HP Rolls Out New Proliant Servers With Opteron 6100 Processor

HP has introduced three new Proliant servers running AMD's new Opteron 6100 series 8-core and 12-core processors (also known as Magny-Cours chips), delivering faster performance, improved energy-efficiency and a quick return on investment. The new lineup, with a starting price of $1,449, includes the HP ProLiant DL165 G7 and DL385 G7 rack-optimized servers, as well as the SL165z G7 "skinless" server, meaning the server is not enclosed in a metal box, like a typical rack-mounted server.

The G7s offer 23:1 server consolidation ratios, 27 times better performance per watt and a two-month return on investment compared to a G4 model, said Dave Peterson, group manager of the Industry Standard Servers line at HP.  Because fewer servers will be needed, Peterson adds, the G7s also boast a 96 percent reduction in power consumption and a 96 percent savings in software licensing expenses compared to a G4. The comparisons are made to a G4 because a typical user on a three-to-five year server refresh cycle would probably be replacing their G4s with G7s.

Other vendors expected to release new models running the Opteron processors are Acer, Cray and Dell. AMD scheduled a launch event for Monday in San Francisco to tout the new processors. Customers such as the e-commerce site Shopzilla.com, the real estate Multiple Listing Service's Property Information Network and the Web portal Kosmix.com are expected to discuss how the processors are working in their IT systems.

The performance of the new processors is complemented by power management tools offered in the Proliant line, said Peterson. HP's Thermal Logic technology deploys a "Sea of Sensors" -- up to 32 per server --  that detect hot spots and throttle up fan speeds as needed, as well as making other adjustments. It also features Dynamic Power Capping, which regulates how many watts of power each server receives based on workload.

The Proliant line also features system-management tools such as Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) management for remote operation of the data center from anywhere in the world. Also offered are Insight Remote Support Software, which reduces support issue resolution time by 20 percent and Insight Control software, which automatically deploys new servers 12 times faster than can be accomplished manually. Insight Control saves companies $48,000 per 100 users in IT operational expenses, said Peterson, citing an IDC study. "So $48,000 per 100 users adds up in a hurry and really helps lend itself to these ROI metrics that we're talking about," he said.