AIX 6 open beta -- IBM is offering access to a pre-release version of AIX 6 during the no-charge open beta. AIX 6 provides support for the advanced features of the new IBM POWER6 systems and will include significant new capabilities for virtualization, security, continuous availability features and manageability. AIX 6 is fully binary compatible with AIX 5L, and its new workload partition (WPAR) feature allows isolation of system workloads and regulation of system resources within a single AIX image. WPARs are virtualized operating system environments within a single instance of the operating system. WPARs complement other virtualization tools such as LPAR.

For more information on AIX 6 and the open beta program

see: www14.software.ibm.com/iwm/web/cc/earlyprograms/ibm/aix6beta/

Soon IBM Business Partners can try the AIX 6 open beta pre-installed and ready to use in VLP. With this beta offering, you will receive easy, no-cost access to an AIX 6 image with the standard AIX global environment plus two ready-to-use system WPARs to develop, test or demonstrate your solutions. Using VLP, you will be able to test the installation, deployment and operation of your application in one or more AIX system WPAR. Look for this capability planned for availability in VLP in September 2007.

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There have been many changes in the Virtual Loaner Program offering recently, and we wanted to highlight some new capabilities, some things you might not know, and some things that are coming soon.

New VLP URL -- VLP now has a new "vanity" URL, that is, one that is much easier to remember, type in to a browser, or send to a friend or colleague. The new URL is http://ibm.com/systems/vlp

IBM POWER6 architecture now available -- On May 22, 2007 IBM announced the IBM System p™ 570 server, based on the innovative IBM POWER6™ processor technology. Combining the fastest-ever IBM Power Architecture™ technology with enhanced virtualization capabilities and reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) functions, the p570 offers outstanding performance and new capabilities designed to help ease administrative burdens and increase system utilization. POWER6 processor technology includes simultaneous multi-threading and hardware decimal floating point capability.

VLP now provides POWER6 architecture System p logical partitions (LPARs) with IBM AIX® 5.3 TL06 (AIX 5.3J) preinstalled and ready to use.

p AVE Beta Program -- IBM System p Application Virtual Environment for x86 Linux (System p AVE) supports the installation and running of most 32-bit x86 Linux applications on any System p model with POWER5™ or later technology. It creates an x86 Linux application environment running on POWER processor-based systems by dynamically translating x86 instructions to Power Architecture instructions. This feature can help you expand your addressable market to Linux on POWER servers at minimal to no cost by allowing you to run your existing x86 Linux applications in a POWER environment.

VLP provides System p partitions with System p AVE-enabled RHEL4 Linux installed, ready for your remote access. For more information, see http://ibm.com/systems/p/linux/systempave.html, or send an e-mail to LoP@us.ibm.com.

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The VLP has successfully moved to a new data center. The VLP web interface and all active reservations were up at 12:00pm CST on Monday. The new data center provides more room for growth, better power protection and spiffy new gleaming white floor tiles. More details to come...[Read More]

THE VLP IS MOVING!
The Virtual Loaner Program website and systems will be unavailable from 12:01AM CDT (GMT-06:00) on Friday, July 13, 2007 through 12:01 AM CDT (GMT-06:00) on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 as we move all VLP systems to a new Data Center. Please plan your work accordingly. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this extended outage may cause, but it is necessary as we continue to grow the VLP. We do not anticipate any major issues during the move -- all VLP systems will simply be shutdown, moved to the new location, and then restarted. Any active reservations that span the move period will be active and available again on Tuesday. If your reservation is scheduled to end during the outage period, it will be removed during the outage. We recommend that you save or backup any critical information on your active VLP reserved systems to a non-VLP repository prior to the move. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact us using the "VLP Support" tab on your reservation page at---> www.ibm.com/systems/vlp

Thank you for your continued interest, usage, and support of the VLP.[Read More]

Welcome to the Virtual Loaner Program blog. Here you will find the latest information, helpful tips, future enhancements and answers to questions you have about the VLP. We are here to help you get the most out your VLP experience. Please post your comments, suggestions, cheers or jeers. We would really like to hear directly from you. We want to know how you are using the VLP and your experiences with the VLP.

If you haven't heard of the Virtual Loaner Program or wonder what it is exactly, here is a short video entitled "VLP Magic"

VLP Magic

Click play to watch video

We look forward to hearing from you.[Read More]