IBM intros new mainframe with 5.5GHz processor, SSD

NEW YORK, USA: IBM announced zEnterprise EC12 mainframe server, an advanced version of its System z.

The IBM zEC12 enterprise system is the result of an investment by IBM Systems and Technology Group of more than $1 billion in IBM research and development primarily in Poughkeepsie, New York as well as 17 other IBM labs around the world and in collaboration with some of IBM's top clients.

The new IBM mainframe comes with built-in security features - has achieved Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 5+ security classification, providing clients the confidence to run many different applications containing confidential data on a single mainframe - and operational analytics and near real-time workload monitoring and analysis features as well.

IBM claims that the new zEC12 for a variety of workloads, including hybrid clouds. It also adds that the new mainframe runs on 'world’s fastest chip' running at 5.5 GHz. IBM's zEC12 mainframe uses hexa-core chips running at 5.5GHz.

zEC12 includes tamper-resistant cryptographic co-processor called Crypto Express4S that provides privacy for transactions and sensitive data.

Crypto Express4S includes new hardware and software, which can be configured to provide support for high quality digital signatures used with applications for smart passports, national ID cards and online legal proceedings, replacing handwritten signatures as directed by the EU and the public sector.

It support for the IBM DB2 Analytics Accelerator that incorporates Netezza data warehouse appliance into zEC12 enables clients to run complex business analytics and operational analytics on the same platform.

The new mainframe also offers IT systems analytics capabilities, called IBM zAware. The technology learns from the messages to recognize patterns and quickly pinpoint any deviations, using the information to identify unusual system behavior and minimize its impact.

IBM STG Lab Services will offer services to help with planning, configuration and implementation of IBM zAware.  

The mainframe’s comes with virtualization capabilities meant for private cloud environments. Clients can consolidate thousands of distributed systems on to Linux on zEC12. It also comes with internal solid state technology with Flash Express.

Clients can also opt to run zEC12 without a raised datacenter floor -- a first for high-end IBM mainframes and also comes with new overhead power and cabling support.

zEC12 also incorporates transactional memory technology, first used commercially to help make the IBM Blue Gene/Q-based “Sequoia” system at Lawrence Livermore National Lab the fastest supercomputer in the world.

In zEC12, IBM adapted this technology to enable software to better support concurrent operations that use a shared set of data such as financial institutions processing transactions against the same set of accounts.

“We continue to drive innovation on System z,  allowing a broader set of clients to apply its leadership capabilities in security and resiliency to the current demands of their business, be they from analytics, cloud or mobile computing,” said Doug Balog, general manager IBM System z.  “Our end-to-end design approach for smarter computing -- from processors to systems to software optimization -- is targeted to handle complicated business challenges associated with managing, protecting and analyzing a client's most critical information. It’s what makes the mainframe the ultimate enterprise system.”

IBM introduced the zBX Model 003 to help extend customer’s ability to run integrated and dynamic workloads. The zBX Model 003 is designed to run with zEC12. Like its predecessor, the latest zBX includes specialty processors for specific workloads such as the IBM WebSphere DataPower Integration Appliance XI50 for zEnterprise and select IBM BladeCenter servers, adds the release.

IBM also announced today it is growing its portfolio of System z industry-focused solutions that package software from IBM or ISV partners and services or assets from IBM Global Business Services.