HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server

The HP ProLiant DL380 is a line of rack-mounted servers designed by Hewlett-Packard (HP), specifically optimized for mission-critical business applications. The DL380 is one of HP's most popular and versatile enterprise-level servers, offering a variety of configurations suitable for different workloads.

Here's a detailed breakdown of the HP ProLiant DL380 server:

1. General Overview:

• Model: HP ProLiant DL380 (Multiple generations available, such as DL380 G7, G8, G9, G10, etc.)
• Form Factor: 2U rack-mounted
• Target Audience: Enterprise data centers, small-to-medium businesses, virtualization, cloud services, storage, and general-purpose computing.

2. Key Features:

• Scalability: Offers scalability in terms of CPU, RAM, storage, and I/O options.
• Reliability and Availability: Designed for high uptime, with redundant power supplies, cooling fans, and support for RAID configurations.
• Energy Efficiency: Power supply options that are energy-efficient, like 80 Plus Platinum certified power supplies (depending on the generation).
• Management Tools: Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) for remote server management and monitoring.
• Storage Flexibility: Supports various storage devices such as HDDs, SSDs, and NVMe drives with a variety of RAID configurations.

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3. Hardware Specifications:

3.1 Processor:

• Supported Processors: Intel Xeon processors (varying generations depending on the DL380 model)
  • DL380 G9 & G10: Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3/v4, Xeon Scalable processors (Gen 2 and Gen 3)
• Number of CPUs: Supports 1 or 2 processors, with up to 28 cores per CPU depending on the processor choice.
• Processor Speeds: Vary depending on generation and model. Range from 1.2 GHz to 3.0 GHz or higher.

3.2 Memory:

• Memory Type: DDR4 SDRAM (in G9 and G10 generations)
• Maximum Memory Capacity: Up to 3TB of memory (in DL380 G10, with 24 DIMM slots)
• Memory Configurations: Depending on the model, supports RDIMM, LRDIMM, or NVDIMM.

3.3 Storage:

• Drive Bays:
  • 8, 12, 16, or 24 LFF (Large Form Factor) or SFF (Small Form Factor) drive bays (depending on the generation and configuration).
• Storage Controllers: Supports various RAID controllers, such as HP Smart Array controllers (P440, P840, etc.), as well as software RAID options.
• Supported Storage Devices:
  • Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) up to 10TB (depending on the generation)
  • Solid State Drives (SSDs) up to 3.84TB or higher
  • NVMe drives (available in later models like G10)

3.4 Networking:

• Ethernet Ports: Typically includes 4 or more Gigabit Ethernet ports or 10GbE options.
• Networking Controllers: Built-in 1GbE or 10GbE network adapters.
• Options: Flexible I/O options for additional NICs, fiber channel cards, or network adapters.

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4. Power Supply:

• Power Supply Units (PSU): Hot-plug redundant PSUs for power fault tolerance.
• Wattage Options: Typically 500W, 800W, 1200W, or 1600W depending on configuration.
• Efficiency Ratings: 80 Plus Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum depending on PSU model.

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5. Expansion and I/O:

• PCIe Slots: Supports multiple PCIe 3.0 slots (up to 8 depending on model), allowing for additional network cards, storage controllers, GPUs, or other expansion cards.
• USB Ports: Multiple USB ports (USB 2.0/3.0), including front and rear access.
• Optional I/O Modules: Options for FC HBA, InfiniBand, or other specialized I/O cards.

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6. Management and Monitoring:

• HP iLO (Integrated Lights-Out): Remote management capabilities, allowing administrators to monitor and control the server from anywhere. Features include remote console access, health monitoring, firmware updates, and system alerts.
• HP OneView: Software-defined IT management solution for managing and automating infrastructure.
• HPE Insight Control: Adds power and thermal monitoring, server configuration, and health diagnostics.

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7. Security Features:

• TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module): For hardware-based security.
• Secure Boot: Helps ensure the server boots only trusted software.
• Drive Encryption: For protecting data at rest with self-encrypting drives (SED).
• Optional Smart Array Controllers: For secure data handling.

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8. Operating System Support:

• Supported OS:
  • Windows Server (various versions)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES)
  • VMware ESXi (for virtualization)
  • Ubuntu
  • Other Linux distributions and Open-source platforms
• Hypervisors: VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and others.

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9. Cooling and Redundancy:

• Cooling System: Redundant, hot-pluggable cooling fans with smart air-flow management.
• Redundancy: Hot-plug power supplies and fans ensure continuous operation.

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10. Form Factor and Physical Dimensions:

• Dimensions (for G9 & G10 models):
  • Height: 3.5 inches (89 mm)
  • Width: 17.5 inches (445 mm)
  • Depth: 28.8 inches (732 mm)
  • Weight: Ranges from 15–30 kg, depending on the configuration.

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11. Generations Comparison (Example: DL380 G7 vs G10):

Feature	DL380 G7	DL380 G10
Processor	Intel Xeon 5500/5600 series	Intel Xeon Scalable (Skylake, Cascade Lake)
Memory	DDR3 (max 192GB)	DDR4 (up to 3TB)
Storage Bays	8, 12, or 16 LFF/SFF	Up to 24 SFF LFF
I/O Slots	3 PCIe Gen 2 slots	8 PCIe Gen 3 slots
Power Supply	Up to 1200W	Up to 1600W with 80+ Platinum
RAID Controller	HP Smart Array P410i/ P812i	HP Smart Array P408i-a/ P840
Management	iLO 3	iLO 5 (better security and features)

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Conclusion:

The HP ProLiant DL380 series is a robust, flexible, and scalable server ideal for demanding enterprise applications. Depending on the specific generation (G7, G8, G9, G10), the specifications, management features, and expansion capabilities vary, but the DL380 consistently provides high availability, performance, and efficiency.

It's used in virtualized environments, database hosting, high-performance computing, storage, and more.