Gigabyte Motherboard MD61-SC2 (Rev.1.0)

2nd Generation Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable Family Ready

GIGABYTE’s servers are fully ready to support the second generation of Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable Family processors, codenamed “Cascade Lake”, which bring the following major enhancements:

• Intel^® Optane™ Persistent Memory: Built-in support for this revolutionary new product based on Intel’s 3D Xpoint technology
• Overall Performance: Higher CPU frequencies, improved turbo profiles vs. prior-gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors
• Increased DDR4 Memory Speed & Capacity: Up to 2933MHz (1 DIMM per channel on some SKUs), 16Gb based DIMM supported
• Intel Deep Learning Boost: Significantly accelerates inference performance for deep learning workloads optimized to use VNNI (Vector Neural Network Instructions)
• Security: Hardware mitigations for Meltdown / Spectre security vulnerabilities

Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable Family Processors

GIGABYTE’s Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable Processor family servers are available in dual socket configurations, and are compatible with the full family* of different SKUs (Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum) that are workload optimized to support different applications, from enterprise IT database, cloud and storage to the most high-demand HPC workloads.
* SKU compatibility will depend on the maximum CPU TDP supported for each system, please refer to each product’s specification page for further information

Advanced features built into the silicon include:

• Intel^® QAT: Speed up data compression and cryptography with integrated Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT).
• Intel^® AVX-512: Intel Advanced Vector Extension 512 instruction set architecture enables workload-optimized performance and throughput increases for advanced analytics, high performance computing (HPC) applications, and data compression.
• Intel^® VROC: Intel Xeon Scalable Processors come with built-in support for Intel VROC (Virtual RAID on CPU). And GIGABYTE Intel Xeon Scalable NVMe SKU servers all ship with an Intel VROC module as standard.
• Intel^® Omni-Path: Selected GIGABYTE servers support CPU SKUs with integrated Intel Omni-Path Fabric connection

Intel^® Optane™ Persistent Memory Ready

GIGABYTE’s second generation Intel^® Xeon^® Scalable family servers come ready to support Intel^® Optane™ Persistent Memory, a revolutionary new product that re-defines traditional memory & storage architectures by enabling a large persistent memory tier between DRAM and SSDs, that’s higher capacity than DRAM and faster than SSDs, enabling the user to bring more data closer to the CPU for faster time for insight.

Optane Persistent Memory Modules (“PMem”) integrate seamlessly into existing DDR4 DIMM slots, and use Intel’s 3D Xpoint memory technology, which unlike DRAM retains data after power is removed. The modules will be available in capacities up to 512GB – a massive increase compared to the current maximum 128GB of industry-leading DDR4 memory sticks – and can be addressed by the OS or application either as memory (Memory Mode) or storage (Application Direct Mode).

Note: the maximum number of Intel^® Optane™ PMem that can be installed per system and the DIMM slot positions that can be used for PMem will vary according to each server model due to thermal considerations. Please refer to each product’s specification page for further instructions.

MD61-SC2 Block Diagram

MD61-SC2 Product Overview

The Gigabyte MD61-SC2 (Rev.1.0) is a high-performance server motherboard built on the Intel® C621 chipset, engineered to support the most demanding enterprise workloads. With compatibility for 2nd Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable and Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors, it delivers powerful computing capacity, flexible memory support, and robust expansion capabilities.

Key Features

• Processor Support
  • Compatible with 2nd Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable and Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors
  • Provides superior multi-core performance for enterprise-grade applications
• Memory
  • 6-channel RDIMM/LRDIMM DDR4 per processor, up to 16 DIMM slots
  • Supports Intel® Optane™ DC Persistent Memory for enhanced data handling and reliability
• Networking
  • Dual 10Gb/s SFP+ ports and dual 1Gb/s LAN ports for high-speed connectivity
  • 1 dedicated management port for remote server administration
• Storage Interfaces
  • 3 x SlimSAS connectors supporting up to 12 x SATA 6Gb/s devices
  • 2 x SATA DOM for boot or storage redundancy
  • 2 x U.2 ports with PCIe Gen3 x4 interface for high-speed NVMe SSDs
• Expansion Slots
  • Up to 4 PCIe Gen3 expansion slots
  • 1 mezzanine slot (PCIe Gen3 x16) for additional networking or acceleration cards
• Management & Reliability
  • Integrated Aspeed® AST2500 BMC remote management controller for out-of-band monitoring and control
  • Enterprise-class stability, scalability, and remote access features

Carefully Selected Components

GIGABYTE’s passive components are carefully selected to guarantee a stable operating environment and allow the processors and the memory to deliver their maximum performance. GIGABYTE’s server motherboards are built with long lasting components for a high degree of reliability and durability.

GIGABYTE Server Management (GSM)

GIGABYTE Server Management (GSM) is GIGABYTE’s proprietary multiple server remote management software platform, available as a free download from each GIGABYTE server product page. GSM is compatible with either IPMI or Redfish connection interfaces, and comprises the following sub-programs:

• GSM Server
  A software program with an easy to use browser-based GUI to enable global remote monitoring and management of multiple GIGABYTE servers via each server node’s BMC.
• GSM CLI (GBT Utility)
  A command-line interface program to enable global remote monitoring and management of multiple GIGABYTE servers via each server node’s BMC.
• GSM Agent
  A software program installed locally on each GIGABYTE server node that retrieves additional node information (CPU/Mem/HDD/PCI/…) from the OS and passes it to the BMC. This information can then be utilized by GSM Server or GSM CLI.
• GSM Mobile
  A remote server management mobile APP, available for both Android and iOS.
• GSM Plugin
  A plugin that allows the user to manage and monitor GIGABYTE server nodes within VMware’s vCenter.

Intuitive & Informative User Interface

Starting from the GSM Server dashboard, the user can clearly understand the status of each node in the IT environment, including:

• Node connection status (system is online/offline)
• Node hardware sensor status (to detect hardware anomalies). Sensors measure voltage, fan speed and temperature
• Node usage rate status (allowing you to timely allocate more resources when they are needed), including:
  • Power consumption
  • Disk/RAID usage information
  • Memory usage rate
  • CPU usage rate
  • Network card / PCI information

The user can also perform various management functions, including:

• Node remote access
  • Power on / off / reset
  • Launch iKVM
  • Reboot BMC / BMC Account Configuration
• Network Configuration
  • IPv4/IPv6 setting
• Alert Management
  • SNMP trap setting
  • Platform events filters
  • Forwarding alerts by email
• BMC / BIOS / CPLD Update
• Power Consumption Limit Setting
• Group Management
  • Create groups of nodes for BMC / BIOS update or manage power consumption settings

GSM Mobile for iOS and Android

A GSM Mobile app is available for download for both iOS and Android mobile phones for remote server management on the go.

Management through VMware vCenter

A GSM Plugin is available for VMware’s vCenter, allowing the user to perform remote monitoring and management of GIGABYTE server nodes without having to switch to a separate software platform.

GIGABYTE Management Console

GIGABYTE server utilizes the AMI MegaRAC SP-X solution for BMC server management, has a browser-based graphical user interface, and is feature-rich and easy to use.

• RESTful API support includes the latest DMTF standard of Redfish. Allows integration with 3rd party applications for server management
• Including HTML5 based iKVM remote management client, no need to purchase other additional licenses
• Detailed FRU information from SMBIOS
• 10 to 30 seconds pre-event automatic recording function
• SAS / RAID controller monitoring function

Dynamic Fan Speed Control

GIGABYTE servers are enabled with dynamic fan speed adjustment. Individual fan speed will be automatically adjusted according to the system’s current temperature (according to CPU, DIMM, M.2, HDD, GPU temperature sensors), to achieve the best cooling and power efficiency. When the BMC detects a temperature change, fan speed will be automatically adjusted accordingly. Fan speed profiles may also be manually created and edited* when necessary according to the user’s custom requirements.

* Enabled on selected models & performed through BMC console management GUI

Environmental Compliance

GIGABYTE maintains its commitment to green products, and adheres to the latest RoHS regulations (in effect July 2017).

VMware Technology Alliance Partner

Being a member of VMware's Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) program enables GIGABYTE to rapidly develop and certify joint solutions or go-to-market products that leverage VMware virtualization and cloud solutions, enabling our customers to modernize their data centers and implement IT infrastructure and application services with speed, agility, and cost optimization.

Enquire with your GIGABYTE sales representative for more information about combining or integrating this server product with VMware solutions.