Select a Blade Server Platform
Investing in blade servers is not just about buying a server; it is about buying into a server platform.
- The origins of blades are in high performance computing clusters, and limitations on processing, memory, and I/O made them less than ideal for consolidation and virtualization. More recent developments in these areas have enabled blades to be a solid virtualization and consolidation platform with strong market growth.
- Improvements in server capacity have benefitted all blades. Beyond features common to all x86/x64 blades, consider how the servers fit into a consolidated infrastructure that includes the blade chassis as well as networking, storage, and virtualization.
- Use Info-Tech’s Blade Server RFP Template to document your requirements and score the responses. Use the Blade Systems Vendor Landscape to develop a shortlist. Modify the shortlist to your own context. HP, IBM, and Dell are the leaders overall, but there are lower-cost options for more modest deployments.
- Make a careful study of compatibility and connectivity with the rest of the infrastructure and be sure to freeze configurations to avoid surprises in a rapidly developing product market. These are just two blade deployment tips to consider.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Blades make effective building blocks for a consolidated utility infrastructure. They are increasingly used for server consolidation, particularly where space, power consumption, and management resources are at a premium.
- However, blades are more proprietary – particularly at the chassis, network connectivity, and management levels.
- First, be sure that blades are really appropriate for enterprise server goals. Then decide which blade is best and which vendor’s approach to consolidation and management is optimal.
Impact and Result
- While each blade is a full server, blades require a hosting enclosure or chassis to be connected to power, cooling, and networked I/O.
- The space efficiency of blades means more processing can be concentrated in a smaller area. Shared resources across the chassis improve efficiency and lower physical complexity.
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Talk to an Analyst
Our analyst calls are focused on helping our members use the research we produce, and our experts will guide you to successful project completion.
Book an Analyst Call on This Topic
You can start as early as tomorrow morning. Our analysts will explain the process during your first call.
Get Advice From a Subject Matter Expert
Each call will focus on explaining the material and helping you to plan your project, interpret and analyze the results of each project step, and set the direction for your next project step.
Unlock Sample Research