Dell to launch Via-based server - bit-tech.net Forums

Bindibadgi · 18th May 2009, 13:32

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardwar...based-server/1

Dell is set to launch a new server based around Via's low-power Nano chip, which packs twelve independent servers into a single 3.5" case.

p3n · 18th May 2009, 13:45

Is 2u really so mysterious they had to call it 3.5"? Or you just copying NYT?

Paradigm Shifter · 18th May 2009, 13:51

On a server that doesn't need to do any heavy database crunching, that should be pretty decent.

Cupboard · 18th May 2009, 13:56

Sounds good, any idea of the specs?

yakyb · 18th May 2009, 14:00

love the idea i take it they will all individually power on and off but be powered from one psu.

DiegoAAC · 18th May 2009, 14:35

I kind of remember some kind of encryption accelerator on Via's processors

airchie · 18th May 2009, 14:36

I prefer this idea to using one bad-ass server and virtualisation.
I feel the latter is too much like putting all your eggs in one basket...

Fruitloaf · 18th May 2009, 14:36

Bit slow on the post and light on the details but these things look frankly very nice.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05...does_via_nano/

Drexial · 18th May 2009, 14:44

Disregard... reading comprehension failure.

interzen · 18th May 2009, 18:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiegoAAC

I kind of remember some kind of encryption accelerator on Via's processors

Yep - it'll do AES in hardware, and as a result will comprehensively spank some notionally faster processors on crypto-intensive applications.

El Reg's story (link above from Fruitloaf) is well worth a read - the spec looks pretty decent, and if something like this were available in a 'standalone' format I'd have a couple. Hell, were it not for the fact that our work IT budget is now practically non-existent I'm sure I could find rack space for a few of these ;-)

DriftCarl · 18th May 2009, 18:35

It is something I would like at home to be honest, but I guess it will be expensive.
I would rather go the virtualisation route. infact that is what I am doing right now at work. It is just so much easier to manage everything from my chair in a VirtualCenter rather than have to go and plug stuff in down in the server room. I have given several people at work login details for small web server images, 2 gig RAM and as far as they are concerned, its a dual core 3 gig processor to themselves. I know that its really shared with a dozen other virtual web servers. but performance is great and full redundancy and snapshot backups are in place.

in my opinion, this is the classic case of "when technology clashes" meaning 2 completly different paths of technology that can do the same thing. and to be honest, virtualization is just better in my eyes.

identikit · 18th May 2009, 23:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriftCarl

It is something I would like at home to be honest, but I guess it will be expensive.
I would rather go the virtualisation route. infact that is what I am doing right now at work. It is just so much easier to manage everything from my chair in a VirtualCenter rather than have to go and plug stuff in down in the server room. I have given several people at work login details for small web server images, 2 gig RAM and as far as they are concerned, its a dual core 3 gig processor to themselves. I know that its really shared with a dozen other virtual web servers. but performance is great and full redundancy and snapshot backups are in place.

in my opinion, this is the classic case of "when technology clashes" meaning 2 completly different paths of technology that can do the same thing. and to be honest, virtualization is just better in my eyes.

Both have their good and bad points, but for what this product is aimed at, it's a direct hit. Low cost, low space, low power, lower total cost of ownership. Hell if I had the cash I'd be plonking it down for one of these and 2U of rack somewhere.

MajestiX · 19th May 2009, 00:02

2u blade server off the top of my head u can fit 16x3.5 inch drives in a 2u storage so looking at around 16 of these boards then connected to a storage server

azrael- · 19th May 2009, 08:17

This server isn't to be launched for the general market, but is instead custom-built for a specific customer by Dell's DCS unit. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Dell would make a generic version if the design proves to be successful.

B3CK · 19th May 2009, 17:24

Some of the smaller business companies would love this as well. I support a handful of companies that already had purchased a few servers expecting to have the reliability of high cost hardware and speed of the same; but were un-aware of the upkeep labor, power consumption, and noise of the older dell servers. I would love to push these out to our new customers. My business customers do not have more than 25 pc's but are between 15 -25. Rather than have a virtual high powered single machine, I would love to tinker with running all their server needs sans disk space, on one of these units with say 5 slots instead of 12. Have three to four up full time, but one down for emergencies.
Not to mention, this would save me money at my house for what I use my home server for.
Now that I think of it,, this would be perfect to replace my server at my house, except for the disk capacity. Perhaps they can come out with a slot that is for a HD that can swap sata to ethernet; or several sata to ethernet.

18th May 2009, 13:32	#1
Bindibadgi Richard Swinburne bit-tech Staff Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Omnipwntent Posts: 28,284	Dell to launch Via-based server http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardwar...based-server/1 Dell is set to launch a new server based around Via's low-power Nano chip, which packs twelve independent servers into a single 3.5" case. __________________ Made you look, made you stare, made you clicked this in your underwear! Den of Geek!

18th May 2009, 13:51	#3
Paradigm Shifter Lethargic Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,213	On a server that doesn't need to do any heavy database crunching, that should be pretty decent. __________________ Core i7 920 D0 @ 3.8GHz \| 6GB Corsair 1600MHz \| Gigabyte EX58-UD5 \| XFX 4870X2 2GB \| 4TB \| WUXGA

18th May 2009, 13:56	#4
Cupboard I'm not a modder. Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bury St Edmunds/Durham Uni Posts: 1,848	Sounds good, any idea of the specs? __________________ i7 920, 8800GTS 512, 6GB Corsair all in an Intel DX58SO; 3*320GB RAID5; CM Stacker Samsung Q45.

18th May 2009, 14:00	#5
yakyb CK is God!!! Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,074	love the idea i take it they will all individually power on and off but be powered from one psu. __________________ Gaming Box:: q6600 @3.0 :: 9800gtx :: Abit IP35 :: 4gb :: 1.4TB :: akasa eclipse :: Win7 Development:: PhenomII 955BE @3.2 :: 4200 :: asus M4A785 M Evo :: 1.25TB ::Win7 Media Centre :: q6600 @3.0 :: x1950pro :: asus p35 epu :: 8gb :: 320 GB :: Lc17B :: Win7 server:: I7 860 :: p55 gd65 :: 3450 :: 8 TB :: 8gb :: Rebel 12 :: server 2008 R2

19th May 2009, 17:24	#15
B3CK Supermodder Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 355	Some of the smaller business companies would love this as well. I support a handful of companies that already had purchased a few servers expecting to have the reliability of high cost hardware and speed of the same; but were un-aware of the upkeep labor, power consumption, and noise of the older dell servers. I would love to push these out to our new customers. My business customers do not have more than 25 pc's but are between 15 -25. Rather than have a virtual high powered single machine, I would love to tinker with running all their server needs sans disk space, on one of these units with say 5 slots instead of 12. Have three to four up full time, but one down for emergencies. Not to mention, this would save me money at my house for what I use my home server for. Now that I think of it,, this would be perfect to replace my server at my house, except for the disk capacity. Perhaps they can come out with a slot that is for a HD that can swap sata to ethernet; or several sata to ethernet. __________________ "God loves stupid people, that is why he made so many of them." My best friend at M$ Tech support.

18th May 2009, 13:45	#2
p3n Hypermodder Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 737	Is 2u really so mysterious they had to call it 3.5"? Or you just copying NYT?

18th May 2009, 14:35	#6
DiegoAAC What's a Dremel? Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 11	I kind of remember some kind of encryption accelerator on Via's processors

18th May 2009, 14:36	#8
Fruitloaf Multimodder Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 112	Bit slow on the post and light on the details but these things look frankly very nice. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05...does_via_nano/

18th May 2009, 14:44	#9
Drexial Supermodder Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 297	Disregard... reading comprehension failure.

18th May 2009, 18:35	#11
DriftCarl Multimodder Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 201	It is something I would like at home to be honest, but I guess it will be expensive. I would rather go the virtualisation route. infact that is what I am doing right now at work. It is just so much easier to manage everything from my chair in a VirtualCenter rather than have to go and plug stuff in down in the server room. I have given several people at work login details for small web server images, 2 gig RAM and as far as they are concerned, its a dual core 3 gig processor to themselves. I know that its really shared with a dozen other virtual web servers. but performance is great and full redundancy and snapshot backups are in place. in my opinion, this is the classic case of "when technology clashes" meaning 2 completly different paths of technology that can do the same thing. and to be honest, virtualization is just better in my eyes.

19th May 2009, 00:02	#13
MajestiX Multimodder Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 122	2u blade server off the top of my head u can fit 16x3.5 inch drives in a 2u storage so looking at around 16 of these boards then connected to a storage server

19th May 2009, 08:17	#14
azrael- Ex nihilo nihil fit Join Date: May 2008 Location: Aarhus, Denmark Posts: 1,179	This server isn't to be launched for the general market, but is instead custom-built for a specific customer by Dell's DCS unit. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Dell would make a generic version if the design proves to be successful.