Dell adds new virtualization-ready servers to the mix |
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By Bridget Botelho, News Writer
11 Sep 2008 | SearchDataCenter.com |
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Round Rock, Texas-based Dell Inc. announced two new servers, the PowerEdge M805 and PowerEdge M905, along with management tools and infrastructure consulting services designed for virtualization.
The four-socket PowerEdge M905 blade and the PowerEdge M805 blade are both designed for virtualization, similar to Dell's PowerEdge R805 and PowerEdge R905 blade servers.
"When we launched the PowerEdge R805 and R905, and the new PowerEdge M805 and M905, we were designing from the ground up with virtualization in mind," said Sally Stevens, head of server platform marketing for Dell. "We focused on I/O and memory, but we also increased shared storage, and all the server blades use PowerConnect [network switches]."
Several other vendors have also introduced blade servers designed for virtualization, with added memory and I/O, most recently Hewlett-Packard Co..
The PowerEdge M805 has 16 dual-inline memory module (DIMM) slots and supports up to 128 GB using 16 8 GB DIMMs. The PowerEdge M905 has 24 DIMM slots for up to 192 GB of RAM using a combination of 24 8 GB DIMMs. Both models use AMD Opteron dual- and quad-core processors.
Dell also announced Microsoft Hyper-V and Windows Server 2008 as a factory-installed option Dell PowerEdge servers. Also available for PowerEdge servers, Microsoft's new System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008 provides management for Hyper-V and other hypervisors in multiprovider environments.
Customers can use Microsoft's System Center Management Suite, integrated with Dell OpenManage to manage physical and virtual environments. SCVMM will be generally available from Microsoft next month.
Both of Dell's new servers support Citrix Systems Inc.'s XenServer, VMware Inc.'s offerings, and Microsoft Hyper-V.
The Dell PowerEdge M805 and M905 servers are now available starting at $1,699 and $4,999 USD respectively. Updated PowerEdge R900 rackmounted system will also be available later this month.
New virtualization services
Dell also announced services for virtualized environments, including the following:
- Infrastructure consulting services for Microsoft Hyper-V deployments. An assessment, design and implementation service to help with Microsoft virtualization deployment. The WS2008 Hyper-V Technology Introduction is available starting at $15,700.
- Site Recovery Manager (SRM) for VMware environments. Automates VMware disaster recovery with implementation, on-site installation and configuration of Site Recovery Manager. Dell consultants assist with preparation of a disaster recovery plan and configuration of SRM to execute the plan in the event of an outage.
- Lifecycle management for VMware environments. Design and implementation planning, with proof-of-concept for installation and configuration of the lifecycle manager in customers' VMware environments.
As an aside, Dell also announced a new iSCSI array, the EqualLogic PS Series, whose new Auto-Snapshot Manager/VMware Edition provides visibility into a server's data protection schedule and assists in granular file and folder restore. SearchStorage.com provides more information about this feature.
Let us know what you think about the story; email Bridget Botelho, News Writer. And check out our Server Farming blog.
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