Blade server Cisco

A basket is a chassis for a blade server that allows access to all components of the server machine (for example, network interfaces).

Structure

In a blade server, the interfaces that are available in a conventional PC are often moved outside. And such functions as cooling, power supply, network connection, connections to solid-state drives, etc. can be performed by external devices. Together with such devices, a set of servers forms a blade system.

Each blade server contains a processor and RAM inside its enclosure. All other electronic components can theoretically be placed in an external basket. The concept of a blade server implies the possibility of replacing individual components with external elements, which makes the server itself lighter.

Plug-in components

Among the components that can be connected to blade servers are: power supplies, cooling systems, systems for connecting to the network and disc drives. Let’s take a closer look at each of these systems.

Power supplies

Usually a power supply is installed as a common device for the whole blade system. But it can be either built into the server chassis or installed as a separate physical device.

Cooling systems

The design of Cisco blade servers is made in such a way as to strike a balance between the density of distribution inside all electronic devices and air circulation inside the case. Therefore, such a system does not need additional cooling.

Network connections

Network interfaces implemented in Cisco blade servers are designed for increased data transfer rates over multiple 10/40 GbE channels. Network interfaces are combined into a single device, reducing the number of external connectors.

Disc drives

Allow storage of large amounts of data and software used by the server. They are usually deployed locally.

Application Features

On a standard server rack, the size of a typical server is 1 unit. And the maximum a rack can have is 42 units, which equates to 42 servers without the use of baskets. Blade servers, on the other hand, allow more than 50 servers to be placed on a single rack.

The maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness of blade servers can be observed when solving such tasks as hosting websites and organising clusters. Also, blade servers installed in a rack have support for hot-swapping.

Although the technology of blade servers is not considered closed, in practice it is necessary to use software and components from one company (in our case Cisco), because only in this way there will be minimum problems with the configuration of equipment and management software.