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