As enterprises navigate the complexities of hybrid cloud environments and AI-driven operations, the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server has emerged as a cornerstone of adaptable infrastructure. Renowned for its modular design and performance scalability, this 2U powerhouse supports configurations tailored to diverse workloads—from real-time analytics to immersive virtual desktops. This guide explores eight specialized setups that redefine what a single server platform can achieve.
1. Virtualization Powerhouse
Optimized for VMware and Hyper-V environments, this configuration leverages:
- Processors: Dual Intel Xeon Gold 6348 (28C/56T @ 3.5GHz)
- Memory: 1.5TB DDR4-3200 via 24x64GB LRDIMMs
- Storage: 16×3.84TB NVMe drives in RAID 50 for 184TB raw
- Networking: Quad 25GbE SFP28 adapters with SR-IOV
A cloud service provider achieved 98% consolidation efficiency, hosting 480 VMs per chassis while maintaining sub-2ms vMotion latency.
2. AI Inference Engine
Designed for edge AI deployments, this setup combines:
- Accelerators: 3x NVIDIA A2 GPUs (40GB DDR6 each)
- CPU: AMD EPYC 7773X (64C/128T with 768MB L3 cache)
- Memory: 512GB DDR4-3200 (8x64GB)
- Storage: 4×7.68TB SAS SSDs in RAID 10
Processing 850 inferences/sec on 4K video streams, this configuration reduced hospital imaging analysis times by 73%.
3. High-Frequency Trading Core
Ultra-low-latency financial systems require:
- Processors: Dual Xeon Platinum 8380 (40C/80T @ 3.4GHz)
- Memory: 256GB Intel Optane Persistent Memory (App Direct Mode)
- Networking: Mellanox ConnectX-6 100GbE with RoCEv2
- OS: RHEL 9 with kernel bypass optimizations
Achieving 8μs application-to-wire latency, this setup processes 2.1 million transactions/sec for a Wall Street firm.
4. Cold Storage Repository
Massive data archival demands:
- Drives: 12x20TB SAS HDDs (7200 RPM)
- Controller: HPE Smart Array P408i-a with 8GB FBWC
- Software: MinIO object storage with 256-bit encryption
- Power: 94% efficient 800W PSUs
Storing 216TB usable capacity at 0.03W/GB, this configuration cut archival costs by 62% versus public cloud solutions.
5. Real-Time Database Node
For MySQL and Cassandra clusters:
- Processors: Dual Xeon Gold 6326 (16C/32T @ 3.5GHz)
- Memory: 768GB DDR4-2933 (24x32GB)
- Storage: 8×1.6TB NVMe (RAID 10) + 4×3.2TB SATA SSD (Logs)
- Networking: Dual 40GbE iWARP RDMA
A retail chain achieved 1.2M transactions/minute with 14ms P99 latency during Black Friday sales.
6. Immersive VDI Foundation
Supporting 4K CAD and VR workloads:
- GPUs: 2x NVIDIA A40 (48GB)
- vGPU: NVIDIA AI Enterprise partitioning
- Memory: 384GB DDR4-3200
- Storage: 16×1.92TB SAS SSDs (RAID 60)
This setup delivers 120fps 4K rendering to 64 concurrent engineering workstations.
7. Secure Government Cloud Node
Meeting FedRAMP High requirements:
- Security: TPM 2.0, iLO5 Silicon Root of Trust
- Encryption: SED drives with CSfC-approved modules
- Networking: MACsec-enabled 10GbE
- Compliance: FIPS 140-2 Level 2 validation
Hosting 14 classified workloads per node, this configuration passed 100% of DISA STIG checks.
8. Hybrid Cloud Gateway
Bridging on-prem and cloud environments:
- Processors: Dual Xeon Silver 4310 (12C/24T)
- Storage: 4×3.84TB NVMe (Azure Stack HCI Cache)
- Software: HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform
- Networking: Dual 25GbE with S2S VPN offload
A manufacturer reduced cloud egress costs by 48% while maintaining 99.95% hybrid workload uptime.
Optimization Insights
- Thermal Management: Maintain intake temps below 35°C for sustained boost clocks
- Firmware Strategy: HPE Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) quarterly updates
- Energy Efficiency: 0.82 PUE achieved through dynamic power capping
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