FlexFrame Infrastructure's architecture provides a pool of processing nodes. These processing nodes contain no Network Interface Cards (NIC) or Host Bus Adapters (HBA): Nothing that would give the server a specific identity or state. Instead, all points of state and identity have been moved to the fabric switch, enabling virtualization of both servers and connecting datacenter infrastructure
PRIMERGY BladeFrame is the first FlexFrame Infrastructure implementation in our DDC platform portfolio. It is a true out-of-the-box realization of a server pool with integrated, dynamic resource management (PAN Manager).
Leveraging embedded I/O virtualization, PAN Manager assigns the applications to physical and virtual servers, autonomously deciding what needs to be done and when. Essentially, it combines the operating principle of larger mainframe systems with the cost and scalability benefits of industry-standard architectures. FlexFrame Infrastructure will gradually extend the operating principle of BladeFrame to the PRIMERGY Blade Server line, starting with BX600.
FlexFrame infrastructure organizes processing resources in platforms. A platform consists of the following physical components:
A set of Processing Blades (pBlades), which provide the modular processing power for applications and services. The number of pBlades varies with the specific frame (BX600: up to 8 pBlades and BladeFrame: up to 24 pBlades).
A pair of redundant Control Blades (cBlades), which provide management and control functions, plus all external I/O for the frame.
One pair of redundant Switch Blades (sBlades), which manage the switching among the pBlades and cBlades via an internal high-speed fabric
A fabric, which provides a high-speed internal network to connect all of the physical components.
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