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Where do Intel technologies fit in ever-changing face of server marketplace?


Johannesburg, 23 Jun 2004

The server landscape is set to undergo a few dramatic changes in the next few years. Long gone are the days that companies simply implement servers and their technologies for the sake of implementing, they now want guaranteed reliability, leadership and more importantly, scalability.

The recent formation of the Server Management Group, which is spearheaded by Intel, IBM, HP and Dell is a clear indication that top rivals in the server arena are now willing to work together to create standards that will benefit their customers.

The group hopes that by creating standards - expected release in June 2004 - server administration tasks will be simplified, security patches easier deployed, and most significantly datacentre costs will decline.

Looking at the server marketplace in general, the good news is that sales surged in the third quarter of 2003 with a healthy 21% increase to 1.37 million units, according to Gartner.

The research group also comments that the market has been gravitating increasingly towards Intel-based servers as these - less-expensive machines - grow even more capable.

Intel-based servers are "starting to see greater and greater traction on the backside of Windows and Linux," adds Forrester. "What you`re seeing is much larger acceptance of Intel servers with eight processors than ever before."

It is, therefore, important that we take a step back and look at what differentiates Intel from its competitors.

Demystifying Intel server technologies

Intel has more than two decades of design and engineering experience in the server marketplace, which has lead to the consistent roll-out of complete and reliable server solutions that enable users to achieve profitability and productivity gains.

The company`s server technologies complement the capabilities of most processor and chipset technologies, enabling servers to address new applications and market trends more effectively.

Here is a brief look at some of Intel`s most influential server technologies:

1. Drive Stabilisation Technology

In response to vibration-related issues such as reliability, longevity and performance, Intel`s Drive Stabilisation Technology aims to minimise vibration by providing a stable hard-drive platform.

The drive stabilisation is enabled through an advanced drive-cage design that uses extruded-aluminium side panels which immobilise the drive.

Significantly, even as the drives are added to a system, the cage resists "bow out", which subsequently allows for excessive vibration.

2. Power and Thermal Headroom

One of the most critical factors in determining the longevity of a server board, chassis or platform is its support of "ever-faster" processor frequencies.

Intel`s Power and Thermal Headroom enables these server components to support numerous processor upgrades - of a particular processor family - without having to change the server board design.

This in turn reduces the need for OEM validation and drives down inventory and support costs.

Basically, Power headroom is based on the principle that for a given board, chassis or platform the power supply sufficient to drive a system is based on the last anticipated processor in the processor family.

While the Thermal headroom is based on the fact that processor advances in processor performance will drive advanced cooling technologies.

3. Drive Power Isolation

As most servers nowadays have to operate 24X7, it is important that IT administrators reliably change failed channels on the RAID channel without having to shut-down the system.

Power Isolation provides backplane sensors that determine whether a given connector is supporting a running drive or not. So, when a drive is being removed the sensors shuts down power to the connector.

Also, if a connector is "empty" (no hard drive connected to it), the sensor ensures that no power is available to that connector until the drive has been connected.

In essence, Intel`s Drive Power Isolation protects server operations, ensuring that it is unaffected when hard drives are swapped in or out.

The above are just some of the most significant server technologies that have contributed to Intel-based servers` global adoption. Other server technologies include: Multi-path Boot, Light-guided Diagnostics, Active Airflow Control and the Validation Stress Test Suite.

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Editorial contacts

Mary Siemers
HMC Corporate Communications
(011) 463 4611
Mary@hmcom.co.za
Douglas Downing
Rectron Holdings
(011) 203 1000
Douglasd@rectron.co.za