September 2012

POWER SYSTEMS NEWSLETTER

UNITED STATES - EAST

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IBM PureFlex System By Doug Herman – [email protected]

In April 2012, IBM announced the world’s first expert integrated systems, the IBM PureSystems product family: IBM PureFlex and IBM PureApplication Systems.

These two new members of the IBM PureSystems family are unique because they combine decades of IBM expertise in development and design of servers, storage, networking and virtualization to improve efficiency of infrastructure resources. These are cloud ready and the middleware is optimized and uses patterns of expertise so that hardware

and software are tuned for the workload.

The IBM PureFlex System is an Infrastructure as a Service system, with compute nodes, storage, networking, physical and virtual management and entry cloud management.

The compute nodes can be any combination of two and four socket POWER7 servers along with two socket Sandy Bridge nodes. PowerLinux compute nodes come in two and four socket configurations that run RedHat and SUSE .

The storage is Storwize V7000, which provides High Performance block storage, thin provisioning and advanced replication features: Flash Copy and Metro / Global Mirroring. The Storwize V7000 uses Easy Tier with SSD and HDD storage for automated storage balancing.

There are two options for networking. The first is a QLogic 8 gigabit fibre channel switch that provides 14 internal and 6 external connections in either configurable or pass-thru options. The other is a Brocade 16 gigabit fibre channel switch in 12 port combination of internal or external ports. The switches are integrated in the PureFlex chassis.

The most important component of the IBM PureFlex is the management. The Flex System Manager is an appliance that provides integrated & Power server, storage and network management.

All basic and advanced functions preloaded Easy to use (Wizard) multi-chassis management Full POWER Node functionality (e.g. Live Partition Mobility, dual VIO Virtualization Management including resource pools Robust security (Centralized User management, Security Policy) Integrated LDAP and NTP servers for private management network Energy Monitoring and Management Active/Passive failover to redundant Management appliance Multiple are supported, PowerVM, VMware, KVM, and Hyper-V

Why IBM PureFlex System Running IBM Software Smokes the Competition

All the IBM middleware is optimized to run on POWER7. Software like DB2, WebSphere, Cognos, SPSS, Rational, Lotus and Tivoli are able to take advantage of POWER7 processor capabilities (4x threads per core, intelligent threading, cache affinity, and processor binding). This delivers the best possible performance and value when compared to x86 performance.

For more information on PureSystems go to: http://www.ibm.com/ibm/puresystems/us/en/pf_overview.html

In the next newsletter, we will explore the IBM PureApplication System.

Capacity on Demand Licensing Implications By Rick Milton – [email protected]

IBM offers several variants of Capacity on Demand (CoD) on the Power 770, Power 780, and Power 795 model systems. This is nothing new, as it was also available on POWER5 and POWER6 machines. What is also not new, but you may be unaware of, is that using CoD can affect what you pay for software – this time, in a good way.

First, let’s note a subtle distinction. Capacity Upgrade on Demand (CUoD) is used to permanently activate processor cores. On/Off, Utility, and Trial CoD allows you to temporarily activate processor cores.

When you permanently activate cores, all Processor Value Unit (PVU) core based licenses increase – which means you have to add additional software licenses. PVU based software includes the Operating Systems (AIX, IBM i, Linux), System Software (PowerHA, PowerVM, IBM Systems Director, PowerSC), and any IBM middleware.

This is not the case when leveraging temporary activations (On/Off, Utility, or Trial CoD). In that case, Operating Systems (Linux may vary) and all IBM Systems Software are available for use at no additional cost. IBM middleware offers a daily usage charge.

User based licenses are not affected by any type of CoD. Tier entitlement also never changes.

Hopefully this illustrates yet another value that the higher end of the IBM Power Systems product line offers you. To learn more, please see the IBM Capacity on Demand Users Guide for POWER7 Systems available on the Capacity on Demand website: http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/hardware/cod/index.html

PowerLinux, See For Yourself By Kevin McCombs - [email protected]

Have your sales and technical specialists talked to you about IBM's PowerLinux offerings? If so, I bet you are still wondering, what is this about and how does it differ from simply running Linux on a Power 7 server. First, a little review. IBM has created PowerLinux servers to compete directly with Linux on x86, not AIX workloads. We determined that an overwhelming majority of customers purchase 1-2 socket Linux servers, so that is the market we targeted. These servers are aggressively priced to beat x86 and VMware, and are unable to run AIX In this issue workloads. Admittedly, we Power sellers do a much better job of selling AIX than we do Linux because that's what we know best. So, here are a few resources for customers to learn more IBM PureFlex about PowerLinux and how it might fit in to their data centers. System

To get started, visit the PowerLinux site www.ibm.com/powerlinux. Here you will find a variety Capacity on of resources that will help you understand our value proposition including Demand Licensing Implications An Edison Group study that shows how you can realize up to 525% better performance with

PowerVM over VMware. PowerLinux, What ITIC thinks of the feasibility IBM's PowerLinux strategy See for Yourself A direct pipeline to Linux developers for technical questions at "Meet the Experts" and "Join the PowerLinux Community" New RFID Tags: Why PowerLinux reliability matters for Open Source Infrastructure Services The Ultimate How you can build your own Watson-like Big Data Analytics Solution using PowerLinux and Power Systems Apache Hadoop Convenience

Smarter Computing Workload Simulator

AIXpert Blog

Rochester Customer Solution Center

New RFID Tags: The Ultimate Power Systems Convenience By - Annie Broadhurst - [email protected]

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags were established for the main purpose of protecting one’s assets. Whether that asset is a product or a pet, these tags have provided increased protection from theft, misplacement, and loss. In addition to protecting your assets, they also help with inventory tracking.

In October 2009, RFID tags were introduced to the IBM Power Systems family. This system of convenient labeling would be new and revolutionary to the Power Systems brand, offering the ability to more easily track assets.

Although the RFID’s did provide more ease of use for tracking assets, the location was somewhat problematic. For example, on a Power Systems 701 Blade, the RFID is located underneath a piece of black plastic which must be pulled back to view the serial number and machine type. To identify a specific piece of hardware, it became a more complex task.

The July 2012 announcement regarding the new RFID tags for Power Systems servers, compute nodes, chassis, racks, and HMC’s will provide the Ultimate Power System Convenience. The RFID tags will be located on the front of all new machines, which are introduced as a hinged tag for easy access and maneuverability. The tag is transparent, making identification of the serial number and machine type much simpler. The size of the tag is also smaller providing a better design on compact servers.

The new RFID tag (feature code ERF1) is available in the IBM PureFlex Systems family and newly purchased Power Systems “C” models. They meet the Financial Services Technology Consortium (FSTC) specifications for IT Data Center Asset Tracking.

July Announcement Letter 2012 (112-121)

IBM Power Systems Technical University

Oct. 29th - Nov. 2nd, 2012, Las Vegas, NV

http://www-03.ibm.com/certify/certs/ps_index.shtml Smarter Computing Workload Simulator By Dave Levites – [email protected]

Quick question: What would it take to consolidate a particular IT area, say a web server farm or the back office financial systems? What would the ballpark cost benefits be? Well, it’s often a tall order to come up with those specifics…and before clients were to take on such a detailed study, perhaps it would be useful to see if it would even be worth the effort and expense. To help fill that gap, IBM has put out a publicly available tool that provides a simple, quick to execute and visually easy to digest ROI (Return on Investment) and TCA (Total Cost of Acquisition) analysis in just a few minutes time.

The “Smarter Computing Workload Simulator” was developed by IBM based on over 500 actual migrations of SPARC, Itanium and x86 servers to an IBM Power virtualized environment. This tool starts with a selection of a type of business (e.g. Retail, Banking, etc) and then prompts for the general computing area involved, for example: OLTP, analytics, or back office workloads. The user then specifies how many of what size servers they have across the three competing chip platforms: x86 (2 or 4-core), SPARC or Itanium (2-64 cores). Now, simply click the “Compare to Power Systems” button and a short table will appear showing, for the existing environment and a typical Power solution, the going-forward projections in terms of IT, Operating and Strategic costs. A drill down into each of those areas will provide a graphic breakdown of the sub-component costs that make up the total. In addition, a PDF download report is available with many more details.

Of course, this isn’t the exhaustive study one would undertake before committing to a specific direction, but it does offer, and what IBM hopes to prove, some eye-opening cost metrics that could make the Power virtualized environment a really winner for your company.

To access the tool, please visit: http://www.ibm.com/common/sc/simulator and select “Power Systems”

AIXpert Blog By Rick Milton – [email protected]

Have you every wondered when the next nmon Analyzer would be out… or perhaps what the experts think about how Workload Partitions stack up against “extreme mirco-partitioning”? Well, there is a blog out there called the AIXpert. The most recent post (Sept. 3rd, 2012) discusses employing the IBM Systems Director CLI (command line interface) to query the license landscape.

Check out the AIXpert Blog here: https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/?lang=en_us

AIX Whitepapers - http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/software/aix/whitepapers/index.html

Power Systems Technical Guide - http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/hardware/reports/factsfeatures.html

IBM Systems Energy Estimator - http://www-912.ibm.com/see/EnergyEstimator

AIX Release Strategy - http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/software/aix/support/release_strategy.html

IBM Rochester Customer Solution Center Useful Links: By John Schmidt - [email protected] IBM Redbooks

Are you in a hurry to get that new system deployed and into production? Do you need “AIX Movies” to deploy systems in multiple remote locations and either don't have the local staff to Power Systems Home implement or can't afford the time and money it takes to send skilled personnel to each location? If these or similar constraints are impeding your ability to meet your Fix Central project schedule, the IBM Rochester Customer Solution Center may be able to help. AIX Virtual User Group

The IBM Rochester Customer Solution Center (RCSC) can assist you in meeting your Facts and Features project goals, by providing customized system solutions, including software and Dare to Compare hardware integration services, prior to shipping your order from the plant. These services can be provided for the IBM Power Systems product (AIX and i), as well as IBM Systems Forums System x, PC and other IBM/OEM equipment. This allows the end customer to have a Power Systems Wiki complete and operational system that is easy-to-install and ready-to-use.

While the RSCS can provide many customized services, one common offering is In case you preloading customer designated software onto a system. This includes preloading IBM, ISV and customer software, addressing host devices, loading distribution tapes, missed it: packaging documentation and other unique customer requirements. By Rick Milton

th Prior to the order process, the customer works with the RSCS to create a statement of On August 30 , the AIX work and provides the required software images and system configuration to be Virtual User Group held a loaded. When the order is placed, special feature codes are included with the session on PowerSC. configuration to flag the order in manufacturing. This allows the RSCS to complete the Rosa Davidson (IBM required software installation and other integration required prior to shipping the order Advanced Technical to the customer location. Thus, the system arrives with software loaded and Skills) presented an in configured to customer standards, minimizing the amount of time and work needed to depth review of this place the system into production. security and compliance offering for IBM Power The Rochester CSC is just 1 of 7 locations in the Global CSC Network. So if your Systems. plans call for frequent shipments to international locations, CSC sites in Canada, China, France, India, Japan & Mexico can also be utilized. They can deliver, any Charts and Replay: brand, any sector, any geography. The GCSC provides innovative solution integration Replay and delivery services, utilizing Global IBM ISC skills and capabilities. They operate from centers worldwide utilizing globally standardized factory direct 'solutions in a box' processes.

You can find more information, including who to contact to engage the Rochester Customer Solution Center at: http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/i/support/rcsc/index.html