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Kontron devices upgrade to six-core Xeons
2010-03-19 Article Rating:  / 0
Kontron announced four devices sporting Intel's recently unveiled Xeon 5600 processors. The products include the new CG2100 carrier grade server, plus upgraded configurations of the existing NSN2U IP network server, the AT8050 AdvancedTCA blade, and the KTC5520-EATX server board, according to the company.
As we reported earlier this week, Intel announced a bevy of Xeon 5600-branded CPUs, including 16 variants aimed at enterprise workstation and server applications, plus four specifically targeting embedded applications. The chips deliver up to 60 percent greater performance than their predecessors, but with platform power consumption that can be 30 percent lower, according to the chipmaker. Touting the benefits of the "Westmere-EP" Xeon 5600 processors compared to the Xeon 5500s they replace, Kontron sums up the differences as follows:
CG2100 carrier grade server The new CG2100 is a 2U server designed for network data centers and telco central offices, but also relevant to military or medical applications, says Kontron. The device is said to have been designed to withstand extreme heat, humidity, altitude, and zone 4 earthquake shock, plus multiple other extreme environmental conditions in compliance with NEBS-3/ETSI requirements. The CG2100 includes advanced server
management and telco alarm management features that provide visual, audible, and SNMP event
indications of any faults, the company adds.  Kontron's CG2100 (Click to enlarge) According to Kontron, the CG2100 has six front-accessible, hot-swappable bays that accept 2.5-inch SAS (serial attached SCSI) or SATA hard disk drives, configurable as RAID 0/1/5/6 arrays. The server further includes two front-panel SD slots, and can also accept an internal, bootable USB flash device, says the company. Kontron says the CG2100, which employs the 5520 chipset with ICH10R I/O controller, has two processor sockets, supporting single or dual Xeon 5600 processors for a total of 12 cores and 24 threads. Meanwhile, it's said the server's 12 DIMM slots allow it to accept up to 96MB of RAM. In addition to the drive bays and SD slots already mentioned, the CG2100's front panel sports status LEDs, an RJ45 connector for a serial console, and a USB port. The rear panel has an additional RJ45 serial port, a VGA output, four additional USB ports, and two gigabit Ethernet ports, according to Kontron. Also around back are two apertures for low-profile add-in cards and three for full-height cards. Via a choice of three different riser arrangements, the CG2100 can offer either five full-height PCI Express slots, two full-height PCI-X slots combined with one full-height and two low-profile PCI Express slots, or three passive full-height PCI Express slots, Kontron says. Further information on the CG2100 may be found on the Kontron website, here.
Kontron says it has also added the Xeon 5600 to its existing IP network server, the Kontron NSN2U, significantly improving performance and power efficiency. The device is intended for network security applications including intrusion detection/prevention, VPN/firewall, and unified threat management, and is also well-suited for enterprise application acceleration and content caching, according to the company. This time around, the front panel includes eight horizontally mounted bays for 2.5-inch SAS/SATA hard disks, again capable of supporting RAID 0/1/5/6 configurations. The front also has room for an optional drive, an RJ45 port for a serial console, status LEDs, and a USB 2.0 port, says Kontron.  Kontron's NSN2U (Click to enlarge) The NSN2U's rear panel, meanwhile, is similar to the CG2100's, including a second RJ45 serial port, a VGA port, four additional USB 2.0 ports, and two gigabit Ethernet connectors. Like the CG2100, the NSN2U also provides room for an optional second power supply. Again, there are two apertures for low-profile add-in cards and three for full-height cards. The NSN2U supports five PCI Express or PCI-X cards, according to Kontron. The NSN2U supports one or two Xeon 5600 CPUs, and likely once again uses the 5520 chipset with ICH10R I/O controller, though this wasn't confirmed. Twelve DIMM slots accept up to 96GB of DDR3 memory, Kontron adds. Further information on the NSN2U may be found on the Kontron website, here. Kontron says its AT8050 AdvancedTCA blade has been upgraded to a single Xeon L5638 processor, replacing the previously offered, 45nm Xeon L5518. This provides more performance for the targeted storage, medical imaging, security, and communications applications, according to the company. The device provides one mid-sized AdvancedMC bay, designed to accept Kontron AMC modules such as the AM42xx series of intelligent packet processors, which are said to feature the Octeon Plus 5650 network service processor from Cavium Networks. An optional RTM8050 rear transition module includes an SAS controller that can supplement an SAS/SATA module already installed in the AMC bay, Kontron adds.  Kontron's AT8050 (Click to enlarge) In addition, the AT8050 has four PCI Express expansion interfaces, two gigabit Ethernet ports, and a front panel sporting two management LAN ports with RJ45 connectors, two USB ports, plus an RJ45 serial port. The blade uses Intel's 5520 I/O hub and ICH10R I/O controller, has six DIMM slots accepting up to 48GB of RAM, and supports an optional flash daughterboard with at least 4GB of storage, says Kontron. Further information on the AT8050 may be found on the Kontron website, here. KTC5520-EATX server board Kontron's KTC5520-EATX is an extended ATX (13 x 12 inches) motherboard for server applications. Again featuring the 5520 I/O hub and ICH10R I/O controller, the board was originally designed for single or dual Xeon 5500 series processors, but is now offered with one or two L5638 Xeons, according to the company. The board provides "extreme performance, high I/O bandwidth, and exceptional reliability, backed by a seven-year life-cycle support program," Kontron says. The device can be fully managed remotely using an IMP (integrated management processor) that integrates VGA/2D, BMC, and KVM/VM over IP to support real-time access with full control from anywhere, at any time, the company adds.  Kontron's KTC5520-EATX (Click to enlarge) As pictured above, the KTC5520-EATX's coastline includes a serial port, a VGA output, two PS/2 ports, two gigabit Ethernet ports, four USB 2.0 ports, and audio connectors (analog line, mic, front, back, side, low-center, and SPDIF out/in). Bristling with DIMM slots, the board accepts up to 96GB of memory, according to Kontron. Kontron adds that the board includes six expansion slots: one PCI Express x16, three PCI Express x8, one PCI Express x4, and one 32-bit, 33MHz PCI. There are also headers for two additional USB ports and a TPM (trusted platform module), the company adds. Further information on the KTC5520-EATX may be found on the Kontron website, here. According to Kontron, the AT8050 and KTC-5520EATX will begin sampling with Xeon 5600 processors during the second quarter of this year. The NSN2U will support the new CPUs as soon as they are available, while the CG2100 will enter production in May, the company adds. Related stories:
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