IBM changes economics of Unix computing

New Delhi: IBM, the world''s largest information technology company, has launched eServer p5, an advanced line of Unix and Linux servers. The new servers use high performance 64-bit Power5 microprocessors and micro partitioning to achieve unprecedented computing performance and reduced costs for a wide range of business and scientific applications. The eServer p5 systems — 5-520, p5-550 and p5-570 Express, are positioned to meet a variety of clients needs, from small to medium-sized businesses to large enterprise-level clients.

With this launch, IBM has changed the Unix computing landscape, by extending beyond traditional Unix servers with mainframe-inspired features providing higher utilisation, massive performance, greater flexibility, and lower IT management costs.

The new p5 systems use from two to 16 POWER5 microprocessors to deliver the most potent performance and scalability ever available on a UNIX platform.

Alok Ohrie, vice president — systems and technology group, IBM India, said, "The Power5 microprocessor will transform the technology landscape and economics of owning and running UNIX systems."

IBM eServer p5 systems allow server consolidation and mixed workloads on a single system. It has the capability to run multiple operating systems like AIX, Linux, etc simultaneously. The new AIX 5L v5.3 operating system also enables clients to reduce costs taking advantage of mainframe inspired characteristics in reliability, scalability and business continuity.

The IBM eServer p5 systems have already set performance records in diverse applications like:

• TPC-C running DB2 — p5-570 holds the record for the fastest 16-way result, is the only 16-way system in the TPC-C top ten list by performance and in transactions per minute (tpm) calculations, beats a 16-way HP Integrity system by 269 per cent and a 64-way HP PA-RISC system by 49 per cent.
• SAP — p5-570 holds the record for the fastest eight-way result and beats Sun by 333 per cent, and the record for the fastest 16-way result beating HP by 73 per cent.
• LINPACK HPC — the p5-570 set records for the fastest four-way, eight-way and 16-way non-vector performance in the industry, beating a four-way HP Integrity server by 27 per cent, an eight-way HP Integrity server by 21 per cent and a 16-way HP Integrity server by 16 per cent.