Dell’s FN I/O Modules (FN IOMs) are integrated devices that sit in the rear of the FX2 chassis and behave like traditional network switches. The FN IOMs provide 8 x 10GbE internal ports to the connected server nodes while offering 4 x 10GbE external links for upstream connectivity. What makes the FN I/O Module unique is that it supports 5 operational modes: Standalone (SMUX), VLT, Stacking, Programmable MUX (PMUX) and Full-switch. Below are details on each of these modes.
Tag Archives: Dell
IDC Reports Rising Blade Market Share in 2Q15
IDC released their Worldwide Quarterly Server Tracker yesterday and reported an overall 6.1% year over year (YoY) growth in servers. IDC had very little mentions about blade server market but reported the following: Continue reading
Dell MXL Blade Switch Configuration with Explanations
We go through a lot to train our teams on how to configure blade switches however it can be difficult for one to remember everything that a Dell Network Sales Engineer has taught them. As an administrator, you often need to be able to look at an actual configuration in front of you and have each line explained to you in as much detail as is reasonable or “necessary.” Continue reading
Dell Blade Chassis I/O Module Guide
If you are looking for the I/O Connectivity Options for the Dell PowerEdge M1000e Blade Enclosure, look no further. Continue reading
Blade Server Comparison – June 2015
Below is the chart for the newest 4 socket blade servers based on the Intel Xeon E5-4600 v3.
Gartner Releases New Magic Quadrant for Modular Servers – May 2015
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Gartner Magic Quadrant for blade servers as they discontinued it in 2014. Last month, Gartner created a new Magic Quadrant to replace the older one. The newest Magic Quadrant incorporates both blade servers and multi-node servers. According to Gartner, “the separation of the blade and multinode server markets has become harder to maintain as multinode servers adopt the technology characteristics of blade servers. With the evolution of new modular server designs, the concept of traditional server blades will fade in favor of increasingly variable ‘bricks’ or ‘cartridges.’ Consequently, a Magic Quadrant that tracked only the blade server market could only deliver partial value. This new Magic Quadrant is designed to better reflect the evolving market for any servers that display modular characteristics.” You can view the full article here, but I’ve summarized their findings for the top modular server vendors below.
Blade Server Comparison – May 2015
Many of the blade vendors made announcements recently featuring the Intel Xeon E7 v3 CPU, so below is an updated chart of current blade servers. Once Intel announces the Xeon E5-4600 v3 I’ll include those as well. Continue reading
A Closer Look at the Dell FD332 for FX Architecture
[updated 4.13.15] Today Dell officially started shipping the FC430 and the FD332 Storage blocks for the Dell FX Architecture. The FC430 is a slick, server offering for many workloads, but many questions pop up around what the FD332 is and how it can be used, so in today’s post I’m hoping to clarify it for you.
Dell PowerEdge FX Technical Guide Now Available
Dell recently released the Technical Guide for the PowerEdge FX Architecture and you can download it below.
Dell VRTX Now Scales Up to 50TB of Shared Storage
A few weeks ago Dell added a 2TB 2.5″ 7.2K RPM Near-Line SAS drive to the list of supported drives. This new addition not only increases the shared storage capacity of the Dell VRTX chassis from 48TB to 50TB but it also offers better performance. Continue reading