New Servers: IBM Unveils a Powerful, Versatile New Family of AS/400e Servers - Product Announcement

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Feb 15, 1999

IBM Tuesday announced a powerful new line of AS/400e servers with faster processors, increased performance, and greater flexibility to handle multiple business application workloads on a single server. The versatile new AS/400e server line consolidates multiple server models into a smaller, more powerful family.

Each new enterprise server gives customers the ability to customize performance to fit their specific business requirements, whether they are running traditional back-office applications, newer e-business applications or both. The new line consists of AS/400e enterprise servers as well as a more powerful entry model for small to medium businesses. The new entry server is a two-way Model 170 that provides more than two times the performance of the existing model announced just one year ago. These new models extend IBM's fourth-generation 64-bit PowerPC processor technology across the entire AS/400 product line and offer customers a 30 percent average price performance improvement. "This is a major step in the transformation of AS/400," said Debra Thompson, vice president enterprise servers, AS/400. "We've turned another page in the 10-year history of AS/400. Today we offer a totally modern, highly versatile business computer leveraging traditional values of reliability, scalability, security and service with hot new e-business technologies." An AS/400e server can simultaneously host Internet sites, conduct e-business, mine databases, run enterprise Java and native Lotus Domino, and process traditional "bet-your-business" applications like payroll, human resources and other daily business operations securely and reliably without compromising performance. These new hardware models currently run on OS/400 Version 4 Release 3. IBM has also introduced new "logical partitioning" (LPAR) technology and new high availability clustering solutions on the AS/400. Pioneered by S/390 enterprise servers, LPAR on AS/400 enables a single server to operate like 12 separate servers, providing customers an ideal solution for server consolidation, business unit consolidation, mixed production and test environments, and integrated clusters. AS/400 clustering services and technologies will be integrated into the operating system, making it easier to install and manage an AS/400 high-availability cluster. Customers gain a much higher level of flexibility, and the ability to switch users to alternate nodes in AS/400 clusters with minimum disruptions. Other major AS/400 announcements Tuesday include: o Processor and memory enhancements to IBM's Pentium-based Integrated PC Server (IPCS), which is built into AS/400 and runs Windows NT as a companion to AS/400 programs. The IPCS, which handles basic PC file and print functions will have more memory, be powered by a faster Pentium II processor, and will be renamed the IBM Netfinity Server for AS/400. In addition, Citrix Systems has certified its MetaFrame software to run on the Integrated Netfinity Server. MetaFrame allows users to run Windows applications via thin clients, such as the IBM Network Station, directly on the Integrated Netfinity Server. o Operating system (OS/400 Version 4, Release 4) enhancements available later this year such as: o Internet-based Communication and Electronic Commerce: Operating system enhancements will bring improved performance through better caching, improved security, authentication and encryption through integrated virtual private networks (VPN), secure sockets layer technology and anti-spamming technology. In addition, AS/400 gains improved usability through easier configuration, better logging and digital certificate management. Access to IBM WebSphere, Net.Commerce Version 3 and Net.Data will make it simpler to conduct business on the Web. o Universal Database: DB2 Universal Database for AS/400 becomes a fully-fledged member of the DB2 Universal Database family, offering the industry's broadest range of functionality. Along with classical character-based data, the database includes the ability to store large, complex objects such as voice, image and video. As the core of all AS/400 business intelligence solutions, it will offer unique indexing function and performance, vastly reducing query times to deliver business advantage at lightning speed. o Java: IBM has enhanced AS/400's Java performance and added improvements in the Java Virtual Machine, the AS/400 Developer Kit for Java, and the AS/400 Toolbox for Java. In addition, IBM is previewing AS/400 support for Enterprise JavaBeans via WebSphere, while supporting Java Servlets today. This means that AS/400e will be an excellent server for e-business solutions and Enterprise JavaBeans, a programming model that supports scalable, distributed, transaction-oriented, three-tier business applications. o Domino: Support for Lotus Domino 5.0 will be available on OS/400 within seven days of general availability from Lotus. The new Domino for AS/400 release will include a Java editor and class browser for creating Java applications without the need for third-party development tools. o General availability of the AS/400 hardware is scheduled for February 26, 1999. Operating system software (V4R4) will be available May 21, 1999. All AS/400 V4R4 products are Year 2000 ready and Euro currency ready. Additional information about IBM or AS/400 can be found at the IBM homepage at http://www.ibm.com. The AS/400 homepage can be found at http://www.as400.ibm.com.