Small server, big on speed and service
Compaq's DL380 puts power and serviceability into a small package.
 
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Small rack-optimized servers are not known for their precision fit and finish. These small servers seem to be more of an exercise in stuffing as many parts and as much power as possible into a small space and leaving the burden of sorting out any problems to the technicians responsible for fixing or upgrading the servers.
The Compaq DL380 G2 is very different. It is probably the most well thought-out server we've seen. These attributes are reflected in its overall score of 4.61, earning it Network World's World Class Award.
Performance
The DL380 earns 4.9 for performance, just short of perfection. This is due in part to the two 1.133-GHz processors on board - the fastest clock speed of any server we've tested so far. The CPU tests reflect this increase in processor clock speed. The results of these tests show about a 14% increase over a server with two 1-GHz processors.
Detailed testing methods
Large file tests
Small file tests
Database test
Network Test Results
Scorecard and NetResults
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The file tests showed the DL380 was just a little faster than the recently reviewed Hewlett-Packard LP2000r. This is probably a result of the faster CPU performance.
The network tests really show where the DL380 excels. The DL380 nearly doubled the performance of the LP2000r. The most likely reasons for this are its 66-MHz PCI clock rate vs. the 2000r's 33-MHz PCI clock rate and the incremental increase in CPU performance.
Features
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The DL380 is loaded with features - the unit we tested came with two 1.13-GHz Pentium III processors with 512K bytes of Level 2 cache, 1G byte of RAM, six hard drives connected to a Compaq SmartArray 5i RAID controller built into the motherboard, and a Gigabit Ethernet network interface card (NIC).The six drives were divided into three partitions by the RAID controller. The first drive was dedicated to the operating system. The remaining five drives were divided into two 25G-byte RAID zero partitions. The DL380 has two built-in Fast Ethernet ports that weren't used in our testing.
The hard drives are plugged into six available drive slots on the front of the server. One of the drive slots has a removable blank slot that can handle a hot-pluggable tape drive. The CD-ROM drive is also hot-pluggable. It is removed by pushing a drive eject button on the front of the chassis.
The memory was loaded in four of the six RAM slots on the motherboard. The motherboard supports up to 6G bytes of SDRAM.
With all the wonderful features, one wart stands out. The CD-ROM drive ejection button mentioned above is placed beside the floppy drive, and we mistook it for the floppy eject button. We can imagine a floppy operation finishing while the CD-ROM is being accessed and the CD-ROM drive being ejected by mistake.
This could lead to lost time (at best) or a complete operating system reinstall (worst case).
Availability
The DL380 has an optional redundant load-balancing power supply system. Ours came with one power supply that is enough to support a fully loaded system. The DL380 has hot-swappable system and CPU fans with a redundant fan-configuration option.
The DL380 has the usual failover NIC configuration options and redundant RAID configuration options. The DL380 has two hot-pluggable PCI slots for swapping or adding PCI cards with the server on.
The slots can be used to support 6G bytes of RAM in a standard configuration or 4G bytes in an online spare memory configuration. In the online spare memory configuration, a Compaq management agent monitors the error rate of the RAM. If the RAM error rate exceeds this threshold, the memory in the suspect RAM bank is transferred to the online spare RAM bank and the errored memory bank is disabled. The online spare memory management agent then alerts the administrator about the failed memory bank through the management system.
Serviceability
The DL380 is easier to service than any other units we've seen, and it earns a perfect score in this category.
The chassis is accessible from the top by removing the top cover via a butterfly latch. The most noticeable characteristic of the internal layout is the absence of any visible wires or cables. The major components were interconnected with hidden ribbon cables and card connectors. Most servers in this class have ribbon cables and power connections all through the inside of the servers, making them difficult to service.
All the internal parts are easily accessible with adequate documentation of the internal parts underneath the top cover.
The PCI slot cage is removable for access to all the slots. The top two slots are hot-pluggable and have a hinged side door for access when the top is open and the PCI cage is properly seated.
Leave the screwdriver behind - the DL380 has a tool-free design for all user-serviceable parts. The rack-mounted hardware also has a tool-free design.
Several system diagnostic LEDs are available to get a snapshot of the
server's health from the front panel and to get specific component failure information with the cover removed.
A simple but thoughtful idea is the incorporation of unit ID (UID) LEDs on the DL380. Imagine having to service one DL380 in an installation of several fully loaded racks full of servers. Finding a problem from the front of the server could require some work behind the rack. It could be problematic to walk to the rear of the rack and have to locate the same server. To help with this problem, the DL380 has LEDs that light up on the front and the rear of the unit by pushing a UID button on the front of the chassis or another UID button on the rear of the chassis.
Manageability
The DL380 earns a respectable 4 for manageability by providing a standard management platform (the Compaq Insight Manager) with hooks to management platforms such as Tivoli, HP OpenView and CA Unicenter. Also included is Insight Manager XE, a Web-accessible proprietary management platform.
The DL380 has a remote reboot function to do a cold start of the server over the network if it hangs. A remote management console is also available to get a snapshot of the health of the server. Having a more unified and more user-friendly management platform would definitely raise the manageability score.
Conclusion
If you hate the hassle of fixing or upgrading server hardware, check out this server for great serviceability. The DL380's strong showing in performance would also make this an excellent file server or Web server.
Server testing is performed at North Carolina State University's Centennial Networking Labs (CNL) in Raleigh, N.C. CNL tests network equipment and network-attached devices for interoperability and performance.
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| Compaq DL380 G2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 SCORE:
4.15COMPANY:
Compaq, (800) 282-6672, www.compaq.com/products/servers/platforms/index.html
COST: $9,539. PROS: Good performance; features and management
offering; nearly perfect serviceability features. CONS:
Poorly placed CD-ROM
drive eject button. |
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| Individual category scores are based on a scale of 1 to 10. Percentages are the weight given each category in determining the total score.SCORING KEY: 5: Exceptional showing in this category. Couldn’t be better. May define the standard for excellence in this category. 4: A very good showing in this category. Although there may have been room for improvement, this product was much better than average. 3: An average showing in this category. The product was neither especially good nor exceptionally bad. 2: A below average showing in this category. The product lacked some features or had lower performance than other products, or than was expected from a product in this category. 1: Considerably sub-par, or lacking features being reviewed. A 1 is the lowest score that can be awarded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Small server, big performance
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RELATED LINKS
Bass, a senior technical staff member at CNL and co-author of Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks, designs and leads the execution of the test suites. He can be reached at john_bass@ncsu.edu.
Bass is also a member of the Network World Global Test Alliance, a cooperative of the premier reviewers in the network industry, each bringing to bear years of practical experience on every review. For more Test Alliance information, including what it takes to become a member, go to www.nwfusion.com/alliance.
How we did it
Our testing methods explained.
More testing results:
Large file tests
Small file tests
Database test
Network test
Vendor profile: Compaq
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