The HP ProLiant MicroServer: A Promising, Yet Incomplete Solution for Small Branch Offices
When HP announced their new ProLiant MicroServer, I was immediately intrigued by its potential as a low-noise, small footprint server for branch offices. As a fan of virtualization and a believer in the benefits of consolidating multiple servers into one, I saw this as the perfect solution for my own small office setup. However, upon closer inspection, I was left wanting more.
The ProLiant MicroServer ticks all the right boxes when it comes to form factor and noise levels. It is compact, measuring only 12 inches in height and 7 inches in depth, making it easy to fit into any office environment. Additionally, its low power consumption and quiet fan noise make it an ideal choice for offices that require a discreet server solution.
However, where the ProLiant MicroServer falls short is in its CPU offering. The AMD Athlon II NEO N36L processor, while sufficient for basic tasks such as web serving and file sharing, is not enough horsepower to run a single virtual machine (VM) with ease. As someone who is used to running multiple VMs on their servers, this was a deal-breaker for me.
Another area of concern is the storage controller. The Integrated 4 port SATA RAID Storage Controller, while adequate for most use cases, lacks the necessary details to ensure compatibility with VMware’s vSphere platform. As someone who relies heavily on VMware’s software, this lack of information makes it difficult to determine if the ProLiant MicroServer is a viable option for my needs.
Despite these limitations, I still hold out hope that HP will continue to develop and improve the ProLiant MicroServer line. With better CPU offerings and a vSphere-supported RAID controller, this server could be the perfect entry-level solution for small branch offices. In fact, fellow virtualization enthusiast Simon Seagrave has also expressed similar sentiments in his analysis of the ProLiant MicroServer.
In conclusion, while the HP ProLiant MicroServer shows great promise as a low-noise, small footprint server, it falls short in certain areas that are crucial for my specific use case. However, with a little tweaking and improvement from HP, this could be the perfect solution for small branch offices looking to virtualize their infrastructure.