Editing Blade server (section)

== Uses ==
[[File:High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart HLRS 2015 04 Cray XC40 Hazel Hen blades.jpg|thumb|[[Cray XC40]] supercomputer cabinet with 48 blades, each containing 4 nodes with 2 CPUs each]]
Blade servers function well for specific purposes such as [[web hosting]], [[Hardware virtualization|virtualization]], and [[cluster computing]]. Individual blades are typically [[hot swap|hot-swappable]]. As users deal with larger and more diverse workloads, they add more processing power, memory and I/O bandwidth to blade servers.
Although blade-server technology in theory allows for open, cross-vendor systems, most users buy modules, enclosures, [[19-inch rack|racks]] and management tools from the same vendor.

Eventual standardization of the technology might result in more choices for consumers;<ref name=techspot>http://www.techspot.com/news/26376-intel-endorses-industrystandard-blade-design.html TechSpot</ref><ref name=cnet>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1010_3-5072603.htmlCNET |title= Dell calls for blade server standards|website=news.cnet.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111226143404/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1010_3-5072603.html |archive-date=2011-12-26}}</ref> {{as of | 2009 | alt = as of 2009}} increasing numbers of third-party software vendors have started to enter this growing field.<ref name=theregister>https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/07/ssi_blade_specs/ The Register</ref>{{needs update|date=December 2024}}

Blade servers do not, however, provide the answer to every computing problem. One can view them as a form of productized [[server farm|server-farm]] that borrows from [[Mainframe computer|mainframe]] packaging, cooling, and power-supply technology. Very large computing tasks may still require server farms of blade servers, and because of blade servers' high power density, can suffer even more acutely from the [[heating, ventilation, and air conditioning]] problems that affect large conventional server farms.