I Want You For My Server Survey
In my quest to get a handle on where servers are headed in 2010, I've spent time thinking about architectural innovations from Intel and AMD. I've also been serially interviewing the server vendors themselves (see my new piece on HP). Now comes the next step--I'm pulling together a survey for InformationWeek Analytics. And I'm asking for your help.
February 3, 2010
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In my quest to get a handle on where servers are headed in 2010, I'vespent time thinking about architectural innovations from Intel and AMD.I've also been serially interviewing the server vendors themselves (seemy new piece on HP). Now comes the next step--I'm pulling together asurvey for InformationWeek Analytics. And I'm asking for your help.
What I'm requesting is your input on which issues are of key importanceto you in the server space. I don't care if you're a specifier who buysequipment for your organization, an admin, or a user. What I'm mostinterested in is your insight on what I might be missing, perhapsbecause it's an emerging issue that's low on my radar screen. (Or itcould just be that I'm just clueless.)
Here are the areas already on my list:
Virtualization. As in, how important are the virtualizationcapabilities of the server? Mostly, this is a software-sideimplementation issue, but it relates to the hardware in terms of itsprocessing power as well as how many cores and sockets are on themotherboard. (Every physical core can be virtualized into an additionalN logical processors.)
Power and Cooling. How big an imperative is it to save electricity? How heavily are your facilities people leaning on you?
Consolidation. How does the need for extracting efficiencies--akareducing box count factor and saving operational costs--factor intoyour acquisition decisions? (This obviously overlaps with the power andcooling question.)
Processor architectures. The big battle here is Intel (Nehalem,Westmere) versus AMD (Opteron Istanbul). I've neglected the high-endRISC architectures such as Itanium and UltraSparc; those obviously havea place, too.
Storage and Networking capabilities. Support for 10-GB Ethernet. Fast I/O out to storage and flexibility in connecting to SANs.
Management Software features. Importance of the automated ability to discover, allocate, and manage resources.
Server mix in your data center. What's the distribution of commodity, mid-range, and high-end systems?
Memory config. Given the drive towards virtualization, what's the sweetspot for memory? The assumption is that everyone's specifying a lotmore than they used to.
Where does the server buy fit, in relation to a complete data-centerarchitecture? Many vendors now are positioning their boxes as part of aholistic, converged architecture. I often wonder, the good things aboutthis approach notwithstanding, whether this sometimes makes it moredifficult to parse the particular merits of the processing portion ofthe equation.
What am I missing? Let me know, by leaving a comment below or e-mailing me directly at link in the upper right.
For Further Reading:
Server Den: Inside HP's Converged Infrastructure
Server Den Asks Infoblox: What's Infrastructure 2.0?
CES Den: Cisco Video Thrust Telegraphs Bandwidth-Bandit Strategy
Server Den: Architectural Differentiation To Dominate In 2010
HP Revs Data Center Strategy, Stabbing At Cisco
AMD, Intel Remake Servers From Processor Up
Q&A: HP ProCurve Chief Technology Officer Paul Congdon
Intel CTO Envisions On-Chip Data Centers
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