ZPE Systems Recently Released the World’s First 64-bit x86 CPU Based Serial Console Server with Faster Processing Speeds and More RAM and Storage Than All Legacy Vendors’ Consoles. Hip sysadmins and Data Center Operators Know Why. Here’s the Skinny on Why we Chose to use Multi-core 64-bit Intel CPUs in our Beefed Up Serial Console Server.

Performance

Servers with dual-core x86-64 CPUs can handle more simultaneous operations, users and I/O faster, even with the same Gigabit Ethernet connections, as older, less robust console servers. Faster CPU cycles can handle more simultaneous connections and other user defined workloads in addition to console routing and monitoring tasks. Faster = lower MTTR, greater productivity, new vistas of additional productivity, higher ROI.

Common platform for users, developers, OS and application availability

Given that the NodeGrid Serial Console runs on the x86-64 platform, IT managers and users can expect the same management and maintenance experience they have with their existing x86 based servers.

Common development environment: x86 SDKs, SDEs and Yocto

Developers benefit from a wide variety of readily downloadable x86 software development kits and environments. We chose Yocto for our NodeGrid Serial Console SDK so customers always have the latest updates, packages, and DIY customization capabilities at their fingertips.

The latest, greatest software – Docker and more

Likewise on the x86 platform, users can take advantage of newer technologies such as Docker. In our case, we provide a Docker container optimizable server right out of the box. Run nearly any Docker app on NodeGrid Serial Console to immediately extend server functionality.

Security patches available sooner

Using the open industry standard Intel CPU you don’t need to wait for 3^rd party kernel patches from other chip makers such as ARM, Freescale, Motorola, etc. In some cases, it might even be possible to apply patches before official firmware updates are available.

Peripherals

The standard x86 platform makes it easy to add peripherals to further extend NodeGrid Serial Console capabilities. Using one USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports, it’s easy to add cellular dial-up, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth or additional external storage, just to name a few. Simply add the associated drivers.

Greater storage

Having 36 Gigabytes of storage allows users to run hundreds of apps and store lots of data and audit logs if needed. Local storage capacity can be increased via extra USB storage devices.

Cost savings

Using an open industry standard Intel CPU allows us to pass along cost savings to our customers while significantly improving user response and processing capabilities.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

NodeGrid Serial Console comes preloaded with all the standard features you’d expect, and several industry firsts. On their own, these are all great reasons to buy our new NodeGrid Serial Console to refresh your data center’s IT management infrastructure. Together, they’re a no brainer.

Part 2: Why Build a 96 Port NodeGrid Serial Console?

Previously we began a blog series unveiling our reasons for building a bigger, brand new serial console server. In this post we discuss the significance of including 96 ports in a next generation console server.

A high port density serial console server meets several objectives. The first objective is simplified in-band and out-of-band (OOB) management. A second is flexible management. The third is financial, labor and environmental cost savings – both direct (CapEx) and indirect (OpEx, work hours, rack space, and potential energy savings). Our new console server helps data centers better manage their environments by meeting the demands of growth and change occurring in the data center space.

NodeGrid Serial Console helps simplify infrastructure management. Data centers are continually increasing density and targeting lower PUE, and need robust tools to manage growing IT device farms. Multi-core servers are being miniaturized and shoved into 1U rack trays, whether six servers or more. At this point, a 48 port console server no longer meets the objectives of the largest console server consumers. Hence, IT managers realize immediate benefits being able to manage more devices per individual console server with a higher port count unit.

Doing console management in 1U for twice the number of devices also implies using only one IP address instead of two, further conserving network resources and reducing mental clutter. With one console server instead of two, there is only one box to configure – therefore, less time spent on configuration and fewer devices to buy and manage in your data center if you typically host hundreds of console servers.

NodeGrid Serial Console meets flexible management objectives by allowing for greater flexibility in rack configuration / design in general, due to its higher port density. By using one console server instead of two, data center managers can reclaim 1U for other uses. Increasingly, data centers and colos use “pods” of readymade server rack clusters for incremental and faster build outs. Also, the 96-port console server opens up a new use case of back-to-back rack configurations – enabling further modularity and scaling ability.

Challenges/Costs vs Advantages

A higher port count console server requires a faster CPU and more memory to maintain high performance per port. This leads us to a financial challenge: how to keep costs low for our customers in light of NodeGrid Serial Console’s high end CPU and memory capabilities.

The reason our brand new serial console with the latest technologies is price-competitive with yesterday’s console servers still being sold on the market by competitors is that we’re using mass market industry standard chips and boards. NodeGrid Serial Console uses Intel’s 64-bit x86 chips instead of niche market chips, so we rolled the mass market scale pricing advantage into our new offerings.

We also offset the higher cost of our newer, beefier dual-core Intel CPU by spreading the cost out among twice as many serial ports for a lower CPU-cost-per-port. And remember, you only need one 96-port serial console now instead of two 48-port consoles – more cost savings.

Additional costs are gained by using open, modular hardware standards and an identical form factor across all NodeGrid Serial Console units. Even our lower port count boxes (16, 32, 48 port editions) benefit from the latest technologies at a lower cost. Data center managers can now benefit from our higher port count serial consoles with the latest hardware at an extremely competitive price. Everyone wins.

So there you have it. For our next installment we’ll disclose why we chose to build a serial console server with a fast dual-core Intel CPU instead of the usual ARM or PowerPC based system – and what this means. In addition, we’ll cover the rationale for shipping our server with a huge flash hard drive.

This is the first part of a serialized exploration of our new NodeGrid Serial Console™ product. Why we built it, how we decided on which features to include and why, and more, which we’ll cover over the coming weeks.

The overall answer is to help data centers better manage their environments and take advantage of the latest technologies, replace hardware that was built over a decade ago, and help customers meet the demands of growth and change occurring in the data center.

Since delivering NodeGrid Manager, our Software Defined Infrastructure management solution for access and control of both physical and virtual multi-vendor data center hardware, it wasn’t a huge leap for us to develop to an embedded Linux appliance. We identified a market need for a new console server built with current technologies based on customer requests, interviews, RFPs, and the increasing density of racks and virtualization.

With our unique background as the A-Team of console management, we believe there are further contributions we can make in the area of IT infrastructure management. At our first startup over a decade ago we led a wave of innovation within the console server industry, winning many awards along the way. Now we’re bringing a new wave of innovation to the console world, modernizing and changing the industry again. ZPE Systems is an agile company with deep experience in console server design, manufacturing, deployment, and responding quickly to customer requests.

So there you have it. We’ll be back next week with our next installment – why we chose to build a serial console server with 96 ports instead of the usual 4, 8, 16, 32 and 48 ports.

Read more on the NodeGrid Serial Console and give us a call if you have questions we haven’t answered already.