z9 BC: A Mainframe for the Mid Tier
By Tony Lock
IBM has just announced details of the
IBM System z9 BC. The new platform is designed with all of the key
characteristics with which the mainframe is deservedly associated: namely reliability,
security, availability, and flexible virtualization. In addition, it provides a new
entry point and greatly increased upwards growth potential. The IBM System z9 supports the full range
of speciality engines, operating systems, and system management tools to
allow customers to dynamically allocate its resources in response to
fluctuating business requirements.
Highlights
of the announcement include:
◊
Same low entry point as existing z890 platform;
◊
37% improvement in uniprocessor capacity on existing z890;
◊
Extensive granularity: seventy-three capacity settings;
◊
Improved security: configurable Crypto Express2 and CPAF enhancements;
◊
Enhanced availability capabilities;
◊
Up to eight PUs;
◊
On/Off Capacity on Demand for CPs and speciality engines (zAAP, IFLs,
ICF, zIIP);
◊
Capacity Backup (CBU) for zAAP, IFLs, ICF, zIIP and
CP;
◊
Wide-ranging connectivity enhancements including HiperSockets support
of IPv6 and Ficon Express4;
◊
Supports Linux, z/OS.e, z/VSE, z/VM;
◊
Sub-capacity License Options.
Pricing/Availability
The z9
BC is scheduled to start shipping at the end of May 2006 and is being
positioned by IBM to be the new entry point mainframe system.
Net/Net
The
System z9 BC is being firmly positioned as the entry point mainframe with
extensive, and highly flexible, upgrade capabilities. z9
BC offers a new start point for organizations looking to consolidate diverse
applications onto a secure, highly available, and flexible mainframe. The
System z9 BC brings down the entry cost for mainframe computing and IBM is making available an extensive
range of financing options available to further enhance the attractiveness of
the platform.
Perhaps
unsurprisingly for a mainframe, the announcement of the new System z9 BC and
its larger brother, the System z9 EC, provides readers and potential
customers with a huge volume of detail. Indeed, the sheer versatility of the
System z9 BC in terms of scalability and flexibility of configuration almost
demands a vast catalogue of items and options. However, for organizations
with complex business-critical applications, both those running in traditional
database-driven / transaction-oriented environments and those with “new” J2EE
workloads, the investment in time considering the IBM System z9 BC or EC could easily
be repaid.
In
addition to the System z9's standard processors, the new platforms will also
have the complete existing suite of speciality engines available from day one.
Speciality engines currently available include the System z9 Application
Assist Processor (zAAP) for hosting J2EE workloads as well as the recently
released z9 Integrated Information Processor (zIIP) to accelerate many DB2
based applications while minimizing the associated database license charges.
The other speciality engines, the Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) and
ICFs, are also fully supported. Indeed it should be noted that the IBM System z9 BC and IBM System z9 EC are built on exactly
the same architecture as all other existing System z9 platforms and therefore
will likely benefit over time to developments made for the overall range of
servers. With the System z9 BC IBM is also increasing the range of
encryption offerings with the availability of the configurable Crypto
Express2. Further, IBM has stated that it intends at some stage in the future to develop
outboard data encryption.
Alongside
the new mainframe's entry point comes a new, lower entry cost. It is also
worth noting that the so-called speciality engines are also offered with
lower pricing. zIIP, zAAP, IFL etc. on the z9 BC now
carry a “list price” of $95,000, considerably down from prices previously
offered on the z9 platform. Indeed, IBM has stated that it will be making
considerable efforts to highlight the very wide range of financial offerings
it can bring to bear to make the IBM System z9 even more affordable to
its target mid-market customers. In fact IBM is recommending that organizations
should actively seek out their System z9 sales personnel, whether they be IBM staff or those of one of the
company's channel partners, to discuss what financial acquisition model would
be most beneficial. Through its Global Finance organisation IBM is able to offer a wide range of
financial offerings from which most potential customers should be able to
find an appropriate means to acquire and operate their System z9 BC.
This is
not a re-invention of the mainframe, but is instead another step in the
Server z9's continuing development. It visibly represents IBM's continuing commitment to invest
in extending the mainframe into new arenas. There is every
likelihood that existing mainframe customers will welcome the System
z9 BC and the more powerful System z9 EC. However, it is very clear that in
order to promote the mainframe outside of the existing, and very loyal,
customer base, IBM will need to make significant efforts to educate organizations on the
modern mainframe. This is the case especially in the mid-tier sector of the
market. There is no doubt that the System z9 BC has characteristics that will
appeal to mid-market customers, especially with respect to the system’s very
high availability, performance, and security. The trick will be for IBM and its partner channel to
convince new potential customers that the z9 BC really has been designed for
them. The z9 BC's lower entry point and entry price coupled with its ability
to meet the business needs of customers today deserves to be successful in
attracting new customers to the mainframe. As the central hub of an
integrated IT infrastructure, the IBM System z9 BC has much to
recommend it as the host for business critical secure transaction processing
and data management environments, especially as a consolidation platform.
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