04
Mon, Nov
5 New Articles

IBM Puts Servers on Convergence Path

Analysis of News Events
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Tomorrow morning, Buell Duncan, IBM's General Manager for the iSeries, will be holding an iSeries Nation online chat with customers to discuss his company's strategy for the server. The public briefing could not come at a better time, as the level of speculation about the iSeries' future has been steadily rising over the last several months.

Much of this speculation has focused on what IBM will do once it enables the iSeries to run AIX--the Unix operating system that powers IBM's pSeries servers--within iSeries logical partitions (LPARs). As I reported in an article two months ago, IBM plans to support AIX LPARs on the iSeries with the next major release of OS/400. This release could ship in late 2003, though some IBM sources are indicating that it might slip into the first half of 2004.

Naturally, the iSeries' future support for AIX raises the question of whether IBM will merge the iSeries and pSeries into a single product line. This is currently not a viable option because of the different designs of the two servers' operating systems. For instance, both OS/400 and AIX support LPARs, but their partition managers (known within IBM as "hypervisors") run on different code bases with different characteristics. Here are some of the major dissimilarities between the hypervisors found on OS/400 V5R2 and AIX 5L Version 5.1, the most current version used at pSeries sites:

  • The OS/400 hypervisor supports dynamic LPARs that can be reconfigured without a reboot; the AIX hypervisor does not.
  • The OS/400 hypervisor can create sub-processor LPARs that use as little as one-tenth of a POWER processor; the AIX hypervisor requires LPARs that utilize a full processor.
  • The OS/400 hypervisor can create virtual LANs between LPARs and can assign virtual I/O resources to LPARs; the AIX hypervisor can do neither.
  • The OS/400 hypervisor requires that the primary LPAR run OS/400; the AIX hypervisor requires that primary LPARs run AIX.

Clearly, if the two server lines are to converge and effectively support both iSeries and pSeries customers, they must standardize on a hypervisor that possesses the more advanced LPAR capabilities of the OS/400 hypervisor but does not require iSeries customers to use AIX or pSeries customers to use OS/400. IBM has not made any public statement of its intent to create such a hypervisor. However, sources within IBM are indicating that such a hypervisor--or one highly similar to it--is under development within the pSeries organization. They expect this hypervisor to be ready for the next major release of AIX 5L, which will likely ship in the first half of 2004.

As you may know, the pSeries organization officially announced AIX 5L Version 5.2 two weeks ago and began shipping the release last Friday. Among the enhancements in AIX 5L V5.2 is a hypervisor that supports dynamic LPARs and as many as 32 partitions on 32-way POWER4 servers. The new hypervisor also enables some other useful features, such as the ability to activate a spare processor to replace a failed one without a reboot.

For most iSeries customers, however, what should be more interesting is the AIX development team's plans for AIX 5L Version 5.3. While AIX 5L V5.2 still requires at least one processor per LPAR, AIX 5L V5.3 may support sub-processor LPARs using as little as one-tenth of a CPU--the same requirement as OS/400 V5R2. The next AIX release could also support virtual LANs and virtual I/O services similar to those on the iSeries. Most importantly, the AIX 5L V5.3 hypervisor is expected to host OS/400 within its LPARs as well as AIX and Linux environments. This means that the LPAR support within AIX 5L V5.3 will likely meet all (or at the least, nearly all) of the requirements for a fully converged iSeries and pSeries server family.

There is more to the pSeries organization's plans for iSeries convergence than just LPAR technologies. The group is also increasing its focus on packaging Unix servers that will appeal to mid-market organizations. Historically, the pSeries organization has spent the vast bulk of its marketing resources on large customers running high-end enterprise and e-business applications. Two months ago, however, the group introduced Express Configurations, prepackaged entry-level and midrange pSeries servers that offer significant discounts over custom configurations. Moreover, pSeries product managers are now stating that they intend to go after Sun and Hewlett-Packard in the midmarket in the same way that they have taken on these competitors at the high end with the p690 Regatta server. Indeed, IBM is expected to unveil a powerful midrange server next month that is specifically focused on winning mid-market customers to the pSeries.

In short, IBM's pSeries plans are quietly pointing the way to an iSeries-pSeries convergence in 2004. That is probably not something that Buell Duncan will discuss in his online chat tomorrow, but it is something that I hope he will address soon. So as you listen to Duncan talk about initiatives to make the iSeries more appealing to the IT community, keep IBM's convergence plans in mind. If you feel so inclined, ask him about those plans in the Q&A session. It would be interesting to see what he is ready and willing to say.

Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology. You can reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LEE KROON
Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology.
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: