Dell XS11-VX8 Video & Blog

May 20, 2009 Dave Ohara

After leaks here are the official Dell Blog and video.

Dell Launches "Fortuna" -- Via Nano-based Server for Hyperscale Customers

19 May , 10:50 AM

The DCS team at Dell is known for being a bit of a skunk works for servers. With a charter to custom design optimized systems for our customers, we often find ourselves creating very unique products.

To that end, I’d like to share details about one of our more recent efforts in this space. Known officially as the XS11-VX8, but more affectionately by its code name of "Fortuna," it is arguably the most power-efficient and densest server in the marketplace. But note: these are not Dell PowerEdge servers available to all customers but are an advancement that Dell is bringing to customer's whose data center is their factory. They are hyper-scale customers in the search engine and Web hosting businesses.

Before jumping into the speeds and feeds, let’s talk a little about the specific problem our DCS Architecture team set out to solve. A number of large web-hosting providers approached the DCS team with a desire for unique, physical machines right-sized for a web-hosting workload. These unique physical machines must operate and perform like an enterprise-class server in terms of applications and management, but their workloads don’t warrant multi-socket or multi-core architectures.

To fill this space today, these customers often select general purpose 1U servers or low-end tower servers. However, compromises are made around the density, power, and/or manageability aspects associated with these alternatives. The Fortuna solution was designed from day one to solve this specific customer problem without compromise. Leveraging the Via Nano CPU, we can deliver an incredibly low-power solution of 20-29 Watts/server at full load (that isn’t a typo), and 15 Watts/server at OS idle. In addition, there are no compromises on enterprise features like 64-bit operating systems, 1-to-1 virtualization, and remote management via IPMI.

However, what usually catches most customers' attention is the form factor. With a size slightly larger than a 3.5-inch hard drive, Fortuna is a “hot-plug” server with its own dedicated memory, storage, BMC, and dual 1GbE NIC’s. The chassis exists to provide power, cooling, and a mechanism to mount in a rack. This provides unprecedented density – supporting six servers per rack unit (U) or 252 servers in a 42U rack.

Returning to our customers’ problem statement, the form factor serves a purpose.

For customers living with rack capacities defined by the amps of service available, Fortuna provides a 700 percent increase in server density. This translates into a compelling total cost of ownership story.

XS11-VX8, Dell’s Via Nano Server, Anti-VMware and Intel

May 18, 2009 Dave Ohara

Dell and Via are teaming up to provide low power servers. Computerworld writes.

Dell uses Via Nano laptop chips in servers

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Dell's new ultra-light server will use low-power processors designed for use in cheap laptops. The XS11-VX8 servers will use Nano netbook processors from Via Technologies to run light server workloads such as Web hosting. Dell's move to use the Nano chips is part of a growing trend to use low-power chips in servers to reduce energy and cooling costs in data-centers. The Dell servers will be priced at around 400 dollars and will bundle 12 server boards with Nano chips in one chassis. Each server board will include Via's Nano U2250 processor, which runs at 1.3GHz, and a storage module.

interesting that Dell has 12 server boards per chassis. Given the competition for market share i wonder if Dell will count a XS11-VX8 as one or twelve servers?

Why would Dell create these low power, low performance servers?

The Register gives a reason.

In the Web hosting world, you can charge a premium for customers who have dedicated servers. But Moore's Law and every-more powerful processors combined with server virtualization puts pressure on Web hosting companies to do shared servers for their clients because no modest Web customer can use a whole one-socket or two-socket server today. What's a Web hosting company trying to make profit to do?

Buy servers using physically smaller and less powerful servers, of course.

And that is just what Dell's Data Center Solutions unit, which creates and sells custom-designed server platforms for hyperscale clients, wants to sell to hosting companies. According to Drew Schulke, product marketing manager for the DCS unit, five hosting providers approached Dell because they wanted the option of providing customers with smaller physical servers, perfectly capable of handling Web hosting workloads and not depending on virtualization. Schulke says that the number of machines that these companies have already deployed and their plans to offer dedicated hosting were sufficient to justify investing in custom server designs.

This is exactly the opposite (anti) of what Intel and VMware want the industry to go.

Dell looked around at Intel's Atom processor as well as a few others, but VIA Technologies' Nano processor is the only one of the low-power x64 chips that has the option of supporting virtualization through its VMX virtualization extensions. It isn't so much that these hosting companies want to be able to use virtualization to carve up these servers as it is they want to use virtualization to be able to manage the server image on a dedicated machine. You can't use Xen or KVM - as two early customers for the VIA boxes plan to - to package up a server image on an Atom processor because it does not support Intel's VT instructions.

The Dell DCS VIA server versus a disk
drive (Click to Enlarge)

Dell took the Nano chip and chipset and worked with VIA and an unnamed original design manufacturer to create what it calls a "hot plug server" based on a modified version of VIA's Nano processor and its similarly named motherboard. Using a 1.6 GHz Nano processor and the Dell XS11-VX8 server module, which is slightly longer than a 3.5-inch disk storage bay, Dell can give hosting companies a 64-bit Nano server that has from 1 GB to 3 GB of main memory and that has an idle power draw of around 15 watts and that draws somewhere between 20 and 29 watts under peak loads. That is about one-tenth the power used by a standard two-socket 1U box that is not running at a particularly high utilization.

and this continues down the idea I had on “little green servers”

Ever so slowly, the idea of modest computing - using Moore's Law to make smaller and more energy efficient computers, not boosting component counts - seems to be starting to cache on. Just last week, motherboard and whitebox server maker Super Micro announced a server based on the Atom chip. And back in January, Rackable Systems adopted Mini-ITX boards from VIA for use in its MicroSlice rack servers, and Microsoft has been tooling around with the concept too. ®

Supermicro Launches 4W and 8W Atom Servers

May 6, 2009 Dave Ohara

Supermicro has a press release for Intel Atom based servers.

Supermicro Launches 4W and 8W Atom Server Solutions

Extreme Low-Power & Quiet Server Building Block Solutions for Embedded IPC with Three Expansion Slots

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 4, 2009 - Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI), a leader in application-optimized, high performance server solutions, today announced the launch of 4-watt and 8-watt Intel® Atom™ processor-based Server Building Block Solutions®. These extreme low-power and quiet solutions deliver the best expansion and storage features of any Atom-based platform and are designed for embedded industrial PC (IPC) applications.

These quiet, energy saving solutions make ideal storage and network appliances or print and email servers. In addition, Supermicro's mini-tower chassis with advanced user-friendly design features create a very cost-effective home or office workstation for basic computing including Internet usage, office and educational applications.

"Bringing the low-power consumption advantages of Atom processors to the server appliance market empowers our customers with energy-saving, quiet solutions that provide flexible expansion and storage features previously unattainable with Atom solutions," said Charles Liang, president and CEO of Supermicro.

PCWorld adds their own.

Intel's Atom Chip Finding Its Way Into Servers

Agam Shah, IDG News Service

May 6, 2009 12:50 pm

Intel's Atom processor is starting to find its way into some types of servers, bringing a new low-power option for end-users but raising a potential business challenge for Intel.

Hewlett-Packard has adopted the Atom for its new MediaSmart LX195 server for entertainment use at home, while a smaller vendor, Super Micro Computer, will use Atom in two storage backup servers announced this week.

Tranquil PC of the U.K. already sells Windows Home Server PCs running on Atom, and Microsoft has been experimenting with Atom chips to build energy-efficient servers for its vast data centers.

and points out the momentum for low power servers.

Since the Atom was designed primarily for netbooks, Intel was surprised to see companies experimenting with it in the server arena, said Bill Calder, an Intel spokesman. The chip is intended mainly for portable and embedded devices, but Intel has been talking to its customers about other possible uses, he said.

Intel's aren't the only netbook chips finding their way into servers. Last week, Via introduced its first server product based on its Nano netbook chip, a motherboard for multimedia servers.

"We are seeing a growing level of interest in the Via Nano for low-power server applications," Richard Brown, Via's vice president of international marketing, said via e-mail. Via is talking to server makers and system designers about using Nano in rack servers and media servers, where its older C7 netbook chip is already used today.The Nano has a few features found in traditional server chips that make it attractive for servers, including 64-bit and virtualization support, Brown said.

HP’s Satjiv Chahil says Evaluating Google Android for Netbooks, But Apple May Have the Coolest Netbook

April 5, 2009 Dave Ohara

I missed this WSJ article on Mar 30 by HP’s Satjiv Chahil.

Moving Android to netbooks will be an uphill effort because the software does not run popular PC programs. That is one reason that Windows now runs on the majority of the low-end laptops, even though early models used the Linux operating system.

But H-P, the largest maker of PCs and a major Windows partner, has programmers testing Android for a potential netbook, said people briefed on the matter, though they said the company hasn't decided yet whether to move ahead with the project.

"We want to assess the capability Android may have for the computer and communications industries, and so we are studying it," said Satjiv Chahil, a vice president of H-P's PC division.

The article discusses the ARM chip.

The notion of Android-based netbooks also could have sizeable repercussions for chip makers. Intel Corp., which helped popularize the term netbooks, has dominated the category with a microprocessor called Atom that can run software designed for PCs. Android, by contrast, is designed to work on chips that use processor designs licensed by ARM Holdings PLC.

ARM and licensees that make chips for cellphones—including Qualcomm Inc., Texas Instruments Inc. and Freescale Semiconductor Inc.—are betting that Android could help them move those products into the new netbook market, too.

But remembering when I used to work with Satjiv at Apple, got me thinking, can’t Apple use the ARM chip in Netbook?

Another big use of the ARM chip is the iPhone. What do you think? Don’t you think Steve Jobs and the Apple gang have a Netbook prototype based on the iPhone OS.

Imagine a Netbook with full day battery life, 3G network, keyboard, phone, wifi, and iPhone apps. This device could probably be always on like an iPhone. With a bluetooth headset you can leave the Apple Netbook in your carrycase.

What do you think?

Here is a blog entry on this iPhone netbook idea.

ARM Netbooks Could Make OS X the Mobile OS to Rule Them All

Tim Nash - 2009.02.24 (revised)

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Freescale and Qualcomm have already announced high-end ARM chips aimed at the netbook market. ARM chips are much cheaper and require a lot less power than Intel's Atom.

According to Freescale's marketing director, ARM netbooks should offer an 8 hour battery life. As the chips won't need a fan or heat sink, they can have a much thinner case, which should appeal to Apple's designers. It also makes sense to build them with flash memory, which again helps the battery life. Sample chips are available now, and volume production will start next quarter, so Apple could have its ARM netbook ready in time for the iPhone refresh.

iPod touch with a Keyboard

Look on these netbooks as a larger iPod touch with a hinged keyboard. At twice the length and width they would still fit into a large pocket. With a 7" screen the resolution would be 960 x 640 - four times the screen space of the iPod touch.

At $15 for Freescale's ARM chip in quantity, Apple should enjoy iPod profits rather than the usual thin PC or netbook margins. Freescale thinks Linux
netbook prices could be around $200 but, with a wide range of apps, Apple could charge as much as the Windows netbooks and start at $399. These could include more memory than ARM-based rivals, because Apple buys flash memory comparatively cheaply.

It is easy to see Apple's advantages when comparing with one of the top selling Amazon Windows-based netbooks, which typically sell for $300 to $400 - roughly the same price as the 32 GB iPod touch. Microsoft will soon be reducing support for Windows XP, although it will continue to be sold on netbooks.

Look at the rumors on this.

Apple Netbook Rumors

Apple Looking at OLED for New High End Netbook

SmartHouse's David Richards reports:

"As forecast 9 months ago on the SmartHouse web site Apple is close to launching a touch screen Netbook type computer according to new sources in Asia. We can also reveal that Apple has been exploring the use of flexible OLED display technology for both a screen and a keyboard....

"Insiders have told SmartHouse that Apple is using a new version of their PC software which includes a mix of iPhone and Mac Book capabilities and that recently they held discussions with Sony about licensing OLED technology into notebooks....

"...sources have told SmartHouse that Apple had a change of mind after they improved the capability of their touch screen software and because they had been able to get new patents that allows them to deliver new features to a 'small notebook'"

Link: Apple Looking at OLED for New High End Netbook

Wintek to Supply Touch Panels for Apple Netbook

DigiTimes Yvonne Yu reports:

"Taiwan-based Wintek will supply touch panels for Apple's new netbook, and shipments will start in the third quarter this year, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

"...Wintek added that no shipment schedule has been worked out yet, but shipments are likely to begin in the second half of the year.

"Quanta Computer will be the maker of Apple's new netbook, the Commercial Times report said...."

Link: Wintek to Supply Touch Panels for Apple Netbook, Says Paper (subscription required)

Apple Plans to Launch Netbook with Touch Screen

Dow Jones reports:

"Apple Inc. is planning to launch a netbook computer with a touch screen monitor as early as the second half of this year, two people close to the situation told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday.

"The mini laptop computers will likely have monitor screens that are between 9.7-inches and 10-inches, one person, who declined to be named, said.

"Another person said other specifications and functions are still under evaluation...."

Link: Apple Plans to Launch Netbook with Touch Screen - Dow Jones Sources

'iPod Touch HD' Will Have 10" Screen

Silicon Valley Insider's Dan Frommer reports:

"More details about Apple's reportedly forthcoming Internet tablet, which we've been calling the 'iPod touch HD' for a few months: Dow Jones sources say Apple plans to sell 'a netbook computer with a touch screen monitor' with a screen between 9.7 inches and 10 inches. Dow Jones also reports that the device will launch 'as early as the second half of this year.'

"That's consistent with what we've read so far, and roughly consistent with what we think Apple should try to sell...."

Link: Apple's 'iPod Touch HD' Will Have 10-Inch Screen: Report

Scale Down Mac OS X or Scale Up iPhone OS?

ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes says:

"DigiTimes is reporting that Taiwan-based Wintek will start supplying Apple with touch-sensitive panels during Q3 of this year for a new product - but what sort of product will that be?...

"The way I see it is that Apple has two ways it could go. The mainstream thinking is that Apple will go for a netbook of some sorts in order to take advantage of the current craze for netbooks....

"The alternative would be so form of scaled-up iPhone (either with without the phone part). An iTablet perhaps... likely to be powered by a tweaked version of the iPhone OS...."

Link: What Should Apple Do - Scale Down Mac OS X or Scale Up iPhone OS?

Apple's Netbook Will Be a Folding iPhone

Computerworld's Mike Elgan says:

"A rumor is circulating, based on Taiwanese newspapers that cover laptop and cell phone components and manufacturing, that Apple will ship some kind of touch-screen netbook this summer.

"The professional speculators are rallying around two distinct visions for this netbook. The first is a standard netbook with screen and keyboard. The second is essentially a tablet, which has been dubbed the 'iPod Touch HD.'

"I think both these visions are wrong, or both right, depending on how you look at it...."

Link: Apple's So-called Netbook Will Be a Folding iPhone

Why is this important to the data center audience? The more netbooks out there, the more data and apps will be in the data centers.

Rackable Heats up Servers, Intel Atom Sneaks In to Cool and Save Energy

March 19, 2009 Dave Ohara

GigaOm has a post on Rackable CloudRack C2 Server.

Rackable’s New Servers Like It Hot

Stacey Higginbotham | Thursday, March 19, 2009 | 7:09 AM PT | 1 comment

Rackable announced today an update to its CloudRack servers. The CloudRack C2 servers can run at 104 degrees inside the data center, and they offload power supply to the rack to reduce energy wasted in converting AC electricity from the wall to DC electricity used by the box to 1 percent. Since these beasts can pack 1,280 cores, or 320 processors, into a rack, they’re not exactly in the power-saving category, but the design ensures that the electricity is going to power the processors rather than lost as heat or waste.

Note Rackable is saying their power supplies are 99% efficient in addition to servers can run at 104 degrees.

What caught my eye though was Intel Atoms would be a future option.

Rackable also announced that customers will eventually be able to build out servers in the CloudRack trays using Intel’s lower power Atom chips, which they can use for jobs that don’t need the full horsepower of the upcoming Nehalem-based Xeon chips. Customizing processors is one more way that data center operators are trying to boost efficiency.

Rackable is trying to be different by using less power.

The rising competition around designing power-efficient, heat-tolerant servers is being driven by a need to lower electricity and cooling costs in a data center contrasted with the need to pack as much computing into a box as possible to run web-scale application increases. Essentially, we need more computing but have less electricity to squander. Rackable can sell into corporate data centers, but its target market is the web world giants running thousands of servers.

Rackable’s web site has more details.

The Power XE™ Difference
CloudRack C2 is the first of many Rackable products to utilize Power XE — a next generation cabinet-level power distribution technology:

Virtually eliminates the data center "stranded power" problem (a data center's power capacity which is paid for, but ultimately unused) and provides nearly perfect phase balancing

Significantly improves power delivery efficiency by converting incoming AC power to 99 percent efficient 12V DC power via hot-pluggable, N+1 redundant rectifiers

Eliminates server-level power supplies and cooling fans for improved reliability

Dramatic Thermal Efficiency
CloudRack C2 is thermally optimized to allow data centers to operate at much higher temperatures, up to 40° C (104° F).

Higher system temperature tolerance means significantly reduced power consumption by Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) units which in turn means radically reduced operating cost.

Thermally managed airflow via redundant, hot swappable, easily serviceable, cabinet-level autonomic fan arrays for better enclosure reliability

Over 80% reduction of fan power compared to conventional AC enclosures