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Kontron has announced the next generation of Kontron Industrial Silent Servers (KISS). The Kontron 4U rackmount server KISS 4U Q57 features a system chassis that has been completely redesigned for faster maintenance, higher temperatures and improved protection against demanding environments. The new industrial server is equipped with the powerful 64b Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processor and Intel Q57 Express chipset and provides high power density with convenient server functions for advanced security and remote-management.

The Kontron 4U rackmount server KISS 4U Q57 implements, for example, the Intel active-management-technology (iAMT 6.0), a trusted platform module (TPM 1.2) and the new Intel rapid-storage technology, which offers fast data access and higher data security for SATA RAID and AHCI systems. The Kontron PC condition monitoring system (PCCM) for remote health monitoring of the hardware will also be implemented in the industrial server. Server and network administrators benefit from the extensive range of remote management features and high system availability and convenient remote services which are available without the need for further investments in additional hardware.

The new system chassis of the KISS

The functions of the new system chassis for the KISS 4U server family have been improved while maintaining the same mechanical dimensions for identical rackmount installation. The robust system design, which in the standard version offers IP20 protection, can be delivered with IP52 protection and has been designed for transportation and military applications and higher operating temperatures. The hot-swap chassis fans can now be conveniently accessed on the front side of the system and easily swapped which minimises maintenance time. The integrated power supplies are designed for higher performance and fulfill the 80-plus standard which certifies a high degree of efficiency. Additionally, the voltage support has been extended to meet industrial voltage ranges and the lock of the inner safety catch has been improved so that components are better protected against shock and vibrations.

Unified features of the KISS

KISS outmatches conventional servers as they are suitable for deployment in particularly harsh environmental conditions thanks to temperature ranges of 0°C – 55°C, humidity of 10% – 95%, an IP20-protected front (optional IP52) plus a high resistance to shock and vibrations. Users and suppliers also profit from the high level of design and manufacturing quality, a high MTBF and the user-friendly administration options of the Kontron KISS server family, all of which contribute to a noticeably low total cost of ownership. The systems are long-term available meaning that industry-specific certifications are only required once, long OEM application lifecycles are made possible and service is simplified due to the identical system installations. Applications areas for the robust and extremely quiet (<35dB) industrial servers will be found in medical technology, in industrial image processing, in the military industry, in high-end audio processing as well as in storage and simulations applications.

The feature set in detail

The KISS 4U Q57 comes either with an Intel Core i3-540 (3.06 GHz), an Intel Core i5-660 (3.33 GHz) or an Intel Core i7-860 (2,8 GHz) processor and up to 16 GB DDR3 SDRAM. It offers a wide range of extension options via 1x PCI Express 2.0 x16 (PEG), 1x PCIe 2.0 x4, 2x PCIe 2.0 x1 and 3x PCI 2.3. In addition there are 2x GB Ethernet, 12x USB 2.0 (2x front, 4x rear, 6x header) and 2x COM (RS232) ports on the back along with two additional COM connectors on the board.

Storage media can be connected via six SATA interfaces which have on-board RAID 0/1/5/10 support. Three 5.25 bays, a 3.5 bay as well as a slim-bay (5.25 wide, 3.5 high) offer sufficient space for shock-protected hard disks and hard disk arrays such as the Kontron KISS DA series and DVD drives or the optional Kontron KISS Stor hard disk subsystem with RAID 1 or 0/5 functionality. Video (DVI-D, VGA) and audio ports (Mic-In, Line-In, Line-Out) as well as PS/2 ports for mouse and keyboard round up the generous selection of interfaces.

The KISS 4U Q57 is CE-certified and UL-qualified. It is validated for Red Hat Linux, Windows XP and Windows 7 (32 and 64 Bit) and will be shipped as a standard system directly from stock or it can be configured to meet customer-specific requirements, tested as a complete system and delivered as an independently certified solution. The Kontron KISS 4U Q57 will be available in EMEA in mid-November and in February 2011 for the US and APAC. The implementation of the Kontron PCCM condition monitoring will be completed in January 2011.