IBM Power 780 System Specifications (Machine Type 9179-MHD)

System Overview

The IBM Power 780 (9179-MHD) is an enterprise-class, symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) rack-mount server powered by IBM POWER7+ processor technology. Built on a modular building-block architecture, it scales from 1 to 4 Central Electronics Complex (CEC) enclosures, designed to handle mission-critical, high-concurrency enterprise workloads, database management, and cloud consolidation.

Technical Specifications Matrix

Feature	Specification Details
Machine Type – Model	9179-MHD
Processor Architecture	IBM 64-bit POWER7+ microprocessors
System Enclosure	Modular 4U 19-inch rack-mount CEC enclosures (1 to 4 nodes; 4U to 16U total)
Processor Sockets	4, 8, 12, or 16 sockets total (4 sockets per CEC node)
Maximum Core Count	Up to 128 cores @ 3.72 GHz or up to 64 cores @ 4.42 GHz
L2 Cache	256 KB per core
L3 Cache	10 MB eDRAM per core (POWER7+ architecture)
Maximum Memory	Up to 4 TB DDR3 DRAM (1066 MHz)
Internal Disk Bays	Up to 6 x 2.5″ SFF SAS HDDs or SSDs per CEC enclosure (Up to 24 internal drives total)
Internal Media Bay	1 x Slimline SATA DVD-RAM drive per enclosure
Base Enclosure I/O Slots	8 slots per enclosure (6 x PCIe Gen2 x8 + 2 x GX++ slots) — Up to 32 slots without expansion drawers
Max System I/O Slots	Up to 184 PCIe slots or 192 PCI-X DDR slots using external I/O expansion drawers
Management Console	IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC) required

System Architecture & Features

1. Processor Subsystem & CoD

• Processor Options:

  • 3.72 GHz 8-Core Card: Configurable with 32, 64, 96, or 128 total cores.

  • 4.42 GHz 4-Core Card: Configurable with 16, 32, 48, or 64 total cores.

• Capacity on Demand (CoD):

  • Processor CoD: Static, Mobile, and Elastic (temporary) processor core activations.

  • Minimum requirement of 4 active cores per system.

• Performance Optimizations: Active Memory Expansion (AME) in hardware, Dynamic Platform Optimizer (DPO).

2. Memory Subsystem

• DIMM Architecture: 16 DDR3 DIMM slots per processor card (up to 64 DIMM slots across 4 CEC nodes).

• Supported DIMM Capacities: 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 modules.

• Memory Activation: Memory CoD supported (at least 50% of total installed physical memory must be activated).

3. Integrated Connectivity & Peripheral Interfaces (Per CEC Enclosure)

• Integrated Multifunction Card (Choice of 1 per enclosure):

  • Quad-port 1 GbE RJ-45

  • Dual-port 10 GbE Optical (SR) + Dual-port 1 GbE RJ-45

  • Dual-port 10 GbE Copper (Twinax SFP+) + Dual-port 1 GbE RJ-45

• Standard Ports:

  • 1 x RS-232 Serial Port

  • 3 x USB 2.0 Ports

  • 2 x HMC Ports per Flexible Service Processor (FSP)

Operating System Support

• IBM AIX: AIX 6.1 (TL7 or later) / AIX 7.1 (TL1 or later).

• IBM i: IBM i 6.1.1 (under VIOS) / IBM i 7.1 (TR5 or later).

• Linux on Power:

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES 11 SP2 or later).

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL 6.2 or later).

Enterprise Virtualization & RAS Features

• PowerVM Technologies:

  • Support for up to 10 Micro-Partitions per core (up to 640 LPARs total).

  • Live Partition Mobility (LPM), Active Memory Sharing (AMS), and Active Memory Deduplication.

  • N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) for Virtual Fibre Channel.

• Reliability, Availability, & Serviceability (RAS):

  • Dual redundant hot-swappable Flexible Service Processors (FSPs) with automatic failover.

  • Redundant hot-plug AC Power Supplies (1925W, 2 per enclosure).

  • Redundant hot-plug cooling fans.

  • Dynamic Processor Deallocation and First Failure Data Capture (FFDC).

Physical Dimensions & Weight (Per CEC Node)

Measurement	Dimension / Rating
Height	174 mm (6.9 in) / 4 EIA Units
Width	483 mm (19.0 in) — Standard 19-inch rack format
Depth	863 mm (34.0 in)
Weight	~70.3 kg (155 lb)
Maximum System Height	16 EIA Units (4 stacked enclosures in a 7014-T42 rack)