Distributed computing has undergone a transformation over the past decade, with the introduction and mass adoption of hypervisor-based virtualization technology. As this technology has evolved, it has driven a re-architecture of traditional data center infrastructure layouts, enabling new approaches to workload placement.

Originally, deploying virtualization simply enabled multiple discrete workloads to be placed on the same physical server, leading to higher asset utilization and server consolidation. However, as this technology has matured, coupled with new industry standards driving new features, and higher virtual machine (VM) density per physical server was achieved, it has also begun to impact traditional interactions between server, storage, and network entities, including entity management and administration.

The industry was looking for a new approach. Hence, the concept of converged infrastructure, or expert integrated systems was born. Expert integrated systems package traditional IT resources into a single optimized solution, with prepacked components including servers, storage devices, networking equipment, and software for IT infrastructure management, automation, and orchestration. With this evolution of technology, we moved from discrete, siloed, and underutilized IT resources to shared resource pools. These resource pools, enabled by expert integrated systems, exploit inherent features of advanced hypervisor-based virtualization and cloud computing. To meet these new industry requirements, IBM developed a completely new integrated data center solution.

In 2012, IBM announced IBM PureSystems, an offering based on preconfigured software, servers, and storage that form an expert integrated system.

IBM Flex System is at the heart of the new type of data center building blocks. The IBM Flex System can meet the growing needs of any organization that requires the most advanced blade system to date. The design of the Flex System hardware is focused on long term investments, performance, and flexibility. This focus allows Flex System to support client needs now and with future generations of technology.

IBM Flex System is based on four main integrated components:

IBM Flex System compute nodes support multiple compute architectures and up to four separate operating systems. The converged infrastructure and advanced management aim to improve utilization and productivity to ultimately lower the cost of delivering IT services. The storage capabilities are built for performance and scalability.

IBM PureFlex System offering is designed for private clouds. It is available in three configurations:

By combining the flexibility of the general purpose PureFlex System with SmartCloud Entry, clients can add cloud functionality to their converged environment. SmartCloud Entry provides enterprises with the capability of managing their multiple architecture cloud solution on a single system.

The Enterprise chassis is designed to provide excellent cooling capacity to the installed nodes, I/O modules and management modules. Cooling is divided into two zones, each of which allows for up to four 80 mm fans.

Scalable switch elements provide the Flex System nodes and the enterprise chassis with access to networking and storage resources. The Enterprise chassis provides space for up to four scalable switch elements. These switch elements can be any combination of network, storage, or converged IO devices. Several options are available. Following is a description of the modules employed for the purposes of this publication.

The EN4093 is a 10 Gb Layer 2/3-managed Ethernet switch that provides up to 42 internal and 22 external ports. The basic configuration of the EN4093 provides 14 internal 10GbE ports and 10 external 10GbE ports. Two Features on Demand upgrades are available. With upgrade 1 applied, the switch provides 28 internal 10GbE ports, 10 external 10GbE ports, and two external 40GbE ports. With upgrade 2 applied, the switch provides 42 internal 10GbE ports, 14 external 10GbE ports, and four external 40GbE ports. This, as with several other features of the IBM Flex System products, allows the switch to grow to meet the demands of the data center without wasting capacity that is not needed. Support for advanced virtualization features such as Virtual Fabric and IBM VMready® make the switch well suited to highly virtualized environments.

The FC3171 is an 8 Gb SAN switch that provides 14 full-duplex, internal ports and six external ports. The FC3171 is available as a pass-through switch, to expose only the host ports to the SAN, and as a regular SAN switch.