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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."

14 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. Hottttt! by The_mad_linguist · · Score: 4, Funny

    Servers getting naked - IN YOUR EMAIL.

    Just sign up for our newsletter, and all of those from our affiliates, co-conspirators, third party hordes, and lawyers...

    Sure, you can find naked servers at google, but don't you prefer the personal touch?

    1. Re:Hottttt! by The+End+Of+Days · · Score: 5, Funny

      All I gotta say is if you don't know the difference between skinless and naked, you are NOT dating my sister.

  2. Blade? by TopSpin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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
  3. Is the Airflow OK? by Philip_the_physicist · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This makes sense, since the dust should already be filtered, which removes a large part of the need for a case. However, I do wonder about the airflow, since an ordinary case helps to direct the airflow through the kit rather than over the top, which might be a problem. On the other hand, without a case, the ventilation will be much better, so what is lost on the swings may be gained on the roundabouts.

    This is a nice idea though, and would make sense for rackmount routers/switches, since these usually sit in an enclosed cupboard anyway.

    bTW: first?/p

    1. Re:Is the Airflow OK? by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's for THE CLOUD COMPUTING, there's not going to be any airflow problems!

    2. Re:Is the Airflow OK? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, Informative

      Given the fact that there don't seem to be any fans pictured in the chassis itself, and given that this is targeted at very large scale customers, I'd assume that the use case for these things is "inside a specially designed rack with power and cooling, with that specially designed rack completely full" which would allow the OEM to just validate against that case.

      If you just put one of these on a table, it'd probably overheat; but, if you want to do that, HP wants to sell you a pedestal server instead.

    3. Re:Is the Airflow OK? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, Interesting

      You might want to RTFA a little more closely: The fans in the second picture are embedded in a larger chassis, into which the module in the first picture is inserted. There are no fans in the server modules. There are fans, and power, provided by the larger enclosure into which they are inserted. I was wrong to speculate that it was full rack(the z6000 enclosure is only 2u, for reasons I can't quite fathom); but the thermal performance of the bare server does, indeed, depend quite closely on the enclosure into which it is inserted, just as I speculated.

  4. This is similar to an old school BBS trick by Optic7 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My friend used to run a BBS way back when, and he told me he would just hang the motherboards and other components on a pegboard on the wall. Similar idea, but I think he was doing it to save money on cases and possibly to save space as well.

  5. This might be a good idea by selven · · Score: 4, Informative

    Makes the servers more serviceable, and in a server closet there isn't much that would require a skin to protect against.

  6. Nice rack by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nice rack

  7. Re:I've been thinking (and saying) this for a long by imneverwrong · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...it looks a hell of a lot bad ass when you open up a system that's got it's guts exposed and just start hot-swappin' like a mofo

    A mechanic was removing a cylinder-head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known cardiologist in his shop. The cardiologist was there waiting for the service manager to come take a look at his bike when the mechanic shouted across the garage "Hey Doc, want to take a look at this?"

    The cardiologist walked over to where the mechanic was working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and said, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take the valves out, repair any damage, and then put them back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I make $25,000 a year and you get $160,000 when you and I are doing basically the same work?"

    The cardiologist paused, smiled and leaned over, then whispered to the mechanic...

    "Try doing it with the engine running!"

  8. Re:As a conservative... by Neanderthal+Ninny · · Score: 4, Funny

    Steve Cobert, please go back to your desk and keep quiet on this.
    Nevertheless, this is the only naked thing in the world you will get close to.

  9. It would be awesome if... by egcagrac0 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    They added a 12V only power supply and a 12V battery, integrating the UPS as well. All the 12V stepdown can happen on the mainboard!

    Totally OK if the battery is an optional replacement for the second hard drive.

  10. If it improves performance, why not? by Lord+Byron+II · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.