HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 Server

Elevate Your Infrastructure: HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 Server

In today’s data-driven world, the right server platform isn’t just hardware—it’s the linchpin of performance, reliability, and future-readiness. The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 Server brings a robust suite of innovations, combining raw processing muscle, high memory capacity, expansive storage options and enterprise-grade flexibility in a 2U rack-mounted chassis. Whether powering mission-critical enterprise workloads, virtualization clusters or AI/ML-adjacent environments, this system stands ready.

Key Features of the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 Server

The architecture of the DL380 Gen11 is designed for both breadth and depth. Key highlights include dual-socket support, modern DDR5 memory, PCIe Gen5 I/O, a variety of storage bay configurations and built-in security. According to official specifications, it supports up to 64 cores, 8 TB memory and 20 EDSFF drives in certain configurations.
Among its feature set:

Dual-processor capability in a 2U form factor; rack density with complementary expansion headroom.
Broad CPU support for 4th and 5th Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors, enabling high core-counts, multi-threaded performance and modern feature set.
DDR5 memory support with large capacity—up to 8 TB—in configurations designed for memory-intensive workloads.
Flexible storage architecture: small form factor (SFF) drives, large form factor (LFF), NVMe and EDSFF back-planes, giving a broad palette of storage options.
High-speed I/O via PCIe Gen5 and OCP mezzanine slots, enabling high throughput networking, accelerators or storage controllers.
Enterprise-grade remote management and security frameworks embedded—ensuring the platform is not only capable, but manageable and stable.
These features collectively provide a server that can serve as a workhorse in a broad array of deployment scenarios—from virtualization to storage-rich services to hybrid-cloud nodes.

HPE DL380 Gen11 CPU Support

The DL380 Gen11 supports the latest Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor families (4th and 5th Generation). It accepts two sockets, giving you the flexibility to scale up aggressively.

Key CPU facts:

Up to 64 cores per system in certain configurations—giving immense parallelism for multi-threaded tasks.
The system supports processors with high thermal design power (TDP) envelopes—so when you pick a top SKU, ensure your power and cooling infrastructure matches.
With dual-socket architecture, you can distribute workloads across multiple CPUs and leverage high memory and I/O bandwidth.
When selecting CPUs, consider workload nature: massive core counts for VDI or large virtual clusters; higher single-thread speeds for latency-sensitive workloads.

HPE DL380 Gen11 RAM (Memory) Support

Memory capacity and performance are critical in modern workloads—and the DL380 Gen11 delivers strongly.

Supports DDR5 SmartMemory modules and large capacities—up to 8 TB total in supported configurations.
Numerous DIMM slots (32 in many configurations) mean you can populate many channels and optimize memory bandwidth and interleaving.
High memory speeds and next-gen memory architectures mean lower latency, higher throughput and reduced power per bit of memory accessed.
This makes the server well matched to in-memory databases, virtualization layers with large RAM footprints, caching layers, analytics workloads, and more.

HPE DL380 Gen11 Hard (Storage) Support

Storage flexibility is a hallmark of this platform. The DL380 Gen11 offers a variety of front-bay configurations and back-plane types, enabling you to tailor storage to your application’s needs.
Highlights include:

Support for SFF (2.5 “) and LFF (3.5 “) drives, giving you capacity or performance-oriented options.
Support for EDSFF (Enterprise & Data Center SSD Form Factor) drives in high-density NVMe setups—ideal for ultra-fast storage layers.
Back-planes that support Tri-Mode SAS/SATA/U.3 + NVMe, meaning you can mix drive types and optimize cost/performance.
Hot-plug drive bays and serviceability built in, making replacement or expansion less disruptive.
When you design your storage system on this server, you can strike a balance between cost (HDD/SATA), performance (NVMe) and density (EDSFF)—all in one chassis.

Graphics Support DL380 G11

While primarily a compute system, the DL380 Gen11 offers GPU/accelerator support to address workloads with specialized needs. Some configurations support up to 8 single-wide GPUs or several double-wide units, depending on GPU type and chassis configuration.
Consequently:

Ideal for machine-learning inference, graphical workloads, VDI with GPU acceleration, and HPC nodes that use GPU compute.
When equipping GPUs, ensure power supply, cooling and chassis slot availability meet the demands—GPUs generate heat and draw power.
Compatible I/O subsystem (PCIe Gen5 lanes) ensures the GPU isn’t bottlenecked by data movement constraints.

Advantages of the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 Server

There are multiple compelling advantages.

Versatility: The server adapts across compute, storage, virtualization, high memory or accelerated workloads.
Scalability: Dual sockets, large memory capacity, flexible storage and I/O mean the same chassis can serve into future growth.
Performance: With modern CPUs, DDR5 memory, PCIe Gen5 I/O, and GPU support—all combine for high throughput, low latency architectures.
Manageability & Security: Enterprise features built-in reduce operational burden and risk.
Efficiency: Although dense, the 2U footprint gives room for expansion while remaining space-efficient in data racks.
Future-readiness: With support for newer processor families and advanced I/O, the server platform remains relevant for years.
These advantages make the DL380 Gen11 a fruitful investment for IT environments demanding flexibility, performance and longevity.

Applications of the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 Server

What kinds of real-world workloads is this server ideal for?

Virtualised Infrastructure / VDI: High core counts, large memory and optional GPU support make it ideal for hosting virtual desktops or large virtual machine estates.
Hybrid Cloud / Private Cloud Nodes: As part of a cloud platform, this server can run hypervisors, containers or micro-services at scale.
Database & Analytics Engine: Large memory and I/O allow in-memory databases, real-time analytics, caching layers and similar heavy workloads.
Software-defined Storage: With many drive bays and NVMe support, it fits well as a storage node in SDS configurations.
Edge or Remote Deployments: The 2U form factor still fits many rack deployments; with strong flexibility it suits distributed infrastructure.
AI / ML / HPC Workloads: With GPU support and modern I/O, it can serve as a node in accelerated compute clusters.
Given this wide array of use-cases, the DL380 Gen11 is not a niche product; it’s a broadly capable platform positioned to meet many enterprise needs.

Configuration Options for the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 Server

Configuring the DL380 Gen11 for your environment involves balancing CPU, memory, storage, I/O, networking, cooling and power. Some configuration considerations:

Choose CPU SKU aligned with your workload: high core counts for parallel compute; higher clocks for latency-sensitive tasks.

Memory:

populate channels across both sockets for balanced bandwidth; use high-speed DIMMs if your workload demands.

Storage:

decide on the drive mix (SAS/SATA/HDD vs SSD vs NVMe) and number of bays required; select appropriate back-plane and controller.
I/O/Networking: include high-speed NICs, OCP mezzanine cards, and ensure PCIe Gen5 lanes are not oversubscribed.

GPU:

if your application uses accelerators, ensure power supply, cooling, slot availability and airflow are sufficient.

Power & Cooling:

choose the appropriate hot-plug redundant power supplies (800 W, 1000 W, 1600 W etc.), ensure rack airflow and ambient temperature support your selection.

Manageability:

deploy HPE OneView, iLO6, firmware management plans and remote monitoring tools from day one.

Security:

enable platform security features such as Silicon Root of Trust and secure boot, and ensure firmware is kept current.
By thoughtfully configuring the system you will extract the full value of the DL380 Gen11, aligning hardware architecture with your workload and enterprise requirements.

Technical Specifications Table DL380 Gen11