Intel To Unveil Hybrid Server/Storage Device

This week's Supercomputing '07 conference will see several new product introductions from vendors such as Intel and Microsoft, including a combined server-storage device to replace the blade server line that Intel recently discontinued.

Sources in the custom system building channel said they expect to see a number of new products unveiled during the conference, held November 10 to 16 in Reno, Nev.

While in Reno, Intel is gambling that attendees will be interested in seeing the official roll-out of several new products, expected to happen on November 15.

Many of these feature the company's new processors based on 45nm technology. These include the dual-chip quad-core Xeon, code named "Harpertown," and the single-chip dual-core Xeon, code named "Wolfdale-DP," according to channel sources. They are the first of Intel's "Penryn" family of 45nm processors to be brought to market.

The "Harpertown," which replaces Intel's "Clovertown," integrates two dual-core processors on a single chip.

Also slated to be unveiled next week is a HPC (high-performance computing) platform based on Intel's "Stoakley" 5400 chipsets which feature a new memory controller. The company will show a new HPC server motherboard, the S5400SF, and an HPC server, the SR1560SF, based on the chipsets.

Intel was also scheduled to publicly demonstrate its "Clear Bay" modular server, however indications in the channel are that the unveiling of the product may be delayed until January.

"Clear Bay," also known as the Intel Modular Server, has six processor units that can be hot-swapped if needed, connected to an internal shared storage array along with shared power and cooling, all in an enclosure aimed at the small and midsize business market. The processor units do not have their own dedicated storage.

Sources indicate that the Intel Modular Server will come in one of two varieties. The first is expected to include space for up to 14 2.5-inch removable hard drives. The second, to be released even later, is expected to have space for up to seven 3.5-inch hard drives, a channel source said. However, plans could change, the source said.

The Intel Modular Server is Intel's alternative to blade server technology for the small and midsize business market. The vendor said in June that it plans to discontinue its blade server line.

Intel did not respond to requests to talk about the upcoming product launches.

Channel sources also said that Microsoft will use the Supercomputing conference to unveil a new version of its Microsoft Compute Cluster Server software.

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