Burning question: Blades or rack?

Servers This newsletter is sponsored by Mellanox Technologies ConnectX EN 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter Mellanox's ConnectX EN Dual-Port 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter chips and NICs optimize data center productivity with leading performance and capabilities. ConnectX EN enables multi-core server and storage systems running applications such as clustered databases, web infrastructure and virtualized solutions to deliver an enhanced user experience with reduced power and complexity. Network World's Servers Newsletter, 06/19/07 Burning question: Blades or rack? By Jennifer Mears Blade servers are no longer on the bleeding edge, but there continues to be a lot of debate about when and where the slimmed-down servers make sense. It seems they’re starting to make sense in a lot more situations. Last week, I wrote about Sun rolling out a bunch of new blades, which it hopes will help it gain a footing in the growing market. Today, HP and IBM lead in blade server sales. But when should you buy blades and when should you stick with rackmount systems? Tom Henderson and Rand Dvorak of Network World’s Lab Alliance tackled that question head-on recently. They conducted a real-world test that pitted IBM’s blade servers – the HS21 and HS21 XM, to be exact – against IBM’s rackmount servers – the x3550 and the x3650. All the servers used quad-core Xeons, but you can get more specifics about the configurations by reading the full report here (free registration required). From servers to storage: Virtualization saves It's touted as one of the fastest and easiest ways to better manage and control your infrastructure. Download this guide today and see how network IT execs are making virtualization pay off in the real world; discover the 8 virtualization gotchas you need to know; and much more. Click here to download. Henderson and Dvorak came away with some interesting findings, one being that blade servers are more economical when it comes to power and cooling. Overall, blades and rackmount servers performed equally, Henderson and Dvorak said, but noted that newer, faster CPUs likely will show up first in typical rack servers vs. blades, where engineering time creates a technology lag. Another good point in the article is that while blades offer a number of benefits, they also result in vendor lock-in since blades must fit in a specific chassis and be fitted with specific components. Also, while blades may be easier to service, some applications, such as those that require more onboard storage, run better on rack servers. What are your thoughts when it comes to blades vs. rack servers? Read the review and let me know.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Jennifer Mears is a freelance journalist based in Arizona. She was previously senior editor at Network World focusing on server issues. E-mail her at jlmears@gmail.com.   This newsletter is sponsored by Mellanox Technologies ConnectX EN 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter Mellanox's ConnectX EN Dual-Port 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter chips and NICs optimize data center productivity with leading performance and capabilities. ConnectX EN enables multi-core server and storage systems running applications such as clustered databases, web infrastructure and virtualized solutions to deliver an enhanced user experience with reduced power and complexity. ARCHIVE Archive of the Servers Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007