Specifications

investment protection
The HP Server rp8400 family provides outstanding customer investment protection and lasting value,
with a system infrastructure designed to accommodate several generations of processor upgrades.
No other competitor in this space can offer the investment protection provided by the rp8400.
easy upgrading
All major system components other than the cell board and power conversion board are slated to
remain the same for future processors—you can even use the same memory DIMMs. This makes
upgrading easy and economical: you simply remove all the cells and the memory contained
within the cells, transfer the memory to the new processor cells, and install the new processor cells
into the cabinet.
microprocessor roadmap to
What will happen to your server investment in the future? The microprocessor roadmap in
the future
figure 17 illustrates HP’s commitment to long-term processor and architecture innovation. This
commitment is your assurance HP will continue to provide the massive resources needed for your
future computing requirements. In the illustration, the arrows identify processors specifically
targeted for support in the rp8400.
figure 17. HP’s microprocessor roadmap
You can continue to rely on binary compatibility across the PA-RISC family, enabling seamless
interoperability with legacy applications on HP systems. Binary compatibility protects our
customers’ investments, enabling rapid growth and adoption of new technology infrastructures. In
addition, customers can use existing applications and operating systems with advanced processor
technology for distinct performance improvement.
The processor roadmap shows not only a leadership line of RISC processors but also the
introduction of binary-compatible processors based on the Intel Itanium Processor Family. As a
result of HP’s co-development work with Intel on EPIC (Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing)—
the design foundation for the Intel Itanium architecture—today’s HP-UX, Windows 2000, and
Linux applications will run unchanged on Intel Itanium-based platforms. For maximum
performance, customers can recompile applications without source code changes.
Note, too, that HP is investing in several PA-RISC enhancements after the introduction of the Intel
Itanium processor. This allows customers to move to the new architecture when they are ready, not
when their vendor forces them. HP’s dual-path microprocessor roadmap helps make the rp8400
the safest and fastest midrange server in the market.
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