Dell has debuted two new database servers aimed at small and medium-sized companies. Designed to lower the barrier to entry for customers looking to deploy a four-processor server for database environments, the PowerEdge 6800 and PowerEdge 6850 are powered by up to four Intel Xeon MP processors and support DDR2-400 ECC memory and PCI Express graphics technology. The Xeons processors are available in two different flavours, either a large 8MB L3 cache or a smaller L2 with a faster processor clock speed. Dell says this will enable you to configure your setup to best meet the needs of your company's applications. Dell also says that the PowerEdge 6800 and 6850 have been validated across a wide range of corporate platforms including Oracle Database 10g and Oracle Database 9i, Real Application Clusters (RAC) and Microsoft SQL Server. The machines are also guaranteed to support the 64-bit offerings of Oracle Database 10g and 10g, Real Application Clusters, and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 using Microsoft Windows Server 2003 64-bit Edition and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. On another note, Dell has also upgraded its server systems management software, OpenManage 4.3. The company claims the new software offers security and change management enhancements, simplified monitoring capabilities and deployment tools. UK pricing is yet to be announced.

Pros: Support latest 64-bit Xeon processors; validated across platforms
Cons: Run on Intel processors only


Release: Dell has introduced two new powerful database servers, systems management software and data centre assessment services that bring outstanding performance, value and manageability to customers' data centre environments.

The Dell PowerEdge 6800 and PowerEdge 6850 feature the new 64-bit Intel Xeon processors MP (multi-processor) and are the ideal platform for database environments, server consolidation and virtualisation, and migration from costly RISC-based systems. Like other Dell 8th-generation servers, the PowerEdge 6800 and PowerEdge 6850 offer the latest core technologies, including DDR2-400 ECC memory and PCI Express I/O, delivering performance that is up to 32 per cent higher than previous Dell four-processor offerings.

For the first time ever, Dell PowerEdge four-processor servers can be configured for application-specific performance optimisation. The new 64-bit Intel Xeon processors MP are available in two different configurations: large 8MB level three cache, or a smaller level two cache with a faster processor clock speed. This enables customers to choose the configuration based on their data centre environment to take advantage of either a larger cache or a faster processor clock speed.

For customers with a database environment, the PowerEdge servers can be configured with a large cache processor to efficiently handle the large data blocks typical in those environments. For other applications that benefit from processor-centric performance, customers will benefit from the faster processor speeds. The result is a PowerEdge server that offers the highest levels of performance but with a new, lower cost of acquisition. In fact, the PowerEdge 6800 and 6850 are the lowest priced four-processor servers ever offered by Dell.

'With the launch of the PowerEdge 6800 and PowerEdge 6850, we have effectively lowered the barrier to entry for customers looking to deploy a high-performance, four-processor server for database environments,' said Jeff Clarke, senior vice president of the Enterprise Product Group, Dell. 'While our customers continue to look to us for low cost, the real value we're offering is a tightly integrated solution of high performance hardware, certification with leading applications, complete management software and the professional services to ensure optimal installation and usage in their data centre.'

As a leader in the dual-processor database market, Dell plans to take a leadership position in the quad-processor server space with a broad offering for database applications. The PowerEdge 6800 and PowerEdge 6850 are tested and validated for 32-bit configurations of Oracle Database 10g and Oracle Database 9i, Real Application Clusters (RAC) and Microsoft SQL Server. Utilising the 64-bit capability of the PowerEdge 6800 and 6850 servers, customers can be ensured of hardware investment protection as they migrate to 64-bit offerings of Oracle Database 10g and 10g, Real Application Clusters, and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 using Microsoft Windows Server 2003 64-bit Edition and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Dell will offer these 64-bit operating systems and database applications on the PowerEdge 6800 and PowerEdge 6850 later this year.

Dell has expanded the systems management features for what are already the most manageable PowerEdge servers ever. Dell's new OpenManage 4.3 release offers numerous ease-of-use, security and change management enhancements, simplified monitoring capabilities and streamlined deployment tools to install new servers quickly. The new tools in OpenManage 4.3 are easy to use with Web-based interfaces to allow anywhere access to IT assets.

Dell OpenManage now offers a full portfolio of tools for single server update (Server Update Utility), centralised hardware monitoring and updates (IT Assistant 7.0) and integrated hardware and software patch management with industry leading solutions such as Microsoft SMS 2003. Dell is the only major server provider that offers customers the ability to patch operating systems, applications and server software using one tool. Dell OpenManage 4.3 systems management tools are available at no additional charge with most Dell PowerEdge servers.

Dell also announced a new Data Center Environmental Assessment service to assist customers by evaluating data centre thermal and power requirements, analysing current air flow design and helping customers plan for future growth. Dell also helps maximise capacity and utilisation on the Dell PowerEdge 6800 and PowerEdge 6850 servers through comprehensive consolidation services designed to simplify management of those data centres and make them more efficient.

The PowerEdge 6800 and PowerEdge 6850 will be available worldwide in the coming weeks starting at $3999 and $4899, respectively.

BIOS, Mar 24, 05 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In Server