Blade Server Reality Check

“Are you seriously considering, or currently deploying, blade
servers in 2010? If so, I hope you’ve done your research and
accepted their vendor lock-in and other shortcomings in addition to
their marketed promises. Blades have much to offer in the way of
lower power consumption and lower cooling requirements, but are
they worth the added expense and special requirements they impose?
I’m not picking on blade servers, their manufacturers or saving
money, but it’s time for a blade server reality check.

“Beyond the hype of blade servers and their status as the magic
datacenter bullet, you must face the reality that follows their
purchase. You’ll need to provide training for your hardware staff,
additional rack space since blades need their own enclosures, and
special power and connectivity requirements.

“For a reality check on this subject, I asked local web hosting
executive, Mike Bacher, owner of TulsaConnect, about his blade
server use. He provided seven reasons why he will not purchase or
deploy blades in his datacenters:”

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