Fujitsu Computer Systems Corp. is upgrading its Intel Corp.-based blade server with a chip that will boost the systems power while reducing its energy consumption.
Fujitsu, of Sunnyvale, Calif., has put Intels Pentium M chip into the Primergy BX300 blade server, replacing the Low Voltage Mobile Pentium III chip that was used previously.
The change will make the 3U (5.25-inch) server more attractive to customers—such as ISPs—running large numbers of Web servers or terminal servers, Fujitsu officials said. It also will give the systems a faster processor—up to 1.6GHz—as much as 1MB of Level 2 cache and up to 4GB of memory.
The Primergy BX300 blade server, which is priced starting at $6,500, offers an optional PCI slot for Gigabit Ethernet or Fibre Channel connectivity, giving the servers greater throughput capabilities. That also enables them to integrate more easily into an enterprises network or network-attached storage systems, officials said.
The systems chassis can accommodate up to 20 BX300 blades and features hot-swap power supplies and fans. Management blades let users remotely monitor and manage the systems over a LAN or serial connection through a single interface.
The servers offer up to two 20GB or 60GB hard disks. Fujitsus management software—ServerView, ServerStart and RemoteView—enables management and deployment of blade servers, officials said.
IDC sees the blade space as one of the sweet spots for the server industry. In a report issued last month, the Framingham, Mass., company said blades gained traction in 2003 and will continue to gain steam, growing from less than $1 billion in sales in 2003 to more than $7 billion by 2007.