x86

Virtually all modern products are also available for the x86 architecture and it has been an essential part of the IT world for over 40 years. The constant development from 16-bit to 32-bit and all the way to today’s 64-bit architecture has seen these servers used in areas previously reserved for hosts or mainframe computers. Initially dominated by Intel, other providers have increasingly developed x86-compatible processors. AMD, for example, has played a key role in the development of the x86 standard since 1999.

Almost all modern products are also available on the x86 architecture

x86 servers are available in a variety of designs, from towers, racks and blades to high-density models. The number of CPUs is determined by the specific applications. CPUs with a low number of cores and a high clock rate are suitable for single-threaded applications or VDI environments, while those with a high number of cores (up to 64) are used for parallelized calculations with low clock rate.

For central management, the servers offer an optional out-of-band interface (OOB) that can be managed via a separate, usually provider-independent portal. The management tools are topped off with integrations in the software providers’ various administration consoles (e.g. vCenter integration or Microsoft System Center). These can then be controlled via an open API interface and enable things like infrastructure as a service (IaaS) or infrastructure as code (IaC).

The latest processor generations, such as Intel Cooper Lake and AMD EPYC, are also used in high-performance computing (HPC) or SAP environments. Virtually all providers offer a wide range of products in this segment.