The Unified HPE ProLiant Compute Infrastructure Stack
Analyzing Platform-Level Efficiency, Architectural Security, and Edge Resilience
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Jonathan Fellows
Executive Summary
Organizations are increasingly operating distributed compute environments spanning datacenters, colocation sites, and edge deployments. In these environments where operational oversight can be more difficult, administrative time, security assurance, and consistent lifecycle operations directly impact operational costs and business continuity. At the edge, the management platform, not the hardware alone, determines security posture, lifecycle repeatability, and total operating cost.
Modern enterprise compute requires compute anywhere, including the edge. In this report, we cover the HPE ProLiant DL145 Gen11 server powered by the AMD EPYC™ 8124P processor, evaluated to determine its resilience to thermal stress in terms of sound levels and workload latencies, along with edge deployment options and capabilities. This report also compares the advanced architecture of HPE’s platform, specifically the HPE Integrated Lights-Out 7 (iLO 7) and the cloud-native HPE Compute Ops Management, against competitive offerings from Dell, detailing the resulting strategic advantages in security, automation, and predictive intelligence.
The HPE ProLiant DL145 Gen11 server with an AMD EPYC 8124P processor demonstrated high resistance to heat stress, delivering consistent latency on AI image inference workloads with minimal performance degradation (less than 2%) even when the ambient temperature increased by 30°F (from 75°F to 105°F). The server operated below 50 dB (measured at 1 meter outside the enclosure) while executing the AI image inference workload at an ambient temperature of 105°F inside a small enclosure. The HPE ProLiant DL145 Gen11’s compact size and flexible mounting options enable deployment across diverse environments, including at the edge, while sustaining quiet operation under heavy loads.
Key Findings
HPE ProLiant DL145 Gen11 server performs well under heat stress (105°F ambient temperature) with only small increases in sound levels and workload latency.
HPE iLO 7 delivers significant features and management capabilities compared to Dell iDRAC10. HPE iLO 7 executes most tasks quickly, and outperforms Dell’s iDRAC10 on several key tasks.
HPE Compute Ops Management provides cloud-native, enterprise class fleet management capabilities enabling organizations to quickly and intelligently manage their infrastructure.
A recent Futurum Research Enterprise IT Decision Maker Survey found that remote management is cited by over 60% of enterprises as a top requirement for deploying hybrid and edge workloads, enabling secure, out-of-band management in distributed infrastructures. HPE’s Integrated Lights Out 7 and HPE Compute Ops Management extend beyond device-level management by providing a unified operational stack designed for secure, scalable, and repeatable lifecycle management. This enables organizations to standardize workflows, enforce consistent configuration and firmware policies, and reduce the time and risk associated with manual intervention, particularly across distributed environments. The result is a platform engineered for operational efficiency, resilience, and long-term infrastructure value, rather than incremental task-level improvements. While competitive management platforms like Dell’s Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) and Dell AIOps offer control, they can lack the automation, security attestation, and policy consistency required to more easily manage large-scale, multi-site infrastructure efficiently.
Our findings confirm that HPE iLO 7 delivers features that are valuable for IT professionals, increases administrative efficiency, while doing so with an easy-to-use interface. Administrative tasks such as updating firmware, creating users, and launching terminal windows are streamlined to provide benefits for IT admins.
HPE iLO 7 offers several security features including a hardened, zero-trust security foundation by implementing Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM) device attestation for authentication, a critical feature. HPE custom iLO 7 technology provides in-market support for NIST and CNSA 2.0 quantum-resistant (PQC) algorithms for secure firmware signing. This provides a future-proof defense against “hack now, decrypt later” threats today. The HPE Secure Enclave is architected with physical tamper resistance in mind and is designed to meet the stringent FIPS 140-3 Level 3 requirements (currently pursuing certification). Dell’s iDRAC10 is based on the Nuvoton Arbel chip that features a robust solution with its own silicon-based Root-of-Trust as well. However, its cryptographic implementation is built to a different, and less stringent, standard.
HPE Compute Ops Management demonstrates a strategic, cloud-native advantage by offering enterprise features such as the ability to add servers quickly, create and manage servers as a group, Redfish API telemetry, and more. HPE Compute Ops Management also allows organizations to monitor and predict their energy usage, cost and CO2 emissions by delivering predictive AI sustainability insights. Other AI powered insights include server health and utilization insights to further aid organizations with management and planning.
