Guest blog written by Doug Strain, HP Industry Standard Servers Division
What do you look for in a server for virtualization? If you’re like most people, you want to get the biggest bang for your buck. That can be accomplished a couple of different ways. You can buy the cheapest hardware possible or you can get hardware that allows you to effectively run lots of virtual machines (VMs). For discussion sake, let’s assume that to get your job done and give you the biggest bang, you choose lots of VMs.
If you’re running lots of VMs, you’ll need plenty of performance - not just in the processors but in the speed and size of memory and in I/O bandwidth. That’s probably the most remarkable thing about the new HP ProLiant BL465c G7 and HP ProLiant BL685c G7 server blades with AMD Opteron™ 6200 processors. Here’s why.
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But how does this save money? It’s simple. First, less floor space is needed since more VMs fit in the same chassis size. Second, these VMs use almost the same power as older generation servers but they run more VMs, enabling savings in both power and cooling costs. Third, let’s not forget about HP’s Power Management tools coupled with AMD’s CoolCore, PowerNow!, and CoolSpeed technologies for additional savings. Finally, because the blade architecture makes it easier than ever to add additional computing resources, buying servers as you need them instead of purchasing all of them up front is a snap.
If you’re concerned about the risk of putting all of those VMs onto fewer servers, then you’ll be glad you’re going with HP. HP’s c-Class blade architecture minimizes single points of failure and the Sea of Sensors enable management tools to be more proactive in moving VMs - often before a server goes down. Of course, HP Insight Control continues to be the best way to manage your HP infrastructure but in a virtualized environment, you don’t have to move to a new console to gain its power. This is because HP now offers plug-ins for both Microsoft Systems Center and VMware’s vCenter Server to enable HP infrastructure management without the need to leave the virtualization management consoles. I should also mention that the plug-ins are FREE, enabling even more cost savings! In addition, HP also offers comprehensive service choices that can span the hardware infrastructure, the virtualization software, and even much of what runs in the VM, so you won’t have to spend your time trying to get someone to take accountability for a support issue.
So in the end, the word “ULTIMATE” may, at first glance, seem rather fluffy but I hope I’ve shown you how HP ProLiant servers with AMD™ Opteron 6200 processors can provide a server virtualization platform that’s hard to beat. And that’s no fluff.
To learn more about how HP ProLiant servers powered by the AMD Opteron processor can help you meet your business challenges, click here.
