HP Proliant MicroServer Gen8 - Bug Fixes
Almost three years have passed since the review of the first HP Proliant MicroServer .
Following a three-year cycle in updating server lines, Hewlett-Packard launched the eighth generation Microserver this summer. And again, one of the first copies fell into my hands, providing an excellent opportunity side-by-side to compare the two generations of this interesting piece of iron.
I suggest taking a look at what has changed and what has become better.
Caution, a lot of pictures.
The first thing that catches your eye: MicroServer has become similar to the older brothers - the front panel design follows the Security Bezel of Proliant DL / ML servers.
The server has become a little lower, a little wider, bringing its dimensions closer to the cube - 23.24 x 23 x 24.5 cm.
The lock has disappeared from the front door - now you can close it only with the latch hidden under the housing cover. At first glance, it’s not the most convenient solution, but it makes it possible to protect the inside of the server from attacks, with just one lock, and not two, as before. Instead, the front door received a magnetic latch and a slight bias, which helps it to close independently from a half-open state.
Also, the server received a familiar tag for older models with a serial, and default password on iLo.
Detailed technical specifications can, as always, be found in QuickSpec.
I tabulated a comparison with the previous generation:
Those who had the old MicroServer remember how difficult it was to replace / upgrade memory or install expansion cards. It was necessary to pull out all the wires, unscrew the screws and completely pull out the motherboard. At the same time, expansion cards hung in slots.
In the eighth generation, everything became 100 times better: just remove the casing (two screws are unscrewed by hand) and both memory slots + MicroSD slot + USB port are fully accessible. Installing the expansion board without actually disconnecting the internal cables is enough - just extend the bed by 10 centimeters.
On the left side, you can see the blue latch that locks the front door, and on top there is a place for the location of the battery-free protection of the raid controller cache (FBWC).
On the motherboard, a fairly large area is allocated to the iLo chip. I was pleased with the protective sticker in the area that could be damaged by the PCIe boards. And the PCIe slot itself is located away from the side walls and other housing designs, which makes it possible to place a board with a large passive radiator. For the old microserver, this was a sore spot.
The board has a connector for installing the optional TPM module, System Maintenance Switches and connectors, the purpose of which is not disclosed in the manuals.
For comparison, on the left is the board of the previous generation.
But the most pleasant update is the iLo Management Engine remote control chip. The functionality is not inferior to adults Proliant: a full-featured remote console, remote media, agentless, OS independent monitoring of iron, the same iLo Advanced keys.
Compared to Remote Access Card - heaven and earth.
By the way, the serial number starting with “CZ” indicates that the server was manufactured at a factory in the Czech Republic.
In my opinion, an excellent update came out. The base price remained around $ 500.
The server has become more powerful, more functional, and closer to the commercial market. For use in small offices, they even made a switch to it in the original form factor - HP PS1810. The management interface of this switch can display the Health Status of a nearby microserver.Rumor has it about a WiFi router in the same form factor.
This is what the server with the switch looks like.
PS. And, our office microserver with 5-year-old CarePack continues to serve faithfully. For a couple of years, there’s definitely nothing to worry about - dying screws and droning fans HP Service changes in a matter of days.
Following a three-year cycle in updating server lines, Hewlett-Packard launched the eighth generation Microserver this summer. And again, one of the first copies fell into my hands, providing an excellent opportunity side-by-side to compare the two generations of this interesting piece of iron.
I suggest taking a look at what has changed and what has become better.
Caution, a lot of pictures.
Appearance.
The first thing that catches your eye: MicroServer has become similar to the older brothers - the front panel design follows the Security Bezel of Proliant DL / ML servers.
The server has become a little lower, a little wider, bringing its dimensions closer to the cube - 23.24 x 23 x 24.5 cm.
The lock has disappeared from the front door - now you can close it only with the latch hidden under the housing cover. At first glance, it’s not the most convenient solution, but it makes it possible to protect the inside of the server from attacks, with just one lock, and not two, as before. Instead, the front door received a magnetic latch and a slight bias, which helps it to close independently from a half-open state.
Also, the server received a familiar tag for older models with a serial, and default password on iLo.
Specifications.
Detailed technical specifications can, as always, be found in QuickSpec.
I tabulated a comparison with the previous generation:
| MicroServer Gen8 | Microserver | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron G1610T (2.3Hz / 2-core / 2MB / 35W) Processor Intel Pentium G2020T (2.5GHz / 2-core / 3MB / 35W) Processor Socket 1155 | AMD's the Turion II of Processor Model Neo reports N36L (1.30 GHz, 12W, 2MB) AMD's the Turion II of Processor Model Neo reports N40L (1.50 GHz, 15W, 2MB) AMD's the Turion II of Processor Model Neo reports N54L (2.20 GHz, 25W, 2MB) (depending on the date release, soldered) |
| RAM | 2 DDR3 Unbuffered DIMM, PC3-12800, 16Gb (2x8Gb) Max | 2 DDR3 Unbuffered DIMM, PC3-10600, 8Gb (2x4Gb) Max |
| Network interfaces | Two 1 Gbit Ethernet (332i) ports | Single Port 1 Gbit Ethernet (107i) |
| Remote control | iLo Management Engine with dedicated port | Optional Remote Access Card |
| Disk controller | SmartArray B120i optional SmartArray P222 with 512MB FBWC | Embedded SATA Raid |
| Expansion slots | One half-height PCIe x16 slot. Installation of cards with a high radiator is possible. | One half height PCIe x16 slot; One half height PCIe x1 slot. |
| External interfaces | 5 USB 2.0 ports; 2 USB 3.0 ports; MicroSD slot | 7 USB 2.0 ports 1 eSATA port |
| Power Supply | 150W Non Hot-Plug | 150W Non Hot-Plug |
- Now in the microserver the processor is not soldered to the motherboard, and replacing the processor is a regular procedure! On the Internet, there are mods with Xeon E3-12 ** - up to 8 cores with Hyper-Threading, support for VT-x and VT-d, as part of the regular TDP.
- Now in the microserver, as in true enterprise, there is iLo!
Hurrah! No more projectors on the mezzanine and step-ladders!And with it, and the marvelous operating environment of Intelligent Provisioning, and control from a smartphone. In the near future, iLo will learn how to register with Insight Online, and automatically open cases for the replacement of failed components. - Now in the microserver, the excellent Smart Array P222 raid controller with cache and raid support 0,1,10,5,6 is certified. In the basic configuration, the software SmartArray B120i is available, which unfortunately does not yet have support in Linux, but works fine with Windows. It is controlled, as on older models, through the Array Configuration Utility.
- Now in the microserver, two gigabit network interfaces with TCP / IP Offload, teaming and support for Jumbo frames.
Internal layout.
Those who had the old MicroServer remember how difficult it was to replace / upgrade memory or install expansion cards. It was necessary to pull out all the wires, unscrew the screws and completely pull out the motherboard. At the same time, expansion cards hung in slots.
In the eighth generation, everything became 100 times better: just remove the casing (two screws are unscrewed by hand) and both memory slots + MicroSD slot + USB port are fully accessible. Installing the expansion board without actually disconnecting the internal cables is enough - just extend the bed by 10 centimeters.
On the left side, you can see the blue latch that locks the front door, and on top there is a place for the location of the battery-free protection of the raid controller cache (FBWC).
On the motherboard, a fairly large area is allocated to the iLo chip. I was pleased with the protective sticker in the area that could be damaged by the PCIe boards. And the PCIe slot itself is located away from the side walls and other housing designs, which makes it possible to place a board with a large passive radiator. For the old microserver, this was a sore spot.
The board has a connector for installing the optional TPM module, System Maintenance Switches and connectors, the purpose of which is not disclosed in the manuals.
For comparison, on the left is the board of the previous generation.
But the most pleasant update is the iLo Management Engine remote control chip. The functionality is not inferior to adults Proliant: a full-featured remote console, remote media, agentless, OS independent monitoring of iron, the same iLo Advanced keys.
Compared to Remote Access Card - heaven and earth.
By the way, the serial number starting with “CZ” indicates that the server was manufactured at a factory in the Czech Republic.
In my opinion, an excellent update came out. The base price remained around $ 500.
The server has become more powerful, more functional, and closer to the commercial market. For use in small offices, they even made a switch to it in the original form factor - HP PS1810. The management interface of this switch can display the Health Status of a nearby microserver.
This is what the server with the switch looks like.
PS. And, our office microserver with 5-year-old CarePack continues to serve faithfully. For a couple of years, there’s definitely nothing to worry about - dying screws and droning fans HP Service changes in a matter of days.