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Sales Guide
August 2003
IBM ^ 325
Groundbreaking 32/64-bit performance in a 1U server
[Target Customers: Businesses requiring a High-Performance Computing server with 32-bit
(and, optionally, 64-bit) capabilities in a space-constrained data center, or Scientific/Technical
computing clusters.]
In today’s world, replacing hardware is expensive. The challenge for your customers is to stretch
their IT dollars as far as possible. The 2-way IBM ^ 325 lets them do exactly that by
offering affordable 32-bit computing today with growth to 64-bit computing when needed. It
supports the latest AMD Opteron processors with HyperTransport technology. HyperTransport
technology is a high-speed, point-to-point link between the processor and the memory, graphics
and I/O controllers that provides outstanding performance by bypassing many key bottlenecks
that afflict other processor architectures. Opteron is capable of running both 32-bit and 64-bit
software with blazing performance. This provides customers with the flexibility to start with 32-bit
applications and grow to 64-bit software over time, without having to replace their servers to do
so. In fact, using a 64-bit operating system, both 32-bit and 64-bit applications can be run
concurrently.
In addition, the e325 uses leading-edge industry-standard ECC (Error Checking and Correcting)
PC2700 333MHz double data rate (DDR) memory with Chipkill™ technology—for high
performance and reliability. Dual integrated Gigabit Ethernet
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controllers are standard, providing
high-speed data transfers and saving valuable adapter slots.
All models offer impressive scalability for a 1U server, including dual-processor support, up to
12GB of memory and two high-performance hard disk drives with an internal storage capacity of
up to 293.6GB
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(hot-swap SCSI) or 240GB (fixed IDE). The built-in SCSI controller supports
RAID-1 mirroring. Additional RAID support is available via the optional IBM ServeRAID™ family
of Ultra160 and Ultra320 SCSI controllers. The ultradense 1U form factor allows businesses to
increase their computing power and spread their workload without outgrowing their current data
center. Up to 42 of these servers can be installed in a single 42U rack, for a total of up to 84
processors, offering your customers tremendous deployment flexibility. Optional Advanced
Connectivity Technology (ACT) interconnect cabling technology minimizes cable clutter, reduces
cable ost and minimizes installation time when cabling many e325 servers in a single rack.
Standard in the e325 is an integrated systems management controller, optimized for HPC cluster
manageability, that enables the user to manage and control the server easily—both locally and
remotely. These advanced features help maximize application availability by increasing server
uptime, as do hot-swap redundant HDDs and variable speed fans.
With the inclusion of unique manageability features, such as IBM Director and support for the
optional IBM Remote Supervisor Adapter II (both planned for Q4/03) the e325 is designed for
superior uptime. In addition, IBM Cluster Systems Management can help to reduce the total
cost of ownership for cluster environments by streamlining and simplifying the management of
large numbers of servers from a single point of control.
If your customer needs leading-edge 32-bit performance in a 1U rack-optimized package, with the
added power of 64-bit computing, at a much lower cost than Itanium 2 servers currently
offer—and without replacing hardware, the e325 is the ideal system. To illustrate, in the
SPECfp_rate2000 benchmark
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, the e325 (in a dual AMD Opteron 246 processor configuration)
Product Overview
CONTENTS
18Legal Information ........
18For More Information ....
14Competitive Analysis ....
14Product Positioning .....
12Easy Configurator .......
11Selling Features .........
9e325 Specifications .......
8e325 Images ..............
7Key Options ..............
2Key Features .............
1Product Overview ........
Outstanding 32/64-bit price/performance in a rack-dense 1U, 2-way server for HPC
applications
IBM Confidential 1.
3
HP DL360 results: http://www.spec.org/cpu2000/results/res2003q3/cpu2000-20030630-02353.html; HP rx2600 results:
http://www.spec.org/cpu2000/results/res2003q3/cpu2000-20030630-02322.html
; IBM ^ 325 results will be available as of
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GB equals 1,000,000,000 bytes when referring to hard disk drive capacity. Accessible capacity may be less.
1
Actual data transfer speed will vary and is often less than the maximum possible. Gigabit Ethernet transfer speed requires support on
both system and server, and appropriate network infrastructure.