They sound great on paper: smaller, faster, cheaper. But do blade servers–systems of thin circuit boards with processors and memory and enclosures with shared network and power connections–live up to their billing? Many users say the smaller, sleeker servers do save money, space and time. But some warn that blades can trigger higher cooling costs in data centers.
Lead Story: Too Hot To Handle?
Read about the issues technology managers need to prepare for when evaluating and deploying blade servers.
Company Profiles
Dell: Making Better Connections
Hewlett Packard: Cost Cutter
IBM: Up and Running
Also:
Voice of Experience: Polaris Industries' Nathan Myrold
The increased density of blade servers meant Myrold and his team had to step up their electrical capacity.
3 Expert Tips for Blade Server Planning
QUESTION: What's the biggest challenge you've faced in deploying or managing blade servers? Write to us at baseline@ziffdavis.com.
