PowerEdge R920

Technical Guide

The PowerEdge R920—

a compute‐intensive
rack server designed to
run mission‐critical
applications for
midsized and large
enterprises.
This document is for informational purposes only and may contain typographical errors and technical
inaccuracies. The content is provided as is, without express or implied warranties of any kind.
Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, EqualLogic, PowerVault, OpenManage, KACE, and ReadyRails are trademarks
of Dell, Inc. Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, SQL Server, BitLocker, ActiveX, Internet Explorer, and Hyper‐V are either
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SUSE is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. IBM, Tivoli, and Netcool
are registered trademarks of IBM in the United States. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this
document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell disclaims
proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.
March 2014 | Version 1.0

ii | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Table of Contents
1 System overview ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 6
New technologies .......................................................................................................................................... 6
2 System features .....................................................................................................................................................8
Comparison of PowerEdge systems .............................................................................................................. 8
Specifications ................................................................................................................................................ 9
3 Chassis views and features .......................................................................................................................................... 11
Chassis views ............................................................................................................................................................... 11
Chassis features.................................................................................................................................................. 12
4 Processors ............................................................................................................................................................15
Processor features ...................................................................................................................................................... 15
Supported processors .........................................................................................................................................15
Chipset .................................................................................................................................................................16
5 Memory ....................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Supported memory .............................................................................................................................................17
Memory RAS features .........................................................................................................................................18
Mirroring and Dell Fault Resilient Memory ........................................................................................................19
6 Storage ......................................................................................................................................................... 20
Dell PowerEdge Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSDs..................................................................................... 20
Supported RAID controllers .................................................................................................................... 20
7 Networking and PCIe .......................................................................................................................................... 21
PCIe expansion ............................................................................................................................................ 22
PCIe slots........................................................................................................................................................ 22
8 Power, thermal and acoustics ............................................................................................................................ 24
Power consumption and energy efficiency........................................................................................................ 24
Power supply units ............................................................................................................................................. 25
Thermal design .............................................................................................................................................. 25
Acoustical design .................................................................................................................................... 26
Fans .................................................................................................................................................................... 27
9 Rack rails and cable management ...................................................................................................................... 28
Sliding rail system ............................................................................................................................................... 29
Cable Management Arm (CMA) and Strain Relief Bar (SRB) ............................................................................. 30
10 Operating systems and virtualization ................................................................................................................. 31
Supported operating systems ............................................................................................................................ 31
Supported virtualization..................................................................................................................................... 32
11 Dell OpenManage systems management........................................................................................................... 33
Systems management solutions ........................................................................................................................ 33
OpenManage systems management ................................................................................................................. 34
iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller ................................................................................................................... 34
Dell consoles ...................................................................................................................................................37
OpenManage systems management tools and utilities .................................................................................37
Integration with third‐party consoles .............................................................................................................38
OpenManage integration and connections with third‐party consoles ..........................................................38
Dell server management operations ..................................................................................................................39
Appendix A. Additional specifications ............................................................................................................... 41
Chassis dimensions and weight.......................................................................................................................... 41
Video specifications ........................................................................................................................................... 41
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 Environmental specifications ..............................................................................................................................42
Appendix B. Standards compliance ............................................................................................................. 43
Appendix C. Additional resources ......................................................................................................................45
Appendix D. Block diagram .................................................................................................................................47
Appendix E. Dell Global Support and Deployment Services ............................................................................. 48
Server deployment services ................................................................................................................................48
Remote consulting services .................................................................................................................... 49
ProSupport Enterprise Suite................................................................................................................................49
ProSupport Plus for business‐critical servers .................................................................................................49
ProSupport .............................................................................................................................................. 50
ProSupport Flex for Data Center ................................................................................................................... 50
Additional professional services ........................................................................................................................ 51
Dell Training Services ..................................................................................................................................... 51
Dell IT Consulting Services ............................................................................................................................. 51
Dell Managed Services................................................................................................................................... 51

Tables
Table 1. New technologies .............................................................................................................................. 6
Table 2. Comparing the PowerEdge R920 to the PowerEdge R910................................................................ 8
Table 3. Technical specifications ..................................................................................................................... 9
Table 4. Chassis features ......................................................................................................................................12
Table 5. Security features ............................................................................................................................................ 14
Table 6. Supported processors .............................................................................................................................15
Table 7. Memory technologies supported ...........................................................................................................17
Table 8. Supported DIMMs .......................................................................................................................................... 18
Table 9. Memory RAS features .............................................................................................................................18
Table 10. Supported RAID controller .............................................................................................................. 20
Table 11. Network daughter card features ............................................................................................................21
Table 12. Select Network Adapter selection for racks ...........................................................................................21
Table 13. PowerEdge R920 RNDC options ...................................................................................................... 22
Table 14. Power tools and technologies.................................................................................................................24
Table 15. PowerEdge R920 ReadyRails II ............................................................................................................... 29
Table 16. Supported rack types ............................................................................................................................. 29
Table 17. PowerEdge R920 supported operating systems .....................................................................................31
Table 18. Virtualization support .............................................................................................................................32
Table 19. iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller functions and benefits .......................................................................34
Table 20. Feature comparison for iDRAC7 Express and Enterprise .......................................................................35
Table 21. One‐to‐one and one‐to‐many operations ................................................................................ 40
Table 22. Supported video modes ..........................................................................................................................41
Table 23. Environmental specifications ..................................................................................................................42
Table 24. Industry standard documents .................................................................................................................43
Table 25. Resource documents and websites ........................................................................................................45

Figures
Figure 1. Front panel view .....................................................................................................................................11
Figure 2. Back panel view .............................................................................................................................................. 11
Figure 3. Internal chassis view ...............................................................................................................................12
Figure 4. Quick Resource Locator ................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 5. Dell Fault Resilient Memory ....................................................................................................................19
Figure 6. ReadyRails II mounting interface ............................................................................................................28

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Figure 7. R920 Sliding Rails with optional CMA .................................................................................................... 29
Figure 8. Dell systems management solutions ..................................................................................................... 34
Figure 9. Systems management server lifecycle ....................................................................................................39
Figure 10. R920 block diagram ................................................................................................................................47

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1 System overview
Introduction
Designed to run mission‐critical applications for midsized and large enterprises, the Dell™
PowerEdge™ R920 is a compute‐intensive rack server with highly scalable memory and impressive
I/O capabilities to match. With up to four Intel® Xeon® E7 v2 multi‐core processors, the ability to
support dual RAID controllers and up to 6TB of memory, the PowerEdge R920 can readily handle
the most demanding workloads and is ideal for large databases, Enterprise Resource Planning, e‐
commerce, business decision applications and high‐performance computing. The PowerEdge R920
is also an excellent choice for organizations looking to migrate from an outdated RISC architecture.
Scale to match the challenge
React at the speed of business with the R920’s highly scalable memory, I/O options and storage
components. With four Intel Xeon E7 v2 processors, 96 DIMMs, 10 integrated PCI Express® (PCIe)
expansion slots and 24 internal storage drives, the R920 gives you processing power, flexibility and
capacity for growth. Build out your SAN capacity as your business grows. Keep pace with the
increasing data demands of large enterprise applications with H730P PERC, dual PERC capability and
up to eight NVMe Express Flash PCIe SSDs.
Get results faster
Accelerate the time it takes enterprise applications to deliver services by eliminating the chokepoint
— the speed of access to data. Use the R920’s 24 internal storage drives, or take advantage of its 10
PCIe expansion slots to drive large scale SAN storage. With options like high‐performance 12Gbps
SAS drives, dual RAID controller capabilities and Express Flash NVMe devices, you can reduce
storage access times and improve overall application efficiency.

Enterprise‐wide systems management

PowerEdge embedded management technology, integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 7
(iDRAC7) with Lifecycle Controller, helps IT administrators manage Dell servers in physical, virtual,
local and remote environments — agent‐free or in‐band with a systems management software
agent installed. iDRAC7 Enterprise features include a multi‐administrator virtual console, virtual
media and remote file share that enable IT admins to operate servers “as if they were there,”
ensuring secure access to servers from anywhere in the world. OpenManage™ Essentials, a
comprehensive monitoring and management console, available as a no‐charge software download,
simplifies and automates basic hardware management tasks while Dell SupportAssist helps you
maintain a healthy and productive environment.

New technologies
Table 1 summarizes new technologies featured on the Dell PowerEdge R920 rack server.

Table 1. New technologies

New technology Detailed description

Intel Xeon processor

This new family of Intel processors has embedded PCIe lanes for
E7-4800 v2, E7-8800 and
improved I/O performance. See the Processors section for details.
E7-2800 v2 product families

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 New technology Detailed description

Intel C602J chipset The R920 server uses the Intel Platform Controller Hub (PCH) chip.

Certain models of the Intel Xeon processor E7‐4800 v2 product family

1600MT/s DDR3 memory
support 1600MT/s memory. See the Memory section for details.

The Dell Select Network Adapter options allow you to customize your
Flexible LAN LAN port combinations from your choice of controller vendors. See the
Networking and PCIe section for details.

Load reduced DIMM (LRDIMM) is designed with a buffer chip (or chips) to
replace the register to help minimize loading. LRDIMM is targeted to
LRDIMM increase overall server system memory capacity and speed using a
memory buffer chip or chips as opposed to a register. See the Memory
section for more details.

Next-generation PERC The R920 supports the new PERC9 controller cards with improved
options functionality and faster performance. See the Storage section for details.

A high‐performance, solid‐state storage device that enables high IOPS

Dell PowerEdge Express Flash
throughput, far surpassing that of conventional rotating hard drives. See
NVMe PCIe SSDs
the Networking and PCIe section for details.

The new embedded system management solution for Dell PowerEdge

servers features hardware and firmware inventory and alerting, in‐depth
iDRAC7 with Lifecycle
memory alerting, faster performance, a dedicated gigabit port and many
Controller
more features. See the Dell OpenManage systems management section
for details.

A new 1100W DC power supply option is available for the R920. See the
DC power supply
Power, thermal and acoustics section for details.

The R920 supports advanced power monitoring and power capping tools
Advanced power
that can help manage power consumption in a data center. See the
management
Power, thermal and acoustics section for details.

Dell has tested and validated an integrated data center solution that
Fresh Air cooling enables you to operate at higher temperatures or even chiller‐less. See
the Power, thermal and acoustics section for details.

The internal dual SD module enables Dell's unique Failsafe Virtualization

Failsafe hypervisors architecture, ensuring uptime by providing failover capability for
embedded hypervisors, such as VMware® vSphere® ESXi™.

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2 System features
The PowerEdge R920 is Dell’s fastest four‐socket 4U server with more drive bay options over
previous generations, PCIe 3.0 slots, more memory, the ability to support dual RAID controllers,
support for Express Flash PCIe SSDs, iDRAC7 Enterprise, and flexible configuration options to tailor a
system to your exact requirements.

Comparison of PowerEdge systems

The PowerEdge R920 is a direct replacement for the R910. Table 2compares some of the features of
the R920 to the R910. For the latest information on supported features, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge.

Table 2. Comparing the PowerEdge R920 to the PowerEdge R910

Specification PowerEdge R920 PowerEdge R910

Chassis Rack 4S/4U Rack 4S/4U

Processors Intel Xeon processor E7‐4800 v2 and Intel Xeon processor E7 4800 and E7‐8800
E7‐8800 v2 product families (up to product families
4); Intel Xeon processor E7‐2800 v2
product family (up to 2)
Memory 96 DIMM slots, up to 6TB 64 DIMM slots, up to 2TB
Drive bays  Up to 24 2.5” hot‐plug 12Gb/6Gb  Up to 16 2.5” SATA SSD, SAS, nearline SAS, or
SAS HDD or SAS/SATA SSD SATA drives
 Up to 8 front‐accessible Express
Flash NVMe PCIe SSD (PCIe 3.0)
RAID PERC H730P, H810 PERC H200, H700, H800
Dual PERC option
PCI slots  8 PCIe 3.0 slots (two x8 + six x16)  7 PCIe 2.0 slots
 Optional PCIe riser to add two  Optional PCIe riser to add 3 additional slots for
additional slots for 10 total 10 total
Onboard NICs Flexible LOM options 2 options – (1) 4 x1GbE or (2) 2 x1GbE + 2 x 10Gb
Power supplies Hot‐plug redundant PSUs: Hot‐plug redundant PSUs:
and power 750W AC Platinum 750W AC Gold
efficiency 750W AC Titanium 1100W AC Gold
1100W (AC & DC)
Management Dell OpenManage portfolio Dell OpenManage portfolio
Remote iDRAC7 Express with Lifecycle iDRAC6 with Lifecycle Controller
Management Controller (standard)
iDRAC7 Enterprise with Lifecycle
Controller (optional)
Availability Hot‐plug drives, Hot‐plug drives,
Hot‐plug power supply units Hot‐plug power supply units
Hot‐plug fans Hot‐plug fans

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Specifications
Table 3 summarizes the product features for the PowerEdge R920. For the latest information on
supported features for the PowerEdge R920, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge.

Table 3. Technical specifications

Feature PowerEdge R920 technical specification

Form factor 4U rack

Intel Xeon processor E7‐4800 v2 and E7‐8800 v2 product families (up to 4)

Processors
Intel Xeon processor E7‐2800 v2 product family (up to 2)

Internal interconnect Intel Quick Path Interconnect v. 1.1

Chipset Intel C602J

Up to 6TB (96 DIMM slots): 4GB/8GB/16GB/32GB/64GB DDR3L, RDIMM, LR‐DIMM up

Memory
to 1600MT/s

I/O slots Up to 10 PCIe slots; 8 PCIe 3.0, + 1 RAID slot, + 1 NDC slot + 2 optional PCIe slots

Internal controllers: External HBAs (RAID):

RAID controller PERC H730P PERC H810
6Gbps SAS HBA

• Up to 24 2.5” hot‐plug 12Gb/6Gb SAS HDD or SAS/SATA SSD

Drive bays
• Up to 8 front‐accessible Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSD (PCIe 3.0)

Supported drives Hot‐plug hard drive options:

2.5” SATA/SAS SSD, SAS HDD (15K, 10K), nearline SAS HDD (7.2K)
2.5” PCIe SSDs: Dell PowerEdge NVMe Express Flash PCIe SSD

Broadcom® 5720 quad‐port 1Gb NDC

Broadcom 57800 2x10Gb DA/SFP+ + 2x1Gb BT NDC
Broadcom 57800 2x10Gb BT + 2x1Gb BT network daughter card
Embedded NIC Intel I350 quad‐port 1GbE network daughter card
Intel X520 dual‐port 10Gb DA/SFP+, + I350 DP 1GbE NDC
Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X540, 10Gb BT DP + I350 1Gb BT dual‐
port NDC

Power supplies Hot‐plug redundant PSUs: 750W AC, 1100W AC and DC

Hot‐plug hard drives, hot‐plug redundant power, hot‐plug redundant fans, ECC
Availability
memory, internal dual SD module

Video Matrox® G200 with 8MB memory

iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller

 iDRAC7 Express (default)
Remote management
 iDRAC7 Enterprise (upgrade option)
 8GB or 16GB vFlash media (upgrade options)

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Feature PowerEdge R920 technical specification

IPMI 2.0 compliant

Dell OpenManage Essentials
Dell OpenManage Mobile
Dell OpenManage Power Center
Dell OpenManage Integrations:
Systems Management  Dell OpenManage Integration Suite for Microsoft System Center
 Dell OpenManage Integration for VMware® vCenter
Dell OpenManage Connections:
 HP Operations Manager, IBM Tivoli® Netcool®, and CA Network and Systems
Management
 Dell OpenManage Plug‐in for Oracle Database Manager.
1
GB means 1 billion bytes and TB equals 1 trillion bytes; actual capacity varies with preloaded material and operating
environment and will be less.

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3 Chassis views and features
The PowerEdge R920 features a new chassis design that supports advanced memory capacity
through additional DIMMs, PCI slots and increased hard drive spindle count.

Chassis views
Figure 1. Front panel view

Figure 2. Back panel view

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 Figure 3. Internal chassis view

Chassis features
Table 4 lists the features on the R920 chassis. For additional information, see the Dell PowerEdge
R920 Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals.

Table 4. Chassis features

Feature Description

Power-on indicator, power The power‐on indicator lights when system power is on. The
button power button controls the DC power supply output to the
system.
Used to troubleshoot software and device driver errors with
NMI button certain operating systems; use only if directed to do so by
qualified support personnel or by the operating system's
documentation.
System identification button Buttons on the back and front of a system to help identify the
unit in a data center environment.

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 Video connector Connects a monitor to the server.
LCD menu buttons Allows you to navigate the control panel LCD menu.
Information tag A slide‐out label panel for system information including the
Express Service tag, Embedded NIC1 MAC address, and
iDRAC7 Enterprise card MAC address.
LCD panel Displays system ID, status information and system error
messages.
Optical drive One optional SATA DVD‐ROM drive or DVD+/‐RW drive
Hard drives  Up to 24 2.5” hot‐plug 12Gb/6Gb SAS HDD or SAS/SATA
SSD
 Up to 8 Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSD (PCIe 3.0)
USB connectors Two USB 2.0‐compliant ports in the front, and two in the rear,
connect USB devices to the server.

vFlash media card slot Allows insertion of a vFlash media card.

Ethernet connectors Connects integrated 10/100/1000 NICs to the server

Power supply units Supplies power to the server

PCIe slots Up to 10 PCIe slots; 8 PCIe 3.0, + 1 RAID slot, + 1 NDC slot + 2
optional PCIe slots

iDRAC7 Enterprise port Allows you to navigate the control panel LCD menu

Quick Resource Locator (QRL)

The PowerEdge R920 features a Quick Resource Locator — a model‐specific Quick Response (QR)
code located inside the R920 chassis cover (see Figure 4). Use your smartphone to access the Dell
QRL app to learn more about the server.

Figure 4. Quick Resource Locator

The QR code provides quick access to:

Step‐by‐step videos, including overviews of system internals and externals, as well as
detailed, concise task‐oriented videos and installation wizards
 Reference materials, including searchable owner’s manual content, LCD diagnostics, and an
electrical overview
Service tag lookup, so you can quickly gain access to your specific hardware configuration
info and warranty information

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Contact with Dell via a direct link to get in touch with technical support and sales teams, and
provide feedback direct to Dell
These codes provide an easy way to retrieve critical support information when you need it, making
you more efficient and effective at managing your data center hardware.
Security features
The latest generation of PowerEdge servers has the features listed in Table 5 to help ensure the
security of your data center.

Table 5. Security features

Security feature Description

Cover latch A tooled latch is integrated in the side cover to secure it to the rack chassis.
A metal bezel is mounted to the chassis front to provide the Dell ID. A lock on
Bezel the bezel is used to protect un‐authorized access to hard drives. System status is
viewable on the LCD screen when the bezel is installed.
The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is used to generate/store keys,
protect/authenticate passwords and create/store digital certificates. It also
supports the Intel Xeon TXT functionality. TPM can also be used to enable the
TPM
BitLocker™ hard drive encryption feature in Windows Server 2008. TPM 1.2 is
supported. The China TCM solution is not supported on R920. No TPM version is
available for China or Russia.
Power-off security BIOS has the ability to disable the power button function.
A switch mounted on riser three detects chassis intrusion. When iDRAC is
Intrusion alert
enabled, the switch circuit closes to indicate intrusion when the cover is opened.
BIOS has the ability to enter a secure boot mode through system setup. This
Secure mode mode includes the option to lock out the power and NMI switches on the
control panel or set up a system password.

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4 Processors
The PowerEdge R920 features the Intel Xeon processor E7‐4800 v2, E7‐ 8800 v2 and E7‐2800 v2
product families with advanced reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) features to keep your
business operations running and minimize unnecessary downtime. With its high memory capacity,
the R920 is ideal for data‐demanding, transaction‐intensive workloads, such as ERP, CRM, HPC, and
in‐memory database systems.

Processor features
Up to 15 cores in each processor
Eight DDR3 channels per socket
Up to 1600MT/s DDR3 speeds
Advanced RAS features of Intel Run Sure Technology, designed to reduce frequency and cost
of downtime while protecting data integrity. Intel Run Sure Technology provides 40 reliability
features, including:
> Enhanced Machine Check Architecture Gen 1 (eMCA 1) provides advanced error log data
to system firmware and the OS to improve system diagnostic and predictive failure
analysis
> Machine Check Architecture (MCA) recovery — Execution Path offers the capability for a
system to continue to operate even when the processor is unable to correct data errors
within the memory sub‐system and allows software layers to participate in system
recovery
> MCA for I/O provides improved diagnostics and reduce service costs, this feature
provides information on uncorrected I/O errors to the OS so that it can take appropriate
actions.
> PCIe Live Error Recovery (LER) can increase system uptime and extend recovery and
containment from PCIe errors.

Supported processors
The PowerEdge R920 supports up to four E7‐4800 v2 and E7‐8800 v2 processors, or two E7‐2800
v2 processors. Intel Xeon processors supported by the PowerEdge R920 are listed in Table 6. For the
latest information on supported processors, visit Dell.com/PowerEdge.

Table 6. Supported processors

Cores/Threa
MaxMemor
ds
Model Speed TDP Cache QPI Turbo y
Speed
XeonE7-8893v2 3.4GHz 155W 37.5M 6/12 8.0GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-8891v2 3.2GHz 155W 37.5M 10/20 8.0GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-8880Lv2 2.2GHz 105W 37.5M 15/30 8.0GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-8857v2 3.0GHz 130W 30M 12/12 8.0GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-4890v2 2.8GHz 155W 37.5M 15/30 8.0GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-2890v2 2.8GHz 155W 37.5M 15/30 8.0GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-4880v2 2.5GHz 130W 37.5M 15/30 8.0GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-2880v2 2.5GHz 130W 37.5M 15/30 8.0GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-4870v2 2.3GHz 130W 30M 15/30 8.0GT/s Yes 1600

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 XeonE7-2870v2 2.3GHz 130W 30M 15/30 8.0GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-4860v2 2.6GHz 130W 30M 12/24 8.0GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-4850v2 2.3GHz 105W 24M 12/24 7.2GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-2850v2 2.3GHz 105W 24M 12/24 7.2GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-4830v2 2.2GHz 105W 20M 10/20 7.2GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-4820v2 2.0GHz 105W 16M 8/16 7.2GT/s Yes 1600
XeonE7-4809v2 1.9GHz 105W 12M 6/12 6.4GT/s NA 1333

For information on processor installation and configuration, see the Dell PowerEdge R920 Owner’s
Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals.

Chipset
The PowerEdge R920 uses the Intel C602J chipset. For more information, visit Intel.com.

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5 Memory
More memory options are available than ever before with the Dell PowerEdge R920 — greater
capacities, higher frequencies and more flexibility. The R920 supports up to 6TB of LRDIMM
memory (with 96 x 64GB LRDIMMs); up to 3TB of LRDIMM memory (with 96 x 32GB LRDIMMs) and
up to 1.5TB of RDIMM memory (with 48 x 16GB RDIMMs.)
In addition to supporting registered DIMMs (RDIMM), the R920 supports load reduced DIMMs
(LRDIMM), which use a buffer to reduce memory loading and provide greater density, allowing for
the maximum platform memory capacity. High memory density provides a richer, no compromise
virtualization environment. While the buffer in the LRDIMM reduces memory bus loading and allows
50% higher capacity in a system, the buffer does introduce additional latency, which will have a
small impact on system performance.
Increase your uptime and reduce data loss with reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) features
like memory mirroring, sparing and many others. RAS aids in the rapid and accurate diagnosis of
faults that require service, increasing your memory reliability.

Supported memory
The R920 supports the memory technologies shown in Table 7.

Table 7. Memory technologies supported

Feature RDIMM LRDIMM

Register Yes Yes

Buffer No Yes

Frequencies* 1600MT/s 1600MT/s

Ranks supported 1 or 2 4 or 8

Capacity per DIMM 4, 8 or 16GB 32 or 64GB

Maximum DIMMs per channel 3 3

DRAM technology x4 X8

Temperature sensor Yes Yes

Error Correction Code (ECC) Yes Yes

Enhanced Single Device Data

Yes, x8 (lockstep) Yes, x8 (lockstep)
Correction (SDDC +1)

Enhanced DRAM Double Device

Yes, x4 (lockstep) Yes, x4 (lockstep)
Data Correction (DDDC +1)

Address parity Yes Yes

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The R920 supports the DIMMs listed in Table 8. For the latest information on supported memory,
visit Dell.com/PowerEdge.

Table 8. Supported DIMMs

Capacity Speed Ranks per Data
(GB) (MT/s) Type DIMM width SDDC support Voltage

4 16001 RDIMM 1 x8 Advanced ECC 1.35

8 1600 RDIMM 1 x4 lockstep mode 1.35
16 1600 RDIMM 2 x4 lockstep mode 1.35
32 1600 LRDIMM 4 x4 lockstep mode 1.35
64 1600 LRDIMM 8 x4 lockstep mode 1.35
1
Actual operational frequency could be lower than 1600MT/s depending on DIMM type, rank, number of
DIMMs per channel and memory mode.

Memory RAS features

RAS features help keep the system online and operational without significant impact to
performance, and can decrease data loss and crashing due to errors. RAS aids in rapid, accurate
diagnosis of faults that require service. Table 9 describes the RAS features supported on the R920.

Table 9. Memory RAS features

Feature Description

Dense configuration Increased memory reliability can be a result from this selectable platform profile
optimized profile that adjusts parameters to reduce faults regarding refresh rates, speed,
temperature and voltage
Memory demand and Demand scrubbing is the ability to write corrected data back to the memory once
patrol scrubbing a correctable error is detected on a read transaction.
Patrol scrubbing proactively searches the system memory, repairing correctable
errors.
Recovery from single Recovery from Single DRAM Device Failure (SDDC) provides error checking and
DRAM device failure correction that protects against any single memory chip failure as well as multi‐bit
errors from any portion of a single memory chip.
Failed DIMM isolation This feature provides the ability to identify a specific failing DIMM channel pair,
thereby enabling the user to replace only the failed DIMM pair.
Memory mirroring: Memory mirroring is a method of keeping a duplicate (secondary or mirrored)
intra-socket copy of the contents of memory as a redundant backup for use if the primary
memory fails. The mirrored copy of the memory is stored in memory of the same
processor socket.
Memory address parity This feature provides the ability to detect transient errors on the address lines of
protection the DDR channel.
Memory sparing (rank) Memory sparing allocates one rank per channel as a spare. If excessive correctable
errors occur in a rank or channel, it is moved to the spare area while the operating
system is running to prevent the error from causing an uncorrectable failure.
Memory thermal This feature helps to optimize power/performance and can also be used to
throttling prevent DIMMs from overheating.

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For information on memory mirroring and sparing configurations, see the Dell PowerEdge R920
Owner’s Manual on Dell.com/Support/Manuals.

Mirroring and Dell Fault Resilient Memory

The PowerEdge R920 supports memory mirroring. Partial mirroring is enabled through Dell Fault
Resilient Memory (FRM). Available on Dell PowerEdge 12th generation servers, FRM establishes an
area of memory that is fault resilient and can be used by an operating system supporting the FRM
feature to load critical applications and maximize system availability.
Benefits:
Creates a highly resilient memory zone for the hypervisor, protecting it from all but the most
severe memory errors.
With VMware
 , vSphere v5.5, FRM provide the hypervisor with strong protection from memory faults that
would otherwise bring down the entire system. When used in conjunction with other Dell
PowerEdge reliability and redundancy features for virtualization — such as the internal dual
SD modules — it creates a highly reliable VMware virtualization server environment with high
availability and uptime.

Figure 5. Dell Fault Resilient Memory

19 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 6 Storage
The PowerEdge R920 supports extensive internal and external storage options. Support for internal
storage includes a number of variations with a 2.5” drive chassis. For external storage, there are a
number of storage options that range from JBOD connectivity to SAN support with Dell Compellent.
Connectivity options include: host bus adaptors (HBA) options for SAS, iSCSI and Fibre Channel.
New server storage features such as Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSDs and software caching solutions
provide accelerated application/workload performance over previous technologies. Express Flash
drives use PCIe bus lanes to connect directly to the processor and chipset and are easily accessible
through the hot‐plug drive bay.

Dell PowerEdge Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSDs

The PowerEdge R920 supports up to eight PowerEdge Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSDs, high‐
performance storage devices designed for solutions requiring ultra‐low latency, high input/output
operations per second (IOPs) and enterprise‐class storage reliability and serviceability. With a choice
of 400GB, 800GB and 1.6TB capacities, PowerEdge Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSDs interact with and
optimize high‐performance NAND, achieving ultra‐high IOPs and sequential read/write speeds.
Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSDs deliver exceptional performance in demanding enterprise
environments, such as blade and enterprise servers, online transactional processing (OLTP)
databases, video‐on‐demand servers, web accelerators and virtualization workloads.
For information on Dell PowerEdge Express Flash NVMe PCIe SSDs, visit
Dell.com/PowerEdge/ExpressFlash.

Supported RAID controllers

The newest line of PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) cards offers high I/O performance for
database applications and streaming digital media environments. Internal RAID controllers have a
dedicated connection to the motherboard. The R920 supports the new PERC 8 family of controllers
with improved functionality and faster performance.
The R920 supports the PERC cards listed in Table 10. For more information about the latest PERC
offerings, see Dell.com/PERC.

Table 10. Supported RAID controller

RAID modes Usage
Controller Description Features supported Form factor model

Includes 1GB NV DDR3 Premium

cache, premium performance
PERC H810 Eight‐port, external and 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50,
performance and feature Adapter
External 6Gb/s PCIe RAID controller 60
set, security SED/EKMS,
and SSD as cache

PCIe 3.0 support and

12Gb/s SAS (SAS 3.0) host
PERC H730P 12Gb/s SAS/6Gb/s SATA PCIe interface, 2GB NV Flash 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, Premium
Adapter
Internal 3.0 2x4 internal adapter backed cache; capable of 60 performance
RAID as well as Non‐RAID
(JBOD Mode) operations

20 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

7 Networking and PCIe
The PowerEdge R920 offers rack network daughter card (RNDC) options which provide a custom
solution that contains a complete network interface controller (NIC) subsystem. The R920 supports
one RNDC card instead of the traditional LAN on motherboard (LOM) design. RNDC offer the
features and benefits of a traditional LOM subsystem (including NC‐SI management interface) but
with expanded features and added flexibility as RNDCs provide an easy upgrade path from 1GB to
10GB LAN speeds.

Table 11. Network daughter card features

Features 1GE 10GE

Link speed 10/100/1000Mbps 100Mbps/1GB/10GB

Link types 1000BASE‐T 10GBASE‐T, SFP+ DCA/SR

TCP Chimney (TOE) No Yes

iSCSI offload No Yes

FCoE offload No Yes

NetQueue/VMQ IOV No Yes

SRIOV No Yes

NIC partitioning (NPAR) No Yes

VNTag/VEB No Yes

Energy Efficient Ethernet No No

Stateless Offloads (RSS, CSO, Yes Yes

LSO, LRO)

NC‐SI pass‐through and CEM Yes Yes

Table 12. Select Network Adapter selection for racks

10Gb 10Gb 1Gb 1Gb

Ethernet Converged Ethernet Converged

Running LAN+ LAN+ LAN+ISCSI+

LAN LAN LAN+ISCSI
Protocols ISCSI FCoE FCoE

21 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 10Gb 10Gb 1Gb 1Gb
Ethernet Converged Ethernet Converged

Broadcom Broadcom
Broadcom Broadcom
57800 57800
‐ ‐ 5720 4x1Gb 5720 4x1Gb
2x1Gb+2x10 2x1Gb+2x10
BT BT
Gb SFP+ Gb SFP+
Racks

Intel i540 Intel X540

Intel i350 Intel i350
2x1Gb+32x 2x1Gb+2x10 ‐ ‐
4x1Gb BT 4x1Gb BT
10Gb BT Gb BT

PCIe expansion
With 32 PCIe lanes available from each E7 v2 processor in the system, the R920 provides greatly
expanded PCIe slot capability over previous‐generation PowerEdge servers. Dell designed the R920
to be PCIe‐3.0 compliant to take full advantage of the processor capabilities.

PCIe slots
PCIe connectivity is integrated with the processor in that the number of processors in a system
impacts the number of PCIe slots and the bandwidth of each PCIe slot.
Slot 1: half‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x8 (x24 connector), baseboard
Slot 3: half‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x8 (x16 connector), baseboard
Slot 4: half‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 connector), baseboard
Slot 5: half‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 connector), baseboard
Slot 6: half‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 connector), baseboard
Slot 7: half‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 connector), baseboard
Slot 8: half‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 connector), baseboard
Slot 9: half‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x16 (x24 connector), baseboard
Slot 1/1: full‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x4 (x8 connector), left riser
Slot 2/2: half‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x4 (x8 connector), left riser
Slot 1/9: full‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x8 (x16 connector), right riser
Slot 2/10: half‐length, full‐height, PCIe 3.0 x8 (x16 connector), right riser

Table 12 lists the available network daughter card options for the R920.

Table 13. PowerEdge R920 RNDC options

Network daughter card Adapter

Broadcom 5720 Quad‐Port Rack 1Gb

Broadcom 57800 2x10Gb DA/SFP+ + 2x1Gb

1Gb/10Gb
Base‐T

Broadcom 57800 2x10Gb BT + 2x1Gb Base‐T

22 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 Network daughter card Adapter

Intel Ethernet I350 Quad‐Port 1Gb

Intel X520 DP 10Gb DA/SFP+, + I350 DP 1Gb

Ethernet, Network Daughter Card

Intel Ethernet X540 10Gb BT DP + I350 1Gb

BT DP Network Daughter Card

23 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

8 Power, thermal and acoustics
Lower overall system‐level power draw is a result of breakthrough system design. The Dell
PowerEdge R920 server maximizes performance per watt through a combination of power and
cooling, energy‐efficient technologies and tools. Additionally, the PowerEdge R920 has an extensive
collection of sensors that automatically track thermal activity, which helps regulate temperature
thereby reducing server noise and power consumption.

Power consumption and energy efficiency

With the rise in the cost of energy coupled with increasing data center density, Dell provides tools
and technologies to help you realize greater performance with less energy cost and waste. More
efficient data center usage can reduce costs by slowing the need for additional center space. Table
14 lists the tools and technologies Dell offers to help you achieve your data center goals by lowering
power consumption and increasing energy efficiency.

Table 14. Power tools and technologies

Feature Description
Dell’s PSU portfolio includes intelligent features such as dynamically
Power supply units (PSU)
optimizing efficiency while maintaining availability and redundancy. Find
portfolio
additional information in the Power, thermal and acoustics section.
Dell Energy Smart Solution Advisor (ESSA) is a tool that helps you determine
the most efficient configuration possible. With ESSA, you can calculate the
power consumption of your hardware, power infrastructure and storage.
Tools for right-sizing
ESSA can help you determine exactly how much power your server will use
at a given workload, and the PSU Advisor can help you choose the best,
most efficient PSU for your workload. Learn more at Dell.com/ESSA.
Dell’s servers are compliant with all relevant industry certifications and
Industry compliance
guidelines, including 80 PLUS, Climate Savers and ENERGY STAR.
PSU power monitoring improvements include:
 Dell’s power monitoring accuracy is currently 1%, whereas the industry
Power monitoring standard is 5%
accuracy
 More accurate reporting of power
 Better performance under a power cap
Use Dell’s systems management to set the power cap limit for your systems
to limit the output of a PSU and reduce system power consumption. Dell is
Power capping
the first hardware vendor to leverage Intel Node Manager for
circuit‐breaker fast capping.
iDRAC7 Enterprise provides server‐level management that monitors, reports
and controls power consumption at the processor, memory and system
level.
Systems management
Dell OpenManage Power Center delivers group power management at the
rack, row and data center level for servers, power distribution units and
uninterruptible power supplies.

24 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 Feature Description
Intel Node Manager is an embedded technology that provides individual
server‐level power reporting and power limiting functionality. Dell offers a
complete power management solution comprised of Intel Node Manager
accessed through Dell iDRAC7 Enterprise and OpenManage Power Center
that allows policy‐based management of power and thermals at the
individual server, rack and data center level.
Active power management Hot spare reduces power consumption of redundant power supplies.
Thermal control of fan speed optimizes the thermal settings for your
environment to reduce fan consumption and lower system power
consumption.
Idle power enables Dell servers to run as efficiently when idle as when at full
workload.
With the thermal design and reliability of Dell products, certain
configurations have the capability to operate at excursion‐based
Fresh Air cooling temperatures beyond the industry standard of 35°C (95°F) up to 45°C (113°F)
for excursionary periods of time and up to a 26°C dew point at 90% relative
humidity; without impacting your availability model. Find additional
information at Dell.com/FreshAir.

Dell offers some of the industry’s highest‐efficiency power infrastructure

solutions, including:
 Power distribution units
Rack infrastructure  Uninterruptible power supplies
 Energy Smart containment rack enclosures
Find additional information at content.dell.com/us/en/enterprise/
power‐and‐cooling‐technologies‐components‐rack‐infrastructure.aspx.

Power supply units

Energy Smart power supplies have intelligent features, such as the ability to dynamically optimize
efficiency while maintaining availability and redundancy. Also featured are enhanced
power‐consumption reduction technologies, such as high‐efficiency power conversion and
advanced thermal‐management techniques, and embedded power‐management features,
including high‐accuracy power monitoring.
There are four power supply units available for the PowerEdge R920: which have auto
sensing and auto switching capability:
750W AC Platinum
750W AC Titanium
1100W AC Platinum
 1100W DC

Thermal design
The thermal design of the PowerEdge R920 reflects the following:
Multiple sensors are monitored for thermal feedback control: The PowerEdge R920
dynamically controls system cooling fan speed based on responses from all component
temperature sensors, including processors, hard disk drives, DIMMs, storage cards and the
inlet ambient temperature. Thermal management adjusts cooling according to what the

25 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 system really needs, drawing lower fan power to help the system generate lower acoustical
noise levels than servers without such controls.
 User-configurable settings: An R920 thermal control design target is to minimize the
contribution of fan power to overall system power. The default thermal setting is “DAPC”
mode, performance per watt. However, thermal settings are available for customers who
have other priorities. Available in the “iDRAC Settings” in the “System Setup Main Screen,” are
“High Fan Speed Offset,” “Low Fan Speed Offset,” and “Maximum Air Exhaust Temperature.”
For more information, see the PowerEdge R920 System Owner’s Manual on
Dell.com/Support/Manuals.
Cooling redundancy: The R920 allows continuous operation with a fan failure in the system.
Environmental specifications: Optimized thermal management makes the R920 reliable
under a wide range of operating environments as shown in the environmental specifications
outlined in Table 23. Many configurations are also compliant under expanded operating
temperature environments, but a few are not.

Acoustical design
The acoustical design of the PowerEdge R920 reflects the following:
Use: The PowerEdge R920 is appropriate for use in a data center environment and is not
intended for use in an open office space.
 Adherence to Dell’s high sound quality standards: Sound quality is different from sound
power level and sound pressure level in that it describes how humans respond to
annoyances in sound, like whistles, hums, etc. One of the sound quality metrics in the Dell
specification is prominence ratio of a tone, and this is listed in the table below.
 Noise ramp and descent during boot-up from power off: Fan speeds hence noise levels
ramp during the boot process (from “power off” to “power on”) in order to add a layer of
protection for component cooling in the case that the system were not to boot properly. In
order to keep the boot‐up process from generating high noise levels, the system fan speeds
reached during boot‐up is limited to about half of full speed.
Noise level dependencies: If acoustics is important to you, you may want to make the
following configuration choices and settings for the PowerEdge R920 because they result in
quieter operation.
> iDRAC BIOS settings: Performance Per Watt (DAPC or OS) will be quieter than Max
Performance setting
> Adjust C1E mode to “ENABLED” if Max Performance setting is selected in the BIOS and
the system is configured with any of the following processors: 130W, 12 core; 155W, 15
core; 155W, 10 core; or 155W, 6 core.
> Configure the system with 105W processors of any core count, or 130W processors of
any core count, except 12 core. The system will maintain low fan speeds under most
loading conditions when operating in typical data center ambient temperatures (~25C,
77°F)
Some components cause significant but not necessarily intuitive increases in loudness when
they are installed in R920, including the following: Fusion I/O, GPU, PCIe SSD, 10Gb NIC,
CPU count, PCI card count, 10Gb NDC, HDD count and Dell PERC RAID card.

26 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Fans
Six hot swappable fans are mounted in a fan gantry located in the chassis between the hard drive
bay and the processors. Each fan has a blind mate 2x2 connector that plugs directly into the fan tray.
An additional fan, integrated in each power supply provides additional cooling for the whole system.

27 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

9 Rack rails and cable management
The sliding rail system for the R920 provides tool‐less support for 4‐post racks with square or
unthreaded round mounting holes, including all generations of Dell racks. The sliding rail system
also supports tooled mounting in 4‐post threaded racks.
In contrast to the R910 sliding rails that required the use of adapter brackets, the sliding rails for the
R920 now offer native support for threaded‐hole racks via the new ReadyRails II mounting interface.
The rails ship in the tool‐less mounting configuration but can be converted to the tooled
configuration very quickly and easily as shown in the figure below.

Figure 6. ReadyRails II mounting interface

The optional cable management arm (CMA) or strain relief bar (SRB) that is provided with the CMA
can be mounted to the sliding rails without the use of tools for fast and easy deployment. The CMA
can be mounted on either the left or right side of the sliding rails.
NOTE: The R920 is not compatible with any other Dell rails or SRBs, including previous generation
rails and SRBs. The R920 is compatible with R820, R720, R720xd and R520 CMAs.

28 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Sliding rail system
Sliding rails allow the system to be fully extended out of the rack for service and are
available with or without the optional cable management arm (CMA) and optional strain
relief bar (provided with the CMA).

Figure 7. R920 Sliding Rails with optional CMA

Sliding rails support 19” width tool‐less mounting, EIA‐310‐E compliant square hole and
unthreaded round hole 4‐post racks. The rails also support tooled mounting in threaded
hole 4‐post racks, but the rails do not support mounting in 2‐post (Telco) racks.

Table 15. PowerEdge R920 ReadyRails II

Rack Types Supported
Rail Rail
Mounting Interface 4-Post 2-Post
Identifier Type
Square Round Thread Flush Center
B8 ReadyRails II Sliding √ √ √ X X

Key factors impacting the fit of the rail in a rack include the spacing between the front and rear
mounting flanges of the rack, the type and location of any equipment mounted in the back of the
rack such as power distribution units (PDUs), and the overall depth of the rack.

Table 16. Supported rack types

Rail Adjustability Range (mm) Rail Depth (mm)
Rail Rail
Product Square Round Threaded without
Identifier Type with
CMA or With SRB
Min Max Min Max Min Max CMA
SRB

R920 B8 Sliding 671 883 664 876 685 898 755 883 833

29 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

The adjustment range of the rails is a function of the type of rack in which they are being mounted.
The minimum/maximum values listed above represent the allowable distance between the front and
rear mounting flanges in the rack. Rail depth without the CMA or SRB represents the minimum
depth of the rail with the outer CMA brackets removed (if applicable) as measured from the front
mounting flanges of the rack.
For detailed information about static and sliding rails, see Additional specifications in Appendix A. For
more information on installing the R920 in a rack, see the Rack Installation Instructions on
Dell.com/Support/Manuals.

Cable Management Arm (CMA) and Strain Relief Bar (SRB)

The optional cable management arm (CMA) and strain relief bar (SRB) for the R920 organizes and
secures the cords and cables exiting the back of the server. The CMA supports up to medium size
cable loads and unfolds to allow the server to extend out of the rack without having to detach the
cables. The SRB is a bar that supports large cable loads and also allows the server to extend out of
the rack without having to detach the cables if cable service loops are created.
Key features of the R920 CMA include:
Large U‐shaped baskets to support small to medium cable loads
Open vent pattern for optimal airflow
Can be mounted on either side by simply swinging the spring‐loaded brackets from one side
to the other
Utilizes hook‐and‐loop straps rather than plastic tie wraps to eliminate the risk of cable
damage during cycling
Includes a low profile fixed tray to both support and retain the CMA in its fully closed position
Both the CMA and the tray mount without the use of tools via simple and intuitive snap‐in
designs
Key features of the R920 SRB include:
Sturdy bar that supports large cable loads
Controls stresses on connectors
Power supplies are accessible without removing the SRB
Utilizes hook‐and‐loop straps rather than plastic tie wraps to make securing cables quick and
eliminates the risk of cable damage
Cables can be segregated into discrete, purpose specific bundles
Attaches to the rails without the use of tools via simple and intuitive latching design.

30 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

10 Operating systems and virtualization
The PowerEdge R920 supports a wide range of industry‐standard operating systems.

Supported operating systems

Table 17 lists the primary operating systems supported on the R920. For the latest information on
supported operating systems, see Dell.com/OSsupport.

Table 17. PowerEdge R920 supported operating systems

Operating system Platform Edition

X32
Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® 6.5 X64 N/A
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.0 X64 N/A
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.0 for
HPC compute Node X64 N/A
SLES 11 x86‐64 SP2 X64 N/A
SLES 10 SP4 x86‐64 X64 N/A
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization
4.0 X64 N/A
Solaris X64 N/A

Standard
® ®
Microsoft Windows Sever 2012 X64 Datacenter
Standard
X86 Enterprise
Standard
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 X64
Enterprise
SP2 (with Hyper‐V®
enabled) Datacenter
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 X64
SP1 (with Hyper‐V
role enabled) Standard

31 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 Supported virtualization
The internal dual SD module enables Dell's unique Failsafe Virtualization architecture, ensuring
uptime by providing failover capability for embedded hypervisors, such as VMware® vSphere® ESXi™.
Table 18 highlights the virtualization support for the R920.

Table 18. Virtualization support

Internal dual SD
Factory
Operating systems Install version module install
options
support

vSphere v5.0 ESXi DIB Yes

vSphere v5.0 U1 ESXi DIB Yes

VMware vSphere v5.1 U1 ESXi DIB Yes

vSphere v5.1 ESXi DIB Yes

vSphere v5.5 ESXi DIB Yes

Citrix XenServer 6.2 N/A DIB Yes

Oracle Virtual Machine 3.0

Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Virtual Machine only
FI = factory install; DIB = drop in box

32 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

11 Dell OpenManage systems management
Whether your IT environment consists of a few servers or a few thousand servers,
Dell OpenManage systems management solutions provide comprehensive management for
evolving IT environments. OpenManage is based on open standards and provides agent‐based and
agent‐free server lifecycle management functionality for Dell PowerEdge servers. OpenManage
solutions help you automate and streamline essential hardware management tasks.
The advanced management capabilities of Dell OpenManage also integrates into offerings from
other popular systems management solutions that you may already use, making Dell platforms easy
to manage and deploy in any IT environment. This ensures your IT services are available when your
business needs them. If you have already standardized on offerings from industry leaders, such as
BMC Software, Microsoft, Symantec™, VMware, or other vendors, you can leverage OpenManage
integration and connections developed for use with your existing systems management framework
to efficiently manage Dell servers, storage, business‐client PCs and network devices.
Start with a firm foundation for efficient hardware management using OpenManage tools, utilities
and management consoles. OpenManage systems management solutions consist of a combination
of embedded management features and software products that help you automate and simplify the
entire server lifecycle: deploy, update, monitor and maintain. OpenManage solutions are
innovatively designed for simplicity and ease of use to help you reduce complexity, save time,
achieve efficiency, control costs and empower productivity.

Systems management solutions

Dell systems management solutions include a wide variety of tools, products, and services that
enable you to leverage an existing systems management framework. As shown in Dell systems
management solutions are centered around OpenManage server management, featuring iDRAC
with Lifecycle Controller.

33 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 Figure 8. Dell systems management solutions

OpenManage systems management

The Dell OpenManage systems management portfolio includes powerful hardware and software
management tools and consoles. OpenManage simplifies the lifecycle of deploying, updating,
monitoring and maintaining your Dell PowerEdge servers.

iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller

The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 7 (iDRAC7) with Lifecycle Controller is the heart of
Dell’s second generation of Dell PowerEdge server embedded management functionality. In
addition to enabling agent‐free management, iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller provides remote
access to the system — whether or not there is a functioning operating system running on the
server. These embedded features improve all aspects of a typical server lifecycle. Table 19 describes
the functions and benefits of iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller.

Table 19. iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller functions and benefits

Feature Function Benefit

iDRAC7 offers real‐time OOB

Out of band discovery, inventory, deployment Manage servers independent of the OS type
(OOB) monitoring, alerting and updates for or status — even if an OS is not installed
servers and internal storage

All server types have the same

Simplified and consistent maintenance
Single code base embedded management hardware
across server platforms
and firmware

34 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 Feature Function Benefit

Dedicated
GigE port
Gigabit Ethernet replaces 10/100 on Fast throughput for better performance;
(PowerEdge predecessor iDRAC6 compatibility with setup for switches
rack and tower
systems)

More detail allows IT administrators to be

Simplified, more informative, and more efficient in diagnosing and remediating
Email alerts expanded coverage than previous an issue; alerts include a direct, embedded
versions of iDRAC URL in the email notification to further speed
resolution

vFlash media Enabled with iDRAC7 Enterprise Allows for use of a non‐Dell SD card

Integration with Intel Node Manager Fine tune data center power policies,
Enhanced power provides data center level power capping, and usage; report on historical
management monitoring and capping power usage by rack, row or room using
(requires iDRAC7 Enterprise) Power Center Manager (new)

Digital license installed in factory; free 30‐

day trial versions are available; uses a license
Upgrades to iDRAC7 Express or management portal versus paper‐based
iDRAC7 Enterprise by software licenses and simplifies license management.
Electronic
licensing key and license portal (may For most server models, embedded server
licensing
require installation of hardware option management and electronic licensing
for 300‐500 series servers) enables feature enhancements that do not
require installation of additional hardware or
system downtime.

iDRAC feature comparison

iDRAC7 Enterprise is available for the PowerEdge R920, and Dell also offers an option of iDRAC7
Express. Table 20 shows a detailed feature comparison for iDRAC7 Enterprise and iDRAC7.

Table 20. Feature comparison for iDRAC7 Express and Enterprise

Basic iDRAC7 iDRAC7 iDRAC Express for
Feature (function)
management Enterprise Express blades

IPMI 2.0 ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Embedded diagnostics ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Local OS install ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Local updates ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Driver pack ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Shared NIC (LOM) ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Local Configuration via USC ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Remote update ∞ ∞ ∞

35 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 Basic iDRAC7 iDRAC7 iDRAC Express for
Feature (function)
management Enterprise Express blades

Power control ∞ ∞ ∞

Encryption ∞ ∞ ∞

Crash screen capture1 ∞ ∞ ∞

IPv6 ∞ ∞ ∞

Auto‐discovery ∞ ∞ ∞

Auto‐recovery ∞ ∞ ∞

Web GUI ∞ ∞ ∞

Remote CLI ∞ ∞ ∞

Local/SSH CLI ∞ ∞ ∞

Serial redirection ∞ ∞ ∞

Remote configuration ∞ ∞ ∞

Email alerts ∞ ∞ ∞

SNMP alerts ∞ ∞ ∞

Power monitoring ∞ ∞ ∞

Comprehensive monitoring ∞ ∞ ∞

Dedicated NIC 1Gbps ∞ ∞

Part replacement ∞

Backup and restore ∞

Virtual console (4 user) ∞ ∞

Virtual console chat ∞

Virtual flash partitions ∞

Virtual media ∞ ∞

Virtual folders ∞

Remote file share ∞

Crash video playback ∞

Boot record/playback ∞

Power capping ∞

Enterprise group power ∞

Directory services (AD, ∞

PK authentication ∞

Two‐factor authentication2 ∞

36 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Agent‐based management
Most systems management solutions require pieces of software, called agents, to be installed on
each node in order to be managed within the IT environment. Additionally, the same agent is often
used as a local interface into the hardware health and may be accessed remotely as a management
interface, typically referred to as a one‐to‐one interface. For customers that continue to use agent‐
based solutions, Dell provides OpenManage Server Administrator.
OpenManage Server Administrator
The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) agent gives you a comprehensive, one‐to‐one
systems management solution for both local and remote servers and their storage. OMSA can help
simplify single‐server monitoring with a secure command‐line interface (CLI) or Web‐based
management graphical user interface (GUI). It can also be used to view system configuration,
inventory, health and performance.
Agent‐free management
Because Dell PowerEdge servers have embedded server lifecycle management, in many cases, there
is no need to install an OpenManage systems management software agent into the operating
system of a Dell PowerEdge server. This greatly simplifies and streamlines the management
footprint.

Dell consoles
The central console in a systems management solution is often referred to as the one‐to‐many
console. The central console provides a rapid view and insight into the overall health of all systems
in the IT environment. The Dell systems management portfolio includes several powerful consoles,
depending upon your needs, including the following:
 Dell OpenManage Essentials: OpenManage Essentials (OME) is a systems management console
that provides a comprehensive view of Dell systems, devices and components in an enterprise
network. It is used to monitor Dell PowerEdge servers, EqualLogic™ and PowerVault™ storage
and Dell Networking switches; to update and configure Dell servers; and to create asset reports.
OpenManage Essentials also communicates health status alerts for Dell servers, storage, and
network devices to the KACE™ K1000 service desk. OpenManage Essentials is available as a no‐
charge software download from Dell.com/Support.

OpenManage systems management tools and utilities

Dell OpenManage systems management tools and utilities consist of the following:
 Dell Repository Manager: The Dell Repository Manager (RM) is a standalone GUI‐based
productivity tool that helps simplify the process of managing downloads and baseline BIOS,
firmware, and driver updates. Repository Manager can create deployment disks as well as create
and manage customized repositories.
 Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility: The Dell Server Update Utility (SUU) is a DVD‐based
application for identifying and applying BIOS and firmware updates to your Dell PowerEdge
servers.
 Dell OpenManage Systems Build and Update Utility: The Dell System Build and Update Utility
(SBUU) provides one‐to‐one and one‐to‐many deployment and single‐server update
capabilities in the pre‐operating system environment.

37 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 Dell Update Packages: The Dell Update Packages (DUP) is a self‐contained executable in a
standard package format that updates a software element on a Dell server such as the BIOS,
a driver, firmware and other software updates.
 Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit: The Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit (DTK) is a
CLI‐based tool that includes a set of utilities for configuring and deploying Dell PowerEdge
systems, and can be used to build scripted, unattended OS installations to deploy large numbers
of servers in a reliable fashion.
 RACADM: The RACADM command‐line utility provides a scriptable interface that allows you to
locally or remotely configure iDRAC7.
 IPMITool: IPMITool includes scriptable console application programs used to control and
manage remote systems using the IPMI version 1.5 and later protocol.

Integration with third‐party consoles

Dell OpenManage easily integrates with several leading third‐party consoles, including:
 Dell Server Management Pack Suite for Microsoft System Center Operations
Manager (SCOM): This suite of server management packs enables several functions through
System Center Operations Manager, including in‐band discovery and monitoring of racks and
towers, out‐of‐band discovery and monitoring through iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller, as well
as performance and advanced monitoring.
 Dell Lifecycle Controller Integration (DLCI) for Microsoft System Center Configuration
Manager (SCCM): This pack contains Dell Lifecycle Controller Integration (DLCI), which
integrates OpenManage functions in SCCM to manage the Dell PowerEdge servers, including
auto‐discovery, operating system deployment and configuration of hardware elements, (RAID,
NIC, BIOS, iDRAC), OS and hypervisor agnostic updates, firmware management and system
viewer utilities.
 Dell Server PRO Management Pack for Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine
Manager (SCVMM): This pack manages Dell physical servers and hosts of virtual machines (VMs)
by using Microsoft System Center Operations Manager/System Center Essentials (SCOM/SCE)
and System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM). It provides guidance for remedial actions
based on alerts to best manage virtual machines and handle the impacts appropriately.
 OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter: This plug‐in allows IT administrators to monitor,
provision, and manage the physical PowerEdge server hardware and firmware from a dedicated
Dell menu accessed through the VMware vCenter console using the same role‐based access
control model as vCenter, combining physical server management.
 BMC Software: Dell and BMC Software work together to simplify IT by ensuring tight integration
between Dell server, storage, and network management functionality and the BMC Software
process and data center automation products.

OpenManage integration and connections with third‐party consoles

Dell OpenManage provides integrations and connections with many third‐party consoles, including:
 Dell OpenManage Connection for Computer Associates Network and
Systems Management: This connection allows you to monitor PowerEdge servers and
PowerVault storage arrays from within the Computer Associates Network and Systems
Management (CANSM) console.

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 Dell OpenManage Connection for HP Operations Manager: This connection enables several
functions through HP Operations Manager, including auto‐grouping, SNMP trap reception,
global health monitoring and a context‐sensitive launch of OpenManage Server Administrator.
 Dell OpenManage Connection for IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIBus: This connection provides
event monitoring capabilities to monitor Dell PowerEdge servers and Dell EqualLogic systems. It
allows event monitoring, automatic event correlation and launching device consoles from the
Netcool/OMNIbus console.

Dell server management operations

Dell OpenManage systems management is centered on automating the server management
lifecycle — Deploy, Update, Monitor and Maintain. To manage an infrastructure properly and
efficiently, you must perform all of these functions easily and quickly. iDRAC7 with Lifecycle
Controller technology provides you with these intelligent capabilities embedded within the server
infrastructure. This allows you to invest more time and energy on business improvements and less on
maintenance. Figure 9 illustrates the various operations that can be performed during the server’s
lifecycle.

Figure 9. Systems management server lifecycle

39 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 Table 21 lists the products that are available for one‐to‐one and one‐to‐many operations, and when
they are used in the server’s lifecycle.

Table 21. One-to-one and one-to-many operations

Operation One-to-one\ One-to-many

 iDRAC7 with LifeCycle  Symantec Deployment  Dell Server Deployment Pack

Controller GUI Server (DSDP) for Microsoft System
 DTK  OpenManage Integration for Center Configuration Manager
VMware vCenter and Dell Lifecycle Controller
 SBUU Integration (DLCI) for Microsoft
Deploy  KACE K1000 Appliance System Center Configuration
 Lifecycle Controller Remote Manager
Services
 BMC BladeLogic integration
with Lifecycle Controller
 iDRAC7 with LifeCycle  Dell OpenManage Essentials  Dell Update Catalogs for
Controller GUI  Lifecycle Controller Remote Microsoft System Center
 Repository Manager Services Configuration Manager
 DUP  Dell Lifecycle Controller
Integration (DLCI) for Microsoft
 SUU System Center Configuration
Update
 SBUU Manager
 OpenManage
Integration for VMware
vCenter

 iDRAC7 with LifeCycle  Dell OpenManage Essentials  OpenManage Integration for

Controller  BMC ProactiveNet VMware vCenter
 OMSA Performance Management  BMC ProactiveNet Performance
Integration with Lifecycle Management Integration with
Monitor Controller Lifecycle Controller
 Dell OpenManage Power  Dell Server Management Pack
Center Suite for Microsoft System Center
Operations Manager (SCOM)
 iDRAC7 with Lifecycle  Lifecycle Controller Remote Remediate:
Controller GUI Services  Dell Server PRO Management
Pack for Microsoft System Center
Virtual Machine Manager
(SCVMM)
Maintain
Replace parts:
 Dell Lifecycle Controller
Integration (DLCI) for Microsoft
System Center Configuration
Manager

For additional detailed information on Dell’s systems management portfolio, see the Dell
OpenManage Systems Management Overview Guide on Dell.com/Support/Manuals.

40 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Appendix A. Additional specifications
Chassis dimensions and weight
 6.8 in (4U) height (172.6 mm)
 18.99 in width (482.4 mm)
 31.59 in depth (802.3 mm) with PSU and bezel
 29.65 in depth (753 mm) without bezel

SIDE VIEW

T
Za

Video specifications
The R920 system Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) incorporates an integrated
video subsystem, connected to the Southbridge via PCI Express and internal PCIe Switch and PCIe
to PCI bridge. The graphics controller is the 2D Matrox G200. The video frame buffer (16MB) is
contained within the iDRAC RAM (256MB) device.
The R920 systems support the following 2D graphics video modes:

Table 22. Supported video modes

Resolution Refresh rate (Hz) Color depth (bit)

640 x 480 60, 70 8, 16, 32

800 x 600 60, 75, 85 8, 16, 32
1024 x 768 60, 75, 85 8, 16, 32

41 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

 1152 x 864 60, 75, 85 8, 16, 32
1280 x 1024 60 8, 16, 32

Environmental specifications
Table 23 details the environmental specifications for the R920. For additional information about
environmental measurements for specific system configurations, see
Dell.com/environmental_datasheets.

Table 23. Environmental specifications

Temperature

Continuous operation 10°C to 35°C at 10% to 80% relative humidity (RH), with 26 °C max dew point. De‐
rate maximum allowable dry bulb temperature at 1 °C/300m above 900m (1 °F
per 550 ft).
Storage –40 °C to 65 °C (–40 °F to 149 °F) with a maximum temperature gradation of 20
°C per hour
Expanded operation When operating in the expanded temperature range, system performance may be
impacted. When operating in the expanded temperature range, ambient
temperature warnings may be reported on the LCD and in the System Event Log.
≤10% of annual operating hours: 5°C to 40°C at 5% to 85% RH with 26°C dew
point.
≤1% of annual operating hours: –5°C to 45°C at 5% to 90% RH with 26°C dew
point.
Outside the standard operating temperature (10 °C to 35 °C), the system can
operate down to 5 °C or up to 40 °C for a maximum of 10% of its annual
operating hours. For temperatures between 35 °C and 40 °C, de‐rate maximum
allowable dry bulb temperature by 1 °C per 175 m above 950 m (1 °F per 319 ft).
Outside the standard operating temperature (10 °C to 35 °C), the system can
operate down to –5 °C or up to 45 °C for a maximum of 1% of its annual
operating hours.
For temperatures between 40 °C and 45 °C, de‐rate maximum allowable dry bulb
temperature by 1 °C per 125 m above 950 m (1 °F per 228 ft).

42 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Appendix B. Standards compliance
The PowerEdge R920 conforms to the industry standards listed in

Table 24. Industry standard documents

Standard URL for information and specifications

ACPI
Advance Configuration and Power Interface acpi.info
Specification, v2.0c
Ethernet standards.ieee.org/getieee802/802.3.html
IEEE 802.3‐2005
HDG microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/pcdesign/desguide/serv
Hardware Design Guide Version 3.0 for erdg.mspx
Microsoft Windows Server
IPMI
Intelligent Platform Management Interface, intel.com/design/servers/ipmi
v2.0
DDR3 Memory
DDR3 SDRAM Specification, Rev. 3A jedec.org/download/search/JESD79‐3C.pdf

LPC
Low Pin Count Interface Specification, Rev. developer.intel.com/design/chipsets/industry/lpc.htm
1.1
PCI Express
PCI Express Base Specification Rev. 2.0 and .pcisig.com/specifications/pciexpress
3.0
SAS t10.org
Serial Attached SCSI, v1.1
SATA
Serial ATA Rev. 2.6; SATA II, SATA 1.0a sata‐io.org
Extensions, Rev. 1.2
SMBIOS
System Management BIOS Reference dmtf.org/standards/smbios/
Specification, v2.7
TPM
trustedcomputinggroup.org
Trusted Platform Module Specification, v1.2

UEFI
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface uefi.org/specs
Specification, v2.1
USB usb.org/developers/docs
Universal Serial Bus Specification, Rev. 2.0

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Windows Logo
Windows Logo Program System and Device microsoft.com/whdc/winlogo/hwrequirements.mspx
Requirements, v3.10

44 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Appendix C. Additional resources
Table 25 provides a list of documents and websites that provide for more information on the R920

Table 25. Resource documents and websites

Resource Description of content Location

PowerEdge R920 This manual, available in PDF format, provides the Dell.com/Support/Manuals
Owner’s Manual following information:
 Chassis features
 System Setup program
 System messages
 System codes and indicators
 System BIOS
 Remove and replace procedures
 Troubleshooting
 Diagnostics
 Jumpers and connectors

PowerEdge R920 This guide ships with the system, and is also available in Dell.com/Support/Manuals
Getting Started PDF format. This guide provides the following
Guide information:
 Initial setup steps
 Key system features
 Technical specifications

Rack Installation This document ships with the rack kits, and provides Dell.com/Support/Manuals
Instructions instructions for installing a server in a rack.

Cable This document ships with the rack kits, and provides Dell.com/Support/Manuals
Management Arm instructions for installing a cable management arm on a
Installation rack.
Instructions

Information This document ships with the system, is also available in Dell.com/Support/Manuals
Update PDF format online, and provides information on system
updates.

System The system information label documents the system Inside the system chassis
Information Label board layout and system jumper settings. Text is cover
minimized due to space limitations and translation
considerations. The label size is standardized across
platforms.

Quick Resource This code on the chassis can be scanned by a phone Inside the system chassis
Locator (QRL) application to access additional information and cover
resources for the server, including videos, reference
materials, service tag information, and Dell contact
information.

45 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Energy Smart The Dell online Energy Smart Solution Advisor (ESSA) Dell.com/ESSA
Solution Advisor enables easier and more meaningful estimates to help
you determine the most efficient configuration possible.
Use ESSA to calculate the power consumption of your
hardware, power infrastructure, and storage.

Power and Provides details for improving energy efficiency in the Dell.com/PNC
cooling data center.
technologies

Energy Provides information on Dell’s Fresh Air cooling solutions. Dell.com/FreshAir

management

Operating system Provides updated information on which operating Dell.com/OSsupport

matrix for Dell systems are available on which PowerEdge systems.
PowerEdge
systems

Processor and Provides more information about the R920 processors Intel.com
chipset and chipset.

Dell PowerEdge Provides more information on Dell PowerEdge RAID Dell.com/PERC

RAID controllers controllers (PERC).

Power Provides help selecting a rack‐based power distribution DellPDU.com

distribution unit unit (rPDU).

Uninterruptible Provides help selecting a UPS model. DellUPS.com

power supply

Volatility Contact your Dell sales representative. Dell.com

information

Dell Enterprise White paper that explores the mechanisms of, people’s Dell.com/downloads/global/
Acoustics reaction to, language of, and Dell’s work to control noise products/pedge/en/acoustic
from Enterprise products. al‐education‐dell‐
enterprise‐white‐paper.pdf

46 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Appendix D. Block diagram
Figure 10. R920 block diagram

47 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Appendix E. Dell Global Support and Deployment Services
Dell Global Services include a wide, customizable range of service choices to simplify the
assessment, design, implementation, management and maintenance of your IT environment and to
help you transition from platform to platform. Depending on your current business requirements
and the level of service you want, we can provide you with factory, on‐site, remote, modular and
specialized services that fit your needs and budget. We’ll help you with a little or a lot — your
choice — and provide you with access to our global resources.

Server deployment services

Our server deployment services can maximize the value of your servers quickly using our expert
server deployment engineers. With more than 10,000 server deployment projects each year, we
have experience, best practices and comprehensive deployment tools to install, configure and
integrate your new solution optimally and correctly. Our deployment experts will assess your
environment and understand your goals, then design and integrate your server solution for you.
Server Deployment Capabilities

We are also experts at rack integration and solutions such as HPC, Openstack and Hadoop.
Dell’s server deployment services help you optimize your server configurations and quickly and correctly
install and integrate your solution — so you can be up and running faster with minimal disruption to day‐to‐
day business operations. Our deployment experts provide:
 Single point of project management contact from beginning to end
 Evaluation of your environment with a detailed project plan
 Optimized configurations for your workloads and user environment
 Personalized documentation and orientation

48 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Remote consulting services
When you are in the final stages of the PowerEdge server implementation, you can rely on Dell
Remote Consulting and our certified technical experts to help you optimize your configuration with
best practices for your software, virtualization, server, storage, networking and systems
management.

Data migration service

Protect your business and data with our single point of contact to manage your data migration
project. Your project manager will work with our experienced team of experts to create your plan
using industry leading tools and proven processes based on global best practices to migrate your
existing files and data, so your business gets up and running quickly and smoothly.

ProSupport Enterprise Suite

With Dell ProSupport Services, we can help you keep your operation running smoothly, so you can
focus on running your business. We’ll help you maintain peak performance and availability of your
most essential workloads.
Dell ProSupport is a suite of support services that enable you to build the solution that’s right for
your organization. Choose support models based on how you use technology and where you want
to allocate resources. From the desktop to the data center, address everyday IT challenges, such as
unplanned downtime, mission‐critical needs, data and asset protection, support planning, resource
allocation, software application management and more. Optimize your IT resources by choosing the
right support model.

ProSupport Plus for business‐critical servers

When you purchase your PowerEdge server, we recommend ProSupport Plus, our proactive and
preventative support for your business‐critical systems. Dell ProSupport Plus provides you with all
the benefits of ProSupport, plus access to a dedicated Technical Account Manager and our elite

49 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

ProSupport Plus engineers. ProSupport Plus gives you quick and efficient resolutions, working along
with our SupportAssist technology that enables us to get ahead of issues in your environment before
they become problems.
ProSupport
Our ProSupport service offers highly trained experts around the clock and around the globe to
address your IT needs. We’ll help you minimize disruptions and maximize availability of your
PowerEdge server workloads with
 24x7x365 access to certified hardware experts
 Collaborative support assistance with over 195 third‐party vendors
 Hypervisor and operating system support
 On‐site parts and labor response options including next business day or four‐hour mission critical

ProSupport Flex for Data Center

Dell ProSupport Flex for Data Center offers flexible site‐wide support for hyperscale data centers
with more than 1,000 assets. Built on standard Dell ProSupport components, Flex for Data Center
leverages our global scale while being tailored to suit your needs. While not for everyone, it offers a
flexible solution for those with large and complex environments.
When you choose Dell ProSupport Flex for Data Center, you’ll get:
 Enterprise‐wide support that covers your entire data center
 A dedicated Technical Account Manager with remote, on‐site, part‐time and full‐time options
 Dedicated elite ProSupport Flex technical and field engineers who are trained on your environment and
configurations
 Flexible onsite support and parts options that fit your operational model
 A tailored support plan for your operations staff

50 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide

Additional professional services
Dell Training Services
Dell Education Services offers PowerEdge server training courses designed to help you achieve
more with your hardware investment. The curriculum is designed in conjunction with the server
development team, as well as Dell’s technical support team, to ensure that the training delivers the
information and practical, hands‐on skills you and your team need to confidently manage and
maintain your Dell Server solution. To learn more or register for a class today, visit
learndell.com/server.

Dell IT Consulting Services

Dell Global Infrastructure Consulting Services use skilled solution architects, innovative tools,
automated analysis and Dell’s intellectual property to give you rapid insight into the root causes of
unnecessary complexity. We seek better answers than traditional service models, and our strategy is
to help you quickly identify high‐impact, short‐duration projects that deliver return on investment
(ROI) and free up resources. The results are practical, action‐oriented plans with specific,
predictable, measurable outcomes. From Data Center optimization to server virtualization to
Systems Management, our consulting services can help you build a more efficient enterprise.

Dell Managed Services

Dell Managed Services are a modular set of lifecycle services designed to help you automate and
centrally configure, deploy and manage your day‐to‐day data center operations. These services
extend your existing on‐premise IT infrastructure with off‐premise cloud services designed to better
address challenges with mobility, highly distributed organizations, security, compliance, business
continuity and disaster preparedness.

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52 | Dell PowerEdge Technical Guide