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Updated
18 Nov 2024Form Number
LP1909PDF size
58 pages, 2.5 MB- Power supplies
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Abstract
The Lenovo ThinkSystem SR680a V3 is a powerful 8U server that features two 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors and eight high-performance GPUs. This air-cooled server is the ultimate Generative AI server, with advanced GPU-to-GPU communications and high-speed PCIe 5.0 connectivity between the GPUs, CPUs, and networking. It was designed fully in-house by Lenovo from ground up to provide best-in-class modularity, thermal performance and reliability.
This product guide provides essential pre-sales information to understand the ThinkSystem SR680a V3 server, its key features and specifications, components and options, and configuration guidelines. This guide is intended for technical specialists, sales specialists, sales engineers, IT architects, and other IT professionals who want to learn more about the SR680a V3 and consider its use in IT solutions.
Change History
Changes in the November 18, 2024 update:
- Added buttons to easily open a 360° view of the server and the full 3D Tour of the server - Introduction section
Introduction
The Lenovo ThinkSystem SR680a V3 is a powerful 8U server that features two 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors and eight high-performance GPUs. This air-cooled server is the ultimate Generative AI server, with advanced GPU-to-GPU communications and high-speed PCIe 5.0 connectivity between the GPUs, CPUs, and networking. It was designed fully in-house by Lenovo from ground up to provide best-in-class modularity, thermal performance and reliability.
Suggested uses: AI workloads including modeling, training, simulation, rendering, financial tech, and scientific research
Did you know?
Lenovo makes “AI for All” possible. We deliver AI to data deployed inside your data center and at the edge. We have the industry’s most comprehensive AI portfolio with over 80 products designed for AI workloads. Lenovo partners with over 50 AI Innovator partners globally to deliver turnkey Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI solutions.
Unique in the industry, Lenovo can deliver AI “from pocket to cloud” with servers, workstations, and AI-enabled devices. Whether you are a public cloud provider or building your AI model on-prem, Lenovo provides systems and solutions that scale to meet your needs. We bring AI to your data where and when you need it the most, in a truly hybrid approach: public, private, or personal.
Key features
The SR680a V3 is designed for use in air-cooled data centers that require maximum GPU performance for AI workloads. Outstanding reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) and high-efficiency design can improve your business environment and can help save operational costs.
Performance
The following features boost performance, improve scalability and reduce costs:
- Two fifth-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors
- Up to 64 cores and 128 threads
- Core speed of up to 2.3 GHz
- TDP rating of up to 350 W
- Eight high-performance onboard NVIDIA GPUs with high-speed interconnects
- Eight NVIDIA H100 700W GPUs with 80GB HBM3 GPU memory per GPU
- Eight NVIDIA H200 700W GPUs with 141GB HBM3 GPU memory per GPU
- Support for DDR5 system memory DIMMs to maximize the performance of the memory subsystem:
- Up to 32 DDR5 memory DIMMs, 16 DIMMs per processor
- 8 memory channels per processor (2 DIMMs per channel)
- DIMMs operate at 5600 MHz with 1 DIMM per channel, or 4400 MHz with 2 DIMMs per channel
- Using 32x 64GB RDIMMs, the server supports 2TB of system memory
- Ten PCIe 5.0 x16 slots:
- Front: 8x PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL slots with GPU Direct support
- Rear: 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL slots
- Supports eight NDR 400Gb/s InfiniBand adapters with high-speed GPU Direct connections, installed in front-accessible PCIe 5.0 x16 slots.
- Supports a NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPU adapter to enable software-defined, hardware-accelerated IT infrastructures
- Supports up to 16x PCIe 5.0 NVMe drives for high-speed internal storage. The use of NVMe drives maximizes drive I/O performance, in terms of throughput, bandwidth, and latency.
- Supports two M.2 NVMe drives with RAID support using Intel VROC for convenient operating system boot functions.
Availability and serviceability
The server provides many features to simplify serviceability and increase system uptime:
- Designed to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- The server uses ECC memory and supports memory RAS features including Single Device Data Correction (SDDC, also known as Chipkill), Patrol/Demand Scrubbing, Bounded Fault, DRAM Address Command Parity with Replay, DRAM Uncorrected ECC Error Retry, On-die ECC, ECC Error Check and Scrub (ECS), and Post Package Repair.
- The server offers hot-swap drives for greater system uptime.
- Two NVMe M.2 drives with RAID support with Intel VROC which enables the two M.2 drives to be configured as a redundant pair.
- The server has up to eight hot-swap redundant power supplies with N+N redundancy
- The server has 15x hot-swap redundant fans to cool all components:
- 5x front-mounted fans for the CPU, memory and rear slots subsystem
- 10x rear-mounted fans for the drive bays and GPU subsystem
- Proactive Platform Alerts (including PFA and SMART alerts): Processors, voltage regulators, memory, internal storage (SAS/SATA HDDs and SSDs, NVMe SSDs, M.2 storage, flash storage adapters), fans, power supplies, server ambient and subcomponent temperatures. Alerts can be surfaced through the 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.
- The built-in XClarity Controller 2 continuously monitors system parameters, triggers alerts, and performs recovery actions in case of failures to minimize downtime.
- Built-in diagnostics in UEFI, using Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager, speed up troubleshooting tasks to reduce service time.
- Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager supports diagnostics and can save service data to a USB key drive or remote CIFS share folder for troubleshooting and reduce 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)
- An integrated diagnostics panel with LCD display provides more detailed diagnostics by displaying all error messages and VPD data needed for a service call, thereby aiding with problem resolution and system uptime.
- 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 or one-year customer-replaceable unit and onsite limited warranty, 9 x 5 next business day. Optional service upgrades are available.
Manageability and security
Systems management features simplify local and remote management:
- The server includes an XClarity Controller 2 (XCC2) to monitor server availability. Optional upgrade to XCC Platinum to provide remote control (keyboard video mouse) functions, support for the mounting of remote media files, FIPS 140-3 security, enhanced NIST 800-193 support, boot capture, and other management and security features.
- Lenovo XClarity Administrator offers comprehensive hardware management tools that help to increase uptime, reduce costs and improve productivity through advanced server management capabilities.
- UEFI-based Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager, accessible from F1 during boot, provides system inventory information, graphical UEFI Setup, platform update function, operating system installation function, and diagnostic functions.
- 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.
- An integrated industry-standard Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) enables improved setup, configuration, and updates, and simplifies error handling.
- Dedicated RJ45 port at the rear of the server for remote management using standard management protocols
- Support for industry standard management protocols, IPMI 2.0, SNMP 3.0, Redfish REST API, serial console via IPMI
- An integrated hardware Trusted Platform Module (TPM) supporting TPM 2.0 enables advanced cryptographic functionality, such as digital signatures and remote attestation.
- Administrator and power-on passwords help protect from unauthorized access to the server.
- Intel Execute Disable Bit functionality can prevent certain classes of malicious buffer overflow attacks when combined with a supported operating system.
- Intel Trusted Execution Technology provides enhanced security through hardware-based resistance to malicious software attacks, allowing an application to run in its own isolated space, protected from all other software running on a system.
- Supports Secure Boot to ensure only a digitally signed operating system can be used.
- Industry-standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) NI support for faster, stronger encryption.
Energy efficiency
The following energy-efficiency features help save energy, reduce operational costs, and increase energy availability:
- Energy-efficient planar components help lower operational costs.
- High-efficiency power supplies with 80 PLUS Titanium certifications
- Optional Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager provides advanced data center power notification and analysis to help achieve lower heat output and reduced cooling needs.
Components and connectors
The following figure shows the front of the server. The server supports up to 16x hot-swap PCIe 5.0 NVMe drives for internal storage. The server also offers 8x front-accessible PCIe 5.0 FHHL slots with GPU Direct connections for high-speed networking.
For details on front-accessible integrated diagnostics panel, see the Local management section.
Standard specifications
The following table lists the standard specifications.
Components | Specification |
---|---|
Machine types | 7DHE - 3 year warranty |
Form factor | 8U rack. |
Processor | Two 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors (formerly codenamed "Emerald Rapids"). Supports a processor with 64 cores, core speed of 2.3 GHz, and TDP rating of 350W. Supports PCIe 5.0 for high performance I/O. |
Chipset | Intel C741 "Emmitsburg" chipset, part of the platform codenamed "Eagle Stream" |
GPUs |
Choice of:
|
Memory | 32 DIMM slots with two processors (16 DIMM slots per processor). Each processor has 8 memory channels, with 2 DIMMs per channel (DPC). Lenovo TruDDR5 RDIMMs are supported. DIMMs operate at up to 5600 MHz at 1 DPC and up to 4400 MHz at 2 DPC. |
Memory maximum | Up to 4TB with 32x 128GB RDIMMs |
Persistent memory | Not supported. |
Memory protection | ECC, SDDC (for x4-based memory DIMMs), ADDDC (for x4-based memory DIMMs excluding 9x4 RDIMMs, requires Platinum or Gold processors), and memory mirroring. |
Disk drive bays | Up to 16x 2.5-inch hot-swap drive bays, supporting PCIe 5.0 NVMe drives. |
OS boot drives | Support for two M.2 drives with optional Intel VROC NVMe RAID support for OS boot and data storage functions |
Maximum internal storage | 245.76TB using 16x 15.36TB 2.5-inch NVMe SSDs |
Storage controller |
Onboard NVMe (Non-RAID) |
Network interfaces | Supports 8x high-performance network adapters up to 400 Gb/s connectivity with GPU Direct support. Supports a NVIDIA BlueField-3 2-port 200Gb adapter for the User/Control Plane and a Mellanox ConnectX-6 Lx 2-port 10/25GbE adapter for management. |
PCI Expansion slots |
10x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots:
|
Ports | Front: 1x USB 3.2 G1 (5 Gb/s) port, 1x USB 2.0 port (also for XCC local management), 1x Mini DisplayPort video port. Rear: 2x USB 3.2 G1 (5 Gb/s) ports, 1x VGA video port, 1x RJ-45 1GbE systems management port for XCC remote management. |
Cooling | 5x front-mounted dual-rotor fans for the CPU and storage subsystem, N+1 redundant. 10x rear-mounted dual-rotor fans for the GPU subsystem, N+1 redundant. One fan integrated in each power supply. Front-to-rear airflow. |
Power supply | Eight hot-swap redundant AC power supplies with up to N+N redundancy. 80 PLUS Titanium certification. 2600 W AC power supplies requiring 220 V AC supply. |
Video | Embedded graphics with 16 MB memory with 2D hardware accelerator, integrated into the XClarity Controller 2 management controller. Two video ports (front Mini DisplayPort and rear VGA); both can be used simultaneously if desired. Maximum resolution of both ports is 1920x1200 at 60Hz. |
Hot-swap parts | Drives, power supplies, and fans. |
Systems management | Integrated Diagnostics Panel with status LEDs and pull-out LCD display. XClarity Controller 2 (XCC2) embedded management based on the ASPEED AST2600 baseboard management controller (BMC). Dedicated rear Ethernet port for XCC2 remote access for management. XClarity Administrator for centralized infrastructure management, XClarity Integrator plugins, and XClarity Energy Manager centralized server power management. Optional XCC Platinum to enable remote control functions and other features. |
Security features | Power-on password, administrator's password, Root of Trust module supporting TPM 2.0 and Platform Firmware Resiliency (PFR). |
Operating systems supported | Ubuntu Server. See the Operating system support section for specifics. |
Limited warranty | Three-year or one-year (model dependent) customer-replaceable unit and onsite limited warranty with 9x5 next business day (NBD). |
Service and support | Optional service upgrades are available through Lenovo Services: 4-hour or 2-hour response time, 6-hour fix time, 1-year or 2-year warranty extension, software support for Lenovo hardware and some third-party applications. |
Dimensions | Width: 447 mm (17.6 in.), height: 351 mm (13.8 in.), depth: 924 mm (36.3 in.). See Physical and electrical specifications for details. |
Weight | Maximum: 102.9 kg (226.8 lbs) |
Models
ThinkSystem SR680a V3 models can be configured by using the Lenovo Data Center Solution Configurator (DCSC).
Topics in this section:
CTO models
ThinkSystem SR680a V3 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 types of base CTO models are available for the SR680a V3 as listed in the columns in the following table:
- General purpose base CTO models are for general business (non-HPC) and is selectable by choosing General Purpose mode in DCSC.
- AI and HPC base models are intended for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High Performance Computing (HPC) configurations and solutions are enabled using the AI & HPC Hardware - ThinkSystem Hardware mode in DCSC. These configurations, along with Lenovo EveryScale Solutions, can also be built using System x and Cluster Solutions Configurator (x-config). Tip: Some HPC and AI models are not listed in DCSC and can only be configured in x-config.
Preconfigured server models may also be available for the SR680a V3, 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 ThinkSystem SR680a V3 server.
Processors
The SR680a V3 supports fifth-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors. The server supports two processors. Configurations of one processor are not supported.
Topics in this section:
Processor options
All supported processors have the following characteristics:
- 8 DDR5 memory channels at 2 DIMMs per channel
- Up to 4 UPI links between processors at up to 20 GT/s
- Up to 80 PCIe 5.0 I/O lanes
The following table lists the 5th Gen processors that are currently supported by the SR680a V3.
Configuration notes:
- Single-processor configurations are not supported
Processor features
Processors supported by the SR680a V3 introduce new embedded accelerators to add even more processing capability:
- QuickAssist Technology (Intel QAT)
Help reduce system resource consumption by providing accelerated cryptography, key protection, and data compression with Intel QuickAssist Technology (Intel QAT). By offloading encryption and decryption, this built-in accelerator helps free up processor cores and helps systems serve a larger number of clients.
- Intel Dynamic Load Balancer (Intel DLB)
Improve the system performance related to handling network data on multi-core Intel Xeon Scalable processors. Intel Dynamic Load Balancer (Intel DLB) enables the efficient distribution of network processing across multiple CPU cores/threads and dynamically distributes network data across multiple CPU cores for processing as the system load varies. Intel DLB also restores the order of networking data packets processed simultaneously on CPU cores.
- Intel Data Streaming Accelerator (Intel DSA)
Drive high performance for storage, networking, and data-intensive workloads by improving streaming data movement and transformation operations. Intel Data Streaming Accelerator (Intel DSA) is designed to offload the most common data movement tasks that cause overhead in data center-scale deployments. Intel DSA helps speed up data movement across the CPU, memory, and caches, as well as all attached memory, storage, and network devices.
- Intel In-Memory Analytics Accelerator (Intel IAA)
Run database and analytics workloads faster, with potentially greater power efficiency. Intel In-Memory Analytics Accelerator (Intel IAA) increases query throughput and decreases the memory footprint for in-memory database and big data analytics workloads. Intel IAA is ideal for in-memory databases, open source databases and data stores like RocksDB, Redis, Cassandra, and MySQL.
- Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions (Intel AMX)
Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions (Intel AMX) is a built-in accelerator in all Silver, Gold, and Platinum processors that significantly improves deep learning training and inference. With Intel AMX, you can fine-tune deep learning models or train small to medium models in just minutes. Intel AMX offers discrete accelerator performance without added hardware and complexity.
The processors also support a separate and encrypted memory space, known as the SGX Enclave, for use by Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX). The size of the SGX Enclave supported varies by processor model. Intel SGX offers hardware-based memory encryption that isolates specific application code and data in memory. It allows user-level code to allocate private regions of memory (enclaves) which are designed to be protected from processes running at higher privilege levels.
The following table summarizes the key features of all supported 5th Gen processors in the SR680a V3.
† The maximum single-core frequency at with the processor is capable of operating
* L3 cache is 1.875 MB per core or larger. Processors with a larger L3 cache per core are marked with an *
Intel On Demand feature licensing
Intel On Demand is a licensing offering from Lenovo for certain 4th Gen and 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors that implements software-defined silicon (SDSi) features. The licenses allow customers to activate the embedded accelerators and to increase the SGX Enclave size in specific processor models as their workload and business needs change.
The available upgrades are the following:
- Up to 4x QuickAssist Technology (Intel QAT) accelerators
- Up to 4x Intel Dynamic Load Balancer (Intel DLB) accelerators
- Up to 4x Intel Data Streaming Accelerator (Intel DSA) accelerators
- Up to 4x Intel In-Memory Analytics Accelerator (Intel IAA) accelerators
- 512GB SGX Enclave, an encrypted memory space for use by Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX)
See the Processor features section for a brief description of each accelerator and the SGX Enclave.
The following table lists the ordering information for the licenses. Accelerator licenses are bundled together based on the suitable workloads each would benefit with the additional accelerators.
Licenses can be activated in the factory (CTO orders) using feature codes, or as field upgrades using the option part numbers. With the field upgrades, they allow customers to only activate the accelerators or to increase the SGX Enclave size when their applications can best take advantage of them.
Intel On Demand is licensed on individual processors. For servers with two processors, customers will need a license for each processor and the licenses of the two processors must match. If customers add a second processor as a field upgrade, then you must ensure that the Intel On Demand licenses match the first processor.
Each license enables a certain quantity of embedded accelerators - the total number of accelerators available after activation is listed in the table. For example, Intel On Demand Communications & Storage Suite 4 (4L47A89451), once applied to the server, will result in a total of 4x QAT, 4x DLB and 4x DSA accelerators to be enabled the processor. The number of IAA accelerators is unchanged in this example.
The following table lists the 5th Gen processors that support Intel on Demand. The table shows the default accelerators and default SGX Enclave size, and it shows (with green highlight) what the total new accelerators and SGX Enclave would be once the Intel On Demand features have been activated.
Configuration rules:
- Not all processors support Intel On Demand upgrades - see the table for those that do not support Intel On Demand
- Upgrades can be performed in the factory (feature codes) or in the field (part numbers) but not both, and only one time
- Upgrades cannot be removed once activated
- SGX Enclave upgrades are independent of the accelerator upgrades; install either or both as desired
- For processors that support more than one upgrade, all upgrades must be performed at the same time
- Only one of each type of upgrade can be applied to a processor (eg 2x BX9A is not supported; 4x BX9B is not supported)
- The following processors support two accelerator upgrades, Intel On Demand Analytics Suite 4 (4L47A89452) and Intel On Demand Communications & Storage Suite 4 (4L47A89451); the table(s) above shows the accelerators based on both upgrades being applied.
- Intel Xeon Platinum 8568Y+
- The number of accelerators listed for each upgrade is the number of accelerators that will be active one the upgrade is complete (ie the total number, not the number to be added)
- If a server has two processors, then two feature codes must be selected, one for each processor. The upgrades on the two processors must be identical.
- If a one-processor server with Intel On Demand features activated on it has a 2nd processor added as a field upgrade, the 2nd processor must also have the same features activated by purchasing the appropriate part numbers.
Thermal requirements by processor
For details regarding supported combinations of processors, front drive bays, GPUs, and fans, see the Thermal Rules page of the User Guide:
https://pubs.lenovo.com/sr680a-v3/thermal_rules
Additional ambient temperature restrictions may apply. See the Operating environment section for details.
UEFI operating modes
The SR680a V3 offers preset operating modes that affect energy consumption and performance. These modes are a collection of predefined low-level UEFI settings that simplify the task of tuning the server to suit your business and workload requirements.
The following table lists the feature codes that allow you to specify the mode you wish to preset in the factory for CTO orders.
UK and EU customers: For compliance with the ERP Lot9 regulation, you should select feature BFYE. For some systems, you may not be able to make a selection, in which case, it will be automatically derived by the configurator.
The preset modes for the SR680a V3 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 SR680a V3, 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.
Memory options
The SR680a V3 uses Lenovo TruDDR5 memory operating at up to 5600 MHz. The server supports up to 32 DIMMs with 2 processors. The processors have 8 memory channels and support 2 DIMMs per channel (DPC). The server supports 4TB of memory using 32x 128GB RDIMMs and two processors.
DIMMs operate at the following speeds, up to the memory bus speed of the processor selected:
- 1 DIMM per channel (DPC): Up to 5600 MHz
- 2 DIMMs per channel: Up to 4400 MHz
Lenovo TruDDR5 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 TruDDR5 memory automatically assumes the system warranty, and Lenovo provides service and support worldwide.
The following table lists the 5600 MHz memory options that are currently supported by the SR680a V3.
For more information on DDR5 memory, see the Lenovo Press paper, Introduction to DDR5 Memory, available from https://lenovopress.com/lp1618.
The following rules apply when selecting the memory configuration:
- The SR680a V3 requires either 16 DIMMs (8 per processor) or 32 DIMMs (16 per processor) be installed; other quantities are not supported
- Exception: If the 64GB DIMM is selected then a quantity of 32 must be installed if the NVIDIA H100 or H200 is selected
- All memory DIMMs must be identical part numbers; mixing is not supported
- With 32 DIMMs, the memory DIMMs are installed 2 DIMMs per channel (DPC) and will operate at 4400 MHz
- With 16 DIMMs, the memory DIMMs are installed 1 DIMM per channel (DPC) and will operate at 5600 MHz
The following memory protection technologies are supported:
- ECC detection/correction
- Bounded Fault detection/correction
- SDDC (for 10x4-based memory DIMMs; look for "x4" in the DIMM description)
- ADDDC (for 10x4-based memory DIMMs, not supported with 9x4 DIMMs)
- Memory mirroring
See the Lenovo Press article "RAS Features of the Lenovo ThinkSystem Intel Servers" for more information about memory RAS features: https://lenovopress.lenovo.com/lp1711-ras-features-of-the-lenovo-thinksystem-intel-servers
If memory channel mirroring is used, then DIMMs must be installed in pairs (minimum of one pair per processor), and both DIMMs in the pair must be identical in type and size. 50% of the installed capacity is available to the operating system.
Memory rank sparing is implemented using ADDDC/ADC-SR/ADDDC-MR to provide DRAM-level sparing feature support.
GPU accelerators
A key feature of the SR680a V3 is the integration of an 8-GPU complex in the lower half of the server as shown in the Components and connectors section.
The GPUs supported are listed in the following table.
Configuration rules:
- The choice of GPU must match the Base feature code as listed in the Models section
* Without / with structural sparsity enabled
Internal storage
The SR680a V3 has 16x 2.5-inch hot-swap drive bays using two 8-bay drive backplanes, installed at the front of the server. The server supports NVMe drives, each with a PCIe 5.0 x4 host interface.
The server also supports one or two M.2 drives, installed in dedicated slots on the system board of the server.
In this section:
Drive backplanes
Ordering information for the drive backplanes is shown in the following table.
NVMe only: Even though the backplane name indicates it is an AnyBay backplane, the SR680a V3 only supports NVMe drives.
Configuration rules:
- Two backplanes are required; Configurations of 0 or 1 backplane are not supported
- No field upgrades are offered
M.2 drives
The SR680a V3 supports one or two M.2 22110 form-factor NVMe drives for use as an operating system boot solution or as additional storage. The two M.2 drives installed into a connector located on the system board. The two drives are installed one above the other.
Figure 8. M.2 connector on the SR680a V3 (two M.2 drives)
Configuration rules:
- The M.2 drives must be 22110 form factor; other M.2 form factors are not supported
- Only NMVe drives are supported; SATA drives are not supported
- RAID is optional and implemented using Intel VROC; ordering information is listed in the following table.
Part number | Feature code | Description |
---|---|---|
CTO only | BS7M | Intel VROC (VMD NVMe RAID) Standard for M.2 |
Supported drives are listed in the Internal drive options section.
Controllers for internal storage
The drives of the SR680a V3 are connected to an integrated NVMe storage controller:
- Onboard PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe ports
The onboard NVMe support has the following features:
- Controller integrated into the processor
- Each drive has PCIe 5.0 x4 host interface
- Supports JBOD
- No support for RAID
Note: The SR680a V3 does not support VROC RAID on the 2.5-inch drives.
Internal drive options
The following tables list the drive options for internal storage of the server.
2.5-inch hot-swap drives:
M.2 drives:
M.2 drive support: The use of M.2 drives requires an additional adapter as described in the M.2 drives subsection.
SED support: The tables include a column to indicate which drives support SED encryption. The encryption functionality can be disabled if needed. Note: Not all SED-enabled drives have "SED" in the description.
Optical drives
The server supports the external USB optical drive listed in the following table.
Part number | Feature code | Description |
---|---|---|
7XA7A05926 | AVV8 | ThinkSystem External USB DVD RW Optical Disk Drive |
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.
I/O expansion
The SR680a V3 supports a total of up to 10x PCIe slots, 8x at the front and 2x at the rear.
Front slots are designed for high-speed GPU Direct networking to maximize performance of the GPUs. The front slots connect to the processors and to the GPUs via a PCIe switch. All front slots are standard.
- Slot 1: PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL, connected to CPU 1
- Slot 2: PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL, connected to CPU 1
- Slot 3: PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL, connected to CPU 1
- Slot 4: PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL, connected to CPU 1
- Slot 5: PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL, connected to CPU 2
- Slot 6: PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL, connected to CPU 2
- Slot 7: PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL, connected to CPU 2
- Slot 8: PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL, connected to CPU 2
Rear PCIe slots are as follows:
- Slot 9: PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL, connected to CPU 2
- Slot 10: PCIe 5.0 x16 FHHL, connected to CPU 1
The front and rear slots are shown in the following figure.
Tip: The SR680a V3 does not have an OCP slot.
Rear slot 10 is designed for a DPU adapter for the User/Control Plane and slot 9 is designed for the network adapter for the management network.
Tip: Slot numbering for other PCIe devices are as follows:
- M.2 drives: Slots 33 and 34
- GPUs: Slots 17 - 24
Ordering information for the rear slots is listed in the following table.
Part number | Feature code | Description | Quantity |
---|---|---|---|
CTO only | C1F3 | ThinkSystem SR680a V3 x16 PCIe Rear IO Riser (Enables one rear PCIe slot) | 2 |
Configuration rules:
- Two rear slots must be selected, 2x PCIe (slots 9 & 10)
Network adapters
The SR680a V3 supports the network adapters listed in the following table.
Configuration rules:
- For the adapters in the front PCIe slots, quantities of 4 or 8 are supported and must all be identical; mixing not supported
Fibre Channel host bus adapters
Fibre Channel adapters may be supported under Special Bid conditions. Contact your Lenovo sales representative for details.
Cooling
The SR680a V3 server has 15 system fans installed as standard. Airflow is front to back.
- 5x front hot-swap 80mm dual-rotor fans to cool the CPU shuttle (CPUs, memory, rear slots)
- Fans are N+1 rotor redundant
- Fans operate at a peak of 16.3K RPM
- 10x rear hot-swap 80mm dual-rotor fans to cool the GPUs, drive bays, and PCIe switches
- Fans are N+1 rotor redundant
- Fans operate at a peak of 19.5K RPM
Each of the eight power supplies also has an integrated dual-rotor fan. Fans operate at a peak of 28.5K RPM.
Power supplies
The SR680a V3 supports eight redundant hot-swap power supplies. All are standard. The power supplies are N+N redundant.
Ordering information is listed in the following table.
For power specifications, see the Physical and electrical specifications section.
Power supply options do not include a line cord. For server configurations, the inclusion of a power cord is model dependent. Configure-to-order models can be configured without power cords if desired.
Power supply LEDs
The supported hot-swap power supplies have the following LEDs:
- Power input LED:
- Green: The power supply is connected to the AC power source
- Off: The power supply is disconnected from the AC power source or a power problem has occurred
- Power output LED:
- Green: The server is on and the power supply is working normally
- Blinking green: The power supply is in Zero-output/Standby mode (see below)
- Off: The server is powered off, or the power supply is not working properly
- Power supply error LED:
- Off: The power supply is working normally
- Yellow: The power supply has failed
Zero-output mode: When Zero-output mode (also known as Standby mode or Cold Redundancy mode) is configured in XCC and the server power load is sufficiently low, one of the installed power supplies enters into the Standby state while the other one delivers entire load. When the power load increases, the standby power supply will switch to Active state to provide sufficient power to the server. Zero-output mode can be enabled or disabled in the XClarity Controller web interface, Server Configuration > Power Policy. If you select Disable, then both power supplies will be in the Active state.
Power cords (C19 connectors)
Line cords and rack power cables with C19 connectors can be ordered as listed in the following table.
Systems management
The SR680a V3 contains an integrated service processor, XClarity Controller 2 (XCC), which provides advanced control, monitoring, and alerting functions. The XCC2 is based on the AST2600 baseboard management controller (BMC) using a dual-core ARM Cortex A7 32-bit RISC service processor running at 1.2 GHz.
Topics in this section:
- System I/O Board (DC-SCM)
- Local management
- System status with XClarity Mobile
- Remote management
- MicroSD for XCC local storage
- XCC2 Platinum
- Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager
- Lenovo XClarity Administrator
- Lenovo XClarity Integrators
- Lenovo XClarity Essentials
- Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager
- Lenovo Capacity Planner
System I/O Board (DC-SCM)
The SR680a V3 implements a separate System I/O Board, also known as the DC-SCM (Data Center Secure Control Module or DCSCM), that connects to the CPU board in the Compute shuttle. The location of the System I/O Board and Compute shuttle is shown in the Components and connectors section. The System I/O Board contains all the connectors visible at the rear of the server as shown in the following figure.
Note: The NMI (non-maskable interrupt) button is not accessible from the rear of the server. Lenovo recommends using the NMI function that is part of the XCC user interfaces instead.
The board also has the following components:
- XClarity Controller 2, implemented using the ASPEED AST2600 baseboard management controller (BMC).
- Root of Trust (RoT) module - implements Platform Firmware Resiliency (PFR) hardware Root of Trust (RoT) which enables the server to be NIST SP800-193 compliant. For more details about PFR, see the Security section.
- MicroSD card port to enable the use of a MicroSD card for additional storage for use with the XCC2 controller. XCC2 can use the storage as a Remote Disc on Card (RDOC) device (up to 4GB of storage). It can also be used to store firmware updates (including N-1 firmware history) for ease of deployment.
Tip: Without a MicroSD card installed, the XCC controller will have 100MB of available RDOC storage.
Ordering information for the supported Micro SD cards are listed in the MicroSD for XCC local storage section.
Local management
The SR680a V3 offers a front operator panel with key LED status indicators on the front, as shown in the following figure. The server also includes an integrated LCD diagnostics panel
Tip: The network LED is not used because the SR680a V3 does not include an OCP slot. The LED will blink at a constant 1 Hz rate.
Figure 11. Front operator panel with pull-out diagnostics panel
The integrated diagnostics panel allows quick access to system status, firmware, network, and health information. The LCD display on the panel and the function buttons give you access to the following information:
- Status Dashboard
- Active alerts
- System VPD: machine type & mode, serial number, UUID string
- System firmware levels: UEFI and XCC firmware
- XCC network information: hostname, MAC address, IP address, DNS addresses
- Environmental data: Ambient temperature, CPU temperature, AC input voltage, estimated power consumption
- Active XCC sessions
- System reset action
Light path diagnostics
The server offers 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. The server has fault LEDs next to the following components:
- Each memory DIMM
- Each drive bay
- Each power supply
Information pull-out tab
The front of the server also houses an information pull-out tab (also known as the network access tag). A label on the tab shows the network information (MAC address and other data) to remotely access the service processor.
System status with XClarity Mobile
The XClarity Mobile app 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:
- Enable USB Management on the server, by holding down the ID button for 3 seconds (or pressing the dedicated USB management button if one is present)
- Connect the mobile device via a USB cable to the server's USB port with the management symbol
- In iOS or Android settings, enable Personal Hotspot or USB Tethering
- Launch the Lenovo XClarity Mobile app
Once connected you can see the following information:
- Server status including error logs (read only, no login required)
- Server management functions (XClarity login credentials required)
Remote management
The server offers a dedicated RJ45 port at the rear of the server for remote management via the XClarity Controller management processor. The port supports 10/100/1000 Mbps speeds.
Remote server management is provided through industry-standard interfaces:
- Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) Version 2.0
- Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Version 3 (no SET commands; no SNMP v1)
- Common Information Model (CIM-XML)
- Representational State Transfer (REST) support
- Redfish support (DMTF compliant)
- Web browser - HTML 5-based browser interface (Java and ActiveX not required) using a responsive design (content optimized for device being used - laptop, tablet, phone) with NLS support
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.
MicroSD for XCC local storage
The server includes a MicroSD card port to enable the use of a MicroSD card for additional storage for use with the XCC controller. XCC can use the storage as a Remote Disc on Card (RDOC) device (up to 4GB of storage). It can also be used to store firmware updates (including N-1 firmware history) for ease of deployment.
Tip: Without a MicroSD card installed, the XCC controller will have 100MB of available RDOC storage.
Ordering information for the supported Micro SD cards is listed in the following table.
XCC2 Platinum
In the SR680a V3, XCC2 has the Platinum level of features built into the server. Compared to the XCC functions of ThinkSystem V2 and earlier systems, Platinum offers the same features as Enterprise and Advanced levels in ThinkSystem V2, plus additional features.
DCSC tip: Even though XCC2 Platinum is a standard feature of the SR680a V3, it does not appear in the list of feature codes for the configuration in DCSC.
XCC2 Platinum includes the following Enterprise and Advanced functions:
- Remotely viewing video with graphics resolutions up to 1600x1200 at 75 Hz with up to 23 bits per pixel, regardless of the system state
- Remotely accessing the server using the keyboard and mouse from a remote client
- International keyboard mapping support
- Syslog alerting
- Redirecting serial console via SSH
- Component replacement log (Maintenance History log)
- Access restriction (IP address blocking)
- Lenovo SED security key management
- Displaying graphics for real-time and historical power usage data and temperature
- Boot video capture and crash video capture
- Virtual console collaboration - Ability for up to 6 remote users to be log into the remote session simultaneously
- Remote console Java client
- Mapping the ISO and image files located on the local client as virtual drives for use by the server
- Mounting the remote ISO and image files via HTTPS, SFTP, CIFS, and NFS
- Power capping
- System utilization data and graphic view
- Single sign on with Lenovo XClarity Administrator
- Update firmware from a repository
- License for XClarity Energy Manager
XCC2 Platinum also includes the following features that are new to XCC2:
- System Guard - Monitor hardware inventory for unexpected component changes, and simply log the event or prevent booting
- Enterprise Strict Security mode - Enforces CNSA 1.0 level security
- Neighbor Group - Enables administrators to manage and synchronize configurations and firmware level across multiple servers
With XCC2 Platinum, for CTO orders, you can request that System Guard be enabled in the factory and the first configuration snapshot be recorded. To add this to an order, select feature code listed in the following table. The selection is made in the Security tab of the DCSC configurator.
Feature code | Description |
---|---|
BUT2 | Install System Guard |
For more information about System Guard, see https://pubs.lenovo.com/xcc2/NN1ia_c_systemguard
Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager
Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager (LXPM) is a UEFI-based application embedded in ThinkSystem servers and accessible via the F1 key during system boot.
LXPM provides the following functions:
- Graphical UEFI Setup
- System inventory information and VPD update
- System firmware updates (UEFI and XCC)
- RAID setup wizard
- OS installation wizard (including unattended OS installation)
- Diagnostics functions
Lenovo XClarity Administrator
Lenovo XClarity Administrator is a centralized resource management solution designed to reduce complexity, speed response, and enhance the availability of Lenovo systems and solutions. It provides agent-free hardware management for ThinkSystem servers, in addition to ThinkServer, System x, and Flex System servers. The administration dashboard is based on HTML 5 and allows fast location of resources so tasks can be run quickly.
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.
Lenovo XClarity Administrator is an optional software component for the SR680a V3. The software can be downloaded and used at no charge to discover and monitor the SR680a V3 and to manage firmware upgrades.
If software support is required for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, or premium features such as configuration management and operating system deployment are required, Lenovo XClarity Pro software subscription should be ordered. Lenovo XClarity Pro is licensed on a per managed system basis, that is, each managed Lenovo system requires a license.
The following table lists the Lenovo XClarity software license options.
Lenovo XClarity Administrator offers the following standard features that are available at no charge:
- Auto-discovery and monitoring of Lenovo systems
- Firmware updates and compliance enforcement
- External alerts and notifications via SNMP traps, syslog remote logging, and e-mail
- Secure connections to managed endpoints
- NIST 800-131A or FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptographic standards between the management solution and managed endpoints
- Integration into existing higher-level management systems such as cloud automation and orchestration tools through REST APIs, providing extensive external visibility and control over hardware resources
- An intuitive, easy-to-use GUI
- Scripting with Windows PowerShell, providing command-line visibility and control over hardware resources
Lenovo XClarity Administrator offers the following premium features that require an optional Pro license:
- Pattern-based configuration management that allows to define configurations once and apply repeatedly without errors when deploying new servers or redeploying existing servers without disrupting the fabric
- Bare-metal deployment of operating systems and hypervisors to streamline infrastructure provisioning
For more information, refer to the Lenovo XClarity Administrator Product Guide:
http://lenovopress.com/tips1200
Lenovo XClarity Integrators
Lenovo also offers software plug-in modules, Lenovo XClarity Integrators, to manage physical infrastructure from leading external virtualization management software tools including those from Microsoft and VMware.
These integrators are offered at no charge, however if software support is required, a Lenovo XClarity Pro software subscription license should be ordered.
Lenovo XClarity Integrators offer the following additional features:
- Ability to discover, manage, and monitor Lenovo server hardware from VMware vCenter or Microsoft System Center
- Deployment of firmware updates and configuration patterns to Lenovo x86 rack servers and Flex System from the virtualization management tool
- Non-disruptive server maintenance in clustered environments that reduces workload downtime by dynamically migrating workloads from affected hosts during rolling server updates or reboots
- Greater service level uptime and assurance in clustered environments during unplanned hardware events by dynamically triggering workload migration from impacted hosts when impending hardware failures are predicted
For more information about all the available Lenovo XClarity Integrators, see the Lenovo XClarity Administrator Product Guide: https://lenovopress.com/tips1200-lenovo-xclarity-administrator
Lenovo XClarity Essentials
Lenovo offers the following XClarity Essentials software tools that can help you set up, use, and maintain the server at no additional cost:
- Lenovo Essentials OneCLI
OneCLI is a collection of server management tools that uses a command line interface program to manage firmware, hardware, and operating systems. It provides functions to collect full system health information (including health status), configure system settings, and update system firmware and drivers.
- Lenovo Essentials UpdateXpress
The UpdateXpress tool is a standalone GUI application for firmware and device driver updates that enables you to maintain your server firmware and device drivers up-to-date and help you avoid unnecessary server outages. The tool acquires and deploys individual updates and UpdateXpress System Packs (UXSPs) which are integration-tested bundles.
- Lenovo Essentials Bootable Media Creator
The Bootable Media Creator (BOMC) tool is used to create bootable media for offline firmware update.
For more information and downloads, visit the Lenovo XClarity Essentials web page:
http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/LNVO-center
Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager
Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager (LXEM) is a power and temperature management solution for data centers. It is an agent-free, web-based console that enables you to monitor and manage power consumption and temperature in your data center through the management console. 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 Platinum version. Because the Platinum version of XCC is standard in the SR680a V3, a license for XClarity Energy Manager is included.
For more information about XClarity Energy Manager, see the following resources:
- Lenovo Support page:
https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/lnvo-lxem - User Guide for XClarity Energy Manager:
https://pubs.lenovo.com/lxem/
Lenovo Capacity Planner
Lenovo Capacity Planner is a power consumption evaluation tool that enhances data center planning by enabling IT administrators and pre-sales professionals to understand various power characteristics of racks, servers, and other devices. Capacity Planner can dynamically calculate the power consumption, current, British Thermal Unit (BTU), and volt-ampere (VA) rating at the rack level, improving the planning efficiency for large scale deployments.
For more information, refer to the Capacity Planner web page:
http://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/lnvo-lcp
Security
Topics in this section:
Security features
The SR680a V3 server offers the following electronic security features:
- Secure Boot function of the Intel processor
- Support for Platform Firmware Resiliency (PFR) hardware Root of Trust (RoT) - see the Platform Firmware Resiliency section
- Firmware signature processes compliant with FIPS and NIST requirements
- System Guard (part of XCC Platinum) - Proactive monitoring of hardware inventory for unexpected component changes
- Administrator and power-on password
- Integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM) supporting TPM 2.0
- Self-encrypting drives (SEDs) with support for enterprise key managers
The server is NIST SP 800-147B compliant.
Platform Firmware Resiliency - Lenovo ThinkShield
Lenovo's ThinkShield Security is a transparent and comprehensive approach to security that extends to all dimensions of our data center products: from development, to supply chain, and through the entire product lifecycle.
The ThinkSystem SR680a V3 includes Platform Firmware Resiliency (PFR) hardware Root of Trust (RoT) which enables the system to be NIST SP800-193 compliant. This offering further enhances key platform subsystem protections against unauthorized firmware updates and corruption, to restore firmware to an integral state, and to closely monitor firmware for possible compromise from cyber-attacks.
PFR operates upon the following server components:
- UEFI image – the low-level server firmware that connects the operating system to the server hardware
- XCC image – the management “engine” software that controls and reports on the server status separate from the server operating system
- FPGA image – the code that runs the server’s lowest level hardware controller on the motherboard
The Lenovo Platform Root of Trust Hardware performs the following three main functions:
- Detection – Measures the firmware and updates for authenticity
- Recovery – Recovers a corrupted image to a known-safe image
- Protection – Monitors the system to ensure the known-good firmware is not maliciously written
These enhanced protection capabilities are implemented using a dedicated, discrete security processor whose implementation has been rigorously validated by leading third-party security firms. Security evaluation results and design details are available for customer review – providing unprecedented transparency and assurance.
The SR680a V3 includes support for Secure Boot, a UEFI firmware security feature developed by the UEFI Consortium that ensures only immutable and signed software are loaded during the boot time. The use of Secure Boot helps prevent malicious code from being loaded and helps prevent attacks, such as the installation of rootkits. Lenovo offers the capability to enable secure boot in the factory, to ensure end-to-end protection. Alternatively, Secure Boot can be left disabled in the factory, allowing the customer to enable it themselves at a later point, if desired.
The following table lists the relevant feature code(s).
Part number | Feature code | Description | Purpose |
---|---|---|---|
CTO only | BPKQ | TPM 2.0 with Secure Boot | Configure the system in the factory with Secure Boot enabled. |
Tip: If Secure Boot is not enabled in the factory, it can be enabled later by the customer. However once Secure Boot is enabled, it cannot be disabled.
Security standards
The SR680a V3 supports the following security standards and capabilities:
- Industry Standard Security Capabilities
- Intel CPU Enablement
- AES-NI (Advanced Encryption Standard New Instructions)
- CBnT (Converged Boot Guard and Trusted Execution Technology)
- CET (Control flow Enforcement Technology)
- Hardware-based side channel attack resilience enhancements
- MKTME/TME (Multi-Key Total Memory Encryption)
- SGX (Software Guard eXtensions)
- SGX-TEM (Trusted Environment Mode)
- TDX (Trust Domain Extensions)
- TXT (Trusted eXecution Technology)
- VT (Virtualization Technology)
- XD (eXecute Disable)
- Microsoft Windows Security Enablement
- Credential Guard
- Device Guard
- Host Guardian Service
- TCG (Trusted Computing Group) TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0
- UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) Forum Secure Boot
- Intel CPU Enablement
- Hardware Root of Trust and Security
- Independent security subsystem providing platform-wide NIST SP800-193 compliant Platform Firmware Resilience (PFR)
- Management domain RoT supplemented by the Secure Boot features of XCC
- Platform Security
- Boot and run-time firmware integrity monitoring with rollback to known-good firmware (e.g., “self-healing”)
- Non-volatile storage bus security monitoring and filtering
- Resilient firmware implementation, such as to detect and defeat unauthorized flash writes or SMM (System Management Mode) memory incursions
- Patented IPMI KCS channel privileged access authorization (USPTO Patent# 11,256,810)
- Host and management domain authorization, including integration with CyberArk for enterprise password management
- KMIP (Key Management Interoperability Protocol) compliant, including support for IBM SKLM and Thales KeySecure
- Reduced “out of box” attack surface
- Configurable network services
- FIPS 140-3 (in progress) validated cryptography for XCC
- CNSA Suite 1.0 Quantum-resistant cryptography for XCC
- Lenovo System Guard
For more information on platform security, see the paper “How to Harden the Security of your ThinkSystem Server and Management Applications” available from https://lenovopress.com/lp1260-how-to-harden-the-security-of-your-thinksystem-server.
- Standards Compliance and/or Support
- NIST SP800-131A rev 2 “Transitioning the Use of Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Lengths”
- NIST SP800-147B “BIOS Protection Guidelines for Servers”
- NIST SP800-193 “Platform Firmware Resiliency Guidelines”
- ISO/IEC 11889 “Trusted Platform Module Library”
- Common Criteria TCG Protection Profile for “PC Client Specific TPM 2.0”
- European Union Commission Regulation 2019/424 (“ErP Lot 9”) “Ecodesign Requirements for Servers and Data Storage Products” Secure Data Deletion
- Optional FIPS 140-2 validated Self-Encrypting Disks (SEDs) with external KMIP-based key management
- Product and Supply Chain Security
- Suppliers validated through Lenovo’s Trusted Supplier Program
- Developed in accordance with Lenovo’s Secure Development Lifecycle (LSDL)
- Continuous firmware security validation through automated testing, including static code analysis, dynamic network and web vulnerability testing, software composition analysis, and subsystem-specific testing, such as UEFI security configuration validation
- Ongoing security reviews by US-based security experts, with attestation letters available from our third-party security partners
- Digitally signed firmware, stored and built on US-based infrastructure and signed on US-based Hardware Security Modules (HSMs)
- Manufacturing transparency via Intel Transparent Supply Chain (for details, see https://lenovopress.com/lp1434-introduction-to-intel-transparent-supply-chain-on-lenovo-thinksystem-servers)
- TAA (Trade Agreements Act) compliant manufacturing, by default in Mexico for North American markets with additional US and EU manufacturing options
- US 2019 NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) Section 889 compliant
Rack installation
The SR680a V3 installs in a standard 19-inch rack cabinet. It is supported installed on a static L-shaped rail kit as listed in the following table.
Part number | Feature | Description |
---|---|---|
4XF7A16545 | A4AA | ThinkSystem Toolless Fixed Rail Kit |
CTO only | AUMY | ThinkSystem Lift Handles |
The figure below shows the components of the rail kit.
Figure 12. ThinkSystem Toolless Fixed Rail Kit
Configuration rules:
- A maximum of 4x SR680a V3 servers can be installed in a single rack cabinet
- The rail kit is included in CTO orders by default, but can be removed if desired
- A cable management arm (CMA) is not supported
The following table summarizes the rail kit features and specifications.
† Measured when mounted on the rack, from the front surface of the front mounting flange to the rear most point of the rail. Rail is in closed position.
Materials lift
Considering the weight of the server, two service personnel and a material lift are required to install or remove the server from the rack. If you do not already have a suitable material lift available, Lenovo offers the Genie Lift GL-8 material lift as configurable option to the rack cabinets. Ordering information is listed in the following table.
Note: If neither the Genie Lift GL-8 nor the ServerLift SL-350x is available onsite when onsite service is required, the customer will be responsible for getting the system to a suitable work surface (with access to power) prior to service technician arrival and returning the system to the rack when service is complete prior to service technician departure.
Model | Description |
---|---|
7D5YCTO1WW | Genie Lift GL-8 Material Lift |
Configuration rules:
- For the SR680a V3, the following GL-8 components are required:
- Foot-release brake, feature BFPW
- Load Platform, feature BFPV
Operating system support
The SR680a V3 supports the following operating systems:
- Ubuntu 22.04 LTS 64-bit
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.lenovo.com/osig#servers=sr680a-v3-7dhe
Physical and electrical specifications
The SR685a V3 has the following overall physical dimensions, excluding components that extend outside the standard chassis, such as EIA flanges and power supply handles:
- Width: 447 mm (17.6 inches)
- Height: 351 mm (13.8 inches)
- Depth: 924 mm (36.3 inches)
The following table lists the detailed dimensions. See the figure below for the definition of each dimension.
The shipping (cardboard packaging) dimensions of the SR680a V3 are as follows:
- Width: 600 mm (23.6 inches)
- Height: 740 mm (29.1 inches)
- Depth: 1200 mm (47.2 inches)
The server has the following weight:
- Maximum: 102.9 kg (226.8 lbs)
Electrical specifications for AC input power supplies:
- Input voltage:
- 200 to 240 (nominal) Vac, 50 Hz or 60 Hz
- 180 to 300 Vdc (China only)
- Inlet current: See the following table.
Operating environment
The SR680a V3 server complies with ASHRAE Class A2 specifications with most configurations, and depending on the hardware configuration, also complies with ASHRAE Class A3 and Class A4 specifications. System performance may be impacted when operating temperature is outside ASHRAE A2 specification.
Depending on the hardware configuration, the SR680a V3 server also complies with ASHRAE Class H1 specification. System performance may be impacted when operating temperature is outside ASHRAE H1 specification.
Topics in this section:
Temperature and humidity
The server is supported in the following environment:
- Air temperature:
- Operating:
- ASHRAE Class A2: 10°C to 35°C (50°F to 95°F); the maximum ambient temperature decreases by 1°C for every 300 m (984 ft) increase in altitude above 900 m (2,953 ft).
- Server off: 5°C to 45°C (41°F to 113°F)
- Shipment/storage: -20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F)
- Operating:
- Maximum altitude: 3,050 m (10,000 ft)
- Relative Humidity (non-condensing):
- Operating
- ASHRAE Class A2: 8% to 80%; maximum dew point: 21°C (70°F)
- Shipment/storage: 8% to 90%
- Operating
Particulate contamination
Airborne particulates (including metal flakes or particles) and reactive gases acting alone or in combination with other environmental factors such as humidity or temperature might damage the system that might cause the system to malfunction or stop working altogether.
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/
Warranty upgrades and post-warranty support
The SR680a V3 has a 3-year warranty based on the machine type of the system:
- 7DHE - 3 year warranty
- Genie Lift GL-8 Material Lift (7D5Y) - 3-year warranty
Our global network of regional support centers offers consistent, local-language support enabling you to vary response times and level of service to match the criticality of your support needs:
- Standard Next Business Day – Best choice for non-essential systems requiring simple maintenance.
- Premier Next Business Day – Best choice for essential systems requiring technical expertise from senior-level Lenovo engineers.
- Premier 24x7 4-Hour Response – Best choice for systems where maximum uptime is critical.
- Premier Enhanced Storage Support 24x7 4-Hour Response – Best choice for storage systems where maximum uptime is critical.
For more information, consult the brochure Lenovo Operational Support Services for Data Centers Services.
Services
Lenovo Data Center Services empower you at every stage of your IT lifecycle. From expert advisory and strategic planning to seamless deployment and ongoing support, we ensure your infrastructure is built for success. Our comprehensive services accelerate time to value, minimize downtime, and free your IT staff to focus on driving innovation and business growth.
Note: Some service options may not be available in all markets or regions. For more information, go to https://lenovolocator.com/. For information about Lenovo service upgrade offerings that are available in your region, contact your local Lenovo sales representative or business partner.
In this section:
- Lenovo Advisory Services
- Lenovo Plan & Design Services
- Lenovo Deployment, Migration, and Configuration Services
- Lenovo Support Services
- Lenovo Managed Services
- Lenovo Sustainability Services
Lenovo Advisory Services
Lenovo Advisory Services simplify the planning process, enabling customers to build future-proofed strategies in as little as six weeks. Consultants provide guidance on projects including VM migration, storage, backup and recovery, and cost management to accelerate time to value, improve cost efficiency, and build a flexibly scalable foundation.
- 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.
Lenovo Plan & Design Services
Unlock faster time to market with our tailored, strategic design workshops to align solution approaches with your business goals and technical requirements. Leverage our deep solution expertise and end-to-end delivery partnership to meet your goals efficiently and effectively.
Lenovo Deployment, Migration, and Configuration Services
Optimize your IT operations by shifting labor-intensive functions to Lenovo's skilled technicians for seamless on-site or remote deployment, configuration, and migration. Enjoy peace of mind, faster time to value, and comprehensive knowledge sharing with your IT staff, backed by our best-practice methodology.
- Deployment Services for Storage and ThinkAgile
A comprehensive range of remote and onsite options tailored specifically for your business needs to ensure your storage and ThinkAgile hardware are fully operational from the start.
- Hardware Installation Services
A full-range, comprehensive setup for your hardware, including unpacking, inspecting, and positioning components to ensure your equipment is operational and error-free for the most seamless and efficient installation experience, so you can quickly benefit from your investments.
- DM/DG File Migration Services
Take the burden of file migration from your IT’s shoulders. Our experts will align your requirements and business objectives to the migration plans while coordinating with your team to plan and safely execute the data migration to your storage platforms.
- DM/DG/DE Health Check Services
Our experts perform proactive checks of your Firmware and system health to ensure your machines are operating at peak and optimal efficiency to maximize up-time, avoid system failures, ensure the security of IT solutions and simplify maintenance.
- Factory Integrated Services
A suite of value-added offerings provided during the manufacturing phase of a server or storage system that reduces time to value. These services aim at improving your hardware deployment experience and enhance the quality of a standard configuration before it arrives at your facility.
Lenovo Support Services
In addition to response time options for hardware parts, repairs, and labor, Lenovo offers a wide array of additional support services to ensure your business is positioned for success and longevity. Our goal is to reduce your capital outlays, mitigate your IT risks, and accelerate your time to productivity.
- Premier Support for Data Centers
Your direct line to the solution that promises the best, most comprehensive level of support to help you fully unlock the potential of your data center.
- Premier Enhanced Storage Support (PESS)
Gain all the benefits of Premier Support for Data Centers, adding dedicated storage specialists and resources to elevate your storage support experience to the next level.
- Committed Service Repair (CSR)
Our commitment to ensuring the fastest, most seamless resolution times for mission-critical systems that require immediate attention to ensure minimal downtime and risk for your business. This service is only available for machines under the Premier 4-Hour Response SLA.
- Multivendor Support Services (MVS)
Your single point of accountability for resolution support across vast range of leading Server, Storage, and Networking OEMs, allowing you to manage all your supported infrastructure devices seamlessly from a single source.
- Keep Your Drive (KYD)
Protect sensitive data and maintain compliance with corporate retention and disposal policies to ensure your data is always under your control, regardless of the number of drives that are installed in your Lenovo server.
- Technical Account Manager (TAM)
Your single point of contact to expedite service requests, provide status updates, and furnish reports to track incidents over time, ensuring smooth operations and optimized performance as your business grows.
- Enterprise Software Support (ESS)
Gain comprehensive, single-source, and global support for a wide range of server operating systems and Microsoft server applications.
For more information, consult the brochure Lenovo Operational Support Services for Data Centers.
Lenovo Managed Services
Achieve peak efficiency, high security, and minimal disruption with Lenovo's always-on Managed Services. Our real-time monitoring, 24x7 incident response, and problem resolution ensure your infrastructure operates seamlessly. With quarterly health checks for ongoing optimization and innovation, Lenovo's remote active monitoring boosts end-user experience and productivity by keeping your data center's hardware performing at its best.
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.
Lenovo Sustainability Services
- Asset Recovery Services
Lenovo Asset Recovery Services (ARS) provides a secure, seamless solution for managing end-of-life IT assets, ensuring data is safely sanitized while contributing to a more circular IT lifecycle. By maximizing the reuse or responsible recycling of devices, ARS helps businesses meet sustainability goals while recovering potential value from their retired equipment. For more information, see the Asset Recovery Services offering page.
- CO2 Offset Services
Lenovo’s CO2 Offset Services offer a simple and transparent way for businesses to take tangible action on their IT footprint. By integrating CO2 offsets directly into device purchases, customers can easily support verified climate projects and track their contributions, making meaningful progress toward their sustainability goals without added complexity.
- Lenovo Certified Refurbished
Lenovo Certified Refurbished offers a cost-effective way to support IT circularity without compromising on quality and performance. Each device undergoes rigorous testing and certification, ensuring reliable performance and extending its lifecycle. With Lenovo’s trusted certification, you gain peace of mind while making a more sustainable IT choice.
Lenovo TruScale
Lenovo TruScale XaaS is your set of flexible IT services that makes everything easier. Streamline IT procurement, simplify infrastructure and device management, and pay only for what you use – so your business is free to grow and go anywhere.
Lenovo TruScale is the unified solution that gives you simplified access to:
- The industry’s broadest portfolio – from pocket to cloud – all delivered as a service
- A single-contract framework for full visibility and accountability
- The global scale to rapidly and securely build teams from anywhere
- Flexible fixed and metered pay-as-you-go models with minimal upfront cost
- The growth-driving combination of hardware, software, infrastructure, and solutions – all from one single provider with one point of accountability.
For information about Lenovo TruScale offerings that are available in your region, contact your local Lenovo sales representative or business partner.
Regulatory compliance
The SR680a V3 conforms to the following standards:
- ANSI/UL 62368-1
- IEC 62368-1 (CB Certificate and CB Test Report)
- CSA C22.2 No. 62368-1
- Argentina IEC 60950-1
- Mexico NOM-019
- Germany GS
- TUV-GS (EN62368-1, and EK1-ITB2000)
- Brazil INMETRO
- South Africa NRCS LOA
- Ukraine UkrCEPRO
- Morocco CMIM Certification (CM)
- CE, UKCA Mark (EN55032 Class A, EN62368-1, EN55035, EN61000-3-11, EN61000-3-12, (EU) 2019/424, and EN IEC 63000 (RoHS))
- FCC - Verified to comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules, Class A
- Canada ICES-003, issue 7, Class A
- CISPR 32, Class A, CISPR 35
- Korea KN32, Class A, KN35
- Japan VCCI, Class A
- Taiwan BSMI CNS15936, Class A; CNS15598-1; Section 5 of CNS15663
- Australia/New Zealand AS/NZS CISPR 32, Class A; AS/NZS 62368.1
- UL Green Guard, UL2819
- Japanese Energy-Saving Act
- EU2019/424 Energy Related Product (ErP Lot9)
Power distribution units
The following table lists the power distribution units (PDUs) that are offered by Lenovo.
For more information, see the Lenovo Press documents in the PDU category:
https://lenovopress.com/servers/options/pdu
Rack cabinets
The following table lists the supported rack cabinets.
For specifications about these racks, see the Lenovo Rack Cabinet Reference, available from:
https://lenovopress.com/lp1287-lenovo-rack-cabinet-reference
For more information, see the list of Product Guides in the Rack cabinets category:
https://lenovopress.com/servers/options/racks
KVM console options
The following table lists the supported KVM consoles.
The following table lists the keyboards supported with the 1U 18.5" Standard Console (now withdrawn).
Note: These keyboards are not supported with the ThinkSystem 18.5" LCD Console.
The following table lists the available KVM switches and the options that are supported with them.
For more information, see the list of Product Guides in the KVM Switches and Consoles category:
http://lenovopress.com/servers/options/kvm
Lenovo Financial Services
Why wait to obtain the technology you need now? No payments for 90 days and predictable, low monthly payments make it easy to budget for your Lenovo solution.
- Flexible
Our in-depth knowledge of the products, services and various market segments allows us to offer greater flexibility in structures, documentation and end of lease options.
- 100% Solution Financing
Financing your entire solution including hardware, software, and services, ensures more predictability in your project planning with fixed, manageable payments and low monthly payments.
- Device as a Service (DaaS)
Leverage latest technology to advance your business. Customized solutions aligned to your needs. Flexibility to add equipment to support growth. Protect your technology with Lenovo's Premier Support service.
- 24/7 Asset management
Manage your financed solutions with electronic access to your lease documents, payment histories, invoices and asset information.
- Fair Market Value (FMV) and $1 Purchase Option Leases
Maximize your purchasing power with our lowest cost option. An FMV lease offers lower monthly payments than loans or lease-to-own financing. Think of an FMV lease as a rental. You have the flexibility at the end of the lease term to return the equipment, continue leasing it, or purchase it for the fair market value. In a $1 Out Purchase Option lease, you own the equipment. It is a good option when you are confident you will use the equipment for an extended period beyond the finance term. Both lease types have merits depending on your needs. We can help you determine which option will best meet your technological and budgetary goals.
Ask your Lenovo Financial Services representative about this promotion and how to submit a credit application. For the majority of credit applicants, we have enough information to deliver an instant decision and send a notification within minutes.
Seller training courses
The following sales training courses are offered for employees and partners (login required). Courses are listed in date order.
-
ThinkSystem Rack and Tower Introduction for ISO Client Managers
2024-12-10 | 20 minutes | Employees Only
DetailsThinkSystem Rack and Tower Introduction for ISO Client ManagersIn this course, you will learn about Lenovo’s Data Center Portfolio, its ThinkSystem Family and the key features of the Rack and Tower servers. It will equip you with foundational knowledge which you can then expand upon by participating in the facilitated session of the curriculum.
Published: 2024-12-10
Course Objectives:
• By the end of this course, you should be able to:
• Identify Lenovo’s main data center brands.
• Describe the key components of the ThinkSystem Family servers.
• Differentiate between the Rack and Tower servers of the ThinkSystem Family.
• Understand the value Rack and Tower servers can provide to customers.
Length: 20 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo -
Lenovo Data Center Technical Sales Certification Exam Study Guide
2024-11-27 | 10 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsLenovo Data Center Technical Sales Certification Exam Study GuideThis guide includes information to help candidates prepare and register for the Data Center Technical Sales practice and certification exams.
Published: 2024-11-27
Length: 10 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Lenovo Data Center Sales Certification Exam Study Guide
2024-11-27 | 10 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsLenovo Data Center Sales Certification Exam Study GuideThis guide includes information to help candidates prepare and register for the Data Center Sales practice and certification exams.
Published: 2024-11-27
Length: 10 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Partner Technical Webinar - Server Update with Mark Bica
2024-11-26 | 60 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsPartner Technical Webinar - Server Update with Mark Bicain this 60-minute replay, Mark Bica, Lenovo Product Manager gave an update on the server portfolio. Mark presented on the new V4 Intel servers with Xeon 6 CPUs. He reviewed where the new AMD 5th Gen EPYC CPUs will be used in our servers. He followed with a review of the GPU dense servers including SR680, SR680a, SR575 and SR780a. Mark concluded with a review of the SC777 and SC750 that were introduced at TechWorld.
Published: 2024-11-26
Length: 60 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Partner Technical Webinar - LenovoPress updates and LPH Demo
2024-11-13 | 60 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsPartner Technical Webinar - LenovoPress updates and LPH Demoin this 60-minute replay, we had 3 topics. First, David Watts, Lenovo Sr Manager LenovoPress, gave an update on LenovoPress and improvements to finding Seller Training Courses (both partner and Lenovo). Next, Ryan Tuttle, Lenovo LETS Solution Architect, gave a demo of Lenovo Partner Hub (LPH) including how to find replays of Partner Webinars in LPL. Finally, Joe Murphy, Lenovo Sr Manager of LETS NA, gave a quick update on the new Stackable Warranty Options in DCSC.
Published: 2024-11-13
Length: 60 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Virtual Facilitated Session - ThinkSystem Rack and Tower Primer for ISO Client Managers
2024-10-31 | 90 minutes | Employees Only
DetailsVirtual Facilitated Session - ThinkSystem Rack and Tower Primer for ISO Client ManagersIn this Virtual Instructor-Led Training Session, ISO Client Managers will be able to build on the knowledge gained in Module 1 (eLearning) of the ThinkSystem Rack and Tower Server Primer for ISO Client Managers curriculum.
Published: 2024-10-31
<p>
<span style="color:red; font-weight:bold;"> IMPORTANT! </span> <span style="font-weight:bold;"> Module 1 (eLearning) must be completed to be eligible to participate in this session. Please note that places are subject to availability. If you are selected, you will receive the invite to this session via email. </span>
</p>
Length: 90 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo -
Partner Technical Webinar - OneIQ
2024-07-15 | 60 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsPartner Technical Webinar - OneIQIn this 60-minute replay, Peter Grant, Field CTO for OneIQ, reviewed and demo’d the capabilities of OneIQ including collecting data and analyzing. Additionally, Peter and the team discussed how specific partners (those with NA Channel SA coverage) will get direct access to OneIQ and other partners can get access to OneIQ via Distribution or the NA LETS team.
Published: 2024-07-15
Length: 60 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
SAP Webinar for Lenovo Sellers: Lenovo Portfolio Update for SAP Landscapes
2024-06-04 | 60 minutes | Employees Only
DetailsSAP Webinar for Lenovo Sellers: Lenovo Portfolio Update for SAP LandscapesJoin Mark Kelly, Advisory IT Architect with the Lenovo Global SAP Center of Competence as he discusses:
Published: 2024-06-04
• Challenges in the SAP environment
• Lenovo On-premise Solutions for SAP
• Lenovo support resources for SAP solutions
Length: 60 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo -
FY25Q1 AI Server Update
2024-06-04 | 15 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsFY25Q1 AI Server UpdateThis Quick Hit focuses on the new Lenovo servers that form part of the Lenovo and NVIDIA collaboration to deliver the power of Generative AI to every enterprise using new hybrid AI solutions. There are three Lenovo HG Series servers which are based on the NVIDIA MGX modular reference design, and three Lenovo ThinkSystem servers. All use the latest NVIDIA GPUs to meet the demanding workloads generated by AI processing.
Published: 2024-06-04
Length: 15 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Lenovo Data Center Product Portfolio
2024-05-29 | 20 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsLenovo Data Center Product PortfolioThis 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: 2024-05-29
Length: 20 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Partner Technical Webinar - GPU Rich Servers and AI Solutions
2024-05-22 | 60 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsPartner Technical Webinar - GPU Rich Servers and AI SolutionsIn this 60-minute replay, there were two topics. First, Mark Bica, Lenovo Product Management reviewed the 8way GPU servers SR680a and SR685a. Next, Rob Reviere reviewed Solutions for AI Deep Learning including GenAI, LLMs, Computer Vision and Robotics.
Published: 2024-05-22
Length: 60 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
VTT Cloud Architecture: NVIDIA Using Cloud for GPUs and AI
2024-05-22 | 60 minutes | Employees Only
DetailsVTT Cloud Architecture: NVIDIA Using Cloud for GPUs and AIJoin JD Dupont, NVIDIA Head of Americas Sales, Lenovo partnership and Veer Mehta, NVIDIA Solution Architect on an interactive discussion about cloud to edge, designing cloud Solutions with NVIDIA GPUs and minimizing private\hybrid cloud OPEX with GPUs. Discover how you can use what is done at big public cloud providers for your customers. We will also walk through use cases and see a demo you can use to help your customers.
Published: 2024-05-22
Length: 60 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo -
8-GPU Servers powered by Intel
2024-04-23 | 5 minutes | Employees and Partners
Details8-GPU Servers powered by IntelThis Quick Hit introduces the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR680a V3, an 8U 8-GPU system powered by Intel Xeon processors. The 8-GPU servers are aimed at large HPC and AI environments.
Published: 2024-04-23
Length: 5 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Partner Technical Webinar - ISG Portfolio Update
2024-04-15 | 60 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsPartner Technical Webinar - ISG Portfolio UpdateIn this 60-minute replay, Mark Bica, NA ISG Server Product Manager reviewed the Lenovo ISG portfolio. He covered new editions such as the SR680a \ SR685a, dense servers, and options that are strategic for any workload.
Published: 2024-04-15
Length: 60 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Partner Technical Webinar - StorMagic
2024-03-19 | 60 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsPartner Technical Webinar - StorMagicMarch 08, 2024 – In this 60-minute replay, Stuart Campbell and Wes Ganeko of StorMagic joined us and provided an overview of StorMagic on Lenovo. They also demonstrated the interface while sharing some interesting use cases.
Published: 2024-03-19
Length: 60 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Family Portfolio: Storage Controller Options
2024-01-23 | 25 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsFamily Portfolio: Storage Controller OptionsThis 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.
Published: 2024-01-23
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
Length: 25 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Lenovo-Intel Sustainable Solutions QH
2024-01-22 | 10 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsLenovo-Intel Sustainable Solutions QHThis Quick Hit explains how Lenovo and Intel are committed to sustainability, and introduces the Lenovo-Intel joint sustainability campaign. You will learn how to use this campaign to show customers what that level of commitment entails, how to use the campaign's unsolicited proposal approach, and how to use the campaign as a conversation starter which may lead to increased sales.
Published: 2024-01-22
Length: 10 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
FY24Q3 Intel Servers Update
2023-12-11 | 15 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsFY24Q3 Intel Servers UpdateThis update is designed to help you discuss the features and customer benefits of Lenovo servers that use the 5th Gen Intel® Xeon® processors. Lenovo has also introduced a new server, the ThinkSystem SD650-N V3, which expands the supercomputer server family. Reasons to call your customer and talk about refreshing their infrastructure are also included as a guideline.
Published: 2023-12-11
Length: 15 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Partner Technical Webinar - Data Center Limits and ISG TAA Compliance
2023-05-16 | 60 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsPartner Technical Webinar - Data Center Limits and ISG TAA ComplianceIn this 60-minute replay, we had two topics. First Vinod Kamath, Lenovo Distinguished Engineer for Data Center Cooling presented on the Systems Configuration and Data Center Ambient Limits. Second, Shama Patari, Lenovo Trade Council, and Glenn Johnson, Lenovo Principal Engineer for Supply Chain presented on ISG TAA Compliance.
Published: 2023-05-16
Length: 60 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning -
Lenovo Sustainable Computing
2022-09-16 | 4 minutes | Employees and Partners
DetailsLenovo Sustainable ComputingThis 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 minutesStart the training:
Employee link: Grow@Lenovo
Partner link: Lenovo Partner Learning
1-10 of 20 courses.
Related publications and links
For more information, see these resources:
- ThinkSystem SR680a V3 product page:
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/servers-storage/servers/racks/lenovo-thinksystem-sr680a-v3-rack-server/len21ts0030 - ThinkSystem SR680a V3 datasheet
https://lenovopress.lenovo.com/datasheet/ds0180-lenovo-thinksystem-sr680a-v3 - ThinkSystem SR680a V3 drivers and support
http://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/products/servers/thinksystem/sr680av3/7dhe/downloads - Lenovo ThinkSystem SR680a V3 product publications:
https://pubs.lenovo.com/sr680a-v3/- User Guide, which includes:
- System Configuration Guide
- Hardware Maintenance Guide
- Rack Installation Guides
- Messages and Codes Reference
- UEFI Manual for ThinkSystem Servers
- User Guide, which includes:
- User Guides for options:
https://serveroption.lenovo.com - ServerProven hardware compatibility:
http://serverproven.lenovo.com
Trademarks
Lenovo and the Lenovo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both. A current list of Lenovo trademarks is available on the Web at https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/legal/copytrade/.
The following terms are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both:
Lenovo®
AnyBay®
ServerProven®
System x®
ThinkAgile®
ThinkServer®
ThinkShield®
ThinkSystem®
XClarity®
The following terms are trademarks of other companies:
AMD is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Intel®, Gaudi®, and Xeon® are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Linux® is the trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
Microsoft®, ActiveX®, PowerShell, Windows PowerShell®, and Windows® are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
SPECpower® is a trademark of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC).
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
Configure and Buy
Full Change History
Changes in the November 18, 2024 update:
- Added buttons to easily open a 360° view of the server and the full 3D Tour of the server - Introduction section
Changes in the November 5, 2024 update:
- Added the following processor
- Intel Xeon Platinum 8558 48C 330W 2.1GHz Processor, BYW5
- Added the following drives - Internal drive options section:
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.2 P5520 1.92TB Read Intensive NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A13941
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.2 P5520 3.84TB Read Intensive NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A13942
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.2 P5520 7.68TB Read Intensive NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A13943
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.3 7450 MAX 1.6TB Mixed Use NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A13967
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.3 7450 MAX 3.2TB Mixed Use NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A13970
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.3 7450 MAX 6.4TB Mixed Use NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A13971
- ThinkSystem M.2 PM9A3 1.92TB Read Intensive NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 NHS SSD, 4XB7A90103
Changes in the September 26, 2024 update:
- Updated the supported rear slots for network adapters - Network adapters section
Changes in the September 10, 2024 update:
- Updated the specifications table - Standard specifications section:
- Maximum number of cores
- Maximum memory
- Maximum internal drive capacity
Changes in the September 3, 2024 update:
- New processor selection - Processors section:
- Intel Xeon Platinum 8570 56C 350W 2.1GHz Processor, BYWG
- Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ 64C 350W 1.9GHz Processor, BYWJ
- New memory selection - Memory options section:
- ThinkSystem 128GB TruDDR5 5600MHz (2Rx4) RDIMM, 4X77A93887
- New internal drives - Internal drive options section:
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.3 PM1743 1.92TB Read Intensive NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A82366
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.3 PM1743 15.36TB Read Intensive NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A82369
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.3 PM1743 3.84TB Read Intensive NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A82367
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.3 PM1743 7.68TB Read Intensive NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A82368
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.3 PM1745 1.6TB Mixed Use NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A94637
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.3 PM1745 12.8TB Mixed Use NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A94640
- ThinkSystem 2.5" U.3 PM1745 6.4TB Mixed Use NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 HS SSD, 4XB7A94639
- New network adapter selection for the 8x front PCIe slots (GPU Direct) - Network adapters section:
- ThinkSystem Broadcom 57608 2x200/1x400GbE QSFP112 PCIe Ethernet Adapter, C4GA
- ThinkSystem NVIDIA BlueField-3 B3140H VPI QSFP112 1P 400G PCIe Gen5 x16 Adapter, 4XC7A93809
- ThinkSystem NVIDIA ConnectX-7 NDR200/200GbE QSFP112 2-port PCIe Gen5 x16 InfiniBand Adapter, 4XC7A81883
- ThinkSystem NVIDlA ConnectX-7 NDR400 OSFP 1-port PCIe Gen5 VPI Adapter, 4XC7A95508
- New network adapter selection for the rear slot 9 for management - Network adapters section:
- ThinkSystem Mellanox ConnectX-6 Dx 100GbE QSFP56 2-port PCIe Ethernet Adapter, 4XC7A08248
Changes in the May 28, 2024 update:
- Updated the weight of the server - Physical and electrical specifications section
First published: April 23, 2024
Course Detail
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