Lenovo Unveils Rack Servers for Virtualization and Cloud Environments
Lenovo unveiled two new ThinkServers at the Educause 2013 conference in Anaheim last week.
According to the company, the ThinkServer RD540 and RD640 rack servers are designed for integration into existing IT infrastructures and are ideal for virtualization, cloud, and processing-intensive workloads. They are based on open standards and management protocols, so they can be integrated into any hybrid network environment. Compared to Lenovo's previous-generation RD servers, the RD540 and RD640 offer 27 percent faster performance, as well as new network adapter, storage controller, and RAID options.
According to the company, the RD540 is ideal for business analytics, Web server, and virtualized workloads, while the RD640 is ideal for more demanding cloud, virtualization, and processing-intensive deployments.
Key features of the ThinkServer RD540 and RD640 rack server include:
- Intel Xeon E5-2600 v2 processors, up to 24 cores;
- High-performance hardware RAID for data protection;
- Web-enabled remote management and a management tool suite;
- Up to 320 GB of memory;
- 1U (rack unit) form factor for the RD540 or 2U for the RD640, with tool-less rail kits;
- 16 TB hard disk capacity and new input/output expansion choices for the RD540; and
- 32 TB storage capacity and an additional PCIe slot for input/output expansion on the RD640.
Stoneware's webNetwork software is available as an option with both the RD540 and RD640. The software provides school administrators, students, and staff with Web access to data, applications, and services from a variety of devices and platforms.
The ThinkServer RD540 and RD640 will be available Nov. 4 starting at around $1,600. Further information about the two new rack servers can be found at lenovo.com.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].