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IBM Introduces Virtualization Engine

Posted on: Friday, 4 June 2004, 06:00 CDT

IBM is introducing advanced software and mainframe technology, Virtualization Engine, and will begin shipping it in IBM servers and storage this year, including a capability to simplify the management of mixed environments of IBM and non-IBM systems.

The result of 40 years of mainframe development and a three-year research and development push across IBM, Virtualization Engine was designed to address a range of business issues, including billions of dollars in unused or under utilized computer and storage systems and the high cost of putting together and managing all of the pieces.

"Virtualization Engine is aimed at our clients' desire to focus less on individual operating systems and more on a complete operating environment with higher order impact and value," said Bill Zeitler, group executive and senior vice president, IBM Systems and Technology Group.

In addition to leveraging mainframe technologies, IBM's Virtualization Engine, for the first time, deploys basic provisioning and management tools from Tivoli, as well as open Grid capabilities in the WebSphere runtime environment across a range of IBM systems.

Virtualization Engine includes advanced "micro-partitioning" technology leveraged from the IBM mainframe to other IBM systems. For the first time on Unix and other non-mainframe systems, customers will be able to run as many as 10 servers per microprocessor, with the potential of turning a four-processor system, for example, into a "40-way" system running one or multiple operating system types or versions at the same time.

IBM also previewed, as part of the Virtualization Engine, new integrated system services. These include a simplified management approach spanning IBM and competitive systems, increasing the number and types of systems a single person can manage. Also included is an embedded version of Tivoli's provisioning technology that allows a customer to add or "provision" new servers in minutes.

IBM Virtualization Engine features include the following.

* An advanced systems micro-partitioning leveraged from the IBM mainframe for systems running IBM processors, including virtual networking, memory and LAN, allowing customers to partition up to 10 fully functioning services per processor.

* IBM Director Multiplatform offering a single point of control and management for IBM and non-IBM systems, clusters of systems and Grids that might span several countries. It allows a single person to manage multiple environments from a single console, eliminating the need for training on different types of systems.

* Enterprise workload management and provisioning tools to optimize resources, simplify management and increase availability across IBM and non-IBM systems based on business policy.

* Grid capabilities for distributed systems based on Open Grid Services Architecture and WebSphere technology.

Copyright Publications & Communications, Inc. May 2004

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