Learn how an advanced test facility uses Dell EMC PowerEdge server technology to deliver a proven solution for challenging usage scenarios
Enterprises that are looking to gain a competitive edge by making business-critical technology investments that help them to transform their IT infrastructure and make it fit for the future understandably want to be able to base their decisions on real-world data and desired outcomes.
Unrivalled testing capabilities
Based in the US state of Missouri, World Wide Technology (WWT) works with enterprise clients in many different sectors around the world, providing IT and business guidance about the most appropriate server solutions for a variety of challenging workloads and usage scenarios.
With thousands of IT engineers, hundreds of application developers and unrivalled laboratory facilities for testing and deploying technology at scale, WWT is committed to innovation and customer satisfaction.
One of the key factors in WWT being a trusted and preferred technology partner is its Advanced Technology Center (ATC). This is a collaborative ecosystem for the design, build, education, demonstration and deployment of innovative technology products and integrated architectural solutions for customers, partners and employees around the globe.
Proof of concept using combined expertise
Recently, WWT was tasked with delivering a fast-moving proof of concept (POC) for a global electronics provider. The company in question was looking to transition to server computing with the newest Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors and also wanted to explore alternatives to the Broadwell microarchitecture in its current server farm. So it approached the experts at WWT to help identify, design and validate the best and most appropriate server solution for its specific requirements.
WWT engineers joined Dell EMC team members to create a dedicated environment within the Advanced Technology Center and looked for the solution. Different options within the latest Dell EMC PowerEdge server portfolio were put through rigorous tests to identify and validate viable solutions for running a range of demanding workloads.
Client stakeholders were closely involved at every step of the project and the client’s engineers also had remote, secure access to this lab environment.
To accelerate the POC, the combined WWT and Dell EMC team involved Intel engineers – and together, they found a way to swap out the PowerEdge servers’ Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors on the fly. They then ran test scenarios with the many different combinations of CPU cores, socket configurations and memory in the four basic Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor families known as Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Matthew Halcomb, a Data Center Solutions Architect at WWT, reports: “The Dell EMC PowerEdge servers performed excellently for our client in a great variety of configurations and workloads, using the full spectrum of Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors and working with the client’s own load-generation tools.”
Impressive environmental performance
Several features of the Dell EMC OpenManage system were important in the client’s deployment scenarios – including an enhanced version of the integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC9) and multi-vector cooling with controlled fan speeds. The control of power consumption, close monitoring of internal device temperatures and environmental considerations were also critical concerns for the client, whose products are usually integrated into servers.
Chris Weis, a Technical Solutions Architect at WWT, says: “Dell EMC PowerEdge servers together with OpenManage Power Center provide extremely efficient power utilization, which keeps costs down. Multi-vector cooling enables PowerEdge devices with a closely packed interior space to run the most challenging workloads without running into problems.”
Halcomb adds that he is very impressed with the environmental performance of new PowerEdge technology: “The PowerEdge server family meets the Dell Fresh Air 2.0 standard, which means they can keep cool very efficiently with clean outside air and perform reliably, 365 days a year, in temperatures as high as 113°F.”
Efficient and effective validation
The POC took less than 30 days to complete. When it concluded, the client was ready to take the next step with the PowerEdge R640 server, which was the preferred model because of its power and space efficiency – and placed a large purchase order.
Weis explains: “By setting up and delivering data center-ready PowerEdge servers, WWT and Dell EMC are enabling our client to focus on its business instead of administrating hardware.”
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