17
Sun, Nov
2 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. MORE
  4. Commentary
  5. Analysis of News Events
  6. In the Wheelhouse: IBM PureFlex Solution for IBM i Casts a Wider Net

In the Wheelhouse: IBM PureFlex Solution for IBM i Casts a Wider Net

Analysis of News Events
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

In this edition, we'll cover IBM's PureFlex Solution for IBM i, specifically focused toward the SMB market. Plus, IBM announces more Power Linux Centers in New York and Austin along with proposed Linux KVM support in 2014.

 

Get Ready for a Data Center in a Can...SMB Style

With running themes of "integration by design" and a "simplified experience," IBM PureSystems has been a relative hit in the worldwide server community, shipping over 4,000 units since its announcement just over a year ago. The fundamental characteristics of the AS/400 and now IBM i on Power Systems that inspired the descriptors for the IBM PureSystems family have come full circle as IBM announced the IBM PureFlex Solution for IBM i.

 

As per the PureFlex Solution for IBM i website:

 

Small and midsized businesses need to focus on running the business, not running IT. You need affordable systems that you can rely on to run your business, systems that support the applications you need, protect your data and help serve your customers.

 

The IBM PureFlex Solution for IBM i can help you meet this need. Instead of maintaining multiple rack or tower systems, you can run your business in a single footprint consisting of a mix of server technologies and workloads including both POWER and x86 based compute nodes. The IBM PureFlex Solution for IBM i can be the perfect alternative to complex distributed environments reaping the benefits of centralized management and resource sharing.

 

Chief Architect Steve Will says this in the promotional video for the PureFlex Solution for IBM i:

 

Before the PureFlex system, the customer would have to plan with many different vendors, across many different tools, to buy and then implement their technology. This costs time and money in planning and in implementation. It really was a waste compared to what they could do with a PureFlex system.

 

You'll also want to check out Steve Will's blog, where guest blogger Jeff Howard, IBM's Vice President of Marketing for PureFlex Systems, gives some insight into the reasoning and history behind the need for an SMB- and IBM i-geared PureFlex system.

 

I've mentioned a number of times in the last year about a PureSystems option for IBM i customers in the mid-market space. The question I've most heard is regarding the tipping point for moving from a Power Systems and x86-64 environment to PureSystems. After many conversations with IBMers and IBM Business Partners, that answer was a little hard to pinpoint. Up until now, shops with middle-tier Power Systems machines and a small x86-64 server farm really didn't have a great idea what the stepping stone into the Pure family was. How do you market the original PureSystems solutions to a high portion of IBM i customers? The option didn't exist. Actually, according to the specs I've heard through word of mouth, it still doesn't really exist for a lot of the smaller Power 720 customers using a couple of cores...but it's getting very much closer. This solution, to me, is technically more on the mid-size business level because I heard it's two eight-core POWER7+ processors in the P10 software tier with all 16 cores active and the ability to scale to double that size, meaning four processors and 32 cores. While these are much bigger pants to wear for the majority of IBM i customers in the Power 720 range, this PureFlex edition opens up an option to many more IBM i and Power Systems customers wanting to consolidate down to one small footprint.

 

The acquisition cost into the Pure family is also brought down significantly. IBM doesn't have any publishable numbers I can point you to, but the scuttlebutt coming out of the IBM Edge conference is that it's a fairly deep discount with a built-in five days worth of help from IBM Lab Services. As someone who's taken advantage of IBM Lab Services a few months ago, I can attest that they're worth the price. Given that this is a specialized system and fairly new in the marketplace, the use of IBM Lab Services would be recommended even if they weren't included by default as part of the deal. With Lab Services, it's almost like guaranteeing a success in implementation and the training of your staff because the experts are holding your hand through it.

 

The fact that IBM is bringing a lower-end PureFlex system to market is great news as it has a better chance for adoption due to the much wider net being cast, which would help strengthen and grow IBM i in the marketplace. If you're reading this article, then that's important to you. And hey, it's a great system. The ability to run IBM i, AIX, Power Linux, x86-64 Linux, and Windows all in the same chassis? The shared storage and networking with the management tools, virtualization, and all the trimmings? Nobody else builds a machine that gets close to those kinds of options.

 

What I'd like to see would be the next step in the PureFlex family, a system for the IBM i bread and butter: Power 720 customers with only a handful of Power cores needing activation and the ability to support up to 20–25 x86-64 servers. As the cost of manufacturing PureSystems goes down, perhaps we'll eventually see something like that in the future. With the push to consolidate or cloud, the real value of future systems is the integration, consolidation, simplification, energy efficiency...it's the modern "do more with less." Every customer wants the ability to tune up an operating instance pre-configured for a workload and to manage it with less effort and less staff. So stay tuned. Once the official specs and prices have been released, I'll be sure to talk about them in detail.

And Power Linux Too!

And speaking of good news about all things Power, IBM also announced that the next Power Linux Centers (yes, there's even more to come) would be opening in Austin, TX and New York, NY. IBM opened a Power Linux Center in Beijing back in May to take advantage of the massively growing Linux server market in China. Resources at these centers are to include the following:

 

  • Linux training workshops that show developers how to program, port, and optimize their applications using Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server technologies on Power Systems.
  • Hands-on assistance from dedicated Linux and IBM systems experts to show developers how to take advantage of IBM's unique POWER7+ parallel processing and advanced virtualization capabilities.
  • Access to IBM's business consulting experts and Business Partner resources to develop joint go-to-market strategies for Power Systems- and Linux-based solutions.

 

With server sales relatively disappointing across the board from all major technology companies, IBM sees Power Linux as a major growth area and they're pushing hard to engage the business community to keep investing in it. Also part of that announcement is that IBM anticipates supporting the Linux Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM) natively on Power Systems in 2014. The announcement states that the "KVM hypervisor is an integral part of the Linux kernel, offering an optimized virtualization technology for Linux workloads. IBM has long supported KVM on its x86-based products and plans to make it available on IBM's Linux-only Power Systems product line-up next year."

 

While this topic was on the docket back in 2011, it's great to see that IBM is close to making it happen as it further helps position Power Systems strategically against x86-64 hardware, giving customers a broader choice when deploying workloads for cloud, analytical, and big data computing.

Steve Pitcher
Steve Pitcher works with iTech Solutions, an IBM Premier Business Partner. He is a specialist in IBM i and IBM Power Systems solutions since 2001. Feel free to contact him directly This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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: