Gateway GR380 F1 review

The server isn’t a power hog: we measured the review system pulling 86W with Windows Server 2008 R2 in idle, and running SiSoft Sandra saw peak consumption step up to 141W. These figures compare well with the DL360 G7, which had one 2.67GHz E5640 Xeon and 6GB of memory and drew 80W in idle and 148W under load.

HP rules supreme for remote server management as its iLO3 embedded controller and Insight Control Edition software are the dynamic duo in this city. However, the GR380 isn’t devoid of these features, as its motherboard has an embedded RMM chip offering a dedicated management port at the rear.

Its web browser interface provides plenty of information about critical components and access can be restricted tightly by using external AD or LDAP authentication servers. You have direct access to the power supplies so you can turn it on and off, reset it, or gracefully shut down the OS.

Whereas HP classes KVM over IP remote control as a chargeable option, Gateway includes this as standard in its RMM along with virtual media support. If you want power management controls then HP is your best bet since its iLO3 offers an optional upgrade for power metering, plus power regulation and capping features.

For system deployment Dell has the edge on everyone: its LifeCycle Controller in the company’s PowerEdge servers offers the best features. However, Gateway doesn’t leave you high and dry since its bootable Smart Setup disk provides OS installation assistance along with server diagnostic tools.

For general system management you have Gateway’s Smart Server Manager (SSM). This provides an auto-discovery routine that hunts down the RMM on the network and provides a tidy web interface for viewing and monitoring multiple systems and setting up a fault-alerting system.

SSM takes a similar approach to Fujitsu’s ServerView Suite as it focuses purely on server management, making it very easy to use. HP’s ICE software is vastly superior in terms of features, but it does want to look after every system on your network and requires a lot more resources on its host system.

Gateway has the measure of HP’s DL380 in a number of areas as its GR380 F1 offers equally high storage and expansion potential. If you want the best 2U rack server on the market the DL380 G7 is the one to go for, but if value if your top priority then we can heartily recommend Gateway’s alternative.