Blade servers: the inside story - [tech focus: servers]

Second-generation blade servers are just starting to blossom, but as a core technology they still have some technological issues to resolve. Before following the trend to blade server adoption, there are several key operational issues that IT professionals should know about. Blades constitute by far the fastest growing server segment, gaining a big lift from second-generation systems that overcome some of the earlier functional limitations. Yet, the latest blades on the market are conquering almost all fields except large-scale server consolidation for which I/O capabilities are still inadequate. Perhaps the biggest problem for blades lies in removing the heat, stimulating a revival in water cooling as well as innovation air flow systems.