VMware Edge Compute Stack on
Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350
Seamlessly extend VMware environment from the datacenter to the edge

Lenovo partners with VMware to enable a secure, scalable and high-performance vSAN
ReadyNode certified solution.
This solution for remote edge computing provides a2-node, high availability cluster with Wi-Fi or wired
connectivity and a backup cellular LTE link. It uses
small, robust ThinkSystem SE350 Edge servers that
support extended temperature, shock and vibrationand provide up to 25 to 30 virtual machines at aremote/Edge location. It provides a small footprint,
cost-effective way to extend VMware’s vSphere®
infrastructure to the edge and manage it using
existing vSphere management tools. The solution
can be set up and managed from a centralized
location using a remote VMware vSAN™ witness andFigure 1: Edge-native applications built on VMs orvSphere Lifecycle Manager. Also, with the upcoming
containers
support of SD-WAN Orchestrator, you can create aSecure Access Service Edge (SASE), managing all the Edge networks from a centralized
location.

Benefits
The combination of Lenovo’s compact and powerful ThinkSystem SE350 Edge server withpre-loaded VMware ESXi and defined software stack VMware vSAN and vSphere (VMware
Tanzu™ and SD-WAN are optional) makes this solution easy to deploy for customers of all
sizes and industry types. Retail, manufacturing, healthcare, smart cities, and many more canbenefit from resilient edge computing that extends the VMware environment out from thecore data center.
The Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 supports a wide range ofuse cases at the edge, bringing together high compute
power and compact, rugged form factor. It has a small
footprint measuring 43mm high, 209mm wide, and 376mm
deep that can be mounted on a wall, stacked on a shelf, orinstalled in a rack. The server is also dust-resistant and canhandle temperatures from zero degrees Celsius to 55
Figure 2: ThinkSystem SE350
Celsius. It uses the Intel Xeon D-2100 processors, whichfeature a data center processor optimized for network, storage, and cloud-edge systems.
Intel Xeon D-2100 processors have up to 16 (4c, 8c, 12c, 12c QAT also available) cores with aperformance per-watt of power that is optimized for enterprise edge applications.
Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 is a certified vSAN ReadyNode for VMware vSphere versions 6.7and later. It is fully enabled and Ethernet-connected for a VMware vSAN stretched cluster
configuration since it supports variety of connectivity options like wired 10Gb or 1Gb
Ethernet, SFP+ or RJ45 connections, Wi-Fi (endpoint or Access Point), and Cellular (e.g.4GLTE) connection.
Combining this powerful purpose-built edge hardware
with VMware’s software stack saves time and money while
lowering risk. This flexible all-in-one combination enables
organizations to rapidly expand to new edge locations.

Highlights• vSAN ReadyNode certified all-in-one
solution with preloaded SW for easy
deployment

Data protection on several layers
VMware vSAN 2-node deployments include two physicalservers to host VMs and and a witness, which can be aphysical server or VM). 2-node deployments offer highdata availability, so in case of a node failure, theapplications running on the problematic node will be
moved to the alternate node where a complete replica ofeach data component is available. This way theapplications will remain in an uninterrupted state andrunning. vSAN 2-node cluster configuration achieves thislevel of redundancy by applying a storage policy of RAID-1
and Failures to Tolerate of 1 (Mirroring); in other words, one
host failure can be supported without an impact on theapplication’s running state.

• Seamlessexperienceedge-to-cloudVMware• Reliable HA cluster• Resilient hardware environment• Secure processing of data right where
it’s created• Rapidly expand to new Edge locations• Simple licensing model for edge sites• Self-installation or engagement ofLenovo PS

Maintaining security at the edge location can bechallenging since the compute nodes are not in anenvironment as secure as the data center. Lenovo
ThinkSystem SE350 and vSAN 2-node clusters as part of
ReadyNode solution come together to assure the data is protected on several different
levels:• Data-at-rest encryption - the purpose of data at rest encryption is to essentially disallow
access to the stored data without the appropriate key to unlock the data. In the event ofmedia loss or theft, the data is secure without the presence of the unlocking key. Because ofthis, data-at-rest encryption is often employed in environments that require additional levelsof security.
• Integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 support enables advanced cryptographic
methods, such as digital signatures and remote attestation.

• Supports Secure Boot to ensure only a digitally signed operating system can be used.
• Industry-standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) NI support for faster, strongerencryption.
• Intel Execute Disable Bit functionality can prevent certain classes of malicious buffer
overflow attacks when combined with a supported operating system.
• Intel Trusted Execution Technology provides enhanced security through hardware-based
resistance to malicious software attacks, allowing an application to run in its own isolated
space, protected from all other software running on a system.
• Lenovo patent pending secure hardware platform can detect un-authorized movement or
tampering of the system and ultimately lock-down the data for increased security.

Three configurations to cover various scenarios
Ingredient

Solution A

Solution B

Solution C

Processor

Intel Xeon 8C 2.2GHz 65WIntel Xeon 8C 2.2GHz 65WIntel Xeon 16C 2.2GHz 100W

Memory64GB

128GB

256GB

Storage

2-8x 480GB Industrial
A600i SATA SED SSD

2-8x 480GB Industrial
A600i SATA SED SSD

2-8x 480GB Industrial
A600i SATA SED SSD

NICs

10GBase-T 2-Port,
10/100/1GbE RJ45 2-PortIntel i350

10GBase-T 2-Port,
10/100/1GbE RJ45 2-PortIntel i350

10GBase-T 2-Port,
10/100/1GbE RJ45 2-PortIntel i350

Default SW

vSAN, vSphere

vSAN, vSpherevSAN, vSphere

Optional SW

Tanzu, SD-WAN

Tanzu, SD-WAN

Tanzu, SD-WAN

For more information
To learn more about VMware Edge Cloud on ThinkSystem SE350 solutions and validated
configurations, contact your Lenovo Business Partner or visit: www.lenovo.com©2021 Lenovo. All rights reserved
Availability: Offers, prices, specifications and availability may change without notice. Lenovo is not responsible for pho tographic
or typographical errors. Warranty: For a copy of applicable warranties, write to Lenovo Warranty Information, 1009 Think Place,Morrisville, NC, 27560, Lenovo makes no representation or warranty regarding third party products or services. Trademarks:
Lenovo, the Lenovo logo, ThinkSystem and ThinkAgile are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lenovo. Microsoft andWindows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo,
Xeon and Xeon Inside are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company, product,and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.