GEN5 appliances
High-performance enterprise hardware for BlueCat software
Key takeawaysKey takeaways are generated with AI assistance. Because automated summaries can occasionally contain errors or miss important context, always refer to the full blog post for complete information.The article describes BlueCat GEN5 appliances, a family of rack-optimized, enterprise-grade hardware platforms designed to run BlueCat software such as Address Manager, DNS/DHCP Server, Micetro, Edge Service Points, and LiveAssurance. It highlights GEN5 features—product-agnostic hardware, higher queries per second (QPS) and leases per second (LPS), up to 25% improved Address Manager notification throughput, increased memory and all-SSD storage, Intel® Xeon® processors, dual redundant power, lights-out management, and optional 10/25Gb fibre connectivity—addressing performance, reliability, and manageability needs in demanding operational environments. The article also provides detailed model specifications (BC-2500, BC-4500, BC-6500, BC-8500), including CPUs, memory, storage, networking, power, physical dimensions, and measured QPS/LPS performance to guide enterprise hardware selection and deployment planning.
What BlueCat software platforms do GEN5 appliances support and how are they product-agnostic?
GEN5 appliances support all listed BlueCat software platforms: BlueCat Address Manager, BlueCat DNS/DHCP Server, BlueCat Micetro DNS/DHCP Server, BlueCat Edge Service Points, and BlueCat LiveAssurance. The hardware is described as product-agnostic because the same appliance models (BC-2500, BC-4500, BC-6500, BC-8500) can host different BlueCat software SKUs, allowing organizations to deploy the appropriate software on the same rack-optimized systems without requiring product-specific hardware. This simplifies procurement and enables flexible use across varied enterprise deployments.
How do the GEN5 appliance models compare in performance and capacity (QPS, LPS, CPU, memory, storage)?
The four GEN5 models scale across CPU, memory, storage and measured throughput. BC-2500 uses an Intel Xeon E-2434 (4 cores/8 threads), 16 GB ECC and a single 480 GB SSD, delivering 75,000 QPS and 1,250 LPS. BC-4500 uses an Intel Xeon E-2486 (6 cores/8 threads), 16 GB ECC and a single 960 GB SSD in RAID 1 on PERC H355, delivering 175,000 QPS and 1,750 LPS. BC-6500 uses an Intel Xeon E-2488 (8 cores/16 threads), 32 GB ECC and 2×960 GB SSD RAID 1 (PERC 755), delivering 250,000 QPS and 2,250 LPS. BC-8500 uses an Intel Xeon Gold 6444Y (16 cores/32 threads), 64 GB ECC and 2×1.6 TB SAS SSD SED, delivering 455,000 QPS and 2,500 LPS.
What reliability and management features do GEN5 appliances provide for enterprise operations?
GEN5 appliances include several features targeted at enterprise reliability and manageability: dual redundant AC power supplies (with DC optional) across models to support high availability; lights-out management via iDRAC9 Enterprise with a dedicated port for remote control; RAID storage options on select models (RAID 1 with PERC controllers) for redundancy; internal USB for factory reset; and optional fibre network connectivity (10/25Gb SFP+/DA) for high-speed links. These capabilities help ensure continuous operation, remote administration, and resilient storage and networking in production environments.
Hardware specifications
Figure 1. Rear view of BlueCat GEN5 appliances
| Specification | BC-2500 | BC-4500 | BC-6500 | BC-8500 |
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| CPU model | Intel® Xeon® E-2434 Intel® Xeon® 6325P Rev B | Intel® Xeon® E-2486 Intel® Xeon® 6353P Rev B | Intel® Xeon® E-2488 Intel® Xeon® 6369P Rev B | Intel® Xeon® 6444Y Intel® Xeon® 6544Y Rev B Dual Intel® Xeon® 6534 Rev C |
| CPU cores | 4 cores / 8 threads | 6 cores / 12 threads | 8 cores / 16 threads | 16 cores / 32 threads |
| CPU speed | 3.4 GHz (5.0 GHz turbo) | 3.5 GHz (5.6 GHz turbo) | 3.2 GHz (5.6 GHz turbo) | 3.60 GHz (4.00 GHz turbo) |
| Memory | 16GB ECC | 16GB ECC | 32GB ECC | 64GB ECC |
| Storage | Single 480GB SSD | Single 960GB SSD | RAID 1 – PERC H355 RAID controller 2x 960GB SSD | RAID 1 – PERC 755 RAID controller 2x 1.6TB SAS SSD SED |
| Networking | Broadcom 5719 Quad Port 1GbE BASE-T Adapter Optional fiber | Broadcom 5719 Quad Port 1GbE BASE-T Adapter Optional fiber | Broadcom 5719 Quad Port 1GbE BASE-T Adapter Optional fiber | Intel X710-T4L Quad Port 10GbE BASE-T Optional fiber |
| Power | Dual 600w redundant PSUs AC | Dual 600w redundant PSUs AC | Dual 600w redundant PSUs AC | Dual 1100W redundant PSUs AC |
| iDRAC Enterprise with dedicated port | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Internal USB for factory reset | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Dimensions & performance
| Specification | BC-2500 | BC-4500 | BC-6500 | BC-8500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReadyRails kit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Depth per appliance | 534.53 mm | 534.53 mm | 534.53 mm | 822.99 mm (with bezel) |
| Width per appliance | 482 mm | 482 mm | 482 mm | 482 mm |
| Height per appliance | 42.8 mm | 42.8 mm | 42.8 mm | 42.8 mm |
| Weight per appliance | 11.74 kg | 11.74 kg | 11.74 kg | 18.5 kg |
| QPS | 75K | 175K | 250K | 455K |
| LPS | 1,250 | 1,750 | 2,250 | 2,500 |
BlueCat’s Intelligent Network Operations (NetOps)
BlueCat’s Intelligent NetOps solutions provide the analytics and intelligence needed to enable, optimize, and secure the network to achieve business goals. With an Intelligent NetOps suite, organizations can more easily change and modernize the network as business requirements demand.
