System Overview; Introduction - Dell PowerEdge M420 Technical Manual

1 System overview

Introduction

Enjoy remarkable computational density with the Dell™ PowerEdge™ M420 capable of deploying
32 server nodes in just 10U of rack space. Scaling up to 20 processor cores and 192GB of RAM, each
M420 couples processing power and memory capacity with tremendous I/O throughput, with up to
four ports of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) available in an exceptionally compact, individually
serviceable form factor. From entry and mid-tier business applications, to high node-count virtual
environments, and even distributed workloads such as cloud or high-performance computing (HPC)
environments, the M420 provides advantages for virtually any data center where a large number of
computational nodes need to be deployed in minimal space.
Ensure business continuity
Dell's no-compromise approach toward enterprise-class features on our M-series blade servers is
not limited by the M420's ultra-dense form factor. The fully redundant and individually serviceable
M420 platform offers such capabilities as hardware RAID and hot-pluggable dual solid-state drives
in order to ensure maximum uptime. Dell's unique failsafe virtualization technology even extends
the redundancy and resiliency of the M420 to virtual environments, offering a redundant,
failover-capable infrastructure for embedded hypervisors.
Simplified systems management, without compromise
The Dell OpenManage™ systems management portfolio includes Integrated Dell Remote Access
Controller 7 (iDRAC7) with Lifecycle Controller. This embedded feature helps IT administrators
manage Dell servers in physical, virtual, local and remote environments, operating in-band or
out-of-band, with or without a systems management software agent installed.
OpenManage iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller integrates and connects to leading third-party
systems management solutions (such as those from Microsoft, VMware and BMC Software), so users
can maintain a single point of control and capitalize on an existing systems management investment.
OpenManage simplifies the lifecycle of deploying, updating, monitoring and maintaining Dell
PowerEdge servers.
The PowerEdge M-series blade server line
Implement the right combination of features and performance scalability with the PowerEdge
M-series blade servers, which can handle tough workloads in a data center of any size. In addition to
the world-class management features provided in all PowerEdge servers, the M420 also takes
advantage of the capabilities of the M1000e's Chassis Management Controller (CMC). The CMC
allows M-series blades to be managed individually or as groups, in single or multiple chassis and
within a data center or in multiple geographically dispersed locations around the globe without
requiring an agent or additional hardware. In addition to the existing networking infrastructure, the
new Dell Networking MXL 10Gb switch provides next-generation port density and bandwidth for
exceptional throughput. PowerEdge M-series blade servers use the redundant power and cooling
infrastructure provided by the Dell M1000e blade enclosure, which is exceptionally easy to deploy
and manage, and maximizes power and cooling efficiency.
PowerEdge M420 Technical Guide
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