The Dell PowerEdge R940 is a high-performance, 2U rack server designed to meet the demanding requirements of modern data centers and enterprise environments. It is optimized for compute-intensive workloads, data analytics, virtualization, and high-performance databases. Offering exceptional flexibility, scalability, and reliability, the R940 is an ideal solution for businesses requiring robust processing power, high-density storage, and scalable I/O expansion. Whether you are running mission-critical applications or building a highly virtualized environment, the R940 provides the versatility and performance necessary for enterprise IT infrastructures.

Performance

The Dell PowerEdge R940 is powered by Intel's Xeon Scalable processors, supporting up to 28 cores per processor and providing exceptional processing capabilities for demanding tasks. This allows the R940 to efficiently handle a wide range of workloads, from enterprise applications to virtualized environments and large-scale data analytics. The server offers superior multi-threaded performance with a high base clock speed, enabling businesses to optimize their workloads and ensure responsiveness even in resource-intensive scenarios. The support for Intel's Hyper-Threading technology ensures optimal multitasking by allowing multiple threads to be processed simultaneously, improving overall system efficiency.

Memory and Scalability

The R940 supports up to 3TB of DDR4 memory in a 2-socket configuration, allowing it to scale with growing workloads and provide high memory capacity for in-memory databases, virtualization, and memory-intensive applications. The server supports both RDIMM and LRDIMM memory types and can achieve memory speeds of up to 2933 MHz. With 24 DIMM slots and the ability to configure memory according to specific workloads, the R940 ensures flexibility and scalability for a wide range of IT needs. The server’s error-correcting code (ECC) memory ensures data integrity, making it a reliable choice for mission-critical workloads.

Storage Flexibility

The Dell PowerEdge R940 offers extensive storage flexibility, supporting both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives across multiple configurations. In the 24-bay 2.5-inch chassis, businesses can utilize high-performance SSDs or high-capacity HDDs depending on their requirements. The server is optimized for configurations with SAS, SATA, or NVMe drives, enabling users to choose between cost-effective, reliable storage options or high-performance, low-latency NVMe SSDs for intensive applications like databases and real-time data processing.

The R940 is also equipped with multiple power RAID controller options, including the PERC H740P and PERC H730P, offering a range of RAID levels (RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, and 50) for performance optimization and data redundancy. With the ability to support up to 91.2TB of storage (in the case of 24 x 3.84TB NVMe SSDs), the R940 delivers ample storage capacity for data-heavy workloads, while ensuring data availability and performance.

I/O and Expandability

The R940 is designed for high I/O performance and expandability. It supports up to 8 PCIe Gen 3.0 slots, allowing users to integrate various expansion cards for networking, storage, or GPU acceleration. This high level of expandability ensures that businesses can tailor the server to meet specific requirements, whether that involves enhancing network performance with additional NICs, adding storage controllers, or accelerating workloads with GPUs.

The server offers robust networking options, including up to 4 x 1GbE Network ports and 2 x 10GbE Network ports (optional), ensuring that businesses have the connectivity necessary to support high-throughput applications, cloud environments, and multi-tenant setups. Additionally, the R940 includes USB 3.0 ports and remote management capabilities for flexible and convenient management.

Virtualization and Enterprise Use

The Dell PowerEdge R940 is built with virtualization in mind, supporting hypervisor platforms like VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM. This makes it ideal for virtual machine (VM) consolidation, enabling businesses to run multiple VMs on a single physical server. The flexibility in processor, memory, and storage configuration allows IT teams to fine-tune the server for specific virtualized workloads, whether they are for development, testing, production environments, or even virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions.

For businesses with significant virtualization needs, the R940 can deliver high-density consolidation of compute resources, streamlining IT operations and maximizing resource utilization.

Management and Automation

Dell provides comprehensive remote management tools to streamline the administration of the R940. The server includes iDRAC9 with Lifecycle Controller, which allows IT administrators to manage the server remotely, perform firmware updates, monitor system health, and troubleshoot issues without needing to physically access the machine. This remote management functionality greatly reduces downtime and operational complexity.

Dell OpenManage further simplifies server management by offering centralized monitoring, alerts, and updates, which helps IT teams stay on top of system health and address issues proactively. These automation tools contribute to improved system reliability, faster deployment, and a reduced operational workload.

Energy Efficiency

The PowerEdge R940 is designed to be energy-efficient while delivering powerful performance. Equipped with dynamic power management technology, the server adjusts its power consumption based on the workload to reduce energy waste. The server’s high-efficiency power supplies and thermal design ensure that the system operates within optimal temperature ranges, contributing to energy savings and lowering the total cost of ownership (TCO). Whether deployed in small data centers or large enterprise environments, the R940's energy-efficient features help minimize operating costs without sacrificing performance.

Reliability and Availability

The Dell PowerEdge R940 is built for high availability and reliability, critical features for businesses that require continuous uptime. The server offers redundant power supplies (hot-swappable), ensuring that the system continues to operate even if one power supply fails. The hot-swappable drives add an extra layer of reliability, allowing users to replace faulty drives without affecting system uptime.

The server also incorporates predictive failure analysis, providing administrators with early warnings of potential hardware issues. This proactive monitoring capability ensures that businesses can address problems before they lead to system failures, keeping the server operational and maintaining business continuity.

Key Features at a Glance:

• Compute Power: Intel Xeon Scalable processors with up to 28 cores for excellent performance across a wide range of workloads.
• Memory Capacity: Up to 3TB of DDR4 ECC memory for memory-intensive applications.
• Storage Options: Configurations supporting up to 24 x 2.5” or 3.5” drives, with NVMe, SATA, and SAS support.
• I/O Expandability: 8 PCIe Gen 3.0 slots for network cards, storage controllers, or GPU expansion.
• Virtualization Support: Optimized for VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM for workload consolidation.
• Management Tools: iDRAC9 with Lifecycle Controller and Dell OpenManage for remote management and automation.
• Energy Efficiency: Dynamic power management and high-efficiency power supplies.
• Reliability: Redundant power supplies, hot-swappable drives, and predictive failure analysis for continuous uptime.

Business and Data Center Value

The Dell PowerEdge R940 is an ideal choice for businesses seeking a powerful, flexible, and reliable solution for high-performance computing, virtualization, and enterprise workloads. With its impressive processor options, ample memory capacity, and flexible storage configurations, the R940 is suited for mission-critical applications, virtualization environments, and large-scale data processing. Its energy-efficient design and built-in redundancy features ensure that businesses can reduce operational costs while maintaining high availability and system reliability. Whether for a data center, a virtualized enterprise environment, or high-performance computing tasks, the Dell PowerEdge R940 provides an exceptional combination of power, scalability, and reliability.