Future-defined server hardware that simplifies storage at the edge
An efficient, low-cost storage solution that has the flexibility to scale with demand is something all organizations should be striving to achieve. No-one should be paying more than they need to for their storage infrastructure and its ongoing operation and maintenance, regardless of their performance requirements. It is with this in mind that StorMagic and Lenovo have partnered to provide a range of solutions for the cost-conscious storage architect that don’t compromise on performance and enable hyperconvergence. This data sheet details these solutions which leverage Lenovo’s ThinkSystem range of rack servers alongside StorMagic SvSAN.
High performance without the high costs
The partnership between StorMagic and Lenovo covers all of Lenovo’s ThinkSystem rack servers, however this data sheet deals with the three most commonly deployed models. The joint solution combines Lenovo’s renowned server performance and reliability with StorMagic SvSAN’s storage high availability and simplicity. The two deliver a full solution which provides low-cost, lightweight storage and is therefore ideally suited for edge computing and remote site locations, or SME data center deployments.
Future-defined server hardware
ThinkSystem servers are purpose-built to deliver performance, security and agility in an open environment that won’t limit options in future. With developments in IoT and artificial intelligence likely to increase the strain on IT infrastructure outside of the data center, organizations need hardware that can easily meet new challenges. Lenovo rack servers offer the unmatched value, flexibility and industry-leading efficiency to meet mission-critical demands with legendary quality and reliability.
Explore Lenovo’s ThinkSystem range in more detail on the Lenovo website.
Simplifying storage at the edge
SvSAN is the virtual SAN that makes the complex world of virtualized storage simple. Perfect for edge computing environments, the technology is based on software-defined storage that eliminates the need for physical SANs. SvSAN is designed to be very simple to install and manage whether deployed as part of a hyperconverged solution or as a storage-only target for any Lenovo server. SvSAN has very low system hardware requirements, centralized management/deployment and an incredibly lightweight witness that tolerates low bandwidth, high latency links and is completely separate from the server cluster. The witness allows for the creation of genuine 2-node highly available clusters, or 3-node clusters that can withstand an offline server due to either failure or maintenance and still maintain high availability.
The following table illustrates SvSAN’s minimum hardware requirements:
CPU | 1 x virtual CPU core1 • 2GHz or higher reserved |
Memory | 1GB RAM2 |
Disk | 2 x virtual storage devices used by VSA • 1 x 512MB Boot device • 1 x 20GB Journal Disk |
Network | 1 x 1Gb Ethernet • Multiple interfaces required for resiliency • 10Gb Ethernet is supported • Jumbo frames supported |
1When using SvSAN data encryption, 2+ virtual CPUs are recommended
2Additional RAM may be required when caching is enabled
SvSAN is licensed based on the usable VSA (Virtual Storage Appliance) capacity. License tiers are set at 2TB, 6TB, 12TB and Unlimited TB. SvSAN licenses are perpetual – after a single payment they can be used forever. The only ongoing costs are for support renewal payments.
All of the features necessary for highly available shared storage are included in an SvSAN license. There are also two performance and security-enhancing add-ons available, which are SvSAN’s caching and data encryption features. All of SvSAN’s features, including caching and encryption, can be explored in more detail on the StorMagic website.
SvSAN’s data encryption feature enables organizations to encrypt the data being mirrored by SvSAN. This allows vulnerable edge sites and the data they hold to be protected. It is FIPS 140-2 compliant, eliminates the need for expensive OS or hypervisor-level solutions, and is compatible with any KMS that uses KMIP, including StorMagic’s own key manager, SvKMS.
SvSAN features |
Synchronous mirroring/high availability |
Stretched/metro cluster support – white paper with more information |
Volume migration – white paper with more information |
VSA restore (VMware only) |
VMware vSphere Storage API (VAAI) support (VMware only) |
Centralized monitoring and management |
Witness – white paper with more information |
I/O performance statistics |
Multiple VSA GUI deployment and upgrade |
PowerShell script generation |
Additional add-on features available |
Predictive read ahead caching (SSD and memory) – white paper with more information |
Write back caching (SSD) – white paper with more information |
Data pinning – white paper with more information |
Data encryption – data sheet with more information |
Further details about SvSAN’s features, capabilities and requirements can be found in the product data sheet and technical overview white paper.
Commonly-seen deployments
The three server models detailed in the table below are the most frequently deployed with SvSAN from the Lenovo ThinkSystem range. However, SvSAN is compatible with all Lenovo servers, giving the storage architect a huge range of possibilities.
Lenovo SR250 | Lenovo SR530 | Lenovo SR650 | |
Overview | The Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 is a single-processor rack server that integrates power, reliability, flexibility, and security in a compact 1U form factor suited for the small-to-medium business. The SR250 boasts a high price performance ratio with a combination of high-processing capability and dependability with next-generation Intel® Xeon® E-2100 processors and support for an array of storage configurations. |
Lenovo ThinkSystem SR530 is an ideal 2-socket 1U rack server for small businesses up to large enterprises that need industry-leading reliability, management, and security, as well as cost optimized performance and flexibility for future growth. | For medium to large enterprises, and managed and cloud service providers, Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 is the optimum 2U, two-socket server—the most widely used server type worldwide. |
Example deployment | Remote healthcare clinics with small hardware requirements but a need for highly available patient care applications and secure storage for patient data. | Manufacturing plant for which plant operations, machine data collection, and IoT devices require high availability and real-time processing. | Retail customer with many in-store applications such as point of sale, inventory tracking , customer analytics, and video surveillance. |
Form factor/height | 1U rack, Height: 43mm, Width: 434.6mm, Depth: 497.8mm (19.6”) | 1U Rack | 2U Rack Server |
Processor (max)/cache (max) | 1-socket Intel® Xeon® E-2100 processors, up to 6 cores at 95W | Up to 2x Intel® Xeon® Platinum processors, up to 125W | Up to 2x Intel® Xeon® Platinum processors, up to 205W |
Memory | Up to 64GB of 2666MHz TruDDR4 ECC UDIMMs (4 slots) | Up to 768GB in 12x slots, using 64GB DIMMs 2666MHz TruDDR4 | Up to 3TB* in 24x slots, using 128GB* DIMMs; 2666MHz TruDDR4 *1.5TB at GA; 128GB DIMMs available in the near future. Available prior to GA via special bid. |
Expansion slots | 1 x 16-lane or 2x 8-lane PCIe 3.0 slots 4-lane PCIe Gen3, x8 internal RAID slot | Up to 3x PCIe 3.0, via multiple riser options (either all-PCIe, or PCIe and ML2) | Up to 7x PCIe 3.0 via multiple riser options including 1x dedicated PCIe slot for RAID adapter |
Drive bays | 4x 3.5” simple- or hot-swap SATA drives 4x 2.5” simple-swap SATA/SAS drives 10x 2.5” hot-swap SATA/ SAS/ SSD drives 8x 2.5” hot swap SATA/SAS/SSD drives + 2x 2.5” NVMe drive |
Up to 8 bays. SFF: 8x HS SAS/SATA; or LFF: 4x HS SAS/SATA; or 4x simple-swap (SS) SATA; PLUS up to 2x mirrored M.2 boot (opt. RAID 1) | Up to 24 HS bays (incl. 4 or 8 AnyBay): plus up to 2x mirrored M.2 boot (opt. RAID 1) |
HBA/RAID support | Software RAID supports simple swap and hot swap Multiple RAID configurations (common with ThinkSystem) |
Software RAID std. (up to 8 ports); opt. hardware RAID (up to 8 ports) with flash cache; up to 8-port HBAs | Hardware RAID (up to 24 ports) with flash cache; up to 16-port HBAs |
Security and availability features | TPM 1.2/2.0; PFA; HS/redundant drives and PSUs; operating temp up to 45°C (with limitations); front-access diagnostics via dedicated USB port | TPM 1.2/2.0; PFA; HS/redundant drives, fans, and PSUs; 45°C continuous operation; light path diagnostic LEDs; front-access diagnostics via dedicated USB port | |
Network interface | 2x 1GbE ports embedded, 1x 1GbE dedicated management | 2x 1GbE ports + 1x dedicated 1GbE management port (std); optional modular LOM supports 2x 1GbE Base-T or 2x 10GbE with Base-T or SFP+ | 2/4-port 1GbE LOM; 2/4-port 10GbE LOM (Base-T or SFP+); 1x dedicated 1GbE management port |
Power | Fixed power supply unit 300W Gold, dual redundant AC (450W, Platinum) | 2x hot-swap/redundant (Energy Star 2.1): 550W/750W 80 PLUS Platinum; or 750W 80 PLUS Titanium | 2x hot swap/redundant: 550W/750W/1100W/1600W 80 PLUS Platinum; or 750W 80 PLUS Titanium |
Systems management | Lenovo XClarity, Administrator with mobile option, optional National Z TPM 2.0 | XClarity Controller embedded management, XClarity Administrator centralized infrastructure delivery, XClarity Integrator plugins, and XClarity Energy Manager centralized server power management | XClarity Controller embedded management, XClarity Administrator centralized infrastructure delivery, XClarity Integrator plugins, and XClarity Energy Manager centralized server power management |
Operating systems supported | Microsoft, Red Hat, SUSE, and VMware ESXi | Microsoft Windows Server, SLES, RHEL, VMware vSphere. Visit lenovopress.com/osig for details. | Microsoft Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, VMware vSphere. Visit lenovopress.com/osig for details. |
Limited warranty | 1-year or 3-year warranty | 1- and 3-year customer replaceable unit and onsite service, next business day 9×5, opt. service upgrades | 1- and 3-year customer replaceable unit and onsite service, next business day 9×5, opt. service upgrades |
More information and next steps
There is a wealth of information available on the ThinkSystem server range on the Lenovo website, including individual data sheets for each server model. Likewise, StorMagic has a library of documentation on SvSAN, including installation guides, white papers and data sheets.
StorMagic SvSAN is available on Lenovo’s worldwide price list, ensuring any Lenovo salesperson or reseller can create a server configuration with SvSAN included. Combining Lenovo servers with SvSAN software has never been easier. Furthermore, the Lenovo team within StorMagic are ready to provide information and assistance on the partnership and its possibilities. Simply email [email protected] to reach out.