HP ProLiant ML110 G7 review

HP's new ProLiant ML110 G7 is aimed at growing businesses ready to invest in a proper server. In this review Dave Mitchell takes a closer look at HP’s first Xeon E3 tower server and finds it has some very useful features that will appeal to SMBs.

IT Pro Verdict

It may be an entry-level server, but the ProLiant ML110 G7 packs a lot of features into its compact chassis. It’s well built, is quiet enough for a small office and has an impressive range of storage options. The embedded iLO3 controller sets it apart from the competition and makes it ideally suited to businesses that need full remote access to the server for management, monitoring and performing diagnostics.

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HP scores highly in our books for remote server management as the ML110 has an embedded iLO3 controller. This is the same controller as found in all the high-end ProLiant servers which we first saw in our review of the ProLiant DL380 G7.

The server comes as standard with HP's excellent iLO3 remote management controller.

The iLO3 shares access with the first of the server's two Gigabit Ethernet ports, but you can buy an optional upgrade which adds a dedicated management port. These features make the ML110 G7 well suited to remote sites, branch offices or IT providers as it can be accessed easily over the Internet for full remote diagnostics and, with the optional upgrade, remote control.

We were quite fond of Dell's little PowerEdge T110 II, but that model is beaten soundly by HP when it comes to remote management. It doesn't support Dell's iDRAC6 Express or Enterprise optional upgrades and only had a basic embedded BMC (baseboard management controller). This provides very limited remote access to the server and only allows the power supply to be controlled using Dell's IPMISH command line utility.

Power options are also superior as the ML110 G7 can be supplied with a fixed 350W supply or up to two 460W hot-plug supplies. The review system included one 460W hot-plug supply with the second module costing around 155.

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The server is also easy on power consumption with our in-line power meter clocking the review system at only 35W with Windows Server 2008 R2 in idle. With the SiSoft Sandra benchmarking application exercising the eight logical cores of the Xeon E3 processor this peaked at only 97W.

Dave Mitchell
Dave Mitchell

Dave is an IT consultant and freelance journalist specialising in hands-on reviews of computer networking products covering all market sectors from small businesses to enterprises. Founder of Binary Testing Ltd – the UK’s premier independent network testing laboratory - Dave has over 45 years of experience in the IT industry.

Dave has produced many thousands of in-depth business networking product reviews from his lab which have been reproduced globally. Writing for ITPro and its sister title, PC Pro, he covers all areas of business IT infrastructure, including servers, storage, network security, data protection, cloud, infrastructure and services.

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