Dell creates converged blade data centre

ComputerWorld.in reports.

Each Dell EqualLogic PS-M4110 Blade Array comes in four models and can hold up to 14 drives for up to 14TB of data per array, up to 28TB per group (two blades) inside a blade chassis, and up to 56TB with two groups inside one blade chassis. The drives come with a native encryption option.

The Blade Arrays can be combined with the Dell PowerEdge M420 blade servers and Dell Force10 MXL switches in a Dell PowerEdge M1000e blade chassis to create a pre-tested and certified Converged Blade Data Centre, PC Advisor writes.

"This is a pre-tested, validated and certified, end-to-end virtualisation solution," said Travis Vigil, executive director of Dell's EqualLogic product line. "That gives you better energy efficiency, fewer cables and less operation overhead by having the server, networking and storage in single blade chassis."

ComputerWorldUK says the Blade Arrays will have a starting price of around $20 000 and will be generally available next quarter. They have dual controllers and offer hot-swap capabilities, allowing administrators to pull and replace drives or controllers without disrupting service.

The new arrays come in models that have one or two controllers, use seven 2.5-inch SAS hard drives with capacities ranging from 146GB to 1TB and spindle speeds ranging from 7200rpm to 15 000rpm. The arrays can also take 2.5-inch SAS solid state drives (SSDs).