HP BL260c HP ProLiant BL strategy for rapid deployment and reprovisioning of h - Page 4

Server blades ProLiant BL server blades are designed for rapid deployment and provisioning, virtual presence and control, and rip-and-replace serviceability. The ProLiant BL product portfolio includes two distinct families of server blades: the BL e-Class and BL p-Class product lines. The BL e-Class product line includes an ultra-dense, power-efficient edge server blade engineered for the enterprise. The BL e-Class consists of the ProLiant BL 10e, a front-end server blade that supports a single, ultra low-voltage Intel® Pentium®-M processor and fits in a 3U enclosure. The p-Class product line consists of the ProLiant BL20p and the BL40p. The ProLiant BL20p is a mid-tier server blade that supports two Intel Xeon™ DP processors. The ProLiant BL40p server supports four Intel Xeon MP processors and is ideal for back-end applications such as databases and messaging applications. Interconnects Each ProLiant BL server blade has multiple, redundant embedded NICs. Individual category 5e specified signal traces on the passive backplane of the server blade enclosure route network signals from the NICs to the interconnect options installed in the enclosure. Multiple interconnect options for ProLiant BL server blade enclosures give customers flexibility to choose the solution they prefer. Patch panel options provide pass-through of network signals while interconnect switches provide integrated Ethernet switching, significantly improving cable management for the rack and facilitating the rapid deployment of ProLiant BL server solutions. Power infrastructure The ProLiant BL power infrastructure is decoupled from the individual server blades and provides redundant power throughout the rack. Two 1+1 redundant hot-plug power supplies provide power directly to the e-Class enclosure using either 110 or 208 volts alternating current (AC). The two power supplies convert the power to 600 watts each of direct current (DC) that is shared by all server blades in the enclosure. The ProLiant BL p-Class power infrastructure provides redundant power throughout the rack. The power enclosures hold up to six hot-plug power supplies and contain the power management module for monitoring the power infrastructure. The ProLiant BL p-Class bus bars distribute power to the server blade enclosures and drastically reduce cabling. The power infrastructure provides sufficient redundant power to support today's and future BL p-Class systems. Enabling such dense server deployment and disaggregating the power subsystem for ProLiant BL server products required innovative management and monitoring systems. For BL e-Class solutions, HP designed a robust management system called the Integrated Administrator. It provides a single console for complete remote, out-of-band management and monitoring of the BL e-Class system. For BL p-Class solutions, HP designed management modules for the server enclosures that monitor power, server blade health, and overall enclosure health. A power management module in each BL p-Class power enclosure also monitors power available from the enclosure and from each power supply it contains. Management and deployment technology As an integral part of the ProLiant BL program, HP developed management software to provide rapid volume deployment across all ProLiant systems, a common management interface for all ProLiant systems, and remote manageability. All ProLiant BL infrastructure components with embedded firmware (such as the BL e-Class Integrated Administrator) provide a flash read-only memory (ROM) upgrade utility. Using this utility, IT administrators can upgrade the firmware while the system is running. For the upgrade to take effect, 4