23
Sat, Nov
1 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. News
  4. Cloud News
  5. Managed Services / SaaS
  6. IBM to Infuse Power Systems into SoftLayer, Bolstering Big Data in the Cloud

IBM to Infuse Power Systems into SoftLayer, Bolstering Big Data in the Cloud

Managed Services / SaaS
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

IBM announced that SoftLayer is integrating IBM Power Systems into their cloud infrastructure that is expected to deliver a level and breadth of services beyond what has traditionally been available over the cloud.  IBM also announced new services and tools that will help organizations deploy hybrid and private cloud environments.
 
Taking advantage of IBM's Power Systems line of servers built for Big Data demands, SoftLayer can help clients seeking cutting-edge technologies and tools to help them better capture, understand and leverage increasing volumes of data.
 
Additionally, the IBM Platform Computing Cloud Service will deliver a simplified management and a seamless user experience for hybrid cloud deployments.
 
Further bolstering the IBM cloud portfolio, IBM Wave for z/VM will provide rapid insight into an organization’s virtualized infrastructure with intelligent visualization, simplified monitoring and unified management.
 
Power Brings SoftLayer to Watson
 
Last month IBM publicly committed $1.2 billion to expand IBM's global cloud footprint.  In particular, IBM plans to deliver cloud services from 40 data centers worldwide in 15 countries and five continents globally, including North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
 
Beginning next quarter and continuing over time, SoftLayer's first service built on Power Systems will be IBM Watson solutions followed by additional offerings leveraging Power Systems' advantages of optimization for data and analytics performance. The preliminary set of planned offerings includes:
 
·         Watson solutions  -- includes Watson Discovery Advisor, Watson Engagement Advisor and The Watson Development Cloud, a platform as a service that contains the technology, tools, SDKs and APIs that enable third parties to design, develop and deploy cognitive applications;
·         Software as a Service -- includes a wide range of data services optimized on Power Systems including IBM's DB2 BLU and IBM Cognos analytics solutions; and
·         Infrastructure as a Service -- bare metal Power Systems will be offered to clients as an on-demand infrastructure platform.
 
Today's news comes less than a year after IBM acquired SoftLayer.  Shortly after the acquisition was complete, the IBM Power Systems and SoftLayer development teams came together to rapidly design and test Power Systems optimized for the SoftLayer environment.
 
"Once our development teams began testing Power Systems in the SoftLayer environment, Power's competitive advantage immediately became clear," said Lance Crosby, IBM SoftLayer CEO.  "The performance and efficiencies inherent in Power Systems are a real game-changer -- particularly when it comes to building out modern, adaptable cloud environments that can handle the next level of Big Data coming our way.  The combination of SoftLayer and Power Systems will allow us to take cloud computing to a new level, providing customers with services they hadn't thought were possible."
 
Hybrid Clouds for Compute Intensive Environments
 
The second element of today’s announcement is the new IBM Platform Computing Cloud Service, a ready-to-run cluster in the cloud – complete with workload management, SoftLayer infrastructure and the support of a dedicated cloud operations team. With IBM Platform Computing Cloud Service organizations can rapidly extend resources to physical, non-shared infrastructure in the SoftLayer cloud to quickly accommodate peaks in demand without being concerned about performance.
 
Advances in high performance applications are enabling analysts, researchers, scientists and engineers to run more complex and detailed simulations and analyses in a bid to gather game-changing insights and deliver new products to market. This is placing greater demand on existing IT infrastructures, driving a need for instant access to resources – compute, storage, and network – as well as high performing workload and resource management. With IBM Platform Computing Cloud Service, organizations can access SoftLayer’s cloud resources on a temporary basis without the need to acquire, install and configure the infrastructure in-house. IBM Platform LSF or Platform Symphony software is provisioned on SoftLayer and the on-premise infrastructure, expanding capacity as needed by seamlessly bursting jobs from on-premise to secure off-premise resources. With on-demand access to additional resources, organizations are able to quickly adapt to changing business needs and get their products or research out of the door faster.
 
IBM Platform Computing Cloud Service will be provide an end-to-end hybrid cloud environment to organizations running compute-intensive analytics and technical computing applications. With the acquisition of SoftLayer and Platform Computing, IBM offers clients the benefit of providing both in one complete solution, with the addition of industry expertise to provide support.  
 
Virtual Clouds for the Mainframe
 
IBM is also introducing IBM Wave for z/VM, a virtualization management tool for managing IBM z/VM and Linux virtual servers, that makes first-time private cloud deployments easier. IBM acquired the technology with the purchase of Israeli-based virtualization company CSL International. IBM Wave makes tasks in Linux on System z environments easier with automation, intelligent visualization, simplified monitoring and unified management.

IBM Wave can help improve productivity and operational efficiency of managing complex server environments. It offers policy-based virtual server provisioning and scaling to handle the most complex installations. Internal tests conducted with IBM Wave demonstrated that it reduced time needed to conduct common and administrative tasks by more than 50 percent.
 
The amount of complexity involved in technical computing and analytics today requires the right mix of computing models that can seamlessly meet unique business needs while improving the efficiency and ensuring service continuity and reliability. IBM Wave can help organizations transition effortlessly to a private cloud environment by simplifying and automating the administration and operations of z/VM and Linux virtual servers.
 
As a component of the IBM Enterprise Linux Server, IBM Wave will also make it easier for new clients to take advantage of mainframe qualities of service. With 78 of the top 100 System z Customers running Linux on the mainframe [1], this ability will become increasingly critical for IBM clients.
 
IBM Systems and Technology Group offers a full range of offerings supporting public, private and hybrid cloud implementations that integrate with IBM's cloud software and services. The portfolio includes IBM System x racks and BladeCenter, NeXtScale, PureFlex, Power Systems, System z servers, and IBM Storage solutions.
 
For more information on IBM cloud computing, go to www.ibm.com/cloud.
 
For more information on IBM Power Systems, go to www.ibm.com/power.

 

[1] Statistic based on client implementations as of 4Q 2013
[2] Statements regarding future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice.

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.

For more information, visit: www.ibm.com.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: