Blade Servers Essay -- Computers Technology Essays

Blade Servers INTRODUCTION The internet boom in the late 90’s was the triggering event that created the need for blade servers. It is a fast growing market that emerged recently. Dell’s PowerEdge 1655MC, the IBM eServer Blade Center, and Hewlett-Packard’s (HP’s) ProLiant BL20p G2 are few examples that uses blade servers. WHAT IS A BLADE SERVER This is the first question I asked myself when this topic was assigned to me. Blade servers? A server is a computer that supports applications and telecommunications in a network, as well as the sharing of peripheral devices, software, and databases among the workstations in the network. Examples include multi-user network operating systems and specialized software for running Internet, intranet, and extranet Web applications, such as electronic commerce and enterprise collaboration. A blade server is an entire server that fits on a single card, or blade, which means that network interfaces, the CPU, the memory, and the hard disk are installed on the card. The blades are plugged into a single chassis, where an IT manager can generally fit 16 server blades into the space previously occupied by a single server which sits in a rack sharing common components such as power supplies, fans, disk storage, and Ethernet. â€Å"Each blade is an independent system, where their compact si ze can be placed in a single server rack or enclosure, where multiple blade servers share electricity and HVAC resources† [4]. They consume less power, generate less heat, cost less money, and have less expansion space per server. WHAT DOES IT CONSIST OF One unit is capable of supporting six blades and is only three-rack unit (RU) in height. A single blade consists of a small metal box that is ... ...ck, Forrester /Research. 9/17/2004. . 6. Blade Servers gain Momentum. Lisa Coleman, InfoStor Magazine. 9/17/2004. 7. Blade Servers Serving Multiple Needs. Francis Chu, Infrastructure. 10/25/2004. . 8. Power to the PC Processor. Todd Spangler, Baseline Magazine. 10/25/2004. . 9. Better Ways to Consolidate Servers. Francis Chu, eWeek. 10/25/2004. . 10. Sharper than your average server: 3 Blades tested. Staff writers, ZDNet Australia. 10/25/2004.