One of my ongoing goals with this blog is to be a site for all things blade servers however it can be challenging for me to provide all of the information you may need. Because of this, I created a page dedicated to providing you with a list of helpful websites that you will want to bookmark. Continue reading
Category Archives: News
Gartner Releases New Magic Quadrant for Modular Servers – May 2015
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Gartner Magic Quadrant for blade servers as they discontinued it in 2014. Last month, Gartner created a new Magic Quadrant to replace the older one. The newest Magic Quadrant incorporates both blade servers and multi-node servers. According to Gartner, “the separation of the blade and multinode server markets has become harder to maintain as multinode servers adopt the technology characteristics of blade servers. With the evolution of new modular server designs, the concept of traditional server blades will fade in favor of increasingly variable ‘bricks’ or ‘cartridges.’ Consequently, a Magic Quadrant that tracked only the blade server market could only deliver partial value. This new Magic Quadrant is designed to better reflect the evolving market for any servers that display modular characteristics.” You can view the full article here, but I’ve summarized their findings for the top modular server vendors below.
The Countdown Begins
On June 4th, Dell will have a big announcement. Stay tuned – full details will be disclosed when the countdown ends…
Own a Piece of World of Warcraft
Blizzard Entertainment recently announced they are auctioning off some older HP blade servers that previously hosted the popular World of Warcraft (WoW) game with 100% of the proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. While it is great to own a piece of WoW history, keep in mind, these servers won’t do you any good for use without a minimum of a HP BladeSystem chassis, power supplies and ethernet modules. Here are the details of the auctions found at http://stores.ebay.com/Blizzard-Blade-Servers:
- Display is approximately 28” x 10.3” x 1.7” and weighs 18lbs.
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Each case is exactly the same for all blade servers being auctioned.
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Plaques will show the Realm Name and Mo/Yr of start and end date.
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The copy on the plaque varies. An example of one reads: Blizzard Entertainment has carefully preserved and archived our retired server blades, releasing only a limited number for a noble cause. To us, this server blade is more than just hardware: within the circuits and hard drive, a world of magic, adventure, and friendship thrived. From fishing in quiet lakes to defeating Arthas in Icecrown Citadel, this blade was home to thousands of immersive experiences across the world of Azeroth and beyond. We thank you for the safekeeping of this important part of history.
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The signatures are printed on the plaque are not original and include the World of Warcraft team.
Current bids range from $107 to $225. Details of the blade server configuration is not provided, however I would speculate, 2 x Intel 5400 CPUs with 64GB of RAM and 6 Network Interface Cards (NICs.) UPDATE – one of our readers, Marrtins, commented below that he received a response from the auction that, “I apologize but these server blades are non-working. All memory has been wiped and they are non-functioning. They are strictly pieces of art.”
The auction runs through January 30, so go to http://stores.ebay.com/Blizzard-Blade-Servers and place your bids while you can!
Kevin Houston is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of BladesMadeSimple.com. He has over 15 years of experience in the x86 server marketplace. Since 1997 Kevin has worked at several resellers in the Atlanta area, and has a vast array of competitive x86 server knowledge and certifications as well as an in-depth understanding of VMware and Citrix virtualization. Kevin works for Dell as a Server Specialist covering the Global 500 East market.