Small enterprises tend to view dense computing as primarily focused on high performance computing (HPC) environments where thousands of servers work on complex applications. The latest generation of x86-based dense servers provides significant computing power in a shrinking footprint. Because these systems utilize standard components and run Linux and Windows Server as the operating systems, they can be used for virtually any business application.
High density systems are available from Tier 1 vendors which can support enterprises from small to large. These offerings include:
- Blade chassis and high-density blade offerings such as:
- Dell PowerEdge
- HP BladeSystem
- IBM BladeCenter
- IBM's iDataPlex server platform
The vendor marketing of these systems continues to be focused on large enterprises running social networks, gaming, data mining, and Web searches where hundreds to thousands of servers are required. However, by understanding the advantages and issues with these systems, they can find a home in virtually any enterprise with space, power, or cooling limitations.
