HP Xw460c ISS Technology Update, Volume 6 Number 9 - Newsletter - Page 3

ISS Technology Update Volume 6, Number 9 Additional resources For additional information on the topics discussed in this article, visit the following links: Resource HP ProLiant xw460c Blade Workstation QuickSpecs HP ProLiant xw460c Blade Workstation - Business Support Center URL http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12680_na/12680_na.PDF http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Home.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodCl assId=-1&prodTypeId=12454&prodSeriesId=3355016 Future of PCI-X slots in ProLiant servers PCI Express (PCIe) is now becoming the predominant I/O bus for new server platforms. HP will continue, however, to provide legacy support for the different levels of PCI, including PCI-X. HP has introduced PCIe technology into ProLiant servers to coexist with PCI-X 133, allowing ProLiant server customers to install new higher bandwidth cards (for example, dual 4-Gb Fibre Channel, x4 InfiniBand, and 10-Gb Ethernet) using PCIe technology. At the same time, the continued commitment from HP to PCI-X allows ProLiant server customers to connect to their existing I/O cards. Current ProLiant ML servers have a mix of PCI-X and PCIe slots, while ProLiant DL servers have optional riser boards to provide different combinations of PCI-X and PCIe slots. Table 2-1 shows the current ProLiant server models and their support for PCI-X. Next generation ProLiant servers will no longer feature PCI-X slots as standard offerings. However, PCI-X will continue to be supported on these servers through the use of the appropriate optional riser boards. For the latest information, go to www.hp.com/go/proliant and check the QuickSpecs for a specific server. Table 2-1. Number of PCI-X slots in ProLiant DL and ML servers Server series ML 300 ML 500 DL 100 DL 300 DL 500 Server model Standard ML 310 G4 2 ML 350 G5 3 ML 370 G5 2 ML 570 G4 4 DL 140 G3 0 DL 145 G3 0 DL 320 G5 0 DL 380 G5 0 DL 385 G2 0 DL 580 G5 0 DL 580 G4 1 DL 585 G2 2 Optional 0 2 0 0 2 1 1 2 2 3 2 0 Total 2 5 2 4 3 1 1 2 2 3 3 2 Customers requiring peripheral bandwidth in excess of 1 GB/s will most likely find those peripherals implemented with PCIe technology. It is expected that most device manufacturers will use PCIe technology for higher bandwidth peripheral devices such as 10-Gb Ethernet. For peripherals that require bandwidth less than 1 GB/s, PCI and PCI-X remain viable technologies 3