StarLAN Consulting Services has configured and installed many high performance servers in the Inland Northwest. We have seen some of our customers grow to the point where their information management needs simply cannot be handled by a single server. Want to add secure remote access? Add another server. Want to separate various server functions that have grown too large for one server? Add another server. Some of our customers have come to us with a network infrastructure consisting of multiple servers - each of them different, and all combine to produce a formidable management issue.  Different operating systems, different operating system versions, servers at varying patch levels, different hardware platforms  - well, you get the picture. Time and effort spent just keeping a server menagerie up and running can and does have a serious impact on your Total Cost of Ownership. Enter the blade server.

So What is a 'Blade Server' and Why Should I Care?

A blade server is essentially a housing for a number of individual minimally-packaged computer motherboard "blades", each including one or more processors, memory, storage, and network connections, but sharing the common power supply and air-cooling resources of the chassis. The idea behind blade servers is that by placing many blades in a single (typically vertically, in rack-mounted) housing, these systems can be more compact and powerful, but less expensive than traditional systems based on so-called 'server farms' of individual computers. The relevance of blade server technology to a growing business - lower Total Cost of Ownership.

Operating Systems

The choice of a server operating system is never taken lightly. A Server OS can come with with a wide variety of capabilities - and costs. A careful assessment of the server's role will usually dictate the choice of server operating system. The choices can range from Windows 2000 / 2003 Server at Standard, Advanced and Enterprise levels, Windows Internet Security and Acceleration Server, Windows Small Business Server, Linux (in a veritable Baskin-Robbins array of configurations), and others. StarLAN Consulting Services can provide the necessary guidance for a sound choice based upon your business needs.

Recommended Operating Systems for Blade Servers
Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Windows ISA Server Windows Virtual Server 2005

Silicon Mechanics Bladeform Blade Server Blade Options
285LV detail	283S-ISO w/HDs	Gigabit Ethernet Blade
Management Blade		283S-ISO detail