Introduction to server Types

Tower-Type Server

Tower server is generally seen the most, its shape and structure are similar to the ordinary PC, just a little larger, the size of its dimensions do not have a unified standard.

The tower server's motherboard is strong, the socket is also many, and the tower server inside the chassis often reserved a lot of space for the hard disk, power supply and other redundant expansion. This server eliminates the need for additional equipment, does not require a lot of space for placement, is well-scalable, and can be configured to be very high, so it can be used in a wide range of applications to meet common server application requirements.

This type of server is especially suitable for common entry-level and workgroup-level server applications, and the cost is low, performance can meet the requirements of most SME users, the current market demand space is still very large.

But this type of server also has a lot of limitations, in the need to use more than one server at the same time to meet the high demand for server applications, because of its individual relatively large, occupy more space, also inconvenient management, it seems very unsuitable.

Rack-Mount Servers

The rack server is actually a product under industrial standardization, its appearance is designed according to the unified standard, with the uniform use of the cabinet, to meet the enterprise server-intensive deployment needs. The main role of the rack server is to save space, because it can be installed on a cabinet, not only to occupy a smaller space, but also facilitate unified management. The rack server has a width of 19 inches and a height of u (1u=1.75 inch = 44.45 mm), usually with several standard servers 1u,2u,3u,4u,5u,7u.

This server has the advantage of small footprint, and easy to manage, but due to internal space constraints, scalability is more limited, for example, 1U servers are only 1 to 2 PCI expansion slots. In addition, thermal performance is also a need to pay attention to the problem, in addition to the need for organic cabinets and other equipment, so this server is more used for large enterprises of servers, and many enterprises use this type of server, but the server delivered to a dedicated server hosting agencies to host, In particular, many of the current Web site servers are used this way.

Such servers due to scalability and thermal issues are limited, so the single-machine performance is relatively limited, the scope of application is also limited, often only focus on some aspects of the application, such as Remote Storage and network services.

In terms of price, rack servers are typically 20%-30% more expensive than a tower server of the same type.

Blade Server

The blade server is a low-cost server platform for HAHD (high availability-Density, highly available density), designed specifically for the special application industry and high-density computer environments, with a large main body chassis that can be plugged into many "blades" inside. Each of these blades is actually a piece of system motherboard, similar to a separate server, they can start their own operating system through the local hard disk. Each blade can run its own system, serving the specified different user groups, with no correlation. In addition, these boards can be assembled into a single server cluster using system software. In cluster mode, all blades can be connected to provide a high-speed network environment, share resources, and serve the same user base. By inserting new blades into the cluster, you can improve overall performance. Because each blade is hot-swappable, the system can be easily replaced and the maintenance time minimized.

Blade servers are more space-saving than rack-mounted servers, and thermal issues are more pronounced, often with large, powerful fans in the chassis to dissipate heat. This type of server, although space savings, but its cabinet and blade prices are not low, generally used in large-scale data centers or areas requiring large-scale computing, such as the banking and telecommunications finance industry and the Internet Data Center.

At present, space saving, easy to centralize management, easy to expand and provide uninterrupted service, become the new requirements for the next generation of servers, and blade server just can meet this demand, so blade server market demand is expanding, with good market prospects.

Introduction to server Types