IBM has unveiled its latest mainframe, theSystem
z10. The product is designed to improve
performance and reduce power requirements and cooling
costs.
The new machine, based on quad-core technology, is equivalent,
in terms of performance to nearly 1,500 x86 servers, according to
IBM. The z10 is designed to be up to 50% faster and offers up to
100% performance improvement for CPU-intensive jobs compared with
its predecessor, the z9, with up to 70% more capacity, IBM
said.
IBM said the new mainframe would also consume 85% less energy
and have a footprint that is up to 85% smaller.
With the introduction of this new server, users who could not
previously afford the high-end z9 model may be able to pick one up
at a significant discount, said Joel Owens, president and CEO of
mainframe consultant Top Gun technology. In a
recent article, he found that the average price per Mip
(millions of instructions per second) of a used z9 was under £507,
significantly less than the £1,268 price per MIP of new z9
hardware.
The server is able to run Linux, XML, Java, WebSphere and
increased workloads from service oriented architecture (SOA)
implementations, IBM said. IBM is also working with Sun
Microsystems and Sine Nomine Associates to pilot the Open Solaris
operating system on System z.
The 64-processor z10 has been designed to automate the
provisioning of processing power when needed to address changing
business conditions. IBM said this could be used in financial
services and retail institutions where an IT manager can schedule
and automatically provision pre-set levels of processing power to
manage spikes in demand.
IBM has also begun shipping DB2 for z/OS Value Unit Edition,
which is licensed as a one-time-charge offering that enables the
deployment of new application workloads. This offering strengthens
the role of System z as a cornerstone for key business initiatives
such as SOA, data warehousing, business intelligence and packaged
applications such as SAP. DB2 for z/OS Value Unit Edition and IBM
Information Server enable System z clients to further deliver
trusted information for their dynamic warehousing requirements.
IBM also plans to add Master Data Management capabilities to
System z in the second half of this year. This will include the
InfoSphere Master Data Management Server for Linux on System z,
which allows businesses to centrally manage customer, product, and
account data for use across an enterprise.