P52499-B21 HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen11 32-Slots DDR5 DIMM SFF Rack-mountable Server

Product Overview of HPE P52499-B21 Rack-mountable Server

The HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen11, specifically model P52499-B21, represents the pinnacle of 1U rack-optimized server design from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Built on the foundation of 4th Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, this server is engineered to deliver exceptional performance, security, and manageability for demanding data center environments.

Main Specifications

• Manufacturer: HPE
• Part Number: P52499-B21
• Product Type: ProLiant DL360 Rack-mountable Server

Technical Specifications

• Belongs to the ProLiant
• Series: DL360 Gen11
• Type: CTO Server
• Advanced DDR5 memory support
• Total of 32 DIMM slots available

Expansion & Storage

• Provides 8 expansion bays for scalability
• Hot-swappable design for uninterrupted operation

Performance Advantages

• Optimized for enterprise workloads
• Flexible CTO build for tailored deployments
• High-speed DDR5 memory ensures faster data throughput

Reliability & Efficiency

• Hot-plug bays reduce downtime
• Rack-mountable design saves space in data centers

Scalability Options

• Expandable memory slots for future upgrades
• Multiple bays for diverse storage configurations

HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen11 Server

The HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen11, model P52499-B21, represents a paradigm shift in 1U rack-optimized server design. Engineered for the most demanding workloads of the modern data center, this server leverages cutting-edge technologies to deliver unparalleled performance, security, and manageability. It is built to serve as the foundational compute element for hybrid cloud environments, AI-enhanced operations, and business-critical applications, offering a perfect blend of high-density processing, expansive memory bandwidth, and flexible storage in a compact form factor.

Architectural Foundation: 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors

At the core of the DL360 Gen11's performance is its support for the latest 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors (formerly codenamed Sapphire Rapids). This architectural leap provides a significant boost in computational power, efficiency, and built-in accelerators.

Unprecedented Core Density and Performance

The processors support up to 60 cores per CPU, allowing the single- or dual-processor configuration of the DL360 Gen11 to tackle massively parallel workloads with ease. The increased core count is complemented by higher base and turbo frequencies, enhanced cache structures, and support for Intel Speed Select technology for granular core performance tuning.

Integrated Accelerator Engines

A defining feature of this platform is the inclusion of Intel's advanced built-in accelerators. These include Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions (AMX) for AI inferencing acceleration, Intel Data Streaming Accelerator (DSA) for efficient data movement, Intel In-Memory Analytics Accelerator (IAA) for database and analytics workloads, and Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) for cryptographic and compression offload. These accelerators dramatically increase performance per watt for specialized tasks, reducing reliance on discrete add-in cards for common data center functions.

Memory Subsystem: 32-Slot DDR5 DIMM Architecture

The HPE P52499-B21 is engineered with a future-proof and high-bandwidth memory subsystem, a critical component for data-intensive applications.

DDR5 Memory Technology

The server supports 32 fully buffered DDR5 DIMM slots. Compared to previous-generation DDR4, DDR5 memory offers significantly higher data transfer rates (starting at 4800 MT/s and beyond), increased density per module (up to 256GB RDIMMs currently, with larger capacities expected), and improved power efficiency through a lower operating voltage. The 32-slot capacity allows for a staggering maximum memory configuration, essential for in-memory databases, large virtualization hosts, and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads.

Memory Operating Modes

The system intelligently supports various memory modes to optimize for bandwidth, capacity, or a balance of both. These include Independent (Flat) mode for maximum performance, 1 DPC (DIMM Per Channel) for optimal speed, and 2 DPC for maximum capacity. HPE's firmware ensures optimal configuration and reliability with advanced memory error correction and fault resilience features.

Storage Configuration: 8-Bay Hot-Swap SFF Design

Flexibility and high-speed data access are hallmarks of the DL360 Gen11's storage design, featuring eight front-accessible, hot-swap Small Form Factor (SFF) drive bays.

Drive Bay Flexibility

The eight SFF bays support a mix of SAS, SATA, and NVMe drives, allowing administrators to tailor storage for performance, capacity, or cost. The backplane is designed to support both NVMe and SAS/SATA concurrently, providing ultimate flexibility. For all-flash performance, all eight bays can be populated with U.2 NVMe SSDs, delivering extremely low latency and high IOPS.

Hot-Swap Capability and Redundancy

The hot-swap design is critical for maintaining uptime. Failed drives can be identified via status LEDs, removed, and replaced without powering down the server or interrupting applications. This design, combined with support for RAID configurations via HPE Smart Array or HPE Software RAID controllers, ensures data integrity and availability.

NVMe Drive Support and Performance Impact

Direct-attached NVMe storage removes traditional SAS/SATA controllers from the data path, allowing the CPU to communicate directly with the SSD over the PCIe bus. This dramatically reduces latency and increases throughput, making it ideal for Tier 0 storage, fast cache layers, and transaction-intensive databases. The DL360 Gen11's architecture is optimized to handle the full bandwidth potential of multiple NVMe drives simultaneously.

Expansion and I/O Capabilities

Despite its 1U height, the DL360 Gen11 offers substantial expansion potential to connect to high-speed networks and specialized accelerators.

PCIe Gen5 Slots

The server is equipped with multiple PCIe Gen5 expansion slots. PCIe Gen5 doubles the bandwidth of PCIe Gen4, offering 32 GT/s per lane. This enables support for the latest high-performance network interface cards (NICs like 200GbE/400GbE), computational storage drives, GPUs, and FPGA-based accelerators without becoming a system bottleneck.

Integrated Network Options

The system typically includes embedded flexible LOM (FLOM) network options, which can be configured with a range of HPE Ethernet adapters. Options often include multi-port 1GbE, 10GbE, or 25GbE adapters, providing high-speed connectivity right out of the box. This is complemented by a dedicated iLO management port.

Power Efficiency

Packing high-performance components into a 1U chassis requires an advanced thermal solution. The DL360 Gen11 is designed for optimal airflow and cooling efficiency.

Intelligent Cooling System

The server features multiple, high-efficiency, hot-swap fans with N+1 redundancy. The fan speeds are dynamically controlled by iLO based on real-time sensor data from components like CPUs, memory, and PCIe cards. This intelligent cooling ensures components operate within their optimal thermal range while minimizing acoustics and power consumption.

High-Efficiency Platinum or Titanium Power Supplies

The system supports hot-plug, redundant power supply units (PSUs) with 94% Platinum or 96% Titanium efficiency ratings. These high-efficiency PSUs reduce energy loss as heat, lowering total cost of ownership (TCO) and contributing to sustainability goals. The power supplies are auto-sensing and can operate efficiently across a wide range of input voltages.

Target Workloads and Use Cases

The combination of its specifications makes the HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen11 P52499-B21 exceptionally versatile for a wide range of demanding IT scenarios.

Virtualization and Private Cloud Foundation

With high core counts, massive memory capacity, and fast NVMe storage, this server is an ideal building block for virtualization clusters (VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM) and private cloud platforms like Red Hat OpenStack or VMware Cloud Foundation. It maximizes virtual machine density and performance.

Data Analytics

The built-in Intel AMX accelerators and support for optional GPUs make it suitable for deploying AI inference models and running data analytics platforms. Its ability to process large datasets in-memory (via DDR5) and on fast storage enables real-time insights.

Business-Critical Applications and Databases

For enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and high-transaction-rate databases (SQL, NoSQL), the server delivers the consistent, low-latency performance required. Features like hardware RAID, redundant components, and advanced error correction ensure data integrity and application availability.

High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Technical Computing

In clustered environments, the DL360 Gen11's PCIe Gen5 bandwidth, high memory bandwidth, and efficient core design allow it to perform exceptionally well in technical computing, financial modeling, and simulation workloads where parallel processing is key.