Redesigned System x, BladeCenter and iDataPlex Maximize New Intel Processor,
Set Double-Digit Standards for Energy Management, Cost Reduction, Risk Control
-- Systems with 92 percent energy efficiency;
-- New blade burns through 2x transactions per minute at 1,333 ghz
-- IBM innovations translate to yearly energy savings of up to $100 per server.
ARMONK, NY – March 30, 2009 – IBM (NSYE: IBM) today unveiled a re-designed lineup of the company’s Intel-based servers that enables customers to roll out new cloud-style datacenters and prune back costs associated with management, energy use and security. This new generation of technology maximizes the power and performance found in the latest Intel quad-core processor technology – the Xeon 5500 Series.
Today’s System x announcements represent IBM’s most comprehensive upgrade to its family of x86 products. At their core, the new systems boast significant processor performance improvements, including up to 3.5-times more bandwidth for technical computing; 2.25-times more performance for enterprise computing; and nearly double the power capabilities for compute-intensive software such as business intelligence applications(?).
IBM has engineered four new x86-based servers to not only maximize processor performance, but deliver unique capabilities that address key challenges in today’s modern data center, where hefty costs for power usage and IT management pile up while processors sit idle and under-utilized.
Additionally, the company has revamped and simplified IBM System’s Director management suite – version 6.1 blends the best of IBM software brands such as Tivoli and allows clients to manage multiple, virtualized environments.
“These solutions represent thirty plus years of IBM systems excellence,” said Adalio Sanchez, general manager, IBM Modular Systems. “The System x family continues to add powerful hardware and simplified management tools using an open engineering approach. The result is a base of open-source software support that is wider and deeper than anything competitors can offer in the commodity server market.”
New IBM Servers: High Power in Efficient Packages
IBM System x3550 M2 and x3650 M2
The two-socket, enterprise rack servers IBM System x3550 M2 and x3650 M2 feature an all-new thermal design, new voltage regulators and higher integration on the board to simplify power distribution and reduce energy loss. This helps offer better than 92 percent energy efficient performance – or up to 60 percent reduction in power when idle and up to 25 percent reduction when fully utilized. These innovations translate to a yearly cost savings of up to $100 per server.
IBM BladeCenter HS22
A workhorse blade with breakneck speed, the two-socket IBM BladeCenter HS22 features a memory capacity up to 96GB and computing speeds up to 1,333MHz, which allows this blade to process twice as many transactions per minute compared to its predecessors. Also, in maximizing the new Intel Xeon processor, the HS22 is able to do so with power savings up to 10 percent during peak workloads, and 30 percent when idle. In addition, the HS22 is backwards compatible with all BladeCenter enterprise and office chassis, maximizing investments already made.
IBM System x iDataPlex dx360 M2
For data centers where space is a premium, the IBM System x iDataPlex dx360 M2 provides 50 percent more density than standard 1U servers, while also satisfying high performance computing needs with four-times the memory capacity than comparable technology. The new system also features flexibility of configurations within the solution with compute, I/O, storage configurations, and wide array of options for networking.
Systems Management Leadership
IBM today is also announcing key system management tools designed to complement its new generation of x86 systems, and help IT managers orchestrate the unique workload demands of their modern data centers:
IBM Systems Director 6.1
The new IBM Systems Director 6.1 provides easy-to-use, powerful tools such as energy monitors, a web-based user interface and integrated wizards/tutorials, for managing both physical and virtual resources. It delivers broad cross-platform support including IBM Power Systems, System z, storage and non-IBM x86 servers, with a potential cost savings that can reach 34.5 percent for Windows servers and 43.8 percent for Linux x86 servers.
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)
As the next-generation replacement for BIOS-based firmware, the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) provides a richer management experience and removes the limit on number of adapter cards – a key importance for virtualized environments. In addition, the UEFI provides an ability to remotely configure machines via command scripts, centralizing the management of field devices.
Integrated Management Module (IMM)
The Integrated Management Module (IMM) combines diagnostics, virtual presence and remote control to manage, monitor, troubleshoot and repair from any corner of the world. Its standards-based alerting also enables “out-of-the-box” integration into enterprise management environments.
ToolCenter
From its ability to create bootable media (CD, DVD or USB) with updates customized for clients’ systems to providing a single webpage to acquire tools, the ToolCenter establishes a common look and feel across an entire tool set. This maximizes tool usage and reduces training.
About IBM
For more information about IBM, System x, BladeCenter and iDataPlex, visit www.ibm.com/systems
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Contact:
Sebastian Drews
Media Relations
IBM Schweiz AG
Vulkanstrasse 106
CH-8802 Zürich
Phone: +41 58 333 5127
sebastian.drews@ch.ibm.com