HP launches new low-power Moonshot server class

Shawn Knight

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HP’s Moonshot server line is now official in the US, promising to drastically reduce space and power usage in data centers. What’s more, the multi-year project is expected to show the company can still innovate and remain a leader in the server market amid cloud customers that are now building their own servers.

Current systems like the Moonshot 1500 are powered by Intel’s Atom S1200 processor, we’re told. Each Moonshot server can support up to 1,800 servers per rack while each chassis shares common components like cooling, a power supply and management software. The first system runs on Linux although it is also compatible with Windows, VMware and traditional enterprise applications because its x86-based.

To say that the company believes heavily in the new platform would be a serious understatement. In fact, executives compared Moonshot servers to the move from Unix to x86 servers as well as the innovation that blade systems brought about. The big question, however, is how long will it take for HP’s new architecture to become widely adopted.

General Manager of HP’s enterprise group Dave Donatelli said the industry will look back on the launch 10 years from now and recognize it as a point where the server industry changed.

Pricing starts at $61,875 which includes the enclosure, 45 HP ProLiant Moonshot servers and an integrated switch. Systems are available starting today with a focus on cloud workloads. HP worked with more than 50 customers ahead of the launch to beta test the new servers.

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