In recent posts on the VMware forums the choice of servers was under discussion. One of the posts queried how HPs DL585s compare in terms of cost against BL25p blade servers.
As a starter I've created the following spreadsheet. I take no responsibility for any omissions so use the information with caution, it's for guidance only and was quickly knocked up using HP's Product Bulletin. The spreadsheet does not include any storage for VMs, I'm assuming the machines will be SAN attached, and I've not actually include the cost of the rack itself but this would only be an additional c. £1000 depending upon your choice of rack supplier. In working out the pricing, Internet list prices were used with an exhange rate of 0.5667
As you can see the calculations come out in favour of the BL25p, with a much greater density of VMs that can be achieved in a 42U rack.
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Comparison of BL25p Servers against DL585s for VMware ESX |
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HP Part Number |
Description |
Qty |
Unit Price |
Price |
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399598-B21 |
ProLiant BL25p 0280 2.4GHz-1MB,DC 2GB (2P) |
1 |
3059.61 |
3059.61 |
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379300-B21 |
4 GB PC3200 DDR SDRAM DIMM Memory Kit (2 x 2 GB) |
2 |
962.82 |
1925.64 |
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346914-B21 |
128MB Battery Backed Write Cache Enabler Option Kit |
1 |
112.77 |
112.77 |
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286714-B22 |
HP 72GB 10K U320 Pluggable Hard Drive |
2 |
186.44 |
372.88 |
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381881-B21 |
HP ProLiant BL25/45p dual-port Fibre Channel Adapter (QLOGIC) |
1 |
339.45 |
339.45 |
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397426-B21 |
VMware ESX Server Virtual Infrastructure Node
ESX Server 2P VIN license with ProLiant Essentials Virtualization Management Software |
1 |
£2,342.62 |
2342.62 |
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Cost Per Blade |
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8152.97 |
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230769-421 |
HP BLp 3Phase Redundant EU Pwr Enclosure |
2 |
3268.73 |
6537.46 |
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240560-B21 |
HP BLp-Class Scalable Bus Bar |
1 |
396.12 |
396.12 |
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281404-B22 |
HP BLp Enhanced Enclosure w/8 RDP Lic |
6 |
1155.5 |
6933 |
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378926-B21 |
Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module |
12 |
2719.59 |
32635.08 |
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A7535A |
Brocade 4Gb SAN Switch, w/Power Pack |
12 |
5949.78 |
71397.36 |
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221470-B21 |
2Gb SFF-SW Trncvr Kit ALL |
12 |
112.77 |
1353.24 |
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Rack Infrastructure |
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119252.3 |
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Cost for a rack full of BL25p servers |
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510594.8 |
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390524-405 |
HP DL585 RED MOD-FX US Chassis |
1 |
2,925.87 |
2925.87 |
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397844-L21 |
HP DC 2.4/1000 PC3200 DL585 FIO Opt Kit |
1 |
4,640.71 |
4640.71 |
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397844-B21 |
HP DC 2.4/1000 PC3200 DL585 Opt Kit |
2 |
2,946.27 |
5892.54 |
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395409-B21 |
HP 8GB REG PC2700 2X4GB Memory |
2 |
4,136.34 |
8272.68 |
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383975-B21 |
HP 8X Slim DVD+RW Drive |
1 |
112.77 |
112.77 |
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286778-B22 |
HP 72GB 15K U320 Pluggable Hard Drive |
2 |
248.78 |
497.56 |
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313881-B21 |
HP NC7170 PCI-X 1000T Gb Server Adapter |
1 |
163.78 |
163.78 |
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397427-B21 |
VMware VIN for 4CPU + PEVMS SW |
1 |
5949.78 |
5949.78 |
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A7388A |
HP StorageWorks 2 Gb, single channel, 133 MHz PCI-X-to-Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter for Windows 2000 and 2003 |
2 |
768 |
1536 |
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Cost for one DL585 |
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29991.69 |
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Cost for a rack full of DL585 servers |
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299916.9 |
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A rack full of BL25p servers provides 48 servers and 192 cores.If we assume a VM density of 4 VMs per core a rack of blades offers support for 768 VMs.
A rack full of DL585 servers provides 10 servers and 80 cores. If we assume a VM density of 4 VMs per core a rack of DL585s offers support for 320 VMs |
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Crude Costs per VM |
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Server: |
Rack Costs |
VMs per rack |
Unit VM Cost |
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DL585 |
299916.9 |
320 |
937.2403 |
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BL25p |
510594.82 |
768 |
664.837 |