HP frogmarches new Xeon, Opteron chips into ProLiants In the wake of Intel's launch of the entry Xeon E5-2400 processors for two-socket servers earlier this week, X86 server juggernaut Hewlett-Packard wants to keep its name in the mind of customers who might be shopping for systems from rivals Dell, IBM or Fujitsu. The four new ProLiant Gen8 systems using the Xeon E5-2400s won't …
Haven't these been on the website for weeks?
I'm sure the Gen8 DL360 was there a few weeks back when I was speccing out a G7 (coz they're cheaper) one for a project.
Like the idea of the new blade, 512GB in a half height blade, there are precious few SuperDomes out there with more than that and you can get 16 of these buggers into a single enclosure.
That was presumably the E5-2600 version of the DL360 Gen8 (which appear to have gained a p suffix), whereas these are DL360e Gen8 (note the different suffix).
Nice way to confuse people HP. At least Dell are giving their systems different numbers (their equivalents are R420 (E5-2400) and R620 (E5-2600).
"....Nice way to confuse people HP...." Shuush!!! Don't give them ideas, hp have a horrible record of both horrible product naming and numbering! Just be thankful they put a differentiator on the end of the model name, otherwise you'd have to memorise all the different part numbers to get the ML/DL/BL you wanted (been there, done that, would use the T-shirt to burn down hp's marketting department).
I wonder if the author will do an extensive examination of Netlist HyperCloud and what it portends for DDR4 and the future of memory.
HP DL360 and DL380
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For the DL360 and DL380, the new thing is the availability of Netlist's HyperCloud 16GB memory modules.
HP Smart Memory HyperCloud offers a "load-reduction" and "rank multiplication" solution.
LRDIMMs offer the same (but is copying Netlist IP and has been very aggressive about it). Inphi has recently experienced a shock with it's challenge of Netlist patent at USPTO having failed. This is negative for the future of LRDIMMs - as Netlist IP has suddenly become unassailable by Inphi in Netlist vs. Inphi.
That is, there could be danger of recall if Inphi is required to destroy all infringing product (like MetaRAM had to do some years back when it conceded in Netlist vs. MetaRAM that they had done so - they conceded and went out of business - incidentally Inphi has hired MetaRAM CEO as "Technical Advisor" so no wonder it is going down the same road).
Inphi is currently the only one making LRDIMM buffer chipsets.
IDTI has prudently postponed LRDIMMs to end of 2012 (skipping the Romley rollout altogether).
Texas Instruments has not been interested in LRDIMMs - possibly because of settlement in Netlist vs. Texas Instruments some years back.
In addition LRDIMMs are end-of-life - as their centralized buffer chipset does not translate to DDR4.
In contrast it is the HyperCloud design which the DDR4 standard is starting to look more and more like.
In addition, LRDIMMs have high latency issues and are not able to outperform the 16GB RDIMMs (2-rank) even at 3 DPC.
For this reason HP/Samsung will not be pushing 16GB LRDIMMs (IDF conference on LRDIMMs).
16GB
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Currently the 16GB HyperCloud is the only "load-reduction" solution at 16GB at HP. It is being offered as a factory installed option - at the full 3 DPC at 1333MHz on the DL360 and DL380 servers - which are for virtualization (heavy use of memory).
At the 16GB level the need for "load-reduction" is required at 3 DPC. For 1 DPC and 2 DPC, you would be better off with the 16GB RDIMM (2-rank).
16GB LRDIMMs do not appear in HP docs.
32GB
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When 32GB RDIMMs become available - they will be 4-rank. This will mean "load-reduction" will be required not only at 3 DPC, but also at 2 DPC !! (so not just virtualization but any server requiring 2 DPC will need it). IBM docs list 4-rank memory performing at 1 DPC at 1066MHz and 2 DPC at 800MHz (they won't work at 3 DPC) !!
32GB LRDIMMs can outperform the 32GB RDIMMs (4-rank) for this reason (despite the high latency problems with LRDIMM).
However they do not outperform the 32GB HyperCloud (which will be available mid-2012). IBM lists the 32GB LRDIMMs as "Available later in 2012" - I do not know if 32GB LRDIMMs will appear before 32GB HyperCloud at HP.
32GB LRDIMMs are listed in HP docs.
32GB LRDIMMs cannot deliver 1333MHz at 3 DPC on HP servers. Plus they have the high latency issues.
What to buy
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So at 16GB, for 1 DPC and 2 DPC, you would buy 16GB RDIMMs (2-rank) (assuming you are not planning to go to 3 DPC later).
And if you really need 3 DPC now or (upgrade) in the future, you would buy the 16GB HyperCloud.
When 32GB RDIMMs become available - or people want to buy 32GB, you would need 32GB HyperCloud not only at 3 DPC, but also at 2 DPC (and possibly 1 DPC).
32GB HyperCloud will deliver 1333MHz at 1 DPC, 2 DPC and 3 DPC.
And HyperCloud seems to be the design that DDR4 is copying.
Netlist has said HyperCloud will be the first proprietary memory adopted by the industry (if so one would expect JEDEC licensing Netlist IP soon).
HyperCloud is "proprietary" in terms of IP - not in terms of use, since they are plug and play (unlike LRDIMMs which require BIOS to include support for LRDIMMs - this support is built into many Romley servers - but not all).
We are concerned as well, not just regarding legal issues. Specs for the HCDIMMs(Hypercloud) seem better suited for upgrading our existing servers. We see significant performance enhancement and better ease of upgrading with HCDIMMs. I work in the tech research/manufacturing side and do not understand why anyone would be interested in LRDIMM architechure design. To be frank, this design is terribly difficult to use, if not impossible, with existing RDIMM memory installed. With the HCDIMMs, they can coexist with regular RDIMMs. At least with the faster HCDIMMs, they are compatible with older machines as well, and can up to double capacity with them.
This post has been deleted by its author
This post has been deleted by its author
Memory choices for the HP DL360p and DL380p virtualization servers and the similar IBM System x3630 M4 server.
Hope it is simple to understand.
http://ddr3memory.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/installing-memory-on-2-socket-servers-memory-mathematics/
May 24, 2012
Installing memory on 2-socket servers – memory mathematics
For HP:
http://ddr3memory.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/memory-options-for-the-hp-dl360p-and-dl380p-servers-16gb-memory-modules/
May 24, 2012
Memory options for the HP DL360p and DL380p servers – 16GB memory modules
http://ddr3memory.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/memory-options-for-the-hp-dl360p-and-dl380p-servers-32gb-memory-modules/
May 24, 2012
Memory options for the HP DL360p and DL380p servers – 32GB memory modules
For IBM:
http://ddr3memory.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/memory-options-for-the-ibm-system-x3630-m4-server-16gb-memory-modules-2/
May 25, 2012
Memory options for the IBM System x3630 M4 server – 16GB memory modules
http://ddr3memory.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/memory-options-for-the-ibm-system-x3630-m4-server-32gb-memory-modules/
May 25, 2012
Memory options for the IBM System x3630 M4 server – 32GB memory modules
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