HPE ProLiant Servers

What is HPE ProLiant?

HPE ProLiant are physical servers - computers for server rooms, on which you run Windows Server, Linux, databases. This is “hardware” that sits in a rack cabinet or as a tower under a desk.

Two types:

• Rack (DL) - flat, mounted in 19” cabinet, occupy 1U, 2U, or 4U height
• Tower (ML) - towers, placed on floor or under desk, like a large desktop computer

Current generation: Gen11 - latest Intel Xeon 4/5 generation or AMD EPYC 9000 processors, DDR5 memory, NVMe drives.

What is it used for?

ProLiant server is a workhorse in the server room:

• Virtualization - install Hyper-V or KVM, run dozens of VMs
• Databases - SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL running on physical hardware
• Applications - ERP, CRM, file servers, domain controllers
• Containers - Kubernetes, Docker on bare-metal

Example: Company has 5 ProLiant DL380 servers with a hypervisor. They run 200 virtual machines - domain controllers, Exchange, SQL, application servers, dev/test.

Which models to choose?

Model	Form	Processors	Max RAM	Drives	Typical use
DL20 Gen11	1U rack	1x Xeon E	128 GB	4x SFF	Small branch, firewall
DL360 Gen11	1U rack	2x Xeon/EPYC	4 TB	10x NVMe	Web servers, compute nodes
DL380 Gen11	2U rack	2x Xeon/EPYC	8 TB	24x SFF	Everything - most popular
DL560 Gen11	2U rack	4x Xeon	16 TB	12x SFF	Large databases, SAP HANA
ML350 Gen11	Tower	2x Xeon/EPYC	8 TB	24x SFF	Company without server room

DL380 Gen11 - if you don’t know what to choose, this is the “gold standard”. 2U, 2 processors, lots of RAM, lots of drives, optional GPU. Fits 80% of uses.

What is iLO?

iLO (Integrated Lights-Out) is a chip built into every HPE server that allows remote server management - even when it’s off:

• Turn server on/off from anywhere via browser
• KVM console - see server screen as if you were standing in front of it (BIOS, OS installation)
• Virtual media - attach ISO from laptop and install system remotely
• Monitoring - CPU temperature, fan speeds, drive status
• Alerts - email when something breaks

Practically: Server is in data center 100 km from you. Via iLO you can restart it, enter BIOS, install Windows - without driving there.

How does HPE differ from Dell/Lenovo?

All three companies make similar servers. Differences:

Feature	HPE ProLiant	Dell PowerEdge	Lenovo ThinkSystem
Management	iLO (basic free)	iDRAC (full version paid)	XClarity
Predictive analytics	InfoSight	SupportAssist	XClarity
Firmware security	Silicon Root of Trust	Secured Component Verification	ThinkShield

HPE has advantage in:

• iLO is free in basic version
• InfoSight integrates with HPE storage (Alletra/Nimble)
• Silicon Root of Trust checks firmware at each boot

Practically: If you already have HPE storage, ProLiant integrates better. If you have Dell storage, PowerEdge makes sense. Technically - differences are small.

Specifications (DL380 Gen11 - most popular)

Processor	2x Intel Xeon 4/5 Gen (up to 60 cores each) or AMD EPYC 9004 (up to 96 cores)
RAM	32 DDR5 slots, up to 8 TB total
Drives	Up to 24x SFF (2.5”) or 12x LFF (3.5”), NVMe/SAS/SATA hot-plug
Network	4x 1GbE built-in + OCP 3.0 slot for additional card
GPU	Up to 3x double-wide or 6x single-wide GPU
Power	2x PSU hot-plug, 800W-1800W
Dimensions	2U (8.73 cm height), depth 77 cm

How much does it cost?

Approximate prices (depend on configuration):

Model	Basic configuration	Typical production
DL20 Gen11	~$3.5K	~$6K
DL360 Gen11	~$7K	~$18K
DL380 Gen11	~$8K	~$28K
ML350 Gen11	~$9K	~$23K

“Basic” = minimal processor, 16-32 GB RAM, no drives “Production” = 2x sensible CPU, 256-512 GB RAM, 4-8 SSD drives

FAQ

How does a server differ from regular PC? Server has: redundant power supplies, hot-plug drives, ECC RAM (detects memory errors), remote management (iLO), certification for Windows Server. Designed for 24/7 operation.

Rack or tower? Rack if you have server room with cabinets. Tower if you don’t have cabinet or place server in office.

Intel or AMD? Intel Xeon - better support for some applications (SAP, Oracle). AMD EPYC - more cores for same price, better for virtualization.

How much RAM do I need? Minimum 64 GB for small virtualization server. Typically 256-512 GB for production. In-memory databases (SAP HANA) - 1-4 TB.

What is the warranty? 3 years Next Business Day standard. Can extend to 5 years, with 4h or 24/7 response time.

Can I expand later? Yes. RAM, drives, PCIe cards can be added. CPU harder (requires restart and configuration).

How long does a server last? Typically 5-7 years. After 3-4 years you usually expand or replace with newer.

Do I need UPS? Yes. Server has redundant power supplies, but during power outage it still turns off. UPS gives time for safe shutdown.

What does delivery look like? HPE has warehouses in Poland. Standard configurations 1-2 weeks, custom (CTO) 4-6 weeks.

Does nFlo help with selection? Yes. We analyze your requirements (workloads, VMs, storage) and select optimal configuration.