Markets, M-20-5938 A. Butler, J. Enck
Research Note
11 September 2003
Magic Quadrant for Midrange Servers, 2003
This new Magic Quadrant assesses rack-optimized and frame-based servers with four to 16 CPUs. Choosing the right server will help you adapt to the demands of changing workloads.
For many years, Gartner maintained two Magic Quadrants to address the server market. The Intel Magic Quadrant (see "Global IA High-Volume Server Magic Quadrant, 1H03") measured the broad use of servers based on Intel Architecture (uni-processor to eight-way) that run commercial-class operating systems. These include Novell NetWare, Caldera's UnixWare, Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Linux.
The Global Unix and Windows server leadership Magic Quadrant (see "Linux Makes Inroads in Midrange Server Magic Quadrant") focused on applications and on the suitability of vendors and their respective product offerings to address enterprise-oriented application workloads. It tracked reduced instruction set computer (RISC) and Intel platforms running Windows 2000 and Unix variations, including Linux.
New Magic Quadrant Definitions
Three new Magic Quadrants replace the two old ones:
• Entry-level servers: Assesses the market prospects for servers with fewer than four CPUs are assessed. Servers capable of being deployed as a four-way configuration are not included. Unlike the old Intel Magic Quadrant, this model includes RISC Unix and even proprietary chip designs that would fit the CPU capacity limits. All forms of small server topology are included, such as blades, rack-optimized and tower-based servers.
• Midrange servers: Servers with at least four CPUs and up to, and including, 16 CPUs are valid. Again, there is no limit to the chip architecture, topology or operating system.
• Enterprise servers: Covers large-scale server designs that support more than 16 CPUs. The systems featured are
Core Topic
Hardware Platforms: Server Platforms
Key Issue
How will centralized and distributed servers evolve during the next five years?
mostly large-scale, monolithic Unix symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) systems. Because most mainframes have fewer than 16 CPUs, but address workload requirements that can be highly varied and challenging, we include them in this Magic Quadrant. We also include massively parallel processing (MPP) systems from vendors like NCR and Hewlett-Packard (HP). These systems are typically built from multiple, small SMP nodes that are clustered. Because they are then used to address a homogeneous and large-scale workload environment, they are appropriate for this Magic Quadrant.
All three Magic Quadrants assess platforms based on a variety of criteria that measure the "ability to execute" and "completeness of vision." Our Application Server Evaluation Model (ASEM) has recently been revised, and it contains criteria that influence both. So the relative ASEM ranking is one of seven criteria used to assess placement on each axis. Not all platforms in this Magic Quadrant feature in the latest ASEM. Where necessary, we have created a relative assessment for where a platform would feature, based on the results of its peers. Six additional criteria to assess ability to execute are:
• Ability to change • Product portfolio • Sales and marketing • Services
• Channels
• Business fundamentals
Six additional criteria to assess completeness of vision are: • Strategy
• Target markets
• Technology differentiation • Industry awareness
This group also includes lower-end mainframes that fit into the same price band. Midrange servers are used for:
• High-performance network edge serving, for example streaming media and encryption
• Combined Web and application serving like Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and .NET
• Data center and divisional application serving
• Infrastructure serving, for example domain controllers and file/print serving
• Medium-scale database serving including DB2, Oracle and Structured Query Language (SQL) Server
• Compute nodes in database clusters like Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC)
• Compute nodes in high-performance computing (HPC) clusters
Products include tower, rack, rack-optimized and, in limited instances, blade servers.
Note 1
Reference Platforms and Workload Examples
Reference platform examples:
This list includes typical platforms that are assessed for this Magic Quadrant, but it is not intended to list all of the platforms that each vendor offers.
Bull Escala P1600R Sun Sunfire V880 and 4800 IBM p650 and p670 HP rp7410 and rp8400 Fujitsu Primepower 900 HP Proliant DL760 Dell PowerEdge 6600/6650 IBM x360 and x440 Fujitsu Primergy R450 NEC Express 140Hd Unisys Aries 520 Bull Novascale Stratus ftServer Workload examples: Four-way to 16-way servers Smaller mainframes Application serving Distributed servers
Medium-scale database serving Midrange consolidation servers
The relative Magic Quadrant ranking for each featured vendor is briefly assessed:
Bull: As with the Entry-level Magic Quadrant, Bull's Express and Figure 1
Magic Quadrant for Midrange Servers, 2H03
Completeness of Vision Visionaries Niche Players Challengers Leaders As of September 2003 HP ProLiant IBM xSeries Dell PowerEdge IBM zSeries Stratus ftServer Sunfire HP9K/Integrity IBM pSeries NEC Express Fujitsu Primergy
Unisys Aries ES7000
Bull NovaScale Fujitsu Primepower Ability to Execute Bull Escala IBM iSeries Egenera BladeFrame Bull Express Platform Key: IA-32/x86 Itanium RISC Others
Bull needs to build a track record for this technology before it can compete aggressively with more entrenched high-end Intel vendors like Unisys and IBM. The Escala and Express platforms are leveraged heavily from IBM's pSeries and NEC designs. Bull acts as a channel for these vendors in its strongest markets, such as in French-speaking countries and in the public sector across Western Europe and some U.S. states.
Bull offers high service and support, excellent industry knowledge, and a record for technological innovation. Recent challenges to sustainable profitability and corporate stability have affected client confidence, especially in marginal markets where the company does not have strong legacy presence. But Bull has recovered operational profitability and is planning to recapitalize, which should improve its ability to execute over time. Dell: Dell scores highly for its excellent logistics and execution. In the four-way Intel server market, Dell should remain successful and become competitive in the global market. But, depending on the region, its business remains relatively polarized.
Dell's business in the United Kingdom and Ireland is significant, but it often lacks the same degree of market awareness and penetration in other European countries. Users should verify that Dell has adequate presence in their own country to deliver an acceptable level of pre- and post-sales support.
Dell needs to prove that it can address the needs of the midrange market. This could be achieved with four-way, clustered and non-clustered products augmented by a partnership with Unisys to provide higher-end servers.
Egenera: Egenera addresses entry-level and midrange markets with its BladeFrame technology. Systems are highly innovative and richly deserve their visionary status. But Egenera's market focus is extremely narrow and is confined mainly to financial services clients. Egenera could expand into the broader server market as a result of maturing channel strategy and support for Windows 2003.
Fujitsu Siemens Computer: Both Primergy (Intel) and Primepower (RISC Unix) servers are included here. Primepower servers are more widely marketed by Fujitsu-Siemens in Europe, Fujitsu in Japan and Fujitsu Technology Solutions in the United States. But, Fujitsu's global presence remains patchy, which can be an inhibitor.
percent in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Fujitsu's Primergy servers are less well known in the United States, but they are innovative and are well regarded in European and Asian markets. Fujitsu is also an original equipment manufacturer of IBM's Summit technology. This is giving it a foothold in the emerging high-end Intel server market.
Hewlett-Packard: HP's RISC Unix and Intel platforms are included in the Magic Quadrant. HP's ProLiant has a very strong position, although limited ProLiant scaling at the eight-way level lowers its score for completeness of vision. This impediment is offset by HP's four-way blade offering within the ProLiant line. HP benefits from a strong ability to execute, which is partly the legacy of the powerful market position for ProLiant server branding that HP inherited from Compaq.
Servers with HP9000 branding are based on PA-RISC and address a purely Unix market. HP will introduce Integrity-branded midrange servers (based on Intel Itanium) that will also support Windows and Linux, and ultimately, OpenVMS.
Itanium-based designs have addressed a limited market, until now. But the market potential is expected to expand significantly with the recent launch of the third-generation "Madison" CPU. With most early Itanium expansion favoring the high-end, HP will be well positioned to show market growth during 2004.
IBM: All four of IBM's server platforms are included. The xSeries occupies a strong position in the Leadership quartile. IBM's 16-way capability will increase to 32-16-way, which has led to a good vision score.
IBM's pSeries holds a creditable position in the leadership quartile, while the zSeries merits inclusion because of the availability of midrange options like the z800. IBM's iSeries (formerly AS/400) holds a strong position in the Niche quartile. Although new business opportunity for the iSeries is diminishing, this system is still well supported by IBM and software vendors and remains a relatively safe investment for established customers.
to ensure that any lack of market confidence about Bull's corporate viability does not become an inhibitor for NEC itself. Stratus: The Stratus ftServer is the only truly hardware fault-tolerant Intel system. It focuses primarily on the Windows market, but is capable of supporting Linux as well. The strong visionary score of its platform is tempered by its limited corporate might and patchy geographic availability. But Stratus has a growing relationship with NEC and this should mean more market opportunities for the ftServer.
Sun: Sun's RISC Unix server line maintains its leadership position. However, lack of market confidence erodes Sun's ability to overcome increasingly vibrant competition from IBM and HP. Sun has experienced a significant drop in revenue across its midrange platforms. This trend is not unique to Sun. Most other Unix vendors have experienced less demand for the eight-way to 16-way segment. But there is still much demand for Sun's v480 server.
Unisys: The Unisys ES7000 has been a strong player in the high-end Intel market since 2000, but demand has been limited by a relatively high entry price. Unisys has now remedied this through the introduction of the Aries range — lower-specification ES7000 configurations that will help Unisys compete with IBM's growing focus on its Summit architecture servers. The versatility of the ES7000 range (for instance, support for dual Xeon and Itanium configurations and integrated blade servers) helps it achieve strong vision scores in our Magic Quadrants for midrange and enterprise servers.
Bottom Line: Gartner's new midrange server Magic Quadrant for Midrange Servers focuses on the four-way to 16-way applications market. This is regardless of operating system or chip. The midrange market has been very volatile throughout 2002 and 2003, with demand cannibalized by small, distributed servers and larger-scale vertical consolidation servers. Use this Magic Quadrant as a snapshot of the midrange server landscape. Intel-based designs from Dell, HP and IBM will command most new business potential at the four-way to eight-way segment, although Unix remains more proven and entrenched beyond this level. As with the Magic Quadrant for Entry-Level Servers, Dell shows the greatest ability to execute and exhibits market "nimbleness." IBM achieves the best vision in the Leadership quartile through the growing viability of its high-end scaling and technology innovation. But platforms like the forthcoming HP Integrity range and Unisys ES7000 show potential for increasing business in this segment during 2004.
Acronym Key
ASEM Application Server Evaluation Model
HP Hewlett-Packard
MPP massively parallel processing
PA-RISC Precision Architecture Reduced Instruction Set Computer
RISC reduced instruction set computer
