1

So It has been 4 years since I last looked at HP servers and it is time to start specking out new servers for the company (to run VMWare). So now I need to figure out what the current offerings are.

I see on the HP website there is now Gen 9, Apollo, and Integrity. So I am guessing 3 lines of servers. Is there a good summary of what these lines are and when to look at each line? What would a recommended replacement be for the following system?

NOTE - I am still in the Very early stages of figuring out what the upgrade path would be so I don’t have concrete details yet.

So our current system has been running well, but I think we could add some more power to the systems.

We currently have HP Proliant GL 380p Gen8 X3

12 cores @ 2.5 GHz

8 Gigabit Nics

98 GB Ram

There is not direct attached storage as we are running a Compellent SAN for the data (and we are not planning to switch that out in the next few years).

I am guessing running 10 GBit NICs would be smarter then our current Gigabit NICs, which means is more stuff to learn and figure out

And I guess since we are running VMWare I better check how that is licensed (per processor or per core). Oh the details that have to be checked and figured out.

6 Spice ups
2

How does your environment run on your current gear? Are there any plans for expansion that might warrant a large jump in resources? I would think storage would be your major concern being in construction.

3

Storage side we are good with the Compellent SAN. We still have a more then a Terrabyte availabe to expand into. So that side is the good side.

As to the server processing power - I would say there are no great plans to expand much there but there is the normal expansion/growth of power needs for applications etc. So I would likely get more RAM for the servers and depending on the supporting software licenses get the full 16 cores that MS allows with the base licenses for 2016.

4

There is really no merit to upping cores if your usage doesn’t justify it and your current licensing doesn’t either. As far as memory I would max out every host if it is in the budget as there aren’t restrictions on memory for licensing. How many hosts are you planning on upgrading? Ever thought about SSD for your database stuff?

5

Upping cores - that is why I am checking on the supporting licenses. If they allow it (per processor vs per core) then I would up the core count to the maximum I can get over all the licenses (IE likely 16 cores per system)
Storage side - That is not part of the current upgrade. The servers have NO storage in them. It is all handled by the SAN. Though I would like to upgrade the SAN at some time to have some flash storage, Hum maybe I can talk my work to add a couple SSDs to the servers for particular work loads. That could be fun.

6

You may want to use the server Config tool HP OCS

If you require no internal storage looking at some type of blade configuration might be appropriate in that down the road you can simply add another blade to increase performance, capacity or both.

7

Recently installed 2 380 G9s and they are great. Wish I had the budget for more and retire some of the older machines.

8

Hey Bernard, I know your fellow SpiceHead’s will continue to give you great advice and point you in the right direction as you start this process. Since you’re still in the early stages, I just wanted to let you know as you’re researching your options, the SMB Marketplace is a really great way to easily filter by price range, storage capacity, etc. to find what you need!

Additionally, this Servers Portfolio could be a useful resource if you are looking for more info on the different HPE products and solutions, it also provides some tools that could be helpful.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions or get you more info! Best of luck with your upgrade!

@HPE