What’s the thinnest, sharpest server in the bunch? Why a blade server, of course!

Blade servers place the complete system–processor, RAM, and networking–on the motherboard. This tightly packed arrangement allows you to cram an inordinate amount of processing power into a confined space. Blade servers are most often rack mounted in a cabinet housing with an abundance of power supplies and fans, along with a neat and tidy cabling system. The blade servers housed within a cabinet typically share a common high-speed bus.

If you need to cram the maximum number of servers into a limited space, you’ll likely turn to blades.

Most of the major manufacturers have jumped on the blade server bandwagon, and there are plenty of niche players, as well. Dell, HP, and IBM provide an abundance of offerings for the Linux and Windows market. Sun offers blade servers for Linux and Solaris shops, using UltraSPARC IIi, AMD Mobile Athlon, and Intel Xeon processors.

Related: Rack Mount Servers