Lenovo Flex System PCle Expansion Node

Meet the Demands of High Performance Applications

The Flex System™ PCIe Expansion Node provides the ability to attach additional PCI Express cards, such as High IOPS SSD adapters, fabric mezzanine cards, and next-generation graphics processing units (GPU), to supported Flex System compute nodes. This capability is ideal for many applications that require high performance I/O, special telecommunications network interfaces, or hardware acceleration using a PCI Express GPU card. The PCIe Expansion Node supports up to four PCIe adapters and two additional Flex System I/O expansion adapters.

Flex System PCle Expansion Node

Enables you to attach select standard PCIe adapters, fabric mezzanine adapters, and next-generation graphics processing units for a variety of network and application environments.

Gain Functionality

• Support for up to four standard PCIe 2.0 adapters
• Support for PCIe 3.0 adapters by operating them in PCIe 2.0 mode
• Support for one full-length, full-height double-wide adapter (consuming the space of the two full-length, full-height adapter slots)
• Support for PCIe cards with higher power requirements
• Two Flex System I/O expansion connectors

Expand Compute Nodes for More Capability

Over time, IT systems have become more complex and difficult to manage. Without the right systems in place, you run the risk of spending too much time on operations and maintenance and not enough time on innovation. You need a flexible infrastructure that can meet today’s ever-changing business demands. The Flex System™ PCIe Expansion Node is an element of the PureFlex family, which combines compute, storage, networking, virtualization, and management into a single system that anticipates resource needs to help you optimize your infrastructure. The PCIe Expansion Node allows you to attach additional PCIe adapters, fabric mezzanine adapters and next-generation graphics processing units (GPU) to a Flex System compute node, which expands the compute node’s capability.

Serve More Application Environments

The Flex System PCIe Expansion Node is ideal for a variety of

application environments, including:

• Specific networking environments that require direct PCIe adapter connectivity to Flex System compute nodes
• Application environments that are written to take advantage of acceleration and visualization performance-leveraging GPUs connected to Flex System compute nodes

Tech Specs

Supported Bus Widths: 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x and 16x*

Adapter Capacity:

• Two full-length, full-height x16
• Two half-length, half- height x8

Adapter Sizes:

• Standard-height adapters, 4.20-inch (106.7 mm)
• Low-profile adapters, 2.536-inch (64.4 mm)
• Half-length adapters, 6.6-inch (167.65 mm)
• Full-length adapters, 12.283-inch (312 mm)

Adapter Quantities:

• Up to two low-profile adapters
• Up to two full-height adapters
• Up to one full-height, doublewide adapters

PCIe Standards: Supports 1.1 and 2.0

Generation: Generation 1- and Generation 2-compliant adapters†

Power: Supports greater than 75 W PCIe adapters using standard PCIe auxiliary power connectors‡

Form Factor: Flex System™ standard node

Chassis Support: Flex System Enterprise Chassis

I/O Expansion: 2x Mezz adapters (x8+x4)

Warranty: 3-year customer replaceable unit and on-site service, next business day 9×5, service upgrades available

Management: iMM V2, RTMM KVM Dongle

+If this adapter is installed in the Expansion Node, then another adapter cannot be installed in the other full-height slot. The low-profile slots and Flex System I/O expansion slots can still be used

 ‡ NVIDIA adapters supported only in servers with 1TB or less memory installed