Linda posted on August 03, 2009 11:03
Last week I told you about how a new desktop might save you some money on energy bills. That same day, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend an Intel TST - a training session that focused on Intel's latest server technology.
Intel has a history of making these training sessions available to their partners to introduce them to new technologies. During the training, we learn why the technology is important. Then we get the opportunity to build a machine, in this case a server, that utilized the new technology, and we get to take it home with us. Typically this means we get a machine that we can use any way we would like for a fraction of what it would have cost us to purchase the components the normal way. Thursday was no exception!
So what is so new about this new server?
First, the latest server processors deliver greatly increased performance without increasing the price. Similarly configured systems using the old and new technology should price out within $100.
The previous processor line delivered a 31% performance increase from the slowest processor to the fastest. The new processors deliver 82% performance increase and you can bet that didn't happen by making the entry level processors slower! Clearly the trend towards virtualization (running several 'virtual' servers on one physical box) and moving more applications to the cloud where they run on these virtual servers has pushed Intel to increase the capability of high end servers.
Intel estimates that a data center could replace 184 four year old servers with 21 of the newest models, a ratio of 9 to 1, and realize floor space and energy cost savings significant enough to pay for the new servers in just 8 months. If the existing servers are 3 years old, the ratio is 3:1, or 63 servers replaced with 21 servers. While not as dramatic as the first example, this would still mean $61,000 annual savings.
I'm guessing that most who are reading this post are thinking, "that's really impressive, Linda, but I only have one or two servers, so what does this mean to me?"
If you aren't running your server flat out 24 hours a day, you could still see significant savings, particularly during off hours. These new processors require only 10W of power when idle, compared to 16W and 50W for the previous two generations. When our new server is idling, you can't even tell it it powered on - there are no fans running (less power also means less heat) and you have to look at the lights to determine if it is actually on.
Of course, I'm only talking about the hard costs you will save - less power to run the server and reduced cooling needs. There is also the added benefit that your new server will run circles around that 3 or 4 (surely not more!) year old server, making your employees more productive, and likely more agreeable!
Perhaps you are also looking at adding a new application and the software vendor specifies that it should run on its own server. This is a rather common restriction from software vendors because it eliminates the problems that can be caused by the interaction of software on the server. Instead of purchasing a new server to run the new software, consider purchasing a slightly beefier server, implementing virtual servers and running both servers on the same box. If you decide on that approach, be sure that you have maximum redundancy built into the box to eliminate downtime from equipment failures. You will only be powering one server and will not need as much floor space for technology.
Quite honestly, I don't have any clients who need to be considering high end servers, so why is it important that I invest in this training for me and my staff? Simply, we need to be aware of as much technology as possible in order to provide the best recommendations to our clients. If we don't know what the possibilties are, we can't begin to do that.
Most companies like KI Technology Group do not choose to build their own workstations and servers. We continue to do so because there is absolutely no substitute for hands on experience when it comes to the ins and outs of technology. Our familiarity with the latest workstation and server technology not only makes it easy to make the correct recommendations to each of our clients, it also makes troubleshooting easier when we start seeing new technologies in our repair area. And they enjoy learning about the technology and seeing just what can be done with it. It is a big part of why they went into this field in the first place!