1U server value doesn’t revolve around hardware

Saving space in the rack is taking on a number of faces. For those who choose the 1U server road, it’s all about small factor hardware muscle and extreme manageability. Even so, some manufacturers are striving to be all things to all 1U customers, while others are taking a more specialized road and concentrating more on hardware, leaving manageability up to the customer.

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To discern the differences, I reviewed two entries from vendors with completely different marketing approaches. Hewlett-Packard's ProLiant DL360 G3 is a third-generation 1U entry that is fully integrated with the ProLiant line of server expansion products, power management, and other accessories, as well as HP’s line of integrated server racks. MPC’s NetFrame 1610, by contrast, is an OEMed machine based on a generic Intel design. It's MPC’s only entry in the 1U arena.

MPC turned out to be the white bread of this 1U sandwich. Although there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the NetFrame 1610, it didn’t measure up to the ProLiant GL360 G3 on any front. Performance-wise, HP had a slight edge. But the Proliant's impressive bundle of management software, along with its lower price tag, pushed the unit far ahead of MPC's hardware-only NetFrame.

Brawny, Not Brainy

The 1610 came configured with dual Xeon 2GHz CPUs coupled to a standard Intel E7501 chip set, 1GB of ECC (error-correcting code) RAM, dual 36GB UltraSCSI 3 hard disks connected to an integrated Adaptec U320 RAID  controller. Video is handled by the ubiquitous integrated ATI Rage XL video controller with its onboard stash of 8MB. The 1610’s chassis fits easily into its advertised 1U constraints, and has an intrusion detection switch that activates when the case is opened.

Inside, there’s nothing to complain about either. The system is powered by a single, 350W power supply and has expansion room for three hot swap drive bays and six DIMM sockets. That gives the 1610 a maximum of 292GB of hard disk storage (provided its third bay is being used for CD and floppy) and a maximum of 12GB of RAM. Not too shabby for something so small. PCI expansion is also necessarily limited to one full-height and 1 half-height PCI-X slot, though both support a 64-bit and 100MHz bus.

Input and output is robust, beginning with dual Intel 10/100/1000 RJ-45 network interfaces. The server can also be console-managed via an RJ-45-to-serial cable, and the system board has jumper switches that allow the 1610’s serial ports to be modem-controlled for even easier console connectivity.

My only real complaint about this 1U case is one that I have about all the new 1U chassis I’ve seen recently: the sudden dislike for standard keyboard, monitor, and mouse inputs. The 1610 has only a single PS/2 port, necessitating a USB adapter (not included) if you want to integrate this server into most existing KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch fabrics. Not a big ding, as most new KVM switches support USB inputs, but it's a pain if you haven’t purchased one of these yet.

Aside from all this hardware, my MPC packaging contained only a quick-start poster, a thin manual, one power cord, and an evaluation copy of Windows 2000 Server. This bothered me a little because even though the HP DL360 is only a single-CPU machine, it comes with significantly more frills and costs about $200 less than the MPC.

A Little Less Muscle

HP’s DL360 G3 is based on the ProLiant product line established by Compaq for lo these many years. The ProLiant line has an excellent reputation for innovation, performance, and reliability. The DL360 won’t win any awards for bleeding-edge innovation in its G3 (Generation

Three) iteration, but it certainly raised my eyebrows in terms of performance and value.