Dell PowerEdge 1855

Server deployment, management and monitoring are handled by Dell's OpenManage software bundle. OS image deployment isn't covered in any depth in the documentation, and we found it easier to connect the supplied USB CD-ROM drive to a server blade front panel and use the bundled Server Assistant to install an OS. The Server Administrator provides web-based access to individual servers, allowing you to gather data from the motherboard sensors and view status graphs of power, temperatures and voltages. Comprehensive alerting facilities use thresholds assigned to each value and allow warnings to be linked to network broadcasts, sending emails and running an application.

Dell's server blade management features are on a par with Fujitsu Siemens' ServerView and HP's Insight Manager, although the latter's Rapid Deployment Pack is one of the best on the market for server provisioning and OS deployment. Where the PowerEdge 1855 wins is for a good range of features at a low price, including excellent FC support and the promise of dual-core Xeon server blades.

Author: Dave Mitchell