Compaq and Intel are working together to build an "ultradense"
server designed to offer users more computing power as well as
consuming less energy, taking up less space and costing less
money.
Compaq will use the chipmaker's ultra low-voltage (ULV) processors,
code-named Tualatin, in its new servers. Compaq said it expects the
servers to ship later this year.
The company claims the servers will help e-commerce companies,
datacentres and Web-hosting firms manage Web pages, media
streaming, load balancing, caching and firewall protection.
The new design will also allow users to squeeze 200 to 300
processors into a single server rack. Forty-two units can currently
be stacked into a standard 7-foot rack.
The company hopes to present the Tualatin-powered ProLiants by the
end of the year, pitching them as general-purpose servers, said
Sally Stevens, Compaq's director of marketing for density-optimised
servers. Until then, Compaq will work with datacentres to help them
plan for an environment suitable for denser server farms. "They're
beginning to plan for their new data centres," she said. "Some are
ready... and some need to re-evaluate."
John Gantz, an analyst at International Data Corp, said the new
design will be particularly beneficial for users running giant Web
sites. "Web-hosting companies are where you'll see this first
because it means you can dynamically change loads within your
server without having to change servers. You have more scalability,
and it's more economical," he said.
However, Gantz added, with the advent of the new ultradense design,
companies will most likely have to rethink capacity planning for
their data centres.
"[In addition], users will have to think about the compatibility of
their systems," Gantz said. "I don't think you can use Compaq
software on an HP server."