HPE is currently the #2 server vendor in the world. That is in large part due to a tight partnership with Intel. At every Intel launch, HPE announces support for the new chips as do other vendors in the industry. Years ago, HPE would sometimes announce new server generations a few days before Intel would holder their processor launch events. On April 2, 2019, Intel released the 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors. I saw a HPE DL380 Gen10 server on stage via the Intel webcast and our Editor-in-Chief Patrick saw it on stage, but something was different. HPE never announced support for the new generation codenamed “Cascade Lake.”
Present and Conspicuously Absent HPE 2nd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Support
26 hours after the event, HPE still does not have a press release up on their website. Here is a current screenshot of their Newsroom:
Yesterday saw an Aruba IoT wireless news piece, but no server support of Intel’s newest Xeon CPUs.
For a mid-cycle refresh, this is indeed strange. To support new CPUs, generally, vendors need to supply BIOS updates, validate new CPUs, and then start adding them into their servers. Not all vendors are shipping on day 1. For example, the new Dell EMC PowerEdge Features and 2nd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Support we noted will not start shipping until April 16, 2019, or two weeks after Intel’s launch event. Dell still made a day 1 announcement.
HPE sometimes waits on new generations to release servers. For example, AMD EPYC 7001 launched in June 2017, but the company’s first server came in November 2017, see HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen10 AMD EPYC System Unveiled. The company’s next EPYC 7001 server came out several quarters later, see HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen10 Adopts 1P 1U AMD EPYC. Still, for a mid-cycle refresh, it is strange and newsworthy not to see HPE announce in-line with Intel.
Final Words
I asked Patrick if this was a sign that HPE will not support the 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors. His response:
“HPE will support 2nd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors. They simply have not made the announcement yet, perhaps to avoid all of the other vendors making announcements to stand out. HPE customers should not worry.”
I think he is right, but I cannot remember when HPE was not in lock-step with Intel.
In the HPE DL380 quick specs, all 2nd Xeon CPUs are listed.
Reiterating, this is coming from HPE. Cliff just noticed that HPE did not formally announce support. HPE had a machine on stage allegedly running 2nd Gen Xeon at the event
Is it too tinfoilhat to wonder if HP’s support for Epyc systems has come at a cost. ie getting later access to the 2nd Gen XSP stuff?
I mean it’s not like it’s the first time Intel has played similar tricks with OEMs…..
so great post
thank you