We are living in the era of Big Data, with data volumes and types constantly expanding across industries. This new data landscape brings with it immense opportunities but also challenges for organizations to effectively collect, store, manage and analyze massive datasets. As the core of any data infrastructure, servers play a crucial role in enabling insights and innovation from data assets.
HP’s latest generation HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen10 server shows impressive advancements that make it highly optimized for the demands of the data-driven digital age. As one of HP’s most powerful single-socket platforms, the 12th generation DL385 pushes the boundaries in dense, high-performance computing through its innovative architecture and design.
At the heart of the DL385 Gen12 is Intel’s 3rd generation Xeon Scalable processors, code-named Ice Lake. Featuring up to 40 cores per socket, the new Platinum and Gold processors bring an unprecedented level of processing power in a compact 1U form factor. They also integrate new enhancements like Intel’s built-in artificial intelligence accelerators.
In addition to raw CPU muscle, the DL385 has been engineered from the ground up with memory-intensive and storage-heavy workflows in mind. It supports an industry-leading 24 DIMM slots, allowing up to 6TB of DDR4 memory – enough capacity to store and analyze massive datasets in memory without slowing down.
Equally impressive are its storage capabilities, with support for up to 48 SAS/SATA drives or 32 NVMe SSDs. The latest generation NVMe drives deliver flash performance of over 7GB/s per drive. Combined with new software-defined storage technologies, organizations can set up highly scalable, flexible storage tiers that optimize for different data access patterns and budgets.
Other highlights of the DL385 Gen12 include expanded I/O with embedded 10GbE and 25GbE as well as hardware-based security features. Its modular architecture and tool-less serviceability further enhance total cost of ownership with ease of upgrades and maintenance.
Overall, the new HP DL385 continues its lineage as a leading platform for data-intensive applications ranging from AI, analytics and databases to VDI and virtualization. Its optimized hardware configuration sets a new bar for single-socket density balanced with scalable performance. As data center footprints shrink while demands grow exponentially, the DL385 delivers a future-proof solution to power our data-driven digital age.
That concludes my overview of how HP’s latest DL385 Gen12 server has been purpose-built from the chip level up to excel at data-centric workloads. Let me know if you need any additional technical perspective or analysis. I’d be happy to discuss specific use cases and workload validation too.
T-shaped motherboard allows the PSUs to be placed on each side of the chassis to improve air flow through the chassis. Dell EMC PowerEdge R650 1U Rack Server Motherboard has extra exhaust lanes to help cool the CPUs
Multi-vector cooling:
Create streamlined pathways so air can be directed as on when needed most using automation or user-defined profiles. A bank of six hot-plug cooling fans are arranged in front of the motherboard.
Maximum 8TB DDR4 RDIMM can be achieved with a full house of 256GB LRDIMMs
Sixteen of Intel’s latest Optane 200 persistent memory modules.
Storage:
The high-level drive configuration options are as follows:
12x 3.5″ SAS/SATA HDD
24x 2.5″ SAS/SATA HDD, SSD, or NVMe with universal slots
16x 2.5″ SAS/SATA HDD or SSD + 8x 2.5″ NVMe
Up to 4x rear 2.5″ SAS/SATA HDD or SSD or NVMe (when SAS or SATA in front)
SAS3 SFF HDDs achieved totally 8 * 2.4TB with
12-bay LFF hot-swap backplane for SAS3/SATA devices
16-bay SAS/SATA SFF backplane
NVMe SSDs
Extra 8-bay backplane, General
24-bay backplane if full house of NVMe SSDs but this doesn’t support SAS/SATA devices
PCI-E riser can be added with additional cost 2-bay or 4-bay enclosure at the back and choose from SAS/SATA or NVMe SSD versions.
RAID
New PERC11 controllers on storage backplane.
Standard PERC H755 front SAS model
PERC H755N model brings hardware RAID to NVMe devices as this PCI-E 4 adapter has the bandwidth
BOSS (boot optimized storage solution) card
New S2 version presents its two M.2 slots at the rear where SATA SSDs are fitted in removable hot-swap carriers.
PCI Expansion:
Four Nos dual-slot PCI-E 4 risers include a Snap I/O version that currently supports Infiniband adapters and allows them to have a x8 connection to each CPU for reduced latency.
Central riser is an OCP 3.0 mezzanine edge slot to use open-standard network cards
iDRAC9 controller:
Remote management features in web console presents information on server operations and hardware health, with the Datacenter license adding advanced services such as streaming telemetry for predictive analytics.
Power Manager plug-in:
To test the Power Manager plug-in added it to monitored device group and the OME home page to view historical graphs of group power consumption ranging from 6 hours to a year, check on thermals and see which systems were using the most power.
Important Asset to data centers as it supports up to 8,000 systems and can enforce per-rack power cap and thermal event-based policies to automatically throttle servers back when they’re in trouble.
If the situation becomes critical, the EPR (emergency power reduction) feature can push out an instant mass policy to selected groups forcing all members to drop to a low power mode or be gracefully shut down.
OpenManage Enterprise (OME)
To run OpenManage Enterprise (OME) as a Hyper-V VM allowing us to monitor and configure all our PowerEdge servers from one web console.
Navigator Systems is here to provide you with more information, answer any questions, you may have and create an effective solution for your IT Infrastructure needs.
New third-generation Xeon Scalable processor called Ice Lake
Processor:
The 10 nanometer-based CPU is delivering up to 40 cores per processor.
The processors also add Intel SGX (Software Guard Extensions) for built-in security, as well as Intel Crypto Acceleration. It includes Intel’s DL Boost for AI acceleration.
AI acceleration:
Intel says that with hardware and software optimizations, Ice Lake delivers 74 percent faster AI performance compared with the prior generation. Compared to the third-generation AMD Epyc 7763, Intel says the platform delivers up to 1.5 times higher performance across a broad mix of 20 popular AI workloads. Compared to the Nvidia A100 GPU, it says it delivers up to 1.3 times higher performance on a broad mix of 20 popular AI workloads.
Built-in security:
Intel SGX, and security has the technology can protect as much as 1 terabyte of code and data in private memory areas called enclaves.
Ice Lake chips also feature cryptographic acceleration that promises to let the chip deliver both security and performance.
Intel Ice Lake vs. Intel Cascade Lake
Some of the key differences between Intel’s new 3rd gen Xeon CPUs with Intel’s 2nd gen Xeon Scalable processors. The below table highlights the processor architecture, cache latencies, memory controller, memory latency, and capacity.
The platform supports up to six terabytes of system memory per socket, up to eight channels of DDR4-3200 memory per socket, and up to 64 lanes of PCIe Gen4 per socket.
Ice Lake delivers an average 46 percent performance increase on popular data center workloads
Network:
Intel produces network-optimized “N-SKUs” to support diverse network environments. The new processors deliver on average up to 62 percent more performance on a range of broadly-deployed network and 5G workloads over the prior generation, Intel says. More than 15 major telecom equipment manufacturers and communications service providers are readying POCs and networking deployments with Ice Lake.
Workload:
Ice Lake delivers up to 1.56 times more AI inference performance for image classification than the prior generations, Intel says. This makes it suitable for AI, complex image or video analytics, and consolidated workloads at the edge.
Intel Optane SSD Storage:
Intel increased the capacity of the drive which started at 375GB, tops at 1.5TB. Optane SSDs perfect companion for slower media. we primarily designed for endurance and frequently used in a two-tier architecture. Optane SSDs are often set up to absorb all of the writes in a system, protecting larger, slower media behind it. These can be QLC SSDs for instance, that perform well for read-heavy workloads, but don’t have much endurance or write performance.
vSAN, Azure HCI, StorONE, and many others are well adept at making multi-tier work well.
PMem: Intel Optane Persistent Memory
A way to bridge the gap between volatile DRAM and high-performance SSDs. PMem 200 is quoted to deliver 32% more memory bandwidth than Gen1. New modules are optimized for the new 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors, making the combination, with Intel SSDs.
In the memory bandwidth throughput, with PMem 200 picking up 3,200 MT/s support.
Core count starts at 16 cores and goes up to 40. With the first PMem, users could add 3TB of PMem for a total memory per socket of 4.5TB, now the total is 6TB per socket, with 4TB of PMem 200 being added. The maximum thermal design power dropped from 18W to 15W. And the newest persistent memory comes with eADR, extended Asynchronous DRAM Refresh.
The MemVerge Memory Machine management interface can help administrators through a number of use cases:
Crash recovery:
The snapshot GUI is used to quickly bring back the database and/or troubleshoot the cause. The database log and Memory Machine Dashboard data determine the time of the crash, allowing the admin to select and restore a snapshot that is closest to the crash time. Developers can then use that restored instance for debugging.
Accelerating Animation & VFX with Memory DVR:
Animation:
Artists want to explore different options on a base Maya scene. They load the base scene, apply the changes, and save it as a different project. They can save many separate scenes, but to show these options they must be repetitively reloaded, which takes a long time.
With Memory DVR functionality, load a base scene once, take a snapshot as the basic snapshot, then apply changes and take another snapshot. To apply a different effect, simply restore the snapshot, edit, and take another snapshot. The restore speed of in-memory snapshots is a few seconds compared to minutes for reloading scenes from storage.
Accelerating Genomic Analytics with Memory DVR:
Scientists want to experiment with a machine learning algorithm using different parameter settings. They load the data, set the parameter, run the algorithm, and check out the results. if the results are not good, the data is reloaded, a different set of parameters is applied, and the algorithm is run again.
With Memory DVR functionality, load the data once and take a snapshot. From that point on, if the results are not good, restore the base data and another run with new parameters is done in seconds.
Intel Agilex FPGAs that leverage PCIe Gen4.
Intel Agilex FPGA family leverages heterogeneous 3D system-in-package (SiP) technology to integrate Intel’s first FPGA fabric built on 10nm process technology and 2nd Gen Intel Hyperflex FPGA Architecture to deliver up to 40% higher performance1 or up to 40% lower power1 for applications in Data Center, Networking, and Edge compute.
Workloads:
VDI, databases, AI and machine learning, Cloud, big data, HPC and Analytics.
About us
Navigator System offers end-to-end data center maintenance services that allow you to extend the life of your IT assets.
MANAGED IT SERVICES are
24×7 Field Services & Technical Support
Multi-Vendor Maintenance Programs (NetGuard)
Cloud & Network Migration Services
Monitoring & Infrastructure Management
Consulting & Project Management Services
Network Security
Network Lifecycle Management
Asset Recovery Programs
Spares Management & Repairs for AMC contracts
Materials Management & Reverse Logistics for AMC contracts
When companies need to save money, they often buy used servers to minimize IT expenditures, but whether they purchase servers that perform well is another matter. If a company is considering purchasing used servers, but assistance in choosing pre-owned hardware that offers top-notch performance and reliability is required, the answers below will help.
What is the difference between used hardware and refurbished hardware?
Refurbished hardware is pre-owned hardware that has been reconditioned to look and perform like new. Used hardware is pre-owned hardware that has not undergone reconditioning. Reconditioning improves the performance and reliability of the hardware by replacing problematic parts and cleaning the interior. When pre-owned hardware is employed to support mission-critical IT objectives, purchasing refurbished equipment is the best option.
Is buying hardware at auctions a safe decision?
Unless the buyer has expertise in evaluating hardware, buying hardware at auctions is typically a risky choice. Sellers of refurbished hardware often buy IT equipment from auctions and improve the equipment before they resell it. Consequently, the safest option is to purchase equipment from a professional refurbisher of IT hardware.
What type of warranty is available for pre-owned hardware?
Sellers of used servers offer warranties of various lengths. The most extended warranties generally come with refurbished models and typically last between one month and a year. However, used servers that come with a lifetime warranty are also available. The more critical the hardware is for the business, the more necessary it is to purchase it from a seller offering a lifetime warranty.
What type of technical support is available for pre-owned hardware?
Most sellers of refurbished models provide free technical support before the sale to help the buyer choose the right hardware. Some sellers also offer free technical support after the sale to help the buyer integrate the hardware into the network. However, the customer typically pays for long-term technical support. If the company needs ongoing technical support for specific servers, purchasing the hardware from a seller that allows customers to pre-purchase technical support is a smart idea.
When is used hardware too old to be worth purchasing?
As long as the unit operates effectively and meets the buyer’s needs, it is not too old to purchase. With that said, servers that are old enough to lack contemporaneous IT capabilities such as virtualization are often not useful to modern businesses. The first step in buying any model – whether new or old – establishes what qualifications are needed now and in the future. As long as the hardware offers those capabilities, it is worth purchasing.
Conclusion
Buying used servers helps companies reduce IT expenditures, but unless companies buy hardware that offers excellent performance and reliability, the cost savings from purchasing previously owned hardware are negligible. Investing in used servers that have been refurbished is a perfect way to save money without purchasing low-quality hardware. For more information about buying pre-owned hardware, contact a seller of new and used hardware today.
Environmental benefits of buying refurbished servers.
According to recent research, computer components are thrown away after 2-4 years of use. This behavior has a devastating impact on our environment because each computer component that is discarded takes up additional space in public landfills. Additionally, these devices are full of toxic materials like lead, cadmium, and mercury. When humans are exposed to these materials, like when they are released into the environment due to premature server disposal, side effects include damage to the brain, kidneys, and the central nervous system. Despite these issues, many companies still choose to buy new servers every 2-4 years even though refurbished servers are more than capable of getting the job done.
When a business opts to purchase refurbished HP servers instead of using new ones, they keep another device out of landfills. However, far more enticing for business owners is the fact that refurbished servers cost less than half as much as a new server. Not only is it environmentally responsible for purchasing used servers that have been restored, but it is also a very cost-effective choice.
Refurbished servers present an opportunity for companies to afford technology and features that they would ordinarily be unable to afford. Older machines can be upgraded, or faulty machines can be replaced without completely depleting the company’s funds. Vendors who perform reconditioning in-house will acquire used servers and run a full diagnostic test to ensure that all components work properly. If a component does not work or is close to the end of its lifespan, it will be replaced so that the buyer acquires a more reliable device. Two other money-saving benefits of purchasing refurbished servers from a vendor that reconditions in-house are the supplied service history and a warranty’s inclusion.
Since reconditioning is performed in-house, the vendor will have a record of replaced components and other aspects that were tested. This repair history will make it easier for the company to schedule regular maintenance, which will reduce system breakdowns and save money. Additionally, companies that recondition servers will stand behind the refurbishment’s quality by offering a warranty. This agreement will allow the buyer to reduce long-term maintenance costs by turning variable repair costs into a fixed cost that is easy to plan.
Another environmental benefit of purchasing refurbished HP servers or other server brands is that most vendors offer to take care of disposal. In some cases, the company will offer to buy the customer’s old server to be reconditioned and re-sold. Even if the company does not offer the customer’s old server, it will still take care of the device’s disposal by disposing of the servers in an environmentally safe way that meets all of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) compliance standards.
Businesses that care about their carbon footprint can acquire new technology in an environmentally friendly way by purchasing refurbished servers. The company also benefits from purchasing refurbished HP servers and other server brands because they are inexpensive, reliable, and high-quality.
Instead of disposing of used servers, most companies choose to sell them to resellers and collectors. Used server for sale are usually refurbished and may be dealt with with accessories such as housing, cabinets, cooling fans, power strips, LCD monitors, etc. To avoid hassles associated with poor servers, keep a few things in mind.
Your needs
Are you a small business owner who needs to upgrade your computer system in your office or an IT professional who needs to replace multi-core servers in your company? Determine the role of the server in your business. If you need servers for files and printers only, a small, cheaper server will suffice. However, if your company uses dozens of applications, and an up-to-date server can be your option.
Server’s specifications
Specifications to be considered include a processor, operating system, memory, hard disk, and video adapter. The general rule for processor and memory specs is that the higher the number, the faster the machine. You can choose among several operating systems available for servers, such as Windows Server or Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS). Before purchasing, check whether the hard disk and video adapter is compatible with the server itself and your system.
Place to buy
There are several ways to look for brand new and Used servers for sale. First is to look into online directories that feature a comprehensive list of server resellers and distributors in your area. You can also ask the manufacturer of your current system for older models that were not sold or traded in for upgrades. Buyers can also visit government auctions which liquidates brand new servers.
A vendor that offers enhancements
Please select at least three vendors from your list and check whether they offer extras for servers. These enhancements may refer to accessories that are not provided when buying brand new servers. Pick the vendor that offers “redundancy” in the form of extra hard drives, power supplies, and fans. Some used server packages may also include free antivirus software.
Your budget
Purchasing a server should be a long term investment. Compare different price ranges and determine which gives you the best value for your money. A competitive price does not mean the lowest price, but the price is relevant to the quality.
Warranty
Unless the server is not that critical to your business, you should consider the warranty that comes with it. Choose Used servers for sale with a warranty so you will be treated as a priority customer during repairs. Used servers without warranty will make you wait for about 5 weeks or more when being repaired.
