HP NetServer AA 4000 HP Netserver AA Solution Administrator's Guide v - Page 26

Endurance Server Hardware Configuration With four systems integrated into a single Windows fault tolerant server, as shown in Figure 1-1, the Endurance server provides complete hardware redundancy. Because the Endurance server uses redundant hardware, its hardware availability far surpasses that of a standard Windows server. Using redundant hardware also allows online service and replacement of Endurance hardware. The Endurance server supports multiple network connections to provide additional network redundancy and network traffic control. Each system in the Endurance server (Figure 1-2) performs specific tasks, functioning as either a CE or IOP: • CE (Compute Element) contains the server CPU(s) and memory that supports a standard Windows operating system and applications. Because there are two CEs, the CEs provide the redundant CPU(s) and memory for the Endurance server. • IOPs (I/O Processors) contain the keyboard and mouse, mirrored SCSI devices, redundant network adapters, and other I/O devices. Because there are two IOPs, the mirrored SCSI devices (one on each IOP) provide fault tolerant data storage, and the redundant network adapters (one on each IOP) provide redundant network connectivity. The IOPs handle all Endurance server I/O requests. The Endurance server uses MICs and the IL to interconnect four standard systems into the server configuration. This enables these systems to function as one server: • MIC (Marathon Interface Card) is an adapter that provides a high speed interconnect path for the Endurance server. There are four MICs in an Endurance server: one in each IOP, and one in each CE. • IL (IOP Link) cable connects IOP1 and IOP2. By using redundant hardware, HP is also able to implement SplitSite technology in your server. SplitSite enables you to locate each tuple of an Endurance server residing in different locations. This provides a method of offsite data protection while also providing protection from potential site disasters. 1-8 HP Netserver AA Solution Administrator's Guide