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DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION
FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY / MAY 19, 2003: VOL. 2 NO. 20
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Breaking News -
Platforms:
IBM Debuts World's Most
Sophisticated Server
IBM introduced the world's most sophisticated server and announced that
customers of all sizes will now be able to access the unprecedented
capabilities of the IBM mainframe through new on demand services from IBM
Global Services.
The IBM eServer zSeries 990, the new flagship of the eServer family, builds
on
the breakthrough technology of the eServer z900, which rewrote the rules for
enterprise-class computing with bullet-proof security, rock-solid reliability,
and extreme performance in Linux virtualization and automation. According to
IDC, the zSeries family gained 8 points of market share in $250,000 and above
servers since the introduction of the z900 in October 2000, while Sun and HP
(combined with Compaq historically) each lost share in the same period of time
(source: IDC 4Q02 Quarterly Tracker).
The new z990 is the result of a four-year, more than $1 billion investment
in
the zSeries platform involving 1,200 IBM developers.
The z990 sets a new standard for enterprise-class computing and features
industry leadership in:
Virtualization -- the z990 architecture can support hundreds or even
thousands
of virtual Linux servers in a single box, compared to only a handful on
competing UNIX and Intel-based servers. That roughly equates to an entire
data center on one server the size of a refrigerator. Automation -- the z990
features IBM's exclusive Intelligent Resource Director (IRD) technology, which
dynamically moves system resources to the workloads that need them, according
to priorities and objectives set by the customer.
Scalability -- a single z990 offers massive capacity and the ability to
scale
up and out. It can scale up to process 450 million e-business
transactions/day or scale out to manage hundreds of virtual Linux servers. A
clustered z990 can handle up to 13 billion transactions/day, exceeding the
average weekly volume on the New York Stock Exchange. The z990 also offers the
ability to turn capacity on and off, allowing customers to temporarily add
server engines during peak periods.
Security -- designed from the ground up to make intrusion into the system
nearly impossible, the IBM mainframe is one of the most secure servers on the
market. A 16-way z990 can securely process 11,000 transactions/second.
Reliability -- mainframe reliability is measured in decades, not weeks or
days, and the availability rate for a clustered zSeries is up to 99.999%, or
less than five minutes of downtime per year.
The z990 is the most powerful and scalable IBM mainframe in the 40-year
history of the product, with twice the virtualization capabilities and the
ability to do nearly three times the work of the z900, a new "building block"
design that allows customers to plug in new capacity without taking the system
down, and a dramatically simplified product structure that reduces the number
of mainframe models from 42 to 4.
IBM also announced that IBM Global Services has begun deployment of the
z990
in its On Demand Data Centers -- beginning in Boulder, Colorado -- providing
new services for customers seeking mainframe computing power on demand. The
new mainframe will serve as a cornerstone of the multi-platform centers,
enabling customers of all sizes to acquire computing power and capacity on
demand in new ways. IBM Global Services will offer mainframe capabilities in
a utility model, featuring technology from its Utility Management
Infrastructure (UMI) service, which provides customers with fully-integrated
infrastructure including mainframe processors, storage, networking and
middleware.
"The IBM mainframe has long set the industry standard for server
technology.
This technology is critical to customers who rely on it to manage
unpredictable, on demand environments where performance, security and
reliability are so critical. Our new eServer z990 again raises the bar for our
competitors who aspire to offer mainframe-class computing," said William
Zeitler, senior vice president and group executive, IBM Systems Group. "In
addition, technologies born on the mainframe are influencing systems
development and driving leadership performance across IBM's eServer
family."
"The availability of mainframe on demand services marks a new era in data
center delivery for our customers," said Jim Corgel, general manager, IBM e-
business hosting services. "IBM's On Demand Data Centers are revolutionizing
the way businesses large and small access technology, applications and
computing resources. From these centers, IBM delivers unprecedented processing
power and storage capacity, while managing thousands of critical business
applications for companies of all sizes."
Advanced Technology & Capabilities
The z990 provides new levels of scalability, security and connectivity:
For the first time, with On/Off Capacity on Demand, mainframe customers can
power up available additional engines within seconds, when they need them, and
turn them off when they don't, offering the ultimate flexibility to help
respond to daily or seasonal surges in demand.
The z990 features up to 9,000 MIPS (million instructions per second) on 32
processors -- twice the number of processors and almost three times the system
capacity of the z900 -- and allows customers the ability to scale up from 1-
to 32-way, without taking the system down.
Up to 30 logical partitions (LPARs) are supported on the z990, providing
twice
the LPAR capability of the z900. Running the latest version of z/VM, release
4.4, customers can quickly create and effectively manage hundreds of virtual
Linux servers within one physical box. IBM's advanced virtualization
technologies make the z990 an ideal consolidation platform for customers
seeking to reduce the cost and management expense of server farms.
Topping its own security record, the new 16-way z990 can handle 11,000
Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) transactions/second (a 57% improvement over a 16-way
z900). SSL handshakes -- those that cause the "locked" padlock icon to appear
at the bottom of browsers -- are crucial to e-business transactions, enabling
companies to more securely process orders on-line. The ability to process
greater numbers of SSL transactions means businesses can serve more customers
and make more sales in less time.
For customers seeking additional connectivity for new e-business workloads
on
the mainframe, the new z990 provides up to 512 I/O channels, double the number
of its predecessor. In addition, there are now up to 16 HiperSockets, which
provide high speed TCP/IP connectivity between virtual servers within a single
z990, quadruple the number in the z900. IBM has also introduced a new
technology called logical channel subsystems, which can make it easier for
customers to consolidate multiple mainframes into a larger z990.
The z990 features up to four times the memory of the z900, 256GB versus
64GB.
Redesigned Multichip Module
The heart of the z990 is the IBM multichip module (MCM) -- the densest,
most
advanced semiconductor and packaging technology in the world. The redesigned
3.7" x 3.7" x .75" module, which fits in the palm of your hand, contains 16
chips mounted on 101 layers of ceramic glass connected to over 5,000 I/O pins
by 500 meters of wire. The new MCM is 50% smaller, enabling the z990 to
deliver almost three times the processor capacity of the z900 in the same
footprint. The module uses IBM's leading-edge copper and Silicon-on-Insulator
(SOI) technology and contains over 3.2 billion transistors. Designed and
manufactured by IBM's world-class chip developers in Burlington, VT, this
leading-edge technology provides significant advantages in performance, power
consumption and reliability. In addition, the z990's new superscalar
microprocessor design helps deliver up to 60% performance improvement for
Linux, e-business and traditional workloads.
Business Continuity Solutions
IBM Systems Group also announced that IBM TotalStorage Enterprise Storage
Server (code-named "Shark") now features stand-by storage capacity on demand
for the z990, which allows customers to effectively double their storage -- up
to 7 Terabytes -- based on their business needs. In addition, IBM's flagship
storage solution introduced FlashCopy v.2 and Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy v.2,
which provide significantly enhanced data mirroring and business continuity
functions for the z990.
Software Integration
IBM delivers WebSphere Application Server for z/OS, v.5, featuring the
latest
support for J2EE and Web services standards as well as a new flexible pricing
option. The development environment is also simpler as WebSphere for z/OS
tools, which are based on the Eclipse open source tool integration platform,
can be used to develop once and deploy to any WebSphere environment.
IBM also announced a beta program for its new version of DB2 Universal
Database, specially tuned for the z990. With 100 new and enhanced features, it
is the most significant new version of DB2 for the mainframe. The database is
the first IBM software product designed to take advantage of new 64-bit z/OS
addressing on the mainframe, which enables applications to run faster and
supports larger and more complex data transactions. Other mainframe database
enhancements include the ability to alter a database on the fly, without
service disruption, and improved support for XML, SQL and Java. Enhanced SQL
simplifies the porting of popular UNIX and Windows applications to DB2 on the
mainframe.
In addition, IBM Tivoli Software is introducing a new suite of
comprehensive
systems management products designed to enhance z/OS and OS/390 operating
environments. A new technology, Tivoli Management Portal, offers a single
point of control to view performance information on an overall system to help
enable users to ensure that an infrastructure is reliable, available and
efficient. The improvements to the management of zSeries solutions are
designed to help drive down the cost of ownership for IBM customers.
Software Pricing Changes
IBM also announced enhancements to its Workload License Charge (WLC)
software
pricing structure. IBM has reduced the entry point for its WLC variable priced
products, which gives customers the granularity and flexibility they need to
more economically manage smaller e-business and traditional workloads.
New Financing Options
In addition, IBM Global Financing announced new Total solution financing
that
is designed to help customers better handle the costs of unpredictable or
variable workloads. IBM Global Financing now provides financing of On/Off
Capacity on Demand charges to help customers more affordably acquire capacity
when they need it, on a daily basis. IBM customers can now finance both their
long-term use of IT infrastructure for a fixed term, and their temporary use
of On/Off Capacity on Demand or capacity backup for shorter terms as
required.
Product Availability
The IBM eServer z990, models A08 and B16, will be available on June 16,
2003.
Models C24 and D32 will be available on October 31, 2003. On/Off Capacity on
Demand functionality will be available in September 2003. Secure key
cryptography, support for 30 LPARs, and z/OS exploitation of 512 I/O channels
will be available in October 2003.
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