ExpressBox 16 Smart

Partition one expansion chassis to multiple servers with Express I/O Manager™

Remotely Manage Sixteen I/O Cards Attached to Multiple Servers

Smart, Manageable, Multi-Host Expansion

PCI Express connectivity has matured well beyond the early days of PCI into a fully capable “outside the box” high-speed interconnect for the most demanding mission critical applications in HPC and IT infrastructures.  As cloud computing and remote services become standard, offering a flexible, manageable, and cost effective expansion solution is demanded for high-speed Ethernet, HBAs, Fibre Channel SAN controllers, GPUs, video accelerators, and more.

Designed for high performance computing (HPC) and data center environments

• Partition expansion slots among four individual servers
• Add any combinations of x1, x4, x8 and x16 PCIe cards
• x8 or x16 interconnect options - speeds up to 80Gbps
• 850W, 1700W or 850W redundant power supply
• Remote monitoring with SNMP and Web Interface
• Add (16) slots through a single host slot

ExpressBox 16 Smart expands one host PCIe® slot to sixteen slots by extending PCI Express signals over a high-bandwidth x8 or x16 connection to an external Magma enclosure. When combined with Magma’s software utility, Express I/O Manager, technology managers have the flexibility to partition slots inside the expansion chassis to up to four separate servers. Express I/O Manager also provides access to monitor the most critical components like power temperature, fans and PCI Express links through an Ethernet connection.  The software tool can be integrated with any SNMP agent in the IT network.

Expansion Partitioning Between Multiple Servers

A unique feature of the ExpressBox 16 Smart allows the PCIe expansion slots to be partitioned between 4 different servers. Using the Express I/O Manager, 3 different partitioning configurations can be selected. In the default configuration, all 16 expansion slots are accessed by one host computer. Configurations 2 and 3 provide up to 3 expansion cards per server at x16 speeds, and up to seven expansion cards for a fourth server at x8 speeds. A separate host adapter is required for each server.

ExpressBox 16 Smart consists of a pair of interface cards (x8 or x16), an iPass cable and a 4U rack-mount expansion chassis. The Magma expansion chassis is automatically configured by the System BIOS, with the expansion slots appearing transparently on the host computer.

Benefits:

• Mission critical solution for adding (16) PCI Express slots to one or more computers
• Provides ability to partition PCIe slots among up to four servers
• Offers flexibility in configuration and allocation of scarce or expensive I/O resources
• Keep the PCIe I/O configuration consistent from server to server
• Protect investment of expensive I/O cards during server migrations and upgrades
• Express I/O Manager provides an enhancement to existing SNMP protocol
• Notifications of failures by SNMP trap, audible alarm, and email?
• Minimize downtime by servicing problems immediately
• Reduce power and space requirements

Features:

• Low profile PCIe host card can be installed in any server
• High-speed x8 or x16 interconnection
• Automatic power-up control by computer
• 4U rack-mount enclosure with superior EMI control, vibration, shock and moisture resistance
• All slots support full-length cards and card hold down bar keeps PCIe cards secure
• LEDs on backplane indicate active link, speed (Gen 1 or Gen 2), partial or complete lane training
• Supports peer-to-peer transfers between cards in the expansion chassis to provide full-bandwidth potential among I/O cards
• Four hot-swappable cooling fans
• Multiple power supply options with auxiliary power connectors to support high-wattage cards

Prefer to use your own enclosure? No Problem. We offer OEM Board-Sets for system integrators. Contact Sales for a quote. Minimum Order Quantities required.

Press Release: Magma Releases First Multi-Host PCI Express® Expansion Solution – ExpressBox 16 Smart