Rack Servers Versus Blade Servers
which is right for your business?

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It’s a common question we hear a lot – what’s the main difference between blade and traditional rack servers?

More importantly, businesses want to know which type of server is right for them.

Let’s start with the basic differences.

They both do the same job, but physically there are some pretty big differences.

Rack servers – what we might call traditional servers – are essentially stand-alone computers that run applications. Everything is contained in a case – hard drives for storage, a network card, processors, RAM and power pack with a fan.

Blade servers are simply cases within which blades operate in an array, with each blade being chiefly a processor, RAM and a small hard drive.

With a blade server, all the power supply, network capability and main hard drives are held within the rack the blades slot into.

So, that’s the main difference from a user-perspective.

If you want to add more processing power and RAM to a blade server, then it’s as simple as sliding in a new blade.

With a blade server you need to buy the case containing the racks that houses all the networking and storage components, so the initial outlay is generally going to be higher.

As a general guide, it’s fair to say that blades will be more cost-effective in the long term, IF yours is a business that’s going to have growing IT requirements.  But you need to bear in mind that the up front cost will almost certainly be higher.

So, if your business is currently using a traditional rack server, how do know whether you should switch?

To answer this, you certainly need to look not just at the current IT needs, but your expectations of need in the future.

In general, if you have around four or five servers already, then it might well be time – and cost-effective – to think about moving to blades.

We need to stress here that this is just a rule of thumb and every business’s needs will be slightly different.

But if your business falls into this category, then the advantage of blade servers are pretty straightforward.

First  – Blades generally demand less power than more traditional servers because they have a common power supply and, while they do generate heat, they usually need less cooling too.  And power bills are the THE big unseen cost of running servers.

Second – Blade servers need less maintenance. They’re simpler to service and many fixes can be done remotely.

Third – Blades are also very easy, quick and cost-effective to expand making them ideal for a growing business.

Four – If space is an issue, then blades have the big advantage of being compact and taking up far less room than traditional servers.  How many blades you actually slot into a chassis is, however, governed as much by how much heat is generated as actual space.

Blades  also do away with the endless cabling associated with traditional rack servers.

So, what about the downsides?

The main downside is probably the initial outlay.  This is where you need to be careful, because it could be that your business simply doesn’t need the expandability and adaptability of a blade server.

If you have a chassis that holds a dozen blades and you only really need to use three slots, you’re over-investing and so wasting your money.

Another potential minus is that, while they’re simpler to maintain and run once operational, blades do need more configuration initially and that means a greater degree of know-how, so you’ll need a good supplier or in-house know how.

In a nutshell then, blades generally use less power, so cutting utility bills, they need less cooling, take up less space, need less management and maintenance and what attention they do need is often simpler to perform.  Long-term they can save many businesses money.

But they do cost more initially so it’s always worth getting a careful evaluation of need before investing in blade servers because your business may simply not need them.