Sun has announced seven new servers based on Intel’s Xeon 5500 CPU. The new Nehalem servers, which fall under the heading of ‘Open Network Systems’, are intended for virtualization, internet, enterprise and hpc applications.
The by Sun announced servers can be divided into four rack-mounted servers, two blade servers and a workstation. The first category includes the X2270, X4170, X4270 and X4275 of the Sun Fire series. The entry level Sun Fire X2270 is contained in a 1U-high housing and can contain two Xeon 5500 CPUs with speeds from 2GHz to 2.93GHz, with the tdp not exceeding 95W. Each processor has six DDR3 dimm slots available with a maximum of 48GB per system. The housing offers space for a maximum of four 3.5″ HDDs or SSDs, while a 32GB SSD is built in. The latter quantity can be expanded with two 24GB Sun Flash Modules. The server also contains a PCI-e-x16 slot, two gigabit ethernet connections and a single 600W power supply.
The X4170, X4270 and the X4275 possess all three over two processor sockets for an Intel Xeon 5500 CPU, QPI technology and 18 slots for a total of 144GB DDR3 RDIMM memory. Because of this memory variant, Sun has incorporated an Intel 5520 chipset in the systems instead of the 5500 chipset in the X2270.
The systems mainly differ from each other in the height of the housing and the expansion options. For example, the X4170 has a 1U housing that can accommodate up to eight 2.5″ SATA HDDs in combination with a SAS Raid HBA card from Sun in the PCI-e slot. Without this raid card, six SATA HDDs can be installed. HDDs or four SSDs, and the X4270’s larger 2U chassis can accommodate double the X4170’s 2.5″ HDDs and SSDs, as well as an optional DVD drive. Internally, the X4270 can accommodate six low profile PCI-e-x8 cards. The power supply is doubled for redundancy on the X4270. Like the X4270, the X4275 has a 2U enclosure, but accepts drives or SSDs in 3.5″ format instead of 2.5″. Up to twelve positions are available for SATA HDDs, while up to eight SATA SSDs are supported. Like the X4270, the top model has internal space for six low-profile PCI-e-x8 cards.
The Sun Blade X6270 and the X6275 are new ones blade servers that fit into the modular Sun Blade 6000 and 6048 chassis. The X6270 is equipped with up to two Intel Xeon 5500 series CPUs and the server has a total of 18 DDR3 dimm banks. This allows for a maximum internal memory of 144GB. Four 2.5″ HDDs or SDDs can be plugged into the front of the server. The new top model in Sun’s blade line is the X6275. It houses a maximum of four Xeon 5500 CPUs, six DDR3 dimm slots per CPU, as well as four 24GB Sun Flash Modules.The X6275 uses QDR Infiniband technology.
Sun also announced the Virtual Network Express Module. This NEM hardware plugs into a blade chassis and acts according to PCWorld as a so-called aggregation switch. The module controls data traffic between the blades and a central 10Gb Ethernet switch. Placing it in the chassis eliminates the need for a separate managed switch. This move appears to be a response to Cisco’s server aspirations.
Sun is one of the last major server manufacturers to announce a server line based on the Xeon 5500 CPU series. Previously introduced Dell, HP and IBM already new Nehalem servers.