IBM debuts ‘world’s most sophisticated server’

BANGALORE: IBM today introduced the “world's most sophisticated server” and announced that customers of all sizes will now be able to access the 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 fortress-like security, rock-solid reliability, and extreme performance in Linux virtualization and automation.

The z990 is touted to be 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.

'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 M Ganesh, Country Manager, Systems Group, IBM India.

Advanced Technology & Capabilities

For the first time, with On/Off Capacity-on-Demand, mainframe customers can power up available additional engines on demand, 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 up to 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 helps businesses 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.

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, 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 data mirroring and business continuity functions for the z990.