In a standard server-rack configuration, one rack unit or 1U-19 inches (480 mm) wide and 1.75 inches (44 mm) tall-defines the minimum possible size of any equipment. Different blade providers have differing principles regarding what to include in the blade itself, and in the blade system as a whole.
Together, blades and the blade enclosure form a blade system, which may itself be rack-mounted. Unlike a rack-mount server, a blade server fits inside a blade enclosure, which can hold multiple blade servers, providing services such as power, cooling, networking, various interconnects and management. Blade servers have many components removed to save space, minimize power consumption and other considerations, while still having all the functional components to be considered a computer. Server computer that uses less energy and space than a conventional serverĪ blade server is a stripped-down server computer with a modular design optimized to minimize the use of physical space and energy.
