Dell PowerEdge Servers 🖥

[eric]

ITT I will be documenting the suite of Dell PowerEdge servers that power eom.dev.

This post is a work-in-progress.

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T640

The T640 is the main compute engine for eom.dev. It was the first server in the fleet, and has the most powerful hardware in the existing infrastructure.

Dell PowerEdge T640 Tower Server | Dell United States

poweredge-t640-technical-guide.pdf

Product Specifications

Component,Part Number,Description,Quantity
"780-BCDS : Unconfigured RAID","0M1FT","INFO,UNCONFIGURED DRIVES","1"
"","13148","Information,Software,Format   to Server","1"
"","87G7G","INFO,C7,ASSUNC,14G","1"
"","JXJ30","INFO,JOINT-BACKPLANE","1"
"770-BBCR : No Rack Rails, No Cable Manage ment Arm, No Casters","7H154","INFO,RACK,RK-MNT,NO RAILS","1"
"631-AACK : No Systems Documentation, No O penManage DVD Kit","7213U","INFO,EDOCS-OPTION-ONLY","1"
"619-ABVR : No Operating System","1U112","SRV,SW,DELL,NULL-OS","1"
"542-BBCT : On-Board Dual-Port 10GbE LOM","W9HK9","INFO,LOM","1"
"461-AADZ : No Trusted Platform Module","D5J13","INFO,NO-TPM","1"
"450-ADWQ : Dual, Hot-plug, Redundant Powe r Supply (1+1), 495W","GRTNK","PWR SPLY,495W,RDNT,13G,DELTA,2","2"
"","N6523","INFO,RDNT,PSU","1"
"","2W02P","ASSY,LBL,REG,FCC1,495W,V3","1"
"450-AALV : Power Cord - C13, 3M, 125V, 15 A (North America, Guam, North Marianas, Philippines, Samoa, Vietnam)","0R215","CORD,PWR,15A125V,10FT,5-15/C13","2"
"429-ABDL : No Internal Optical Drive","P9C4X","Assembly,Cover,Blank,Optical Device Drive,T620","1"
"","NN142","INFO,NOODD","1"
"421-5736 : No Media Required","734TT","INFO,SW,NO,MEDIA","1"
"412-AAJW : Standard Heat Sink for Less = 150W","489KP","Assembly,Heatsink,82X117X109.5MM,T440","1"
"","XPDVP","Clip,Locking,CPU TOP,Plastic,SKTP0","1"
"405-ABCO : PERC H750 Adapter, Full Height , without bracket","92V86","SRV,DRVR,H750,ADPT,SAS-RAID","1"
"","1G44R","ASSY,CRD,CTL,H750,ADPT,MXC","1"
"","J2RH2","Label,Battery,International Air Transport,Lithium,ION,UN3481","1"
"400-ASMG : 1TB 7.2K RPM SATA 6Gbps 512n 3 .5in Hot-plug Hard Drive","3556E","INFO,BACKPLANE HD","1"
"","58CWC","Assembly,Carrier,Hard Drive, PLSTC, SATA, 3.5","1"
"","FM833","LBL,POD,HD,RECTANGULAR","1"
"","HNWHH","HD,1.0T,722N,IT06,H-R-MLK,EC","1"
"","G937K","Screw,6-32X.225,Phillips Head Flat Head,Black","4"
"389-DSUV : PowerEdge T640 CCC and BIS Mar king,  No CE Marking","1RFJF","ASSY,LBL,FCC2,T640,ME,NE","1"
"385-BBKS : iDRAC9, Express","FTKK0","INFO,OOBE,IDRAC9,DF,14G","1"
"","GPJRH","INFO,IDRAC9,14G,EXP","1"
"384-BBSO : No Additional Mid Fan","DK05C","INFO,NO ADD-ON FAN","1"
"384-BBBL : Performance BIOS Settings","N756K","INFO,ENABLE PERFORMANCE MODE","1"
"379-BCSF : iDRAC,Factory Generated Passwo rd","1J79T","LBL,POD,14G,SCAN,QRL","1"
"","FTY7H","AW,LBL,14G,OMM,QRL","1"
"","1J79T","LBL,POD,14G,SCAN,QRL","1"
"","GT2YK","INFO,PW,RNDM","1"
"","HF5RN","AW,LBL,14G,RNDM,SCAN","1"
"379-BCQY : iDRAC Group Manager, Disabled","K77MJ","INFO,GRP,MNGR,OFF","1"
"374-BBBX : No Additional Processor","J89HK","INFO,NO 2ND CPU,2-SKT, SYSM","1"
"370-AEVR : 3200MT/s RDIMMs","FM38V","INFO,ORD-ENTRY,3200MTS,RDIMMS","1"
"370-AEVO : 8GB RDIMM, 3200MT/s, Single Ra nk","6VDNY","DIMM,8GB,3200,1RX8,8G,DDR4,R","1"
"","864KE","Information,PLACEHOLDER       PIECE-PART","1"
"370-AAIP : Performance Optimized","74FPM","INFO,MEM,OPTIMIZED","1"
"350-BBLM : No Quick Sync for Tower","93XD7","Assembly,Panel,Control,Tower,Status,T640","1"
"","94682","Screw,M3X,5X5MM,Hex,Phillips  Head,TF,Zinc Plated Steel","1"
"","HRKX7","INFO,TWR","1"
"350-BBBW : No Bezel","5J564","INFO,NO BEZEL OPTION","1"
"340-COPO : PowerEdge T640 Shipping Materi al","CHN14","SHP MTL,OPT,12G TWR,7.0H","1"
"","GF21K","KIT,SHP MTL,T640","1"
"340-BSGU : PowerEdge T640 Shipping DAO","H96G3","INFO,SCV,PWREDG,14G/15G,V1.0","1"
"","01323","INFO,NO ITEM","1"
"","08123","INFO, NO DELL DIRECT CATALOG","1"
"","1212T","INFO,TERMS AND CONDITIONS","1"
"","14PV9","GDE,PROD,INFO,WSI-US,PE/PV","1"
"","2260R","PREP MTL, DEV, SRV, INCRS #1","1"
"","5R203","INFO,FLYER,DOC","1"
"","7260R","PREP MTL, DEV, SRV, INCRS #2","1"
"","8DX78","LBL,BRCD,3IN1,BLNK,ODM/FCTRY","1"
"","J894K","GDE,PROD,INFO,SERI,DAO/BCC","1"
"","MW70H","ASSY,LBL,REG,ESG,PKG,DAO,BR","1"
"","NVVGC","GDE,GETS,T640,WW","1"
"338-BSDO : Intel Xeon Silver 4216 2.1G, 1 6C/32T, 9.6GT/s, 22M Cache, Tu rbo, HT (100W) DDR4-2400","5T94K","PRC,4216,2.1,22MB,CLX,L1","1"
"329-BFBL : PowerEdge T640 MLK Motherboard  V2","7978V","ASSY,CRD,PLN,T640,MLK,V2","1"
"325-BCON : Dell EMC Logo Push Pin","WCM83","Badge,Bezel,Front,DELLEMC,T640","1"
"321-BHDW : Chassis with up to 18 x 3.5 SA S/ SATA Hard Drives, Tower Con figuration PERC/HBA11","5KV11","ASSY,CHAS,3.5,18HDD,TWR,T640","1"
"","TJY8J","INFO,4-FAN MODULE,INSTALLED","1"
"","4F7V1","Assembly,Carrier,Mounting,Blank,Hard Drive,3.5,V5","14"
"","4Y34G","ASSY,CBL,X16,X18BP,APERC11,T64","1"
"","15XVT","Assembly,Cable,Power,Motherboard,2X12,T620","1"
"","35TMJ","Assembly,Cable,Motherboard,Serial Ata,Optical Device Drive,TBU,T640","1"
"","C918V","ASSY,PNL,CNTL,BASE,T640","1"
"","CKY79","ASSY,FAN,92X92,12V,STD,T640","1"
"","CKY79","ASSY,FAN,92X92,12V,STD,T640","1"
"","CKY79","ASSY,FAN,92X92,12V,STD,T640","1"
"","CKY79","ASSY,FAN,92X92,12V,STD,T640","1"
"","D2DTT","Assembly,Card,Interface,PIB,T640","1"
"","D47T0","Assembly,Cable,Signal,Internal,PIB,T630","1"
"","D5PD2","Assembly,Cable,Power,Backplane,18,T640","1"
"","D5PD2","Assembly,Cable,Power,Backplane,18,T640","1"
"","DHYPY","Assembly,Cable,Control Panel,Signal,T640","1"
"","KV109","Assembly,Cable,I Squared C Buss,RT-BAY,2.5,R720","1"
"","MWTYJ","Assembly,Cable,Internal,Intrusion,Switch/Switching,T630","1"
"","PGJ17","Assembly,Card,Backplane,18X3.5,T640,V2","1"
"","R31CT","Assembly,Cable,Power,Motherboard,PIB,T640","1"
"","VN2N7","Assembly,Fan,92X92,12V,FXN,T630","1"
"","VN2N7","Assembly,Fan,92X92,12V,FXN,T630","1"
"","VNV7W","Assembly,Cable,Power,Optical Device Drive,Backplane,T640","1"
"","X3GD9","Assembly,Cable,Control Panel,USB3.0,T640","1"
"","XVRTF","ASSY,CRD,CNTL PNL,STATUS,T640","1"
"210-AMBC : PowerEdge T640 Server","17V8K","INFO,PROCESS-START,UEFI","1"
"","C108D","INFO,LBL,BLACK EST","1"
"","DF3MX","INFO,64-BIT,UEFI-MFG,PROCESS","1"
"","DNCPW","INFO,RYLTY,EXP,14G,AVOCENT","1"
"","GD720","Information,Label,MINI-XPRS-  Service-Tag","1"
"","JD509","LBL,REG,SIDE,UNIV,BLNK,V2","1"
"","T6N3T","INFO,RYLTY,GDRIVER,14G,AMI","1"
"","23503","LBL,BRCD,TRACK,SYS,GNRC","1"
"","NF1XG","SRV,DRVR,SAS,PERC S140,T640","1"
"","0HY84","SRV,OSC,14G-L2,DRVS,SV","1"
"","6P66G","SRV,SW,ESG,PWREDG,VID,14G","1"
"","6P8FH","SRV,SW,NTWK,BCME,FY22SEP","1"
"","J33XJ","SRV,SW,ESG,PWREDG,CS,14G","1"
"","5NC3N","INFO,LBL,QRL,13G,ALT","1"
"","J0RGR","SRV,SW,ISM, LCDUP","1"
"","P9WP6","INFO,LBL,EST,1D BRCD","1"
"","N1V9D","SRV,MZR,DIAGS,SV,14G","1"
"","Y634J","INFO,MZR,SV","1"
"","YG03D","SRV,MZR,DRVS,SV,14G,SDP1,GEN","1"
"","T845M","INSTR,TRIG,SVC TAG","1"

Hardware

Several custom upgrades were installed to the base model:

• 256 GB RAM

NEMIX RAM 256GB (8X32GB) DDR4 2400MHZ PC4-19200 2Rx4 1.2V CL17 288-PIN ECC RDIMM...

• 4x18TB HDD configured as a 32TB RAID 10 array

Amazon.com: Western Digital 18TB WD Gold Enterprise Class Internal Hard Drive -...

NVIDIA

• 2x16GB Tesla T4 GPUs

Amazon.com: PNY NVIDIA Tesla T4 Datacenter Card 16GB GDDR6 PCI Express 3.0 x16,...

I had originally purchased an RTX A6000 to be used in this server; however, as was mentioned in the Tower Plus Desktop PC thread, I was unable to get this working correctly.

Dell Tower Plus Desktop

ITT I am documenting the customization and usage of my personal Tower Plus Desktop Computer made by Dell Technologies. My intention is to share how I customize this device to suit my unique needs and to review its subsequent performance in the field. Readers are invited to ask questions about the device or offer suggestions of how I might improve my configuration. This is not a sponsored review. I purchased this product with my own money and am in no way affiliated with …

Kubernetes

The T640 runs 15 QEMU virtual machines that evenly divide the server’s resources. These machines are then coordinated as a Kubernetes cluster. Discourse, Gitea, Owncast, etc. are all deployed to this cluster. The entire configuration is automated using Ansible through the software-infrastructure repository.

Production-Grade Container Orchestration

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/index.html

software-infrastructure

[eric]

T640 Crashes

After a sudden power outage last night my PowerEdge T640 abruptly rebooted three additional times, causing service outages. The server had been running continuously for over a year, and had accumulated a fair amount of dust, so I shut it down manually for a dusting. It appears to be working normally again now, but I will continue to monitor for unusual activity.

[eric]

Tesla T4 Issues

The T640 has two Nvidia Tesla T4s installed; however, the system was not detecting the second. Having already spent a considerable amount of time working with GPUs on this machine, I simply left this alone for several months. I suspect this changed after the power outage forced a reboot; further, I’m guessing that there is a problem with the GPU itself that causes the intermittent shutdowns. The faulty GPU is not currently being detected by the system, and I am going to leave it as is to see if there are further reboots.