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