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Newest Server Models 720 and 740 Feature Enhanced I/O Options

IBM recently announced new versions of the Power Systems Model 720 and Model 740 servers, which feature enhanced internal I/O slots based on the PCIe Generation 2 (Gen2) specification. PCIe Gen2 offers twice the throughput of the PCIe Generation 1 (Gen1) adapter slots.

The current 720/740 server adapters slots are based on PCIe Gen1 x8 (eight lanes). PCIe Gen1 has a throughput design of 250 MB/second for each PCI lane. Therefore, these slots have a throughput of 2 GB/second. All of the adapter slots in the new 720/740 servers feature PCIe Gen2 x8 adapter slots. PCIe Gen2 is designed to deliver 500 MB/second for each PCI lane. With eight lanes, this translates to a throughput design of 4 GB/second for each adapter slot, which is double that of the current 720/740 servers. (This information is based on the PCIe specification but actual throughput may vary.)

The Latest Models

The current Model 720 and Model 740 servers that have been available for the past year have machine-model designations of 8202-E4B and 8205-E6B. The newer 720/740 servers have type-model numbers 8202-E4C and 8205-E6C, respectively. The last character of the type model, “C,” makes it easier to identify the new enhanced I/O server models. These are referred to as the C models, while the previous ones are the B models.

The B models feature integrated virtual Ethernet (IVE). For the 720/740 C models, however, the IVE has been replaced by a two-port, 1 Gb Ethernet adapter (FC 9055), which is required for all 720/740 configurations. There’s no IVE option for the C models.

Adapter Slot Overview

IBM has increased the standard number of full-height adapter slots from four to five for both the 720 and 740 servers. These slots are all designed with PCIe Gen2 x8, an enhancement over the current four-slot design based on PCIe Gen1 x8. In addition, the PCIe adapter capacity continues to be expandable with the Gen2 Riser Card. It provides four additional (low-profile) PCIe Gen x8 slots. When this feature is configured, the 720 and 740 servers offer a total of nine, PCIe Gen2 x8 slots.

Along with the PCIe Gen2 x8 adapter slots and Gen2 Riser Card, the 720/740 servers can also be configured with GX++ adapters, which provide for the attachment of I/O drawers. The Model 720 server features one GX++ slot, which can be configured with a GX++ adapter or the Gen2 Riser Card, but not both. The Model 740 has two GX++ slots and it can be configured with two GX++ adapters or one GX++ adapter along with the Gen2 Riser Card. Note that on the Model 740, if the second GX++ slot is used, the required Ethernet adapter (FC 9055) will be moved into one of the full-height PCIe Gen2 x8 slots. Table 1 and Table 2 provide the location codes, slot types and configuration notes for each of the 720 and 740 servers.

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