 |
|
DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY / MAY 26, 2003: VOL. 2 NO. 21
|
Breaking News - Platforms:
Unisys Unveils New Mainframes Built for Web Services
Building upon its legacy of high performance, high reliability mainframe
computing, Unisys Corporation has introduced the Dorado family of ClearPath
Plus mainframes. Built for integration, the new mainframes include partitions
with Intel processors and feature improved system management tools. They also
provide an extensive Web services-ready middleware portfolio that extends the
longevity and utility of mainframe systems.
Illustrating its continued commitment to mainframe computing, Unisys announced
ClearPath infrastructure services supported by Unisys expert consultants
working in conjunction with product engineers. The services gives Unisys
customers access to the company's most experienced technology consultants,
system architects and mainframe engineers to ensure that they get the most
value from their new or existing mainframe assets.
Another Step Forward For The "Modern Mainframe"
Built on the same CMP (Cellular MultiProcessing) server architecture as Unisys
ES7000 servers and other ClearPath Plus mainframes, the three-product Dorado
family includes a new entry-level ClearPath Plus Dorado Model 110 designed for
application development, ClearPath Plus Dorado Model 140 and a 32-processor,
single-image ClearPath Plus Dorado Model 180 for high-end mainframe computing
tasks. The new mainframes now feature subpods based on Intel processors,
integrated control over OS2200, Windows and Unix operating environments and
Sentinel self-healing, self-management technologies for improved system
performance.
The Dorado's new middleware component enables greater interoperability with
industry-standard Web services protocols. This improves integration and
communication with existing systems and makes the Dorado one of the most
versatile mainframe platforms on the market.
"Mainframe systems have always delivered the best IT value in terms of sheer
power, reliability and resiliency, but too often the data has been isolated,
giving legacy systems a bad rap," said Kevin McHugh, vice president, Unisys
Platform Marketing. "By combining the flexibility of Web services with the
power and reliability of mainframe computing, the new systems from Unisys can
address the needs of the agile organization."
More Power -- When Needed, Where Needed
Among the Dorado's many enhancements are new capacity-on-demand and
performance redistribution features, which give customers the flexibility to
increase or shift performance when and where it's needed most.
The Dorado's capacity-on-demand feature gives IT administrators the ability to
respond to unpredictable demands by increasing or decreasing capacity or
processing requirements as needs arise. This feature saves companies money by
allowing enterprises to take advantage of incremental performance increases
without having to purchase additional hardware or worry about incremental
software license charges like most of the competition.
For companies looking to maximize the output and efficiency of their IT
networks, the Dorado's performance redistribution feature -- available on the
Dorado 180 -- gives IT administrators the flexibility to shift performance
among independent environments or applications on the fly. This ability
enables an enterprise, for example, to run online processing during the day
and reallocate resources for batch processing at night -- without restarting
the system.
The Swedish National Tax Board (RSV) ordered new Unisys servers, including a
ClearPath Plus Dorado Model 180 with capacity for 200 million instructions per
second (MIPS), to run its central tax assessment system.
"RSV has very high requirements for reliability and a user population of
13,000, we needed the flexibility to distribute and balance workloads quickly
to adjust to changing demands," said Lars Brodin, information technology
manager, RSV. "With the performance redistribution capability of the ClearPath
Plus Model 180 we can focus performance where we need it, when we need it, and
maintain the uninterrupted levels of service required by our operations."
Helping ClearPath Customers Maximize IT Investments
To ensure that ClearPath customers reap the maximum benefits from their
purchases, Unisys offers a suite of ClearPath infrastructure services. Unisys
dedicated, experienced field consultants are closely aligned with design
engineers and have access to the vast intellectual capital and engineering
resources of Unisys. These consultants and engineers support Unisys customers'
business objectives with a full range of services for the mainframe, including
integration, infrastructure optimization, business continuance, security,
performance optimization, storage and platform modernization.
The Dorado Family
The newest addition to the ClearPath Plus product line is the Dorado 110. With
up to two OS 2200 processors, and support for up to eight Intel Xeon
processors MP, the Dorado 110 is well suited for entry-level mainframe tasks,
as well as application development and testing, disaster recovery and business
continuance. The Dorado 140, which will replace the CS7402 midrange mainframe,
scales from eight to 16 OS 2200 processors, and supports eight to 24 Xeon
processors in one or two domains. The Dorado 180, which extends the power of
the high-end CS 7802 model, scales up to 32 OS 2200 processors in a single
image and can support up to 24 Xeon processors in one or two domains.
All three systems are available now.
|