The product is a rack-mountable 1u (1 3/4" high) dual-CPU server computer designed for use in various setups from medium businesses' computer rooms to large data centers. It is primarily designed for applications that require high CPU performance, large amounts of RAM and various additional boards in a small amount of space, usually with multiple servers placed in a rack with various storage and networking equipment.
Servers can be used for various network services, storage and databases, virtual desktop environments, telephony and media applications, and high-performance computing in clusters. Server combined with software and additional equipment (storage controllers, low-latency interconnects, telephony cards, media grabbers) can be provided to the users as "appliance", immediately usable for various purposes.
The cooling technology and layouts developed for this server can be used for future development of more advanced and specialized servers such as storage-oriented servers, blade-like high density configurations, servers with a large (4-8) number of CPUs and computers designed for extreme thermal conditions.
Server's advanced cooling system (patent pending on its key components) is designed to provide CPU cooling in a more efficient overall server layout. This layout allows to accommodate various additional boards, provides compatibility with a wide range of motherboards, and improves server's reliability through better cooling of its components. This layout is suitable for a denser than usual placement of racks in a data center, and allows easier access to the server's internal components thus simplifying its maintenance, upgrades and repair.
While the server can be placed in any reasonable rack layout, it may be used in an open or closed rack with no access to the rear of the server, and has two covers, each held on two thumbscrews. Internal airflow path for CPUs is separated from the rest of the equipment, and provides better conditions for RAM and additional boards by isolating them from the air heated by CPUs. This allows to provide large RAM configurations (up to 24G in the model used for the first prototype, 32G or more with other motherboards), and leaves sufficient space and airflow for large peripheral boards that usually can't be installed in 1u cases.
The layout taken into account current tendencies in motherboard design, so a large percentage of modern server motherboards, and likely many motherboards that will be released in near future can be used in modified versions of this server, with most parts and production equipment shared and interchangeable between such models. Possible increases in power and airflow requirements can be accommodated by improved versions of components that appear on the market, without significant changed in the server's design. This will allow to reduce development cycle and focus future development on expanding the product line to various niche-oriented models, and on "appliance" versions of the product combined with hardware and software for various particular purposes.
Server can be used as a traditional 1u server, similar to other models on the market, providing some benefits of higher supported amount of RAM and easier installation while maintaining competitive prices. However wherever the requirements for the system include additional large boards such as non-networked storage interfaces, telephony, media grabber interface, cluster interconnect, or requirement of two boards per server, this model can accommodate them within the same compact 1u form factor.
Large data center configurations can be planned as "chimney" layouts with backs of the servers free of cables, opening back to back into a narrow corridor used for hot air evacuation into the air conditioning system, with all installation and maintenance access provided in front of the server. Similar layouts of the traditional servers usually require maintenance access from the back, and a space for cable bundles attached to the servers' rear panel, thus reducing achievable density of the equipment in the rack and of the racks within the data center, even if power and air conditioning allow denser layouts. Special mouting kits for servers, power strips and and cable bundles, bracket-to-rail adapters for installing servers in open racks on sliding rails, and other optional mounting hardware can be provided with the servers to simplify installation in those conditions.
"Appliance" versions with preinstalled application-specific boards, manufacturer-supported set of hardware and software can be installed as ready-to-use components performing commonly used functions and configurations -- from traditional web/email/directory/database/storage servers to virtual desktop environments and phone switches.
Servers can be installed in smaller amount of space even if they contain additional boards. Airflow requirements are lower (because exhaust temperature is higher), and various high-density layouts of racks can be used to further reduce the space requirenents as long as sufficient power and air conditioning is provided. All configurations, including high-density layout of racks, are easy to maintain, with removable front and rear cover, and all network cables being possible to install either on the back or in front of the server, and power cables in front. A version of the layout with power cable on the back can be also provided.
Preconfigured "appliance" products provide commonly used functionality without the need for complex custom installation that is usually performed by consultants, and with better support compared to support from software vendors, who have to deal with various combinations of hardware and other software that they have no experience with.
High-performance clusters can use "exotic" motherboards with low-latency interfaces (such as Infinipath) as a supported option in a mass-production model. Future models with various motherboards and other components will have the same footprint due to use of the maximum standard size of the motherboard in the base model design.