New IBM eServer P5 Features Power5 Microprocessor
IBM has introduced its new eServer p5 systems, an advanced line of Unix and Linux servers that use Power5 microprocessors and Micro- Partitioning, an IBM Virtualization Engine technology, to achieve computing performance for a range of business and scientific applications.
The new eServer p5 systems are the result of a three-year research and development effort at IBM extending beyond traditional Unix servers with mainframe-inspired features.
IBM chief scientist Ravi Arimilli holds a Power5 microprocessor module.
The new IBM eServer p5 systems give clients choices of implementing different solutions, ranging from a 2-way server to a 16-way server, all leveraging the industry standard Power Architecture and designed to deliver the most performance and scalability on the entry and midrange Unix platform, according to widely used industry benchmarks.
IBM said using as few as one fourth the number of processors, eServer p5 systems outperform HP servers in the Transaction Processing Performance Council’s TPC-C benchmark test. The new eServer p5 systems set world records for select transaction processing, Web speed, Java performance and other business applications beyond expectations, in some cases beating HP’s and Sun’s performances by two and three times.
“Today, IBM is heralding the next generation in the Unix industry, marked by extreme performance, efficiency and flexibility,” said Adalio Sanchez, general manager, IBM eServer pSeries.
“We’ve invested tremendously in new technologies, like the Power5 microprocessor and the Micro-Partitioning technology in the IBM Virtualization Engine, derived from 40 years of mainframe innovations. This will transform the technology landscape and economics of owning and running Unix systems. Our new Unix systems will allow businesses to respond quickly to changing market conditions in the on demand era.”
The new eServer p5 systems are the first Unix systems designed to enable clients to run multiple (up to 10) virtual servers or Micro- Partitions on a single microprocessor letting it do the work traditionally done by many. This allows businesses to better utilize processors and automatically balance processor partitions in less than one second to meet changing on demand business needs.
IBM eServer p5 systems allow for server consolidation and mixed workloads on a single system by giving businesses the capability to run multiple different operating systems simultaneously.
The new AIX 5L V5.3 operating system also enables clients to take advantage of mainframe inspired characteristics in reliability, scalability and business continuity.
The new Power5 microprocessor features 276 million transistors per processor, and is manufactured with IBM’s 0.13-micron copper wiring and SOI (Silicon-on-Insulator) technologies. Power5 integrates not only multiple microprocessor cores in silicon, but elements of memory and task management that have long been outside the chip.
IBM’s Micro-Partitioning technologies, which are part of the Virtualization Engine’s technology, allow each processor to be subdivided into as many as 10 “virtual servers.” This allows eServer p5 servers to consolidate multiple independent workloads resulting in a managed virtual server farm. IBM Virtualization Engine also enables a single console for managing systems of all types and a broad set of systems services for workload management and provisioning.
The new IBM eServer p5 systems can simultaneously support AIX 5L V5.2, the new AIX 5L V5.3, or Linux on Power distributions in separate dynamic partitions, all on the same system, which makes migration from AIX 5L V5.2 to the new AIX 5L V5.3 easy for customers. Through a flexible resource model, AIX 5L V5.3 allows customers to measure and record multiple workload resource usage and utilize dynamic resource allocation of processors, Micro- Partitioning, memory and I/O resources.
The new generation of AIX 5L also provides automatic allocation and balancing of resources across multiple Operating Systems images.
The initial wave of eServer p5 systems will consist of three distinctive servers to fit a variety of clients needs, from small to medium-sized businesses to large enterprise-level clients.
The deskside or rack-mount p5-520 will be a two-way, entry level system using a 1.65 GHz Power5 microprocessor with up to 32GB of memory running either AIX 5L or Linux.
The deskside or rack-mount p5-550 will scale up to 4-way, and be equipped with up to 64GB of memory running the 1.65 GHz microprocessor, also running either AIX5L or Linux. And the p5-570 will scale up to 16-way, with a 1.9 GHz Power5 microprocessor, and be able to run either the AIX5L or Linux operating systems.
Additionally, there is a p5-570 Express model available, running a 1.5 GHz processor and up to 256GB of memory, designed to meet the need of growing small to medium business firms.
Copyright Publications & Communications, Inc. Aug 2004