guide: https://lenovopress.com/lp0769

Virtualization support: The integrated SATA controller can be used with virtualization hypervisors, including VMware ESXi, Linux KVM, Xen, and Microsoft Hyper-V. However, support is limited to AHCI (non-RAID) mode. RSTe mode is not supported with virtualization hypervisors.

* The ThinkSystem M.2 Enablement Kit is available configure-to-order only; not available as a standalone option

Supported drives are listed in the Internal drive options section. 

The IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager software is available from Lenovo using the ordering information listed in the following table.

In addition to the optional M.2 RAID-1 enabled adapter, the SN550 supports 3 different RAID controllers as shown in the table below.

Both the 530-4i and 930-4i replace the onboard SATA controller in the server and support high-performance RAID-0 and RAID-1 to the two internal 2.5-inch drive bays. These controllers are installed at the front of the server over the top of the drive bays.

The following figure shows the ThinkSystem RAID 530-4i adapter for the SN550 blade server. Note that the plastic frame in the lower right of the adapter is part of the mechanism that attaches the adapter to the server; this adapter does not support a supercapacitor.

Figure 5. ThinkSystem RAID 530-4i 2 Drive Adapter

The following tables list the drive options for internal storage of the server.

The server does not support an internal tape drive. However, it can be attached to external tape drives by using Fibre Channel connectivity.

The server does not support an internal optical drive, however, you can connect an external USB optical drive. Alternatively, use the remote media feature of the XClarity Controller and the Chassis Management Module.

The server supports the external USB optical drive listed in the following table.

The drive is based on the Lenovo Slim DVD Burner DB65 drive and supports the following formats: DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD-ROM, DVD-R DL, CD-RW, CD-R, CD-ROM.

The SN550 includes an embedded 4-port 10Gb Intel controller built into the system board. As listed in the Models section, some SN550 models include the Fabric Connector needed to connect the embedded controller to the midplane of the Flex System chassis. For models that do not include the Fabric Connector, it can be ordered and installed in the field. Ordering information is listed in the following table.

The Adapter to I/O bay correspondence table shows how the 4 ports of the embedded controller connect through the Fabric Connector to the corresponding switch ports. The Fabric Connector can be removed, if required, to allow the installation of an I/O adapter on I/O connector 1.

The embedded 10Gb controller is based on the Intel Ethernet Connection X722 network controller which is part of the Intel C624 "Lewisburg" PCH chipset of the SN550 and other Lenovo ThinkSystem servers.

The Intel X722 controller is optimized for data center, cloud, and mobile applications and includes the following features:

• VXLAN/NVGRE Hardware Offloads: These stateless offloads preserve application performance for overlay networks. With these offloads, it is possible to distribute network traffic across CPU cores. At the same time, the controller offloads LSO, GSO, and checksum from the host software, which reduces CPU overhead.
• Low latency: Intel Ethernet Flow Director delivers hardware-based application steering and Intel Data Direct I/O makes the processor cache the primary destination and source of I/O data rather than main memory.
• Virtualization performance: With Intel Virtualization Technology (VT), the controller delivers outstanding I/O performance in virtualized server environments. The controller reduces I/O bottlenecks by providing intelligent offloads for networking traffic per virtual machine (VM), which enables near-line rate speeds for small packets and supports almost an unlimited amount of isolated traffic flows so that you can scale your cloud environment.
• Next-generation VMDq: The controller supports up to 128 VMDq VMs and offers enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) by providing weighted round-robin servicing for the Tx data. The controller offloads the data-sorting functionality from the hypervisor to the network silicon, which improves data throughput and CPU usage.
• SR-IOV implementation: Provides an implementation of the PCI-SIG standard for I/O Virtualization. The physical configuration of each port is divided into multiple virtual ports. Each virtual port is assigned to an individual VM directly by bypassing the virtual switch in the Hypervisor, which results in near-native performance.
• iWarp RDMA support implements kernel bypass and direct data placement and allows for more efficient high-speed networking by eliminating queues and network related interrupts
• VM load balancing: Provides traffic load balancing (Tx and Rx) across VMs that are bound to the team interface. It also provides fault tolerance if a switch, port, or cable fails or is disconnected.
• Auto-detect (PnP) feature for the LOM adapters, enabling you to change speed (eg from a 1Gb LOM to 10 Gb LOM) and the network interface will automatically reconfigure during the boot process.

Note: The onboard Ethernet controller does not support 10 Mb or 100 Mb Ethernet connections.

The SN550 has two I/O expansion connectors for attaching I/O adapter cards. The I/O expansion connectors use a high-density, 216-pin PCIe connection. Installing I/O adapter cards allows the server to connect with switch modules in the chassis. Each slot has a PCI Express 3.0 x16 host interface and both slots support the same form-factor adapters.  If the SN550 has a Fabric Connector in adapter slot 1, it must be removed first to use that slot for an optional I/O adapter.

The following figure shows the location of the I/O expansion connectors.

Figure 7. Location of the I/O adapter slots in the ThinkSystem SN550 server

A compatible switch or pass-through module must be installed in the corresponding I/O bays in the chassis, as indicated in the following table. Installing two switches means that all ports of the adapter are enabled, which improves performance and network availability.

Table 32. Adapter to I/O bay correspondence

The following figure shows the location of the I/O module bays in the Flex System Enterprise Chassis.

Figure 8. Location of the I/O module bays in the Flex System Enterprise Chassis

The following figure shows how adapters are connected to I/O modules that are installed in the chassis.

Figure 9. Logical layout of the interconnects between I/O adapters and I/O modules

In addition to the embedded Intel 4-port 10Gb controller (model specific), the SN550 supports other network adapters that can be installed in IO slots.

The following table lists the supported network adapters and upgrades. Adapters can be installed in either slot. However, compatible I/O modules must be installed in the corresponding bays of the chassis.  

For more details about these adapters, see the Lenovo Press product guides in the Network adapters category: https://lenovopress.com/servers/blades/nic

For more information about adapter-to-switch compatibility, see the Flex System Interoperability Guide:
http://lenovopress.com/fsig

The following table lists storage HBAs that are supported by the SN550. Storage HBAs are supported in both slots, however for CTO orders, an HBA is installed only in slot 2.

For details about these adapters, see the Lenovo Press product guides in the Storage adapters category: https://lenovopress.com/servers/blades/hba

For more information about adapter-to-switch compatibility, see the Flex System Interoperability Guide:
http://lenovopress.com/fsig

Power to the blade server is derived from the power supplies that are installed in the chassis. There are no server options regarding power supplies.

The server contains an integrated service processor, XClarity Controller (XCC), which provides advanced service-processor control, monitoring, and alerting functions. The XCC is based on the Pilot4 XE401 baseboard management controller (BMC) using a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 service processor.

Local management

As shown in Figure 2, the SN550 front panel includes a USB port, status indicators, a button to enable management via the USB port and a console breakout cable port. The breakout cable supplied with the chassis provides serial, video and a USB port for connecting a local console. The USB ports on the breakout cable support keyboard and mouse; storage devices are not supported.

System status with XClarity Mobile

The Lenovo XClarity Mobile (LXCM) app now includes a tethering function where you can connect your Android or iOS device to the server via USB to see the status of the server.

The steps to connect the mobile device are as follows:

1. Enable USB Management on the server, by pressing and holding for 3 seconds the dedicated USB management button on the front of the server.
2. Connect the mobile device via a USB cable to the server's USB port with the management symbol 
3. In iOS or Android settings, enable Personal Hotspot or USB Tethering
4. Launch the Lenovo XClarity Mobile app

Light Path Diagnostics

The SN550 includes light path diagnostics. If an environmental condition exceeds a threshold or if a system component fails, XCC lights LEDs inside the server to help you diagnose the problem and find the failing part.

For quick problem determination when you are physically at the server, the server offers the following three-step guided path:

• Illuminate the fault LED on the front panel. 
• Identify the fault in the light path diagnostics panel, as shown in the following figure.
• If a DIMM is faulty, the LED next to it is illuminated.

The SN550 light path diagnostics panel is inside the server near the front panel, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 10. Location of SN550 light path diagnostics panel

To illuminate the light path diagnostics LEDs, power off the server, slide it out of the chassis, and press and hold the power button. The power button doubles as the light path diagnostics reminder button when the server is removed from the chassis.

The meanings of the LEDs in the light path diagnostics panel are listed in the following table.

Table 35. Light path diagnostic panel LEDs

The front of the server also houses an information pull-out tab. See Figure 2 for the location. A label on the tab shows the network information (MAC address and other data) to remotely access XClarity Controller.

Remote management

Lenovo XClarity Controller (XCC) is an embedded management engine common in every ThinkSystem server. 

There are two ways to access the management processor:

• Command-line interface. To access the CLI interface, use SSH to log in to the management processor.

• Web-based interface. To access the web-based interface, point your browser to the IP address for the management processor. The intuitive interface includes at-a-glance visualizations and simple access to common system actions.  The dashboard is shown in the following figure. 

Figure 11. Lenovo XClarity Controller dashboard

IPMI via the Ethernet port (IPMI over LAN) is supported, however it is disabled by default. For CTO orders you can specify whether you want to the feature enabled or disabled in the factory, using the feature codes listed in the following table.

Virtual presence (remote control) and virtual media capability also come standard in the SN550. The remote control functions include the following:

• Remotely viewing video with graphics resolutions up to 1600x1200 at 75 Hz with up to 32 bits per pixel, regardless of the system state
• Remotely accessing the server using the keyboard and mouse from a remote client
• Capturing blue-screen errors
• International keyboard mapping support
• LDAP-based authentication
• Remote mounting of ISO and diskette IMG image files as virtual drives that are available for use by the server

• Boot Capture
• Virtual console collaboration - Ability for up to 6 remote users to be log into the remote session simultaneously
• Power capping

Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager

Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager (LXEM) is an agent-less, web-based console that provides power management for ThinkServer, System x and ThinkSystem servers. It enables server density and data center capacity to be increased through the use of power capping.

LXEM is a licensed product. A single-node LXEM license is included with the XClarity Controller Enterprise (XCC Enterprise) version. Because the Enterprise version of XCC is standard in the SN550, a license for XClarity Energy Manager is included.  For more information on LXEM, please see the User Guide: http://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/downloads/ds101160

Because Lenovo XClarity Administrator does not require any agent software to be installed on the managed endpoints, there are no CPU cycles spent on agent execution, and no memory is used, which means that up to 1GB of RAM and 1 - 2% CPU usage is saved, compared to a typical managed system where an agent is required.

The server offers the following security features:

• Administrator and power-on password
• Trusted Platform Module (TPM) supporting both TPM 1.2 and TPM 2.0
• Optional plugin Trusted Cryptographic Module (TCM) or Nationz TPM, available only in China
• Support for IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager (SKLM) as described in the Internal storage section

The server is NIST SP 800-147B compliant.

The TCM and TPM plugin modules, available only for China customers, are installed in a dedicated socket on the system board, as shown in Figure 3. Ordering information is shown in the following table.

* Available configure-to-order or pre-configured models only; Not available as a field upgrade.

The server supports the following operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows Server 2016
• Microsoft Windows Server 2019
• Microsoft Windows Server 2022
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.6
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.7
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.8
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.9
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.0
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.1
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.3
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.5
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.7
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.9
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.1
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.3
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 Xen SP4
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 Xen SP5
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 Xen
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 Xen SP1
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 Xen SP2
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 Xen SP3
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 Xen SP4
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 Xen SP5
• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS 64-bit
• VMware ESXi 6.5 U2
• VMware ESXi 6.5 U3
• VMware ESXi 6.7 U1
• VMware ESXi 6.7 U2
• VMware ESXi 6.7 U3
• VMware ESXi 7.0
• VMware ESXi 7.0 U1
• VMware ESXi 7.0 U2
• VMware ESXi 7.0 U3
• VMware ESXi 8.0
• VMware ESXi 8.0 U1
• VMware ESXi 8.0 U2

For a complete list of supported, certified and tested operating systems, plus additional details and links to relevant web sites, see the Operating System Interoperability Guide: https://lenovopress.com/osig#servers=sn550-7x16-sp-gen-2

For configure-to-order configurations, the server can be preloaded with VMware ESXi installed on M.2 cards. Ordering information is listed in the following table.

The server features the following dimensions and weight (approximate):

• Width: 218 mm (8.5 in)
• Height: 56 mm (2.2 in)
• Depth: 507 mm (20.0 in)
• Maximum weight: 7.1 kg (15.6 lb)

The Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 server complies with ASHRAE Class A3 specifications. System performance may be impacted when operating temperature is above ASHRAE A3 specification or fan failed condition.

Temperature and humidity

The server is supported in the following environment:

• Air temperature:
  • Operating:
    • ASHRAE Class A2: 10 °C - 35 °C (50 °F - 95 °F); decrease the maximum ambient temperature by 1 °C for every 300 m (984 ft) increase in altitude above 900 m (2,953 ft)
    • ASHRAE Class A3: 5 °C - 40 °C (41 °F - 104 °F); decrease the maximum ambient temperature by 1 °C for every 175 m (574 ft) increase in altitude above 900 m (2,953 ft)
  • Server off: 5°C to 45°C (41°F to 113°F)
  • Shipment/Storage: -40 °C to 60 °C (-40 °F to 140 °F)
• Maximum altitude: 3,050 m (10,000 ft)
• Relative Humidity (non-condensing):
  • Operating:
    • ASHRAE Class A2: 8% - 80%, maximum dew point: 21°C (70°F)
    • ASHRAE Class A3: 8% - 85%, maximum dew point: 24°C (75°F)
  • Shipment/Storage: 8% - 90%

Shock and vibration:

The server, installed in the Enterprise Chassis, has the following vibration and shock limits:

• Vibration:
  • Operating: 0.21 G rms at 5 Hz to 500 Hz for 15 minutes across 3 axes
  • Non-operating: 1.04 G rms at 2 Hz to 200 Hz for 15 minutes across 6 surfaces
• Shock:
  • Operating: 15 G for 3 milliseconds in each direction (±X,±Y,±Z axes, total 6 shocks)
  • Non-operating, based on weight of the system (server with/without chassis):
    • Less than 4 kg: 50 G for 180 inches/sec velocity change across 6 surfaces (total 6 shocks)
    • 4 kg to 12 kg: 50 G for 167 inches/sec velocity change across 6 surfaces (total 6 shocks)
    • 12 kg to 23 kg: 50 G for 152 inches/sec velocity change across 6 surfaces (total 6 shocks)
    • 23 kg to 32 kg: 35 G for 152 inches/sec velocity change across 6 surfaces (total 6 shocks)
    • 32 kg to 69 kg: 35 G for 136 inches/sec velocity change across 6 surfaces (total 6 shocks)
    • 69 kg and above: 25 G for 118 inches/sec velocity change across 6 surfaces (total 6 shocks)

The following specifications indicate the limits of particulates that the system can tolerate:

• Reactive gases:
  • The copper reactivity level shall be less than 200 Angstroms per month (Å/month)
  • The silver reactivity level shall be less than 200 Å/month
• Airborne particulates:
  • The room air should be continuously filtered with MERV 8 filters.
  • Air entering a data center should be filtered with MERV 11 or preferably MERV 13 filters.
  • The deliquescent relative humidity of the particulate contamination should be more than 60% RH
  • Environment must be free of zinc whiskers

For additional information, see the Specifications section of the documentation for the server, available from the Lenovo Documents site, https://pubs.lenovo.com/

The ThinkSystem SN550 (machine type 7X16) has a 3-year warranty.

The standard warranty terms are customer-replaceable unit (CRU) and onsite (for field-replaceable units FRUs only) with standard call center support during normal business hours and 9x5 Next Business Day Parts Delivered.

Lenovo’s additional support services provide a sophisticated, unified support structure for your data center, with an experience consistently ranked number one in customer satisfaction worldwide. Available offerings include:

• Premier Support

  Premier Support provides a Lenovo-owned customer experience and delivers direct access to technicians skilled in hardware, software, and advanced troubleshooting, in addition to the following:

  • Direct technician-to-technician access through a dedicated phone line
  • 24x7x365 remote support
  • Single point of contact service
  • End to end case management
  • Third-party collaborative software support
  • Online case tools and live chat support
  • On-demand remote system analysis
• Warranty Upgrade (Preconfigured Support)

  Services are available to meet the on-site response time targets that match the criticality of your systems.

  • 3, 4, or 5 years of service coverage
  • 1-year or 2-year post-warranty extensions
  • Foundation Service: 9x5 service coverage with next business day onsite response. YourDrive YourData is an optional extra (see below).
  • Essential Service: 24x7 service coverage with 4-hour onsite response or 24-hour committed repair (available only in select markets). Bundled with YourDrive YourData.
  • Advanced Service: 24x7 service coverage with 2-hour onsite response or 6-hour committed repair (available only in select markets). Bundled with YourDrive YourData.
• Managed Services

  Lenovo Managed Services provides continuous 24x7 remote monitoring (plus 24x7 call center availability) and proactive management of your data center using state-of-the-art tools, systems, and practices by a team of highly skilled and experienced Lenovo services professionals.

  Quarterly reviews check error logs, verify firmware & OS device driver levels, and software as needed. We’ll also maintain records of latest patches, critical updates, and firmware levels, to ensure you systems are providing business value through optimized performance.

• Technical Account Management (TAM)

  A Lenovo Technical Account Manager helps you optimize the operation of your data center based on a deep understanding of your business. You gain direct access to your Lenovo TAM, who serves as your single point of contact to expedite service requests, provide status updates, and furnish reports to track incidents over time. In addition, your TAM will help proactively make service recommendations and manage your service relationship with Lenovo to make certain your needs are met.

• Enterprise Server Software Support

  Enterprise Software Support is an additional support service providing customers with software support on Microsoft, Red Hat, SUSE, and VMware applications and systems. Around the clock availability for critical problems plus unlimited calls and incidents helps customers address challenges fast, without incremental costs. Support staff can answer troubleshooting and diagnostic questions, address product comparability and interoperability issues, isolate causes of problems, report defects to software vendors, and more.

• YourDrive YourData

  Lenovo’s YourDrive YourData is a multi-drive retention offering that ensures your data is always under your control, regardless of the number of drives that are installed in your Lenovo server. In the unlikely event of a drive failure, you retain possession of your drive while Lenovo replaces the failed drive part. Your data stays safely on your premises, in your hands. The YourDrive YourData service can be purchased in convenient bundles and is optional with Foundation Service. It is bundled with Essential Service and Advanced Service.

• Health Check

  Having a trusted partner who can perform regular and detailed health checks is central to maintaining efficiency and ensuring that your systems and business are always running at their best. Health Check supports Lenovo-branded server, storage, and networking devices, as well as select Lenovo-supported products from other vendors that are sold by Lenovo or a Lenovo-Authorized Reseller.

Examples of region-specific warranty terms are second or longer business day parts delivery or parts-only base warranty.

If warranty terms and conditions include onsite labor for repair or replacement of parts, Lenovo will dispatch a service technician to the customer site to perform the replacement. Onsite labor under base warranty is limited to labor for replacement of parts that have been determined to be field-replaceable units (FRUs). Parts that are determined to be customer-replaceable units (CRUs) do not include onsite labor under base warranty.

If warranty terms include parts-only base warranty, Lenovo is responsible for delivering only replacement parts that are under base warranty (including FRUs) that will be sent to a requested location for self-service. Parts-only service does not include a service technician being dispatched onsite. Parts must be changed at customer’s own cost and labor and defective parts must be returned following the instructions supplied with the spare parts.

Lenovo Services is a dedicated partner to your success. Our goal is to reduce your capital outlays, mitigate your IT risks, and accelerate your time to productivity.

Here’s a more in-depth look at what we can do for you:

• Asset Recovery Services

  Asset Recovery Services (ARS) helps customers recover the maximum value from their end-of-life equipment in a cost-effective and secure way. On top of simplifying the transition from old to new equipment, ARS mitigates environmental and data security risks associated with data center equipment disposal. Lenovo ARS is a cash-back solution for equipment based on its remaining market value, yielding maximum value from aging assets and lowering total cost of ownership for your customers. For more information, see the ARS page, https://lenovopress.com/lp1266-reduce-e-waste-and-grow-your-bottom-line-with-lenovo-ars.

• Assessment Services

  An Assessment helps solve your IT challenges through an onsite, multi-day session with a Lenovo technology expert. We perform a tools-based assessment which provides a comprehensive and thorough review of a company's environment and technology systems. In addition to the technology based functional requirements, the consultant also discusses and records the non-functional business requirements, challenges, and constraints. Assessments help organizations like yours, no matter how large or small, get a better return on your IT investment and overcome challenges in the ever-changing technology landscape.

• Design Services

  Professional Services consultants perform infrastructure design and implementation planning to support your strategy. The high-level architectures provided by the assessment service are turned into low level designs and wiring diagrams, which are reviewed and approved prior to implementation. The implementation plan will demonstrate an outcome-based proposal to provide business capabilities through infrastructure with a risk-mitigated project plan.

• Basic Hardware Installation

  Lenovo experts can seamlessly manage the physical installation of your server, storage, or networking hardware. Working at a time convenient for you (business hours or off shift), the technician will unpack and inspect the systems on your site, install options, mount in a rack cabinet, connect to power and network, check and update firmware to the latest levels, verify operation, and dispose of the packaging, allowing your team to focus on other priorities.

• Deployment Services

  When investing in new IT infrastructures, you need to ensure your business will see quick time to value with little to no disruption. Lenovo deployments are designed by development and engineering teams who know our Products & Solutions better than anyone else, and our technicians own the process from delivery to completion. Lenovo will conduct remote preparation and planning, configure & integrate systems, validate systems, verify and update appliance firmware, train on administrative tasks, and provide post-deployment documentation. Customer’s IT teams leverage our skills to enable IT staff to transform with higher level roles and tasks.

• Integration, Migration, and Expansion Services

  Move existing physical & virtual workloads easily, or determine technical requirements to support increased workloads while maximizing performance. Includes tuning, validation, and documenting ongoing run processes. Leverage migration assessment planning documents to perform necessary migrations.

The server conforms to the following standards:

• ASHRAE Class A3
• FCC - Verified to comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Class A
• Canada ICES-004, issue 3 Class A
• UL/IEC 60950-1
• CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1
• Japan VCCI, Class A
• IEC 60950-1 (CB Certificate and CB Test Report)
• Taiwan BSMI CNS13438, Class A; CNS14336
• Australia/New Zealand AS/NZS CISPR 22, Class A
• Korea KN22, Class A, KN24
• IEC 60950-1 (CB Certificate and CB Test Report)
• CE Mark (EN55022 Class A, EN60950-1, EN55024, EN61000-3-2,
• EN61000-3-3)
• TUV-GS (EN60950-1/IEC 60950-1, EK1-ITB2000)

Lenovo Financial Services reinforces Lenovo’s commitment to deliver pioneering products and services that are recognized for their quality, excellence, and trustworthiness. Lenovo Financial Services offers financing solutions and services that complement your technology solution anywhere in the world.

We are dedicated to delivering a positive finance experience for customers like you who want to maximize your purchase power by obtaining the technology you need today, protect against technology obsolescence, and preserve your capital for other uses.

We work with businesses, non-profit organizations, governments and educational institutions to finance their entire technology solution. We focus on making it easy to do business with us. Our highly experienced team of finance professionals operates in a work culture that emphasizes the importance of providing outstanding customer service. Our systems, processes and flexible policies support our goal of providing customers with a positive experience.

We finance your entire solution. Unlike others, we allow you to bundle everything you need from hardware and software to service contracts, installation costs, training fees, and sales tax. If you decide weeks or months later to add to your solution, we can consolidate everything into a single invoice.

Our Premier Client services provide large accounts with special handling services to ensure these complex transactions are serviced properly. As a premier client, you have a dedicated finance specialist who manages your account through its life, from first invoice through asset return or purchase. This specialist develops an in-depth understanding of your invoice and payment requirements. For you, this dedication provides a high-quality, easy, and positive financing experience.

The following sales training courses are offered for employees and partners (login required). Courses are listed in date order.

1. Lenovo Data Center Product Portfolio
   2023-07-21 | 15 minutes | Employees and Partners
   Details
   Lenovo Data Center Product Portfolio
   
   

   This course introduces the Lenovo data center portfolio, and covers servers, storage, storage networking, and software-defined infrastructure products. After completing this course about Lenovo data center products, you will be able to identify product types within each data center family, describe Lenovo innovations that this product family or category uses, and recognize when a specific product should be selected.

   Published: 2023-07-21
   Length: 15 minutes
   Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
   Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning
   Course code: SXXW1110r6
2. Lenovo Sustainable Computing
   2022-09-16 | 4 minutes | Employees and Partners
   Details
   Lenovo Sustainable Computing
   
   

   This Quick Hit describes the Lenovo sustainable computing program, and the many ways in which Lenovo strives to respect and protect the environment.

   Published: 2022-09-16
   Length: 4 minutes
   Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
   Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning
   Course code: SXXW2504a
3. Intel Transparent Supply Chain on Lenovo Servers
   2021-12-03 | 12 minutes | Employees and Partners
   Details
   Intel Transparent Supply Chain on Lenovo Servers
   
   

   This course introduces the Intel Transparent Supply Chain (TSC) program, explains how the program works, and discusses the benefits of the Intel TSC program to customers. Adding the Intel TSC feature to an order is explained.

   Published: 2021-12-03
   Length: 12 minutes
   Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
   Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning
   Course code: SXXW1230
4. Family Portfolio: Storage Controller Options
   2021-10-19 | 25 minutes | Employees and Partners
   Details
   Family Portfolio: Storage Controller Options
   
   

   This course covers the storage controller options available for use in Lenovo servers. The classes of storage controller are discussed, along with a discussion of where they are used, and which to choose.
   Learning Objectives:
   After completing this course, you will be able to:
   • Describe the classes of storage controllers
   • Discuss where each controller class is used
   • Describe the available options in each controller class

   Published: 2021-10-19
   Length: 25 minutes
   Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
   Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning
   Course code: SXXW1111

For more information, see the following resources:

• ThinkSystem SN550 server product page
  https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/data-center/servers/flex-blade-servers/compute-nodes/ThinkSystem-SN550/p/77XX7FSFS55
• Interactive 3D Tour of the ThinkSystem SN550
  https://lenovopress.com/lp0668-3d-tour-thinksystem-sn550
• ThinkSystem SN550 drivers and support
  http://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/products/servers/thinksystem/sn550/7x16/downloads
• Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 product publications:
  https://thinksystem.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/7X16/introduction.html?cp=1_0
  • Quick Start
  • Rack Installation Guide
  • Setup Guide
  • Hardware Maintenance Manual
  • Messages and Codes Reference
  • Memory Population Reference
• Lenovo Hardware Installation & Removal Videos on the ThinkSystem SN550:
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYV5R7hVcs-B4_LYuT9X1MRWBU6UzX9gO
  • Youku: https://list.youku.com/albumlist/show/id_50481482
• Flex System Information Center
  http://flexsystem.lenovofiles.com/help/index.jsp
• Operating System Interoperability Guide
  https://lenovopress.com/osig
• Flex System Interoperability Guide
  https://lenovopress.com/fsig
• Lenovo Support Portal
  https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/
• Lenovo Data Center Solution Configurator
  https://dcsc.lenovo.com