Tuesday, 24 April 2007

IBM Reveals New Virtual Linux Environment

IBM has introduced an open beta version of a virtual Linux environment that enables x86 Linux applications to run without modification on POWER processor-based IBM System p servers. Once released, the technology—called the IBM System p Application Virtual Environment (System p AVE)...

IBM has introduced an open beta version of a virtual Linux environment that enables x86 Linux applications to run without modification on POWER processor-based IBM System p servers. Once released, the technology—called the IBM System p Application Virtual Environment (System p AVE)—is designed to open a universe of thousands of x86 Linux applications to the System p platform.

Today's news follows IBM's recent launch of three System p-based Web-tier servers aimed at consolidating x86 Linux workloads. Customer orders in the first quarter show a fast start for the System p5-560Q as a Linux consolidation solution.

IBM intends to extend the leadership of System p servers to the Linux marketplace; the platform is already the number one UNIX server with a 31.5 per cent revenue share worldwide in 2006, according to IDC. IBM posted 14 per cent first quarter revenue growth for System p products this year.

With nearly 2,800 applications that already run natively on Linux on System p servers, System p AVE will allow most x86 Linux binaries to run unmodified as well, which will expand the x86 workloads that can be moved to a System p server, thereby increasing the power, cooling and space savings customers can get by consolidating x86 server footprints onto System p products.

Today's customers want to get more out of their IT investments and are already moving Linux workloads to virtual server environments that allow the consolidation of multiple servers onto a single platform. To do this they need a systems approach that maximises system resource utilisation, manageability and flexibility as well as provides 'no excuses' reliability and scalability. Offering leadership in flexibility and server optimisation for Linux workloads, IBM System p Advanced POWER virtualisation was awarded Best Virtualisation Solution in the 2006 Linux Journal Product Excellence Awards at LinuxWorld Conference & EXPO.

"System p customers have told me that technology that may have been 'good enough' for deploying one x86 server at a time is not 'good enough' when consolidating over 300 x86 servers spanning eight racks onto one rack of more powerful System p servers," said Scott Handy, vice president, worldwide marketing and strategy, System p. "These customers are choosing to trust System p products and our Advanced POWER Virtualisation for those more mission critical points of consolidation and p AVE will expand the possibilities of what x86 workloads they can consolidate onto System p platforms to derive greater savings.