IBM BladeCenter 8677 - Manual (Page 23)

Each of these two additional I/O modules provides one internal connection to the
optional I/O expansion card, up to 14 internal connections per I/O module.
Reliability, availability, and serviceability
Three of the most important features in server design are reliability, availability, and
serviceability (RAS). These factors help to ensure the integrity of the data stored on
your blade server; that your blade server is available when you want to use it; and
that should a failure occur, you can easily diagnose and repair the failure with
minimal inconvenience.
The following is a list of some of the RAS features that your BladeCenter unit
supports:
v Shared key components, such as power, cooling, and I/O
v All components serviced from the front or rear of the chassis
v Automatic error retry and recovery
v Automatic restart after a power failure
v Built-in monitoring for blower, power, temperature, and voltage
v Built-in monitoring for module redundancy
v Customer support center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 2
v Error codes and messages
v Fault-resistant startup
v Remote system management through the management module
v Remote management module firmware upgrade
v Remote upgrade of blade server service processor microcode
v Built-in self-test (BIST)
v Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA) alerts
v Redundant components
– Cooling fans (blowers) with speed-sensing capability
– Power modules
– Management modules
v Hot-swap components
– Cooling fans (blowers) with speed-sensing capability
– Power modules
– Management module
– I/O modules
– Blade servers
– Media tray
v System automatic inventory at startup
v System error logging
2. Service availability will vary by country. Response time varies; may exclude holidays.
Chapter 1. Introduction 9