Lenovo Powers Up Next-Gen ThinkServer Portfolio

Lenovo has released its next-generation ThinkServer enterprise server portfolio, taking advantage of the Intel's latest Xeon 22nm server processors as the company aims to give users more computing power with the option to expand and extend their storage capacity through multiple configurations.

The new portfolio includes the ThinkServer RD550 and RD650 rack systems as well as the ThinkServer TD350 Tower. Both the RD550 and RD650 are expected to give customers higher storage density and more I/O connectivity by providing 26TB of internal storage and 74TB of storage, respectively. Both rack servers are available with hybrid chassis configurations to accommodate 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives to create tiered storage environments, according to the company. Solid-state drives and SD card options will also be available for hypervisor booting.

For connectivity, Lenovo’s AnyFabric design allows the RD550 to support up to eight 10Gb Ethernet ports, while Lenovo AnyBay allows for multiple storage types in the same drive bay. Finally, ThinkServer AnyRaid adapters are available for customers looking to provide data protection and performance-enhancing features without taking up PCIe slots, according to the company.

For tower aficionados, the TD350 features nearly triple the memory capacity and double the storage capacity of Lenovo’s previous generation, with up to 512GB DDR4 and 90TB of internal storage capacity, according to the company. Lenovo expects the tower to be a good solution for small and midsized business customers for business analytics, large database and collaborative applications.

Lenovo said it designed its servers with three core principals to give users a well-rounded solution ready for any data center. Each of the new products includes enhanced energy efficiency and temperature settings to keep maintenance costs down, as well as multiple options for upgrades. Each of the new products aims to provide the maximum performance specs available for enterprise users, according to the company.

“With this announcement we simply want our customers in the IT industry to just refresh their thinking about the Lenovo ThinkServer brand,” said Danika Loadholt, senior product manager, Enterprise Product Group at Lenovo. “We developed a server line that’s innovative, it has the enterprise-class features, it has the modularity … but also has the unique Lenovo footprint that will know will keep it above the rest [of the competition]. We’re going to be able to meet the needs of any business from small to medium to very large enterprise and we’re very excited to go to market.”