HP Introduces Midrange Server

Rounds out its Unix offerings

• By Chris McConnell
• 02/26/2002

Rounding out its Unix offerings, Hewlett-Packard Co. introduced a new midrange server Monday based on its PA-8700 RISC processor.

The HP Server rp7410 is available in two to eight-way configurations and runs HP-UX 11i. HP positions the server as a platform for running application servers and other mid-tier components for enterprises.

In addition, mid-sized businesses may be interested in hosting databases on the server. “The midrange is a critical part of our market,” says Mark Hudson, worldwide marketing manager for Unix systems at HP.

One of rp7410’s unique features is it ability to use either HP’s PA-RISC processors, or Itanium and upcoming IA-64 processors. Either changing processor cards or the processors themselves can convert the system from PA-RISC or IA-64. By design, PA-RISC and Itanium share the same pin-outs.

Dimitris Dovas, worldwide product manager for HP’s midrange Unix systems, says the ability to swap processors room to upgrade machines for future technologies. HP has publicly stated it will migrate its Unix line to 64-bit Intel processors.

rp7410 also supports multiple partitions, creating virtual servers on the machine. Users can create two completely isolated partitions with separate power supplies and I/O. If one of these partitions fail, the other partition is completely unaffected.

Moreover, rp7410 can support up to eight software-based Dynamic Virtual Partitions. These partitions lack the same independence of the hardware-based partitions, but Dynamic Virtual Partitions are still tied to processors. Each processor is assigned to a specific partition.

Dovas says HP tailored the server to meet the needs of today’s enteprise, noting products like SAP and Siebel create hardware needs in the enterprise. "The use of modern applications have impacted the design of this server," he says.