Compaq's Compact Servers

New 4-Way ProLiant ML570 and DL580 servers and TaskSmart C-Series 1U dual and quad processor servers are optimized for high volume deployment.

by Wayne Kawamoto [June 12, 2000]

Compaq Computer Corporation announced its new ProLiant DL360 ultra-thin, 2-way server, and 4-processor ProLiant DL580 and ML570. The company also announced two new Compaq TaskSmart C-Series servers that are optimized to accelerate Web content delivery.

Small and Powerful
According to Compaq, the ProLiant DL360 is the only 1U form factor server that supports 2-way Pentium III processors, hot plug drives, and integrated RAID. It comes with two full-length PCI slots and is memory expandable up to 4 GB.

Compaq claims that the ProLiant DL360 is the first ultra-dense server that's optimized for high volume deployments in the ISP/ASP market. Designed to meet the availability and density demands of service providers, the ProLiant is supposed to offer superior manageability and massive processing power that resides in a limited space.

In addition, Compaq says that the ProLiant includes new rack mount features such as snap-in rails and simplified cable management, and every server comes with Compaq Insight Manager.

The ProLiant DL360 also offers an option for the Remote Insight Lights-Out Edition, which lets businesses manage thousands of servers with a virtual Web-based tool, even remotely boot from a standard 1.44MB floppy diskette (Windows 95, 98, DOS) in a network client, enabling remote OS installation from a network drive, and remote server ROM updates.

Dense Deployment
"The ultra-thin ProLiant DL360 addresses new and critical data center concerns of customers by maximizing processing power, optimizing rack space and providing the capability to easily manage thousands of servers remotely," said Mary McDowell, Vice President and General Manager of Compaq's Industry Standard Server Group. "The industry-defining technology of the ProLiant DL360 is designed to radically simplify our customers' computing experiences — whether they are a leading-edge dot-com or an established enterprise — and help them optimize profits from their Internet computing infrastructures."

The ProLiant DL580 and the ProLiant ML570 4-way servers were designed to be optimized for maximum internal expansion. Replacing the ProLiant 6400R and 5500, respectively, these new multipurpose servers should handle the various workloads of enterprise applications, including ERP, intensive transaction processing, Web hosting, and VPNs for service providers.

Finally, the C-Series, consisting of the TaskSmart C600 and the TaskSmart C900, are appliance servers that are optimized to accelerate Web content delivery. According to Compaq, these servers will be well suited for large-scale enterprise customers, as well as government and educational institutions.

Pricing and Availability
The ProLiant DL360 is available now and starts at $3,970. The ML570 and DL580 are also available and start, respectively, at $8,980 and $9,450. Both TaskSmart C-Series servers are available with the C600 starting at $4,899 and the C900 at $6,499. The ProLiant and TaskSmart servers may be purchased through Compaq's channel partners as well as Compaq DirectPlus.

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