Tag Archives: Cisco

Are Multi-Node Systems a Better Option Than Blade Servers?

Lately I’ve been having discussions around “futures” with customers and one topic continues to be over ongoing interest.  What will blade servers look like with the expectations of CPU TDPs continuing to increase?  Looking into the future, it’s very clear that CPUs are going to create an obstacle for blade server users.  TDPs are going to grow to the point where “air cooling” may not be sufficient for all workloads.  This will force blade server users to make a choice.  Continue reading →

A Review of Blade Server Market Share

Every quarter IDC publishes market data for blade server vendors.  In the past I’ve only covered the top 4 main stream vendors, Cisco, Dell Technologies, HPE and Lenovo.  However, I recently came upon IDC’s full list of blade server vendors so I thought it would be good to share.

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It’s About Time Cisco – A Look At the Cisco UCS X9508 and UCS x210c M6

Well, it’s about fracken time, Cisco!  Today Cisco finally announced information about their next generation UCS chassis.  Here’s what you’re going to want to know. Continue reading →

Comparison of Ice Lake Based Blade Servers

(Updated 4.8.2021) Intel released the embargo on April 6, 2021 lifting the covers to the 3rd Generation Xeon Scalable Processor.  As expected, blade server vendors are starting to release details of their offerings based on this new CPU announcement.  Below is an updated chart to help guide you to the best blade server for your project.  This version includes Intel DC Persistent Memory (Optane).

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A Closer Look at the Q3 2020 IDC Blade Server Market Data

Earlier this month, IDC published their Q3 2020 WorldWide Server tracker data showing the top server vendors.  in this post, I’m going to dive in and take a closer look at how blade servers are performing including which vendor is leading the blade server market.    Continue reading →

What Does the Future Hold for the Blade Server?

One of the goals I have for this blog is to keep it current with news and updates from blade top tier server vendors.  However, over the past year, I have found it harder and harder to find relevant information.   Why is this?  Is it just because we in a lull between new blade server models or is the blade server dying? I decided to dig a little deeper into this question. Continue reading →

Helpful Blade Server Links (Updated)

Here is a list of blade-related websites that may help you find more information about blade servers.  Since vendors tend to move their sites without notice if you find a dead link, please let me know.  If you have other sites that you think are worthy to remember, email me at “kevin AT bladesmadesimple.com”.
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Cisco Next Gen UCS Rumors

As we enter the next decade, rumors of Cisco’s next generation UCS are surfacing.  Whether or not they are true, there is no doubt that the original generation of Cisco’s blade server design is long overdue for a major overhaul – and we may see the replacement this year.  So let’s take a look at what’s being said in the gossip mill. Continue reading →

GPU Options for Today’s Blade Servers

In the past, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) was equated to a workload that was designing something, like building automobiles.  However, over the past two or three years, organizations have realized that GPUs have more value than utilization in Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML).  In fact, a large majority of GPU adoption revolves around utilization of GPUs with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).  Organizations have realized that VDI running Windows 10 can benefit from GPUs, so GPUs are now becoming a requirement for VDI.  As we look at a “modular infrastructure” (aka blade server) environment, having multiple servers within a small footprint is ideal for VDI.  Therefore, in today’s blog post, I’m going to review what each blade server vendor offers for GPU options. Continue reading →