Lenovo ThinkAgile MX1021 and ThinkSystem DM7100 Launched

Lenovo has two new solutions coming to the market. The first is an exciting Microsoft Azure Stack HCI ThinkAgile MX1021 solution for the edge. We found some unique configuration features in the details of this system. We also see two new ONTAP-based storage solutions with automated cloud tiering being launched as the ThinkSystem DM7100 line.

Lenovo ThinkAgile MX1021

Absolutely one of the coolest announcements we have had in recent weeks is the Lenovo ThinkAgile MX1021. This is essentially a pre-validated Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 solution with specific configurations to deliver Microsoft Azure Stack hyper-converged infrastructure solutions at the edge.

We are going to have our Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 review in the next few weeks. It is already going through our thorough process. We are not going to be able to test the Azure Stack HCI ThinkAgile iteration, unfortunately. The ThinkAgile MX1021 has some unique features that make it exciting. Here are the specs of the server:

Something really interesting here is that the solution supports direct-connect networking. If you, for example, have 1GbE on-site but need 10GbE for the Azure Stack services, this solution allows you to directly connect the 2-3 nodes in your hyper-converged cluster together. That saves power and cost for edge deployments although we have seen a flurry of extremely low cost and power 10GbE SFP+ switches on the market recently such as the MikroTik CRS309-1G-8S+IN we reviewed. Still, the fact that Lenovo and Microsoft are offering this as a solution shows the depth that they understand the unique challenges presented in the edge market.

Lenovo ThinkSystem DM7100

Based on the well-known ONTAP platform, the Lenovo ThinkSystem DM7100 has two flavors. First, is the ThinkSystem DM7100H hybrid flash and disk array. Second, is the ThinkSystem DM7100F all-flash array. These solutions have automated tiering to the Microsoft Azure cloud as well as other cloud providers to leverage off-site resources along with those a company manages directly.

The Lenovo ThinkSystem DM7100H runs on ONTAP 9.7 or later and can scale to maximum raw capacities of 88PB with 8640 drives including up to 288TB of flash and 3TB of memory in NAS configuration.

For the all-flash array, the Lenovo ThinkSystem DM7100F can utilize up to 5760 SSDs with up to 88PB of raw capacity also using ONTAP 9.7. For those that think ONTAP is a NetApp OS, Lenovo has an agreement to sell ONTAP-based products and has been doing so for years.