Dell adds to PowerEdge server lineup

The Integrated Rack 7000 is an update to the existing 5000 model and will support the upcoming Nvidia GB200 Grace Blackwell NVL4 Superchip with a new PowerEdge XE server designed for the IR7000. All told, the IR 7000 supports up to 144 GPUs per rack in a 50OU standard rack.

Separately, Dell announced it will offer support for Nvidia Tensor Core GPUs by the end of the year, including the H200 SXM cloud GPUs. The two companies are working on integrating Nvidia software with Dell hardware infrastructure. The first move will be support for Nvidia H100 NVL GPUs in upcoming PowerEdge servers.

Dell also is offering a new solution for general professional users and data scientists, called Dell Agentic RAG with Nvidia. Its RAG agents handle company-specific data access and regulatory challenges. The software is available now, while the GPU update will be available by the end of the year.

Microsoft Ignite announcements

The news announced at Microsoft Ignite was understandably centered around Microsoft products as related to Dell AI Factory, the company’s AI initiative covering products and services. First up, Dell announced that its APEX File Storage for Microsoft Azure will offer a Dell-managed option for organizations seeking a simplified deployment and management experience.

Dell PowerScale, its enterprise NAS file storage system, will be geared to more easily meet the needs of AI workloads in multicloud environments. It features burst capacity for performance-intensive AI workloads, reduced management complexity, and faster time to data-driven insights through native integration with Microsoft AI Service tools.

Also new are Dell APEX Protection Services for Microsoft Azure, delivered as Dell-managed, AI-powered cloud data protection and cyber resiliency across edge locations, remote offices and data centers. It offers zero trust security, including immutability, encryption, multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls and protects against ransomware and cyberthreats. The companies say that they can accelerate time to recovery from cyber attack by as much as 80%.