IBM rethinks x86 servers 4 March, 2010 By Mark Cox

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"The x86 architecture is really the old PC architecture that has been around for 30 years, in which the processor and memory are bound to the machine," said Roland Hagan, VP of System X at IBM. "The raw compute power has outstripped the rest of the architecture. This disparity grew last year with the leap forward in Nehalem, and there will be another this year with Westmere." The result is that typical x86 servers are only being utilized at 10 percent of capacity due to a 30-year-old architecture that locks processor and memory capacity together.

The technology innovation from IBM to get around this problem is the decoupling of memory from its traditional, tightly bound place alongside the servers processor. Its' independent memory scaling technology, called MAX 5, offers six times more memory than is available across the industry today, which can allow clients to run 82% more virtual servers for the same license costs and reduce middleware and application expenses dramatically.

"The architecture really needs to change," Hagan said. "While clients do like the fungability of x86 architecture, the ability to scale memory and systems independently will give memory capacity 6 times the level of anyone out there today in 4 sockets. IBM will have differentiation in this space that others will not be able to achieve."

"We believe we will be the only vendor capable of doing this in this generation," Hagan said. "This is real innovation, real silicon investment. You can't create that kind of silicon innovation in a very short period of time. It would be a minimum of 12-24 months. So in this generation, we believe this is sustainable as a competitive advantage for IBM."

IBM will introduce three ultra-scalable eX5 systems in 2010 -- the four-processor IBM System x3850 X5, the BladeCenter HX5 and the System x3690 X5, an entry-priced server capable of enterprise-class operation that will become the most powerful two-processor server on the market.

In addition to MAX5, the new eX5 systems feature two additional innovations.

One is eXFlash, a next-generation flash-storage technology, which will replace hundreds of hard-disk drives and thousands of wires and cables.

"eXFlash takes flash technology into solid state drives for high performance applications," Hagan said. "SSD flash is on an adoption curve that is starting to take off. And with a 100-1 performance advantage over spinning disks, 97 percent cost savings and 1 percent energy footprint of the old technology, we think we can help clients find ways to take advantage of this."

The other innovation is FlexNode, which provides physical partitioning capability to change from one system to two distinct systems and back again, allowing clients to run infrastructure applications by day and larger batch jobs by night on the same system for superior asset utilization.

"FlexNode will allow a client to purpose a 2 socket server to a 4 socket and back again, to run it as a 4 in the day, 2 overnight, and reprovision the next day. In effect, it means no portioning in the x86 world, as if it were a RISC or mainframe class system."

Hagan said the modular nature of the architecture will allow it to have great effect up and down the market.

"At the x3690 X5, the new entry point for the 2 socket, we will see that go into the core of the SMB and midmarket spaces, where it will solve client issues there immediately. Blades are 20 percent of the market opportunity and the BladeCenter HX5 fits there. And the x3850 X5 fits at the high end for scalable 4 socket machines, where customers are running large databases, and are looking to put more demanding enterprise workloads. We think the x3850 X5 will be very attractive to clients who are currently running 4 socket and want to run more enterprise workloads."

"I see this as being all upside for our channel partners," Hagan said. "Partners authorized for current eX4 products are authorized for these, with no new certification program. And it's a compelling opportunity in financial and operational benefits."

"These servers will be for deploying new workloads and replacing again energy-inefficient servers. Partners will be able to make a compelling TCO case that pays for itself in as little as 6-9 months."