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Web Servers Getting Naked, For Weight Savings
1sockchuck writes "Cloud computing is causing servers to get naked. HP today announced a 'skinless' server optimized for customers packing thousands of servers into cloud or HPC environments. This follow the lead of SGI/Rackable, which ditched the cover when it introduced bare bones servers for its CloudRack (previously discussed here). HP says the skinless design makes servers far lighter, which is apparently an issue when shipping them by the rackload."
The new 'blade'; 19" wide and 1.75" tall.
I see discrete Ethernet phys, VGA, USB, etc.; all the horrible stuff blades are supposed to consolidate away. Turns out all the proprietary silicon, software and exotic backplanes necessary to make that real costs too much and is creepy.
And you can quit calling it "cloud" now... they're just hosting providers and you know it.
Lurking at the bottom of the gravity well, getting old
I would say skinless instead. Probably for servers "naked" should mean without OS installed, what looks specially attractive since you can choose to install on them open clothes.
Apparently you and everyone else who modded you up didn't read enough of TFA to see the second picture showing the fans.
So essentially, the whole data center or the rack itself becomes the cooling case. I like it.
However, I do wonder about the airflow
The floor of the case above forms the roof of the case below when mounted in a rack. Airflow problem solved. IIRC, Google was the first to implement this.
"Cloud computing is causing servers to..."
What's with calling everything by near meaningless terns like 'cloud computing' all the time now?. The coverless servers are not due to 'cloud computing', they are just a different technic for server farms. It could be for databases, large analysis, supercomputing, regular network hosting, etc. There is nothing about this that makes it exclusively meant for 'cloud computing' , it's just an idea for large arrays. Unless you a a marketing tool stop saying cloud computing just because it's the hot new phrase. Save it for when it's relevant
Why does a computer have an external skin anyways? It's helpful for desktops to prevent damage from spills, but in the rack mounted environment, unless the skin increases cooling somehow, it's actually worse than useless.
The special enclosure (that also supplies cooling) shields it to FCC standards I'm sure. It's not like one of the biggest computer hardware manufacturers doesn't know about FCC regulations.
I see a few confused posts here about "WTF? Cooling?"
Just RTFA, folks. It's a blade server arrangement, not a standalone computer. These "naked" computers are nothing more than a pair of dual-proc computers, in a 1U-ish chassis without a lid, which needs to slide into the appropriate rack-mounted housing in order to work. This housing includes all of the cooling and power supply goodness one would expect, and (of course) includes a top panel to promote useful airflow and limit RFI.
I don't see much "new" about these things at all, since AFAICT most/all "blade servers" were already naked since their inception.
Color me unimpressed.
Kid-proof tablet..
If someone comes by to fix just one server on a live rack, it helps prevent stuff like screwdrivers etc from falling into the other servers. Or cables from tangling with the wrong stuff...
:).
Skinless is fine when you can treat each server/blade as a "card" in the "computer" (rack). Or you're running one of those massive sites that only changes stuff "by the rack". Then you just wheel out the entire rack and replace it with a new one
It's not so good in "messier" and more heterogeneous server rooms - where someone might stack an el-cheapo 8 port gigabit switch on the server, instead of waiting for that new expensive rack-mount switch to arrive.