Blade Server helps SMEs mature

The so-called Blade server (which is precisely called a blade server) means that multiple, modular server units can be plugged into a standard, rack-mounted chassis to achieve high availability and high-density. Each "blade" is actually a system motherboard. They can start their own operating systems via a "onboard" hard disk, such as Windows nt/2000, Linux, and so on, similar to a separate server in which each motherboard runs its own system, serves the different user groups specified, and is not associated with each other. However, administrators can use system software to assemble these boards into a single server cluster. In cluster mode, all of the motherboard can be connected to provide a high-speed network environment, and simultaneously share resources for the same user group services. By inserting a new "blade" 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.

These blade servers at the beginning of the design have low power consumption, small space, the price of a single machine, and it also inherits some of the traditional server's technical indicators, such as the use of hot Plug and redundancy in the blade server, these designs meet the dense computing environment for server performance requirements Some of them also improve the stability of the server and the core network performance through the built-in load balancing technology. From the appearance, compared with the traditional rack/tower server, Blade Server can maximize the use of the server space and cost, and provide users with flexible, convenient means of extending the upgrade.

Blade servers have become the mainstream of high-performance computing clusters, with many new cluster systems using blade architectures in the world's Super 500 and top 100 supercomputers. Because the use of blade server can greatly reduce the number of external cables required, can greatly reduce the cable connection failure caused by the hidden trouble, improve system reliability.

Mention of blade servers, people often associate with high-end, expensive, exclusive, telecommunications, financial, high-grade data center applications such as patents. Nowadays, with the rapid development of it technology, especially the launch of the Intel Modular server platform, many server vendors and Si, ISVs, the blade server is expanding from the high-end market to the low-end market, fully penetrate to the traditional server market. As the distributor of Intel server products, Hong Kong Baoli Group, together with Intel, is working with value-added channel partners to push Intel's Universal Modular Server system to substantially reduce the cost of blade systems, benefiting growth-oriented enterprises and small and medium-sized users.

Compared with traditional rack servers, blade servers have many advantages. First, the blade server is more space-intensive, increasing the space density of the rack server by 50%. On the premise of the cabinet system configuration, the 1U rack optimized server system is transplanted to the blade server, the space occupied is only one-third to One-second, while in a standard cabinet environment, the blade server's processing density should increase four to five times times. Second, blade server scheme cable wiring is significantly better than 1U rack scheme, because the blade server in the computer room wiring as long as the unified network cable, power cord, blade between the server does not need artificial wiring. Third, in terms of cost, blade servers are not only easier to manage, they can provide more processing power in smaller spaces, and because many parts can be shared, they cost less. Finally, blade servers are more reliable and easier to maintain. All key components of the blade server can be redundant or hot-swappable, and removing the server for maintenance only means pulling the blade out of the chassis, as simple as removing hot-swappable hard drives.

High computational density, save space, at the same time easy to centralize management, easy to expand and provide uninterrupted service, blade Server features significantly, and therefore by the enterprise widely welcomed. In the past, the procurement of Blade server, mainly for the business needs of the intensive calculation of large enterprises, such as securities, telecommunications, oil exploration and other industries, in addition to large-scale network games and video sites for blade server demand is also high. Blade Server compute density is high, network, communication function is complete, but its price is expensive, the specification standard aspect also is not open, early basically for IBM, HP and several big server manufacturer monopoly. The majority of growth-oriented enterprises and SME users, although aware of the application of Blade server advantages, but is constrained by its standards of the united and expensive and deterred.

In addition to technical and cost advantages, the introduction of Intel's Universal Modular system is also responsive to customer application requirements. The traditional server mainly calculates the function primarily, the storage device is subordinate status. At present, the user's demand for storage, network and system management is increasing, especially the application of new generation enterprise technology such as virtualization, the high-density system integrating computing, storage, management and even memory, I/O and so on is more and more favored by users.

For small and medium-sized enterprises, information applications are mainly the management of enterprise internal network and the enterprise's external Web site, as well as dedicated mail server and database server, the use of Blade server, a few calculation blades can be fully qualified, not only to save space, and from the cost of view, Blade Server Management easier, In a small space to provide a lot of processing capacity, providing shared services, so that small and medium-sized enterprises cost less.