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IBM's eServer i5 Technology

A Powerful New Hardware Solution

PFW Password - Fall 2004 IBM recently unveiled its eServer i5, designed to increase processing power, facilitate on-demand computing, and further network server integration for small to medium-sized businesses. IBM describes the eServer i5 in the following statement:

"Geared for the constantly changing requirements of today's on-demand businesses, the new IBM eServer i5-the most recent member of the iSeries family-can deliver the power and capacity to run core business and e-business applications simultaneously on the same server. Exactly what you need to help reduce complexity, lower risk, drive down costs and drive up productivity in the on-demand era." (www.ibm.com)

The eServer i5 features the new POWER5T processor, which allows for simultaneous multithreading and turns a single processor into two processors; 64-bit processing; virtualization engine technology, in which the management and sharing of network resources are dealt with in relation to demand; and logical partitioning, where processing power can be divided so that workloads are handled effectively.

The Virtualization Engine provides the flexibility to divide systems based on the POWER5 into as many as 10 partitions per processor. For example, a two-way box could be sliced into 20 partitions. Ian Jarman, manager of IBM's midrange iSeries servers, says, "Virtual Engine is designed to give customers the ability to get great utilization of their systems by sharing and pooling assets they have and then managing multiple operating systems and different partitions together."

arman continues, "We have this concept of an on-demand operating environment, and what we're trying to create is a server that ultimately can run all the applications that a business needs. What we're focusing on is integration, virtualization and management of these operating systems so that you can share resources across AIX and OS/400, for example, and then automatically adjust the system and move capacity where you need it." ("Venerable IBM server carries on" - Jennifer Mears, Network World, January 12, 2004)

"This is a very strong signal from IBM as to where the iSeries is going," said Jarman, "We're saying we're continuing to invest [in the iSeries platform]." ("IBM forges new ground with next gen iSeries, V5R3" - Kate Evans-Correia, Search400.com, May 2, 2004)

PFW customer and 520 purchaser Wyatt Akers, of Bobcat of Fort Wayne, remarks, "Wow, we can't get over the speed difference-it's night and day. Our upgrade took only 2.5 hours to complete-it used to be about 10 hours. We actually left the office at closing time."

Doug Slimmon of Western Sales has just had his eServer i5 installed, and is impressed: "We sprang for the faster processor and have absolutely no regrets. The machine is very small, but its size does not do justice to its speed. Before the i5, a system save took over 8 hours and the nightly runs (billing run, database and backup) were approximately 2.5 hours. Now, the save is 23 minutes and the nightly operations are 13 minutes. The only 'problem' is the adjustment to work habits: It used to be when you were running nightly operations you were able to go and get a cup of coffee, but now it's done before you can grab the cup!"