RAM | Reseller Advocate Magazine: Issue 62

Some things never change. In today's multi-core marketplace, server performance and cost are still closely tied together. But because Intel and AMD have poured so much effort into dual- and quad-core processing, upward mobility on the ladder of computing horsepower is much more affordable than ever before.

A year ago, most of your small business servers would have been single-socket machines sporting a single-core CPU. Customers interested in a step up had to buy at least a dual-socket motherboard and two processors. The next level of number crunching necessitated a quad-socket board and the chips to fill each one. Eight-way boxes handled the serious heavy lifting for power-users who just couldn't compromise on performance.

The problem for businesses with limited budgets was that each step in the multi-processing ladder multiplied cost. At most, you'd build dual-socket servers, many with only one CPU installed. Quad-chip machines were far less common and eight-socket servers virtually non-existent. In fact, Dell and HP both decided back in 2005 that the upcoming multi-core designs were promising enough to axe their respective eight-way server lineups.

And now those two- and four-core chips are a very real part of the way resellers add value to their servers. A dual-socket motherboard energized with just one Xeon 5000-series processor or an Opteron 2000-series CPU gives your customer more muscle at a lower price than a dual-chip platform from last year. Moreover, that vacant socket leaves room for an eventual upgrade down the road.

Perhaps even more important to the small businesses out there shopping for an affordable first server or low-cost secondary server, multi-core processors have opened the door to an entirely new class of single-socket boards capable of serious threaded horsepower. Enter Intel's recently introduced Xeon 3000-series processors and its 3000-series chipsets, which define the emerging category of value servers able to throw down serious speed.

A New CPU…Or Is It?

The centerpiece of Intel's new platforms is the Xeon 3000-series processor. Offered in four different trims ranging from 1.86 GHz (the 3040) to 2.66 GHz (the 3070), the dual-core, value-oriented product family is characterized by support for single-socket operation. Dropping one Xeon 3000-series chip into a small business server consequently yields excellent threaded performance.

Each Xeon 3000-series chip centers on the Core microarchitecture, closely mirroring the specification list of Intel's Core 2 Duo desktop lineup. All four new Xeon chips sit on a 1066 MHz front side bus and drop into a familiar LGA 775 socket interface. The top two models sport a 4MB L2 cache while the bottom pair employs a 2MB repository. As with Core 2 Duo desktop CPUs, the available cache is shared between both processing cores and is dynamically addressable.

You'll recognize the same list of value-added extras on Core 2 Duo processors, as well, making the Xeon much easier to sell. Intel's EM64T technology, a set of 64-bit extensions, are perhaps most pertinent to server customers looking to go with a next-gen Windows Server product. However, VT (Virtualization Technology) is another compelling feature enabling hardware consolidation through the use of virtualization software. EIST (Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology) cuts back on power consumption during periods of light use, and the XD (eXecute Disable) bit provides hardware support against certain types of malicious code.

So while the Xeon 3000-series sports a shiny new nomenclature, it's functionally very much like equivalent Core 2 Duo processors. Why buy the Xeon instead? As with many of the moves Intel makes, servers centering on the value-oriented CPU are all about the platform picture.

Complementary Core Logic

Because the Xeon 3000 chips are the first business-class processors populating LGA775 sockets, Intel is rolling out a pair of supporting chipsets to match. Again, the duo leans heavily on a number of features familiar to most desktop users, but in a package better suited to SMB customers. Resellers should have little trouble getting onboard with either of the platform's selling points.

The flagship Intel 3010 is most attractive thanks to its expanded connectivity. In addition to a 1066 MHz front-side bus and a dual-channel DDR2 memory controller capable of speeds as high as 667 MHz, the 3010 sports a 4 GBps data link tied to either a x16 PCI Express slot or two x8 PCI Express links. A separate 2 GBps Direct Media Interface accommodates an ICH7-R I/O controller and its long list of complementary features. The chip boasts four SATA 3 Gbps ports, eight USB 2.0 ports, six standard PCI slots, legacy ATA-100, a single PCI Express x4 link, and two PCI Express x1 interfaces.

Most of Intel's server platforms showcase the 6321 ESB I/O controller, a more advanced chip with gobs of business functionality. The ICH7-R is nearly as capable, though. Thanks to its x4 PCI Express connection, motherboard vendors are free to attach an Intel 6702PHX 64-bit PCI Hub with its two PCI-X ports. Resellers should also look for boards with a Gigabit Ethernet controller attached to one of the PCI Express x1 links.

You can point customers less concerned about PCI Express expandability in the direction of Intel's 3000 chipset, which is every bit as powerful as the 3010 except that it leverages a single x8 link instead of a x16 PCI Express connection. Drop in a nice storage or InifiniBand controller and you're set with a purpose-built server.

Intel is also touting software as an important part of its 3000-series platforms. Take Matrix Storage Technology as an example. The ICH7-R offers four SATA 3 Gbps ports that, scrutinized as hardware alone, are relatively uninspiring on a business server. Matrix Storage makes it easy to build RAID 0, 1, 5, or 10 arrays using the quartet of connectors, though. A combination of BIOS controls and Windows Server-compatible software make it easy to monitor and manage attached drives, as if they were plugged into an expensive add-on card.

The 3000-series chipsets are also set up with Intel AMT (Active Management Technology), a feature previously only found on the Q965 platform aimed at vPro workstations. AMT leverages an out-of-band communications node and a small cache of memory to enable compatible software with a number of useful capabilities, especially for resellers monitoring business networks remotely. Bundled with software from one of Intel's development partners, you can diagnose a server with AMT remotely, even if it's turned off or frozen. You can also remotely discover hardware as a means of taking inventory prior to making a service call. Should one hard drive go down, for instance, AMT makes it easy to snag its model and serial numbers so you show up with a replacement ready to go. You can also use AMT to proactively protect small business servers, which may require similar uptime as an enterprise system but on a smaller budget. The ability to power-up a server and push out a patch the same night a new virus is discovered can go a long way in preventing infection the next day.

Putting It All To Use

Finally, small businesses have a good reason to get excited about inexpensive servers. Although the Xeon 3000-series processors and 3000-series chipsets carry over a lot of functionality from Intel's desktop division, the principal selling points are still very much relevant to the SMB server space. Being able to tack on a 6702PHX adds a lot of high-end credibility to the ICH7-R, of course. But don't think that the 3000-series platform is a one-trick pony.

While it's certainly suited for entry-level server duties, the processor's single-socket design and comparatively simplistic chipset make a strong case for deployment in HPC (high-performance computing) environments. A rack full of inexpensive dual-core blades clustered together is, after all, more cost-effective than connecting a handful of multi-processor boxes.

Supermicro was one of the first vendors to recognize the platform's high-end potential and quickly unveiled four low-power 1U barebones servers perfectly suited to dish out lots of performance in a diminutive form factor. Its SuperServer 5015M-T+ represents the best of the bunch. The slim box is graced by a mere 300W power supply and two drive bays for SATA hard drives. Supermicro goes the high-end route by integrating Intel's 64-bit PCI hub, enabling one 133 MHz PCI-X slot to go along with the single x8 PCI Express slot. You'll also find a pair of Intel Gigabit Ethernet controllers and ATI's ES1000 graphics chip onboard. Although the 5015M-T+'s sub-$700 price tag and slim power supply may seem unfashionably low-end, support for a full 8GB of DDR2-667 memory, Supermicro's proprietary remote management card, and hot-swap drive support guarantee the box's business authority.

Of course, system builders don't have to take the barebones route. Based on a proprietary form factor roughly half the width of most low-profile 1U boards, Supermicro's PDSMU motherboard makes for an interesting compact server concept. It supports 8GB of memory, comes with two Gigabit Ethernet chips, includes graphics, and features plenty of PCI Express. The only component missing from the PDSMU is Intel's 64-bit PCI controller.

Beginning in January, Supermicro plans to start selling the PDSMU in its SuperServer 5015M-UR, a flexible 1U chassis with a UIO (universal I/O) port configurable to address several different usable models. The first round of UIO add-ons enables SAS connectivity, transforming the inexpensive PDSMU platform into a powerful storage server. According to company representatives, forthcoming cards will open the door to InfiniBand communications and ultra-fast networking interfaces. Resellers will then be able to sell a single 1U server and configure it for any number of different roles through the UIO module.

Perhaps the most exciting characteristic shared by Supermicro's 3000-series motherboards and SuperServers is universal support for Intel's quad-core processor designs. Currently, you can take that to mean the LGA775 Core 2 Quad/Extreme series. However, expect a quad-core, LGA 775 Xeon 3000-series in the near future. Once that emerges, the 3000-series platform will get yet another layer of value added as single-socket servers start plowing through four threads simultaneously. The idea of offering the same degree of performance once possible only on four-socket machines should really get your customers jazzed.

Turning a Desktop into a Server

Some of your customers will look at the Xeon 3000-series and say, "Excellent. A powerful processor with an affordable platform we can roll out as a first server and enjoy performance never before possible." Others will scratch their heads and ask, "Isn't that just Core 2 Duo on a 975X look-alike chipset?" When you get right down to it, yes, the 3000-series processors and chipsets borrow plenty of technology from the desktop and swing it back toward servers. However, the inclusion of AMT, ECC memory support, and configurable PCI Express add a touch of business class not found on any of Intel's other platforms. Also, don't underestimate the quality behind the enterprise-class validation Intel pours into its Xeon products as well as the clout and value implied by the Xeon brand.

But the new Xeon 3000's name falls secondary to what board partners and system builders are doing with the hardware itself. Low-profile motherboards, highly customizable 1U barebones systems, and scalable computing clusters should be enough proof to anyone eyeing the Xeon 3000 that the platform is more than a desktop CPU on a workstation chipset. Rather, it's an exciting foray into business-class threaded computing on a mainstream budget. And as we get closer to seeing a quad-core Xeon 3000-series chip, the platform's prospects are only looking better.