| Welcome to Blade Server 101, where we will teach | | | | blade server with a traditional rack server. The |
| you the ins and outs of what a blade server is and | | | | traditional rack server requires cables, network |
| how its use can lower the total cost of ownership | | | | switches, management software, operating system |
| (TCO) for any business.First of all, what is a blade | | | | software, storage area network (SAN) infrastructure |
| server? The best way to answer that question is to | | | | components, a keyboard, mouse and monitor.Blade |
| compare it to a traditional low-profile dual-processor 1U | | | | servers provide these components as part of an |
| (one rack unit) rack-mount server. An Intel blade server | | | | integrated system, unlike rack servers. When |
| chassis houses up to 14 dual Xeon servers or 7 Quad | | | | comparing the server solutions, blade servers offer the |
| Xeon Servers in just 7U of data center rack | | | | best value. When one adds up the cost of the |
| space.Because the individual blade servers are all | | | | individual components needed to build a traditional rack |
| housed in that shared blade chassis, the cost per | | | | system and then compare that to the price of an |
| server reduces with each blade added. This is | | | | integrated blade system with the same features and |
| because the resources of the chassis (power, cooling, | | | | functionality, the savings become apparent.When you |
| cabling, etc.) are shared, and only the core cost of the | | | | compare server solutions on this basis, blade servers |
| server is added to the TCO each time a new blade | | | | provide the most value for a business.Deployment |
| server is added. Compare this to the old method of | | | | costs: We'll give you a hint as to which is easier to |
| adding a whole new 1U or 2U rack-mount server for | | | | deploy between the blade server and the rack-mount |
| each new application, and savings are obvious. In fact, | | | | server. Blade servers typically use 87 percent less |
| on average the break-even cost point for a new | | | | cabling than rack servers.Studies show that adding |
| server is 6.5 blades compared to full 1U Dual Xeon | | | | servers to a blade environment is easier and takes |
| servers and 1.8 blades for 2U Quad Xeon | | | | less time than expanding a typical rack environment. |
| servers.These are the main ingredients of a traditional | | | | Adding a blade server can take as little as 30 minutes, |
| 1U server: Ethernet controllers, hard-disk controller and | | | | while adding a comparable rack server can take as |
| drivers, main logic board with chipset, memory, two | | | | much as 12 hours. And the old adage is true: Time is |
| processors, support hardware (including power | | | | money.A traditional rack server requires a certain |
| supplies), cooling fans and other components that take | | | | amount of assembly, including unpacking the server, |
| up space, generate heat and cost a lot.Even with all | | | | installing rails, mounting the server into the rack which |
| these infrastructure components, the traditional | | | | may require more than one person due to the size |
| rack-mount server does not contribute to processing, | | | | and weight, and then connect all the cables. With a |
| storage or connectivity.The basics of a blade server | | | | blade server, the blade simply slides into the chassis. If |
| include no support hardware, power supplies, or cooling | | | | a large number of servers is to be installed, this can |
| fans. Those ingredients are all included in a box called | | | | add up to many hours of time and many resources |
| the chassis. The shared chassis provides built-in | | | | saved.Troubleshooting/repair costs: If a component |
| network connectivity, including switches that reduce | | | | failure occurs in a blade server, advanced diagnostics |
| cabling, and a centralized management system for the | | | | can lead the technician directly to the failing part, thus |
| blade server.With these ingredients in the shared | | | | restoring full redundancy sooner rather than later.Some |
| chassis, the server - the processors, memory, logic | | | | components will even alert a systems management |
| board, storage and connectivity - becomes much | | | | processor of impending failure, hours or days before |
| smaller in size and perfect to place in a centralized | | | | the failure occurs.Facilities costs: Because of the |
| data center.The blade server slides into a bay in the | | | | increased density of the blade server, only half of the |
| chassis and plugs into a mid- or backplane, sharing | | | | floor space is taken that would be needed for a |
| power, fans, floppy drives, switches, and ports with | | | | traditional rack server. That not only reduces tenant |
| other blade servers. The benefits of the blade server | | | | costs by using a smaller building or smaller area, it can |
| include eliminating using hundreds of cables strung | | | | also increases space for other business needs (office |
| through racks just to add and remove servers. With | | | | area, for example) that improve productivity.In a large |
| switches and power units shared, space is freed up, | | | | data center that utilizes a traditional rack-mounted |
| so blade servers also enable higher density with | | | | server, a couple of failures can happen each day. By |
| greater ease.Intel conducted an extensive study in | | | | reducing the number of components in a rack - by |
| 2004 into the potential benefits of blade servers - | | | | using a blade server - the chance for potential failure is |
| which were only three years in the making at the time | | | | reduced as well.In summary, Blade servers offer |
| - and determined that blade servers lower acquisition | | | | benefits of horizontal scalability in a very small space; |
| costs and operational costs for deployment, | | | | they have the versatility to mix and match the types |
| troubleshooting and repair.Intel enlisted a company-wide | | | | of blades within a single chassis, and a performance |
| team of experts in areas such as storage area | | | | spectrum ranging from low cost to high performance |
| network (SAN), networking, systems management, | | | | and high availability.Learning all the aspects of the blade |
| platform and data center technologies to conduct its | | | | server is beneficial to any company that needs to be |
| study. The team further learned that blade servers | | | | creative in keeping its TCO under control. Blade Server |
| also reduce power, cooling, space and cable | | | | 101 should have taught you that using blade servers is |
| requirements.Intel's total cost of ownership (TCO) | | | | more beneficial than the traditional rack-mounted |
| analysis indicated potential reductions of 10 to 20 | | | | server in four important categories: Acquisition costs, |
| percent for acquisition costs, 3.8 to 10.6 percent for | | | | deployment costs, troubleshooting and repair, and |
| deployment and troubleshooting costs, , and 8.5 to 25.3 | | | | facilities costs.A study by Intel indicates total savings of |
| percent for facilities costs.Let's break these categories | | | | 15 to 20 percent in these four categories. With |
| down further:Acquisition costs: Again, let's compare a | | | | numbers like that, what else is there to know? |