AI/ML infrastructure requires specialized server components — GPUs for compute, NVMe for data pipelines, and 100/200/400GbE for GPU-to-GPU communication. AI Server Stack Layer Component Recommendation Compute GPU NVIDIA H100/A100 (training), L40S (inference) Storage NVMe SSD High-endurance MU/WI for checkpointing Network InfiniBand/Ethernet ConnectX-7 (400GbE) or HDR InfiniBand Memory DDR5 Maximum capacity for data preprocessing GPU cross-reference […]
Guides
Server upgrade guides, how-to articles, and buying guides
Kubernetes on Bare Metal: Server Hardware Recommendations
Running Kubernetes on bare metal (no hypervisor) delivers maximum performance for containerized workloads. Here is how to size your hardware. Node Sizing Role CPU Memory Storage Server Control Plane (3 nodes) 4-8 cores 16-32GB 100GB SSD 1U entry (R650, DL360) Worker (general) 16-32 cores 64-256GB 500GB NVMe + HDD 2U (R750, DL380) Worker (GPU) 32+ […]
HPE ProLiant Naming Convention: DL, ML, BL, XL Series Explained
HPE ProLiant uses two-letter prefixes to identify server form factors. Here is the breakdown. Series Guide Prefix Form Factor Examples DL Density Line (rack) DL360, DL380, DL560 ML Modular Line (tower) ML30, ML110, ML350 BL Blade (in c7000 chassis) BL460c, BL660c XL Scale-out / HPC XL170r, XL230a Number format: first digit = rack units or […]
Server Firmware Update Best Practices: BIOS, BMC, RAID, NIC
Firmware updates fix bugs, improve performance, and patch security vulnerabilities. But a failed update can brick components. Follow these best practices. Update Order BMC first (iDRAC/iLO/XCC) — ensures management plane is stable BIOS/UEFI — after BMC is current RAID controller — may require reboot + rebuild NIC firmware — match driver version to firmware Drive […]
Dell PowerEdge Naming Convention: R, T, M, C, XE Series Explained
Dell PowerEdge uses letter prefixes to identify server form factors and series. Here is what each letter means. Series Guide Prefix Form Factor Examples R Rack server R660, R760, R960 T Tower server T160, T360, T560 M / MX Modular (blade) MX760c (blade in MX7000 chassis) C Cloud / Scale-out C6620 (multi-node) XE Extreme / […]
Broadcom MegaRAID vs LSI HBA: Controller Selection Guide
Broadcom (formerly LSI/Avago) makes both MegaRAID controllers (hardware RAID) and SAS HBAs (JBOD pass-through). The same physical card can often be cross-flashed between modes. MegaRAID vs HBA Series Mode Use Case MegaRAID 9460/9560 RAID (IR mode) Hardware RAID 0/1/5/6/10 SAS 9400/9500 HBA (IT mode) JBOD for ZFS/Ceph/TrueNAS Dell PERC and HPE Smart Array use Broadcom […]
Server Cable Guide: SAS, MiniSAS HD, Power, and Signal Cables
Internal server cables connect drives to controllers, distribute power, and carry signals. Using the wrong cable causes drive detection failures or intermittent errors. Common Cable Types Cable Purpose Connector MiniSAS HD (SFF-8643) SAS drives to RAID controller 36-pin MiniSAS (SFF-8087) Legacy SAS backplane 36-pin NVMe U.2 (SFF-8639) NVMe SSD to motherboard 68-pin GPU Power PCIe […]
Infinidat InfiniBox: Enterprise Storage Overview and Parts Guide
Infinidat InfiniBox is a petabyte-scale enterprise storage array competing with Dell PowerMax, HPE Alletra, and NetApp AFF in the high-end segment. ICD stocks InfiniBox parts and provides third-party maintenance. InfiniBox Models InfiniBox F6000 — All-flash, enterprise InfiniBox SSA II — Solid-state array, performance tier InfiniBox G4 — Latest generation, highest density Infinidat lifecycle database | […]
Dell PowerEdge R640 SSD Upgrade: Compatible NVMe and SAS Drives
The Dell PowerEdge R640 (14G) supports SAS SSDs, SATA SSDs, and NVMe U.2 drives. The number and type depend on your backplane configuration. Drive Options Config Bays Interface 8 SFF 8x 2.5″ SAS/SATA/NVMe 10 SFF 10x 2.5″ SAS/SATA (8) + NVMe (2) 4 LFF 4x 3.5″ SAS/SATA only Browse R640 drives | R640 RAID controllers
IBM FlashSystem 5200 / 7300 End of Life: Migration
IBM FlashSystem 5200 reached end of sale December 2024. FlashSystem 7300 EOS is June 2026. Storwize V5000 and V7000 already reached end of service life. This guide covers migration paths, hardware reusability, data-migration tooling, and TPM bridge options for IBM storage customers planning their next move. Migration Path Current EOS Replacement FlashSystem 5200 Dec 2024 […]