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Intel Unveils 10-Core Xeons, Mission-Critical Servers

April 6th, 2011
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Intel announced its new E-series of Xeon processors today, claiming that the new processors will deliver nearly unparalleled advances in CPU performance and power efficiency. It’s been just over a year since Santa Clara released its Nehalem-based octal-core Beckton processors. Whereas Beckton was focused entirely on performance and architectural efficiency, these new Xeons are more balanced. The new chips boost the core count to ten (up to 20 threads with HT enabled) and will be offered at a wide range of TDPs.

ntel’s presentation made it clear that it’s gunning for what’s left of the RISC market. Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of Intel’s Data Center Group, made a point of telling the conference that there’s “No workload in the world today that Xeon can’t handle.” History certainly favors his words. Intel’s quoted figures indicate that while the high end of the server market grew just five percent from 2002-2010, Intel’s share of it nearly doubled.

The company went out of its way to note that Itanium’s share of the market grew enormously over the past eight years, but it’s Xeon, not Poulson, Intel is betting on. The new E7 series incorporates the benefits of Sandy Bridge, its support for new instructions, and its improved power management technology. Intel has also baked in support for low-voltage DIMMs, which allows vendors to opt for 1.35v products. The power savings, at 1W per DIMM, might not sound like much, but the E7 series supports up to 2TB of RAM in a 4S system. According to Intel, low-voltage DDR3 can cut a server’s power consumption by up to 128W.

OEM support for the new E7 processors seems downright enthusiastic; 19 vendors have announced a total of 35 systems with shipping to begin immediately. This may be partly due to the way the E7 helps to simplify Intel’s product mix. Up to now, Intel’s heavy-hitting Beckton was a 45nm chip that lacked the 32nm enhancements of the Xeon 5600 parts.

Source:http://hothardware.com/Reviews/Intel-Unveils-10Core-Xeons-MissionCritical-Servers/

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Dell executive: to pursue acquisitions related to storage, servers

February 16th, 2011
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Dell Inc. (DELL) will keep up its pace of acquisitions including by seeking acquisitions that would provide intellectual property in the areas of servers, storage and services, chief marketing officer for Dell’s consumer and small and medium business division Paul-Henri Ferrand said Wednesday.

Ferrand, who was speaking during a teleconference, declined to elaborate.

The current cycle of corporate technology hardware replacement, which has benefited Dell and other computer makers, is likely to continue for two years, Ferrand said.

Source:http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110215-719983.html

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IBM enhances partner financing services to cover system p servers

December 18th, 2010
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IBM (NYSE:IBM) is expanding its Rapid Online Financing service to cover more hardware systems and enhancing the ROF site to provide resellers with faster price quotes and credit approvals.

The company also has added self-service “My Account” functions to the ROF Web site that allow channel partners to manage their sales pipelines and track the status of sales deals.

We have to keep things simple and fast,” said Dan Ransdell, general manager of IBM Global Financing, in an interview. “The whole design of this tool is around simplicity and speed.”

IBM’s financing operations are important for the company’s hardware, software and service resellers because the financing frees up cash for solution providers and IBM takes on the credit risk of customer deals, Ransdell said.

Resellers use the service to add up the total value of the hardware, software and services (including their own software and services) to develop sales proposals and monthly payment plans for customers. The system calculates financing rates based on customer credit ratings, financing terms, product types and options.

IBM said the system can provide credit approval decisions in under one minute. IBM is extending ROF to cover System p servers and storage hardware, Ransdell said. Until now the online service has worked only for IBM System x servers.

The new My Account features enable partners to have multiple views of pending proposals and summarize their deal lists into categories. Partners also can print and export sales pipeline information into e-mails, spreadsheets and presentations.

Source:-http://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/228800724/ibm-enhances-partner-financing-services-to-cover-system-p-servers.htm;jsessionid=kQZi5M2q1ftAFnrNoCstTQ**.ecappj03

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Use virtual 8086 mode to secure virtual servers

September 23rd, 2010
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Protecting your IT infrastructure by running vital applications in virtual machines — or “security through virtualization” — is a strategy that’s bound to fail. That’s the conclusion of Jonathan Brossard, CTO of P1 Code Security, following research he carried out into ways of attacking virtualization technologies. Brossard presented his findings at the Hack In The Box Secconf 2010 in Amsterdam in July.

Plenty of security problems are associated with virtualization that are already well known, Brossard points out. These include:
• Virtual machine (VM) hopping: The ability of the owner of one virtual machine to attack another guest machine on the same hypervisor (e.g., using the VMware workstation guest isolation vulnerability)
• VM DoS: The ability to crash the host machine and other guests VMs from a guest (e.g., usingCVE-2007-4593)
• VM escape: The ability of a malicious guest VM user to write arbitrary files on the host
• using a directory traversal vulnerability (using CVE-2007-1744)

These security problems affect companies using virtual servers hosted by a service provider because in many cases virtual machines from different customers are hosted on the same physical hardware. The implication of this is that getting a shell on the same host machine as a given target is just a matter of paying a few dollars a month, Brossard said. “This means you don’t have to worry about finding a remote exploit. Sharing is very interesting if you are malicious because then seemingly minor local bugs do matter: Virtualization amplifies the consequences. Owning the host from the guest is practical, so security through virtualization is a failure.”

If the security of virtual machines is to be improved, what’s needed are new tools to test virtualization systems methodically. Without the source code — and, arguably, even with the source code — fuzzing is the most obvious path to explore. But how, for example, can you dynamically test a virtual hard drive by fuzzing it methodically to reveal any potential problems.

Source:-http://www.serverwatch.com/tutorials/article.php/3905096/Use-Virtual-8086-Mode-to-Secure-Virtual-Servers.htm

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HP holds Tech Forum 2010: Transform, converge, innovate

September 19th, 2010
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Hewlett-Packard took center stage in Las Vegas recently as the company held its annual mega-event at the world-famous Mandalay Bay Hotel. The HP Technology Forum 2010 saw new products and services that support “Converged Infrastructure,” HP’s blueprint for the future data center.

The company launched a slew of new servers, storage and networking gear that will help converge and streamline IT infrastructure, operations, and management so that enterprises and businesses can spend less time, money and effort on maintenance.

By combining Converged Infrastructure with advanced virtualization and microchip technologies, businesses can reduce a traditional 20-server room to a one-server rack, saving them millions on what they would normally spend using the old hardware and technologies.

HP’s refreshed ProLiant G7 server and blade lines include seven blade systems and three rack-mount servers, some of which are powered by the latest Xeon 7500 Series “Nehalem EX” chips from Intel. The rack-mount servers offer up to two terabytes (TB) of memory while the new server blades support up to 1TB of memory.

Also unveiled were power management technologies that automate energy awareness and control of IT systems across the data center, as well as storage software that provides new levels of simplicity and automation through a unified architecture for data management.

Blades and servers

Seven new HP ProLiant G7 server blades deal with the most demanding virtualization environments by offering the industry’s first blade with 1TB of memory and integrated 10GB Virtual Connect FlexFabric technology for I/O scalability. These systems can support up to four times more virtual machines than competitive blades while requiring 66 percent less hardware.

On the other hand, three new HP ProLiant scale-up servers allow clients to speed up application delivery, use IT resources optimally, and achieve improved return on investment. These rack-mount servers offer several industry firsts, including memory footprints of up to 2TB and “self-healing” capabilities that maximize application uptime with a 200 percent boost in availability.

Convergence and innovation

Included in the new servers are greater automation options and self-healing capabilities. For example, “virtual machine isolation” capabilities allow users to isolate a virtual machine with a problem and automatically repair it without bringing down the physical server and other virtual machines.

HP’s Virtual Connect technology is designed to automate the process of connecting servers to networks and storage. Enterprises can reconfigure connections to LANs and storage-area networks (SANs) by moving workloads or adding and replacing servers on the fly, for instance.

The Virtual Connect FlexFabric technology is now built into the ProLiant G7 server blades. The latest module is a 10GB, 24-port device that connects BladeSystem server blades to any fiber channel, Ethernet, and iSCSI network, eliminating the need for multiple interconnects.

Meanwhile, the HP BladeSystem Matrix software, through new integration with HP Server Automation, simplifies IT environments with one-touch, self-service provisioning of applications. The BladeSystem Matrix enables private clouds by allowing clients to deploy complex IT environments in minutes, thereby reducing their total cost of ownership up to 56 percent compared to traditional IT infrastructure.

The new version of Matrix also features automated storage tiering, which assigns storage based on application performance and availability requirements.

On the power management front, HP unveiled the Intelligent Power Discovery software that can collect and analyze data related to power usage from sources across the data center. With this software, clients can view a real-time, graphical map of energy usage across servers and facilities.

It likewise provides a view of each server’s physical location, the server rack, and an analysis of power, thermal and electrical configurations. The software can automatically verify power redundancy and identify equipment connections to prevent errors and potential circuit overloads.

The new HP StoreOnce deduplication architecture, on the other hand, eliminates the complexity of multiple deduplication processes and products to improve productivity and data management efficiency.

DreamWorks looks to HP for next-gen networking infra

Also at the Forum, the film studio that produced Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda announced its selection of HP networking solutions to improve its data center infrastructure performance and reliability.

DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. rigorously tested the full range of HP Networking products, including the enterprise HP A12500 data center switch, when it reviewed the products it needed to update and refresh its existing network infrastructure.

With HP’s advanced networking technology, DreamWorks hopes to reduce network complexity, achieve increased port capacity, and significantly reduce power consumption and costs.

Key to DreamWorks’ implementation is the HP Intelligent Management Center (IMC), which is expected to ease network management throughout the studio’s data center migration and simplify the management of its expanding network.

Source:http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=613457&publicationSubCategoryId=71

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The reason why you should buy used ibm servers

September 9th, 2010
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Quality is always better than quantity. In the world of technology and computers, quality is a top priority.

There are many brands and different kinds of networking companies out there in the market. If you plan to buy used IBM Servers & Storage, then you’re making the right choice.

IBM manufacturers make sure that their products are made only from the best materials and made to last for years.

These equipments are guaranteed to work just as well as if they were brand new.

To ensure that you get only certified IBM products, it is best to get them at a certified IBM Manufacturer.

When people buy used IBM Servers & Storage, they know that it is money well spent.

You don’t have to get the latest and most expensive equipment to do the work that you wanted, especially when you are on a tight budget.

All you need are good working equipments that are guaranteed to do the work that is designed for them to do. With the brand name “IBM” you can never go wrong.

A lot of people use IBM products because of its reliability and performance.

You get the best deals when you buy used IBM Servers & Storage.

These parts are tested with IBM standards to ensure that they are in good working conditions.

Not only that, you can get them up to 30 to 50 percent cheaper compared to brand new IBM products.

Bigger savings without having to compensate the quality of the product is definitely the right choice for buyers.

You can also get a warranty from the manufacturer, when you buy used IBM Servers & Storage.

They are perfect in case of emergencies and suitable to work on any working environment.

Whether you just need workstations or storage devices, there are IBM products that are available to accommodate your needs.

IBM is the leading manufacturer when it comes to Servers, Workstations, Storage Devices, Printers, Solutions and networking products.

They had been constantly developing their products for better performance and their works had been recognized in the global market.

So the next time you plan to buy the best products in the market. You should always aim for performance and quality.

Buy used IBM Servers & Storage and you won’t have to worry about immediate problems that usually happen to newly bought equipment from manufacturers.

These items are cheap, fast and reliable, so what more can you possibly ask for?

Source:http://www.booshnews.com/2010/09/08/the-reason-why-you-should-buy-used-ibm-servers/

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Five reasons Linux beats windows for servers

August 30th, 2010
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Rapid growth in the market for x86 servers over the past year brought good news for both Linux and Windows, as research firm IDC reported last week.

What’s not always appreciated, however, is just how significant a portion of the market Linux servers are getting to be. Whereas unit shipments of Windows servers increased 28.2 percent year over year in the second quarter of 2010, Linux server revenue grew 30.0 percent to $1.8 billion when compared with the second quarter of 2009. Linux servers now represent 16.8 percent of all server revenue, up 2.5 points over 2Q09.

That’s no accident. Linux is eminently better suited to server use than Windows is–better than most any other competitor, I’d argue. Why? Let’s count the ways.

1. Stability

Linux systems are well known for their ability to run for years without failure; in fact, many Linux users have never seen a crash. That’s great for users of every kind, but it’s particularly valuable for small and medium-sized businesses, for which downtime can have disastrous consequences.
Linux also handles a large number of processes running at once much better than Windows does–that something, in fact, that tends to degrade Windows’ stability quickly.

Then there’s the need for rebooting. Whereas in Windows configuration changes typically require a reboot–causing inevitable downtime–there’s generally no need to restart Linux. Almost all Linux configuration changes can be done while the system running and without affecting unrelated services.

Similarly, whereas Windows servers must often be defragmented frequently, that’s all but eliminated on Linux. Let your competitors endure the plentiful downtime that inevitably goes hand-in-hand with Windows; trusty Linux will keep you up and running and serving your customers around the clock.

2. Security

Linux is also innately more secure than Windows is, whether on the server, the desktop or in an embedded environment. That’s due largely to the fact that Linux, which is based on Unix, was designed from the start to be a multiuser operating system. Only the administrator, or root user, has administrative privileges, and fewer users and applications have permission to access the kernel or each other. That keeps everything modular and protected.

Of course, Linux also gets attacked less frequently by viruses and malware, and vulnerabilities tend be found and fixed more quickly by its legions of developers and users. Even the six-year-old kernel bug that was recently fixed, for instance–an extremely rare instance in the Linux world–had never been exploited.

Internally, meanwhile, users of a Windows system can sometimes hide files from the system administrator. On Linux, however, the sys admin always has a clear view of the file system and is always in control.

3. Hardware
Whereas Windows typically requires frequent hardware upgrades to accommodate its ever-increasing resource demands, Linux is slim, trim, flexible and scalable, and it performs admirably on just about any computer, regardless of processor or machine architecture.

Linux can also be easily reconfigured to include only the services needed for your business’s purposes, thus further reducing memory requirements, improving performance and keeping things even simpler.

4. TCO

There’s no beating Linux’s total cost of ownership, since the software is generally free. Even an enterprise version purchased with corporate support will be cheaper overall than Windows or other proprietary software, which generally involve user-based licensing and a host of expensive add-ons, especially for security.

Same goes for most of the tools and applications that might be used on a Linux server. The overall TCO simply can’t be beat.

5. Freedom

With Linux, there is no commercial vendor trying to lock you into certain products or protocols. Instead, you’re free to mix and match and choose what works best for your business.

In short, with all the many advantages Linux provides in the server realm, it’s no wonder governments, organizations and major companies around the world–including Amazon and Google–rely on the open source operating system in their own production systems.

Source:http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/204423/five_reasons_linux_beats_windows_for_servers.html?tk=hp_new

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