Distributed server architectures based upon "blades"
are rapidly emerging in the data centers of corporations
and Internet service providers.
Historically, servers only assumed the form factor of
a re-purposed desktop computer or rack-mountable appliance.
These servers utilized high-quality components and leverage
additional memory and hard disk capacity. Now server
form factors are evolving into single PC cards that
can be plugged into a chassis as a single module.
Bladed servers stack numerous independent lower-end
servers within a single chassis. Chassis can accept
anywhere from eight to 24 blades. Each blade is an
independent system with its own memory, processor
and network connection. Due to their compact size,
multiple blade servers can be placed in a single server
rack or enclosure, allowing numerous systems to share
electricity and HVAC resources.
Gartner DataQuest (dataquest.com) predicts that worldwide
server blade shipments will increase from 84,410 units
in 2002 to more than one million in 2006. The IT research
firm anticipates that revenue from server blades will
reach at least $1.2 billion during this time period.
Blades are thus becoming the one major segment of
the server market that is experiencing escalating
growth.
The popularity and fast growth of the blade server
can be attributed to cost-savings that the device
accrues to its users, especially hosting firms and
service providers. Because more than 250 blade servers
can be effectively placed into a single rack, it is
possible for hosting firms with data center operations
to quadruple their hosting capacity with the devices.
By comparison, most of today's low-end servers have
only a single computer in one enclosure, allowing
only one 42 systems to fit in an industry-standard
rack.
Because blade servers are small, consume less power
and generate less heat than an average server, they
are emerging as an ever-popular option for niche Web
hosting services. With the cost of data center space
at approximately $300 per square foot and with energy
costs increasing throughout continental North America
due to deregulation, blade servers have become the
de facto standard for increasing data center profitability.
The systems are typically used as Web servers and
caching servers that deliver Web pages to Internet
browsers, SSL servers for encrypted communication,
and streaming servers for audio and video transmissions.
Most hosting companies and service providers appreciate
the devices because they are easy to install and employ
dedicated software that improves their administration,
performance and reliability. The devices are also
increasingly being utilized as firewall devices and
to increase capacity in corporate data centers.
Blade severs are excellent devices for hosting companies
with large existing data center deployments who want
to capitalize upon existing PCI expansion space. The
inclusion of a single blade allows a hosting company
to double its computing power or hosting offering,
utilizing the same amount of physical space. The main
disadvantage concerning PCI-based blade servers is
that the processors are usually not as robust as traditional
high-end servers. This factor limits the use of the
server to functions such as low-end Web hosting.
While blade severs have the capacity to serve streaming
video and other demanding applications, often the
emerging technology is used for back up or storage
purposes. Lower-end models usually depend on server
or operating system virtualization, causing the server
to run much slower than traditional equipment.
It is thus incumbent upon a reseller to determine
whether a hosting company is utilizing blade servers
for mission-critical deployments and whether those
servers can accommodate demanding applications.
Resellers who operate their own equipment might want
to consider utilizing blade servers as an effective
technology to add firewall or other security specific
capacities to their colocated equipment. |
