New Micron server saves space

Micron Electronics Inc. on Monday announced the availability of an ultra-thin server that is tailored for government agencies needing to optimize data center space.

The micronpc.com HP NetServer LP 1000r is part of a line of co-branded servers that Micron and Hewlett-Packard Co. announced in October. It is designed to lead the trend of putting "more power in smaller form factors," said Glen Garlick, server products manager at micronpc.com.

The product's ultra-thin form factor (1.75 inches) allows for installation of up to 42 servers and 84 Intel Corp. Pentium III CPUs in one rack without sacrificing performance or manageability. The compact design should benefit dedicated applications as well as Web hosting, Internet/intranet service, caching, access, and file and print services, Garlick said.

"In the government space, especially for intranets and internal Web applications, it should be a perfect solution for that," he said. "It also fits into many space-constrained areas that the government may face."

The new server features:

Up to two Intel Pentium III processors running at up to a 1GHz clock speed. Three internal hot-swappable hard drives supporting storage of up to 109G. Support for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. Integrated dual-channel Ultra3 SCSI controller with 160 megabits/sec data transfer rate. Open 64-bit I/O slot. Up to 4G memory support. Micron has a number of government customers, including the Defense Department and the U.S. Treasury. Garlick said he has talked to most of the federal agencies about the new server. He is hopeful that the first government customer for the new server will be announced "within days, if not weeks."

The micronpc.com HP NetServer LP 1000r also comes standard with HP NetServer Navigator, which provides automated installation and configuration, network operating system tuning, and system optimization tips.

Additional management tools standard with the micronpc.com HP NetServer LP 1000r include:

HP Remote Assistant, which provides emergency remote access. Automatic Server Restart, which automatically reboots the server in the event of a network operating system hangup. HP Toptools, which monitors the system and alerts the network administrator. HP Openview Manage-x Event Manager, which provides built-in remote power cycling over a local-area network. The base price for the new server is about $4,300. The servers can be ordered immediately and will begin shipping in about two weeks, Garlick said.