Developing the server-level direction , Hewlett Packard Enterprise does not forget about the needs of small and medium business customers.
Often, though not always, the process of searching for computing power for new tasks within the small and medium business (SMB) customer is unpredictable and challenging: needs grow, new urgent tasks spontaneously appear, all accompanied by attempts to make sense of the resulting architecture, while questions about acquiring new capacity feel akin to purchasing a new Rolls-Royce. But is it really that daunting?
Someone's server room, perhaps, in our days.
Let's contemplate: what kind of server do our SMB customers expect, and can it be accessible?
What small businesses need
We and our customers are witnessing a steady increase in demand for computing resources, while small and medium businesses, from an IT perspective, have their own specifics:
- resource needs have a sporadic nature: there are peaks during reporting periods and seasonal sales growth;
- intense pressure from competitors necessitates the constant trial of new approaches and solutions, often developed 'on the fly', without adequate support from developers;
- equipment requirements are not defined, resulting in the need for a 'bottomless' server box that must accommodate many systems with completely diverse requirements;
- the location of small business equipment far from service centers makes it essential for the customer to handle repairs independently.
All these tasks often transform into technical requirements for the server, such as 1-2 processors with low frequency parameters, up to 128GB of RAM, 4-8 disks in various combinations, RAID redundancy, and 2 power supplies. I believe many will recognize their own needs in such a request.
In summary, we see only a few criteria that small business companies follow when selecting server equipment:
- low price for standard server configurations;
- sufficient scalability of base platforms;
- high reliability and acceptable service level;
- ease of equipment administration.
This is the very criterion on which one of the most popular entry-level servers — HPE DL180 Gen10 — was recreated.
A Bit of History
Let’s take a look at the HPE ProLiant DL180 Gen10 server of the tenth generation.
As many of you know, in HPE's server portfolio alongside the classic 2-socket models for data centers of the DL300 series, characterized by versatile design and maximum expansion capabilities, there has long been a more budget-friendly series, the DL100. And if we recall our article on Habr announcing the generation , this series was planned for launch in the fall of 2017. However, due to the optimization of the server product lines, the release of this series to the market was postponed in 2017. This year, a decision was made to bring back the DL100 series models to the market, including the HPE ProLiant DL180 Gen10 server.
Fig. 2 Front panel of HPE ProLiant DL180 Gen10
So, what exactly is DL180? These are 2U servers aimed at small and medium enterprises. They come equipped with everything necessary, while still maintaining the price segment for small and medium businesses.
Overall, the 100 series of HPE ProLiant servers rightfully earns the title of legendary. It is especially favored among small businesses, and even by medium and large clients. Why?
Easily adaptable to various workloads and environments, the secure 2-processor server in rack format, HPE ProLiant DL180, provided high performance with the right balance of scalability and expandability. This approach has been preserved in the new model: now it offers all the 'goodies' of Gen10, designed for maximum versatility and fault tolerance, with the right balance of reliability, manageability, and performance.
Technical specifications of HPE DL180 Gen10
In a 2U chassis, there is support for two Intel Xeon Bronze 3106 or Intel Xeon Silver 4110 processors, eight small form factor (SFF) drives with hot-swappable capability, 16 DDR4-2666 RDIMM memory modules with error correction, and up to six additional expansion adapters with PCIe Gen3 interface.
The number of PCIe slots is a headache for SMB customers, as there is often a need to install special cards for software, expansion cards, and various interfaces. However, there is no need to set up an additional server, even when purchasing the initial server configuration.
A distinctive feature of the HPE ProLiant DL180 Gen10 is the large number of expansion slots.
To enhance server redundancy, it utilizes fan redundancy (N+1), similar to higher-end server models, and also supports the installation of additional disk controllers with hardware RAID support for levels 0, 1, 5, and 10. There is also an option for installing power supply units with redundancy and 'hot-swapping'.
Fig. 4 HPE ProLiant DL180 Gen10 chassis, top view
A distinguishing feature of the HPE DL180 Gen10 servers is the ability to install a large number of disks of various types, including both SAS and SATA; however, unlike higher-end server models, there is no option for connecting new format NVMe drives.
Fig. 4 HPE ProLiant DL180 Gen10 disk tray
Although the HPE DL180 Gen10 targets the affordable rack server segment, HPE did not compromise on manageability and security. The server comes equipped with the same HPE iLO 5 remote management controller as higher series, and notably for many customers, there is a dedicated RJ-45 port soldered onto the server for connecting iLO to the Ethernet network at a speed of 1 Gbps. You can read more about the capabilities of this controller, which provides the best industry protection for the server, in the aforementioned article on our website. .
Predictive analytics of a new type for small and medium-sized businesses.
Like all other Gen10 servers, this model allows for driver and firmware updates both in 'offline' and 'online' modes using HPE SPP and HPE SUM (Smart Update Manager), and is also supported by the HPE iLO Amplifier Pack management platform.
Recall that (Integrated Lights-Out) is a large-scale inventory and update management tool that enables owners of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Gen8, Gen9, and Gen10 server infrastructures to quickly inventory and update firmware and drivers. This tool also assists in both manual and automated recovery of systems with compromised firmware.
Fig. 5 HPE InfoSight. Artificial intelligence for platform infrastructure.
This opens up the opportunity for our customers to perform predictive analytics across the entire server infrastructure with the aimed at optimizing performance as well as proactively identifying and preventing issues. HPE InfoSight for Servers allows near-complete problem elimination and time savings by transforming management and support processes for the infrastructure. HPE InfoSight for Servers analyzes telemetry data received from AHS systems across all servers to provide recommendations for troubleshooting and performance enhancement. If a problem is detected on one server, HPE InfoSight for Servers learns to anticipate the issue and recommends a solution for all installed servers.
Enterprise-class support
In response to customer requests, the company has also upgraded the warranty conditions for this model compared to the previous generation HPE DL180 Gen9: while in the previous generation the standard warranty covered service engineer work and server repair on the customer's site (subject to certain conditions) only for the first year after server purchase (in addition to the standard 3-year warranty on parts), the HPE DL180 Gen10 model now includes a 3-year warranty (3/3/3 — three years on components, work, and on-site service) as part of the standard server package. The server design allows most parts to be replaced by the user in case of failure, with only a small portion of replacement work requiring the involvement of an HPE service engineer.
When comparing this model to its 'big brother' in the HPE DL380 Gen10, the following key points can be noted:
— the HPE DL380 Gen10 supports almost the entire range of Intel Xeon Scalable processors compared to just two models in the HPE DL180 Gen10;
— the option to install 24 memory modules in the 300 series versus 16 in the 100 series;
— the 100 series does not allow for the installation of additional disk bays;
— the 100 series offers a significantly smaller range of options (controllers, disks, memory modules);
— the 100 series does not support the installation of increasingly popular NVMe interface drives.
Despite these limitations, the HPE ProLiant DL180 Gen10 server is one of the most optimal products in the server solution market for small businesses, as well as for large corporations that need an affordable 'workhorse' for growing data center needs, equipped with industry-leading security features and backed by proven warranty and service support from a global leader.
References:
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Source: habr.com
