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Egenera Announces Processing Blades Based On Xeon MP 3 GHz

Egenera Inc announced the introduction of new four-way Egenera Processing Blade configurations based on the Intel Xeon processor MP 3 GHz. As Egenera's third-generation four-way blades, these new configurations support up to 24GB of memory -- considerably more than the memory offered on four-way blades from leading competitors.

By combining blades with virtualization software, the Egenera BladeFrame system enables datacenters to run any application, on any resource, at any time, automatically. The system's unique PAN architecture disaggregates processing, storage and networking into asset pools that come together as needed to support a service, then disband. Virtualization software automatically repurposes and reallocates resources based on business priorities and service-level agreements, providing adaptable yet secure services at substantially lower cost than proprietary Unix systems.

"We developed these new blades in direct response to customer feedback," explained Susan Davis, vice president of product marketing and management at Egenera. "Our users run their most demanding applications on the BladeFrame. These blades accommodate memory-intensive applications and database services that lower-capacity blades can't handle. Robust memory configurations, full redundancy and built-in SAN connectivity make the BladeFrame well suited for mission-critical applications."

Significantly, by virtualizing most of the physical components used in a traditional server, Egenera delivers its 24GB four-way in the same 1U form factor used for all Processing Blade (pBlade) configurations. Competitors have delivered their four-way blades in a larger form factor, lowering server count and compromising scalability. Leveraging the BladeFrame system's unique virtualization technology, customers can migrate applications from existing pBlades to newer models in minutes.

Egenera's portfolio of high-end Processing Blade configurations includes:

• Four-way SMP

• Intel Xeon processor MP 3 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache, 12 or 24 GB ECC DDR Chipkill memory.

• Intel Xeon processor MP 2 GHz, 1 MB L3 cache, 8 or 12 GB ECC DDR Chipkill memory.

• Two-way SMP

• Intel Xeon processor 3.20 GHz, 533 MHz front-side bus, 6GB ECC DDR Chipkill memory.
• Intel Xeon processor 3.06 GHz, 533 MHz front-side bus, 2 or 6GB ECC DDR Chipkill memory.
• Intel Xeon processor 2.80 GHz, 400 MHz front-side bus, 12GB ECC DDR Chipkill memory.
• Intel Xeon processor 2.40 GHz, 533 MHz front-side bus, 2 or 6GB ECC DDR Chipkill memory.

According to Intel, the Intel Xeon processor MP 3 GHz delivers up to 20 percent better performance than its predecessor at the same cost, demonstrating Intel's commitment to ongoing improvements in price/performance. Moreover, the new processor enables customers to consolidate numerous mid-tier applications onto fewer servers for even greater value and lower cost of ownership. Intel reports that its multi-vendor ecosystem delivers more than 3,000 enterprise business applications, including application servers, enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM) and collaboration.