System iNetwork

December 21, 2008

The Top 12 Stories of 2008

As we wrap up the year here at SystemiNetwork.com, I wanted to take a look back at the top 12 Maxed Out stories of 2008. As it turns out, 2008 was a big year--we saw IBM's reorganization turn into a major overhaul that led to the unification of the System i and System p, the introduction of blades, the renaming of i5/OS, and more. Take a look:

January 7, 2008
IBM Reorg Turns Into Major Overhaul

When IBM reorganized its System i and System p divisions last summer, it was just a tuneup compared to the new overhaul going on at IBM. In an internal memo, IBM Senior Vice President and Group Executive for the IBM Systems and Technology Group (STG) William Zeitler announced IBM's third and final step to move to a "client-centered structure -- top to bottom." So what were the first two phases? Phase one was to align development around the building blocks of leadership and competitiveness in our industry, Zeitler notes. Hard to say exactly what that phase was all about, but the second was IBM's "pilot" and rollout of a new team-based, client-focused coverage model in the field. This second phase would have included IBM's push to combine the System i and p and reorganize into the Enterprise Systems (large clients) and Business Systems (SMB) units, and it may have included the Vertical Industry Program (VIP) as well. *Read more....

January 30, 2008
IBM Sharpens BladeCenter with i5/OS

After months of hinting, IBM introduced i5/OS on a blade. Last fall, when the JS22 blade was first announced, IBM tipped its hand over adding i5/OS support for the blade, but it did not do so at the same time it released the blade for AIX and Linux on POWER. The reason? As it turns out, V6R1 doesn't exactly run directly on the blade, and part of that is due to storage. With a blade, there's not a lot of internal hard disk to match the same way that a System i has built-in disk ready to hold DB2. So i5/OS needs a method for getting to disk, and that method is virtualization with VIOS -- a virtual IO server. *Read more...

April 7, 2008
Rest In Peace Al Barsa

The System i world has lost a true champion. Al Barsa, Jr., died while attending the COMMON conference in Nashville last week. Early reports indicate that Al passed away in his hotel room. . . . Rest in peace, Al. You will be missed. *Read more...

April 2, 2008
System i Morphs Into Power and 'i'

In a bold consolidation move, IBM has removed and replaced the identity of the System i by turning it into an "i" operating system that runs on IBM's hottest POWER6-based hardware. Gone is the old identity of the integrated system, and along with it, presumably, the associations of a legacy system. The company has replaced System i and System p with a new line of unified servers with simplified pricing. The line is now officially IBM Power Systems, known as the IBM Power platform, with hardware server models branded with Power, as in, the Power 520, which will run AIX, Linux, or i5/OS. And i5/OS, by the way, really is simply "i." IBM is essentially shedding the old, keeping the best, and embracing the new. The plan to mainstream i5/OS is well under way. *Read more...

June 23, 2008
The AS/400 Turns 20

Weathering two decades of industry and technology changes, including a few adjustments to its name, the AS/400 turned 20 on June 21. IBM is holding a celebratory event in Rochester, Minnesota, today, with representatives from COMMON and a handful of customers, some of whom won a trip to Rochester to help celebrate the milestone. What a milestone it is! *Read more...

June 9, 2008
Bullish on Blades -- But Customers Hard to Find

Ninety percent of System i clients can fit on a POWER6-based blade, currently the 2-core 3.8 GHz JS12 and 4-core 4.0 GHz JS22, according to Mark Shearer, vice president of marketing for IBM Business Systems. Both blades are wicked fast, but it turns out that "fit" is more closely aligned with horsepower than trunk space. Although a Chevy Silverado pickup customer could theoretically upgrade to a Corvette, the driver might have to customize the Corvette with a hitch to drag along a storage trailer loaded with reality. *Read more...

July 28, 2008
When a 47 Percent Decline Isn't Exactly Accurate

Although IBM had a fantastic Q2 2008, the 47 percent decline in System i revenue was a bit of a shocker, if only because IBM still broke it out for individual reporting. Didn't IBM converge the System i and p divisions about this time last year? Still, the actual hardware unification went down much more recently--announced in April at COMMON in Nashville, which also happens to be in the second quarter (so time is still flying). In any event, I spoke briefly with Ross Mauri, general manager of IBM Power Systems, for a quick update on the System i, IBM i, and Power Systems world. *Read more...

September 22, 2008
Top Ten IT Problems We Don't Have . . . with IBM i

It seems to me that the value propositions of IBM i and the Power Systems they run on have gotten a bit muddied of late--or perhaps diluted. So in the interest of good positive fun, I'm thinking we might be able to restate some of these benefits of a Power System with IBM i--either from a hardware, software, business, or IT pro perspective. This story generated 30 great comments from readers, and resulted in an industry report for System iNEWS magazine that'll hit in 2009. *Read more...

September 8, 2008
PowerVM on the Rise

The last time I spoke with Ross Mauri, general manager of IBM Power Systems, he mentioned IBM's new PowerVM virtualization technology and his thoughts on what's going on with virtualization. It was a side note, really, in a conversation about the System i and IBM i financial performance and IBM's quarterly reports, but Mauri made a few points I've been wanting to share. Today, it turns out, is the day for sharing. *Read more...

October 20, 2008
Did IBM i Take One for the p Team?

IBM is playing a marketing game with System p, and it's doing it so that it can say it's the Unix market leader, etc, etc. And that's fine. Unix is a competitive space. But we know the truth: IBM i is taking it on the chin so that System p can shine a little brighter against the likes of HP and Sun. *Read more...

October 8, 2008
IBM Intros New 560 Express Power Systems, Beefs Up i Editions

IBM has announced upgrades to its Power Systems lineup, the all-new Power 560 Express, a variety of software enhancements, and a heckuva lot of data that supports IBM's performance lead over Unix systems from rivals HP and Sun. Although the announcement made yesterday focused primarily on Power Systems that will now ship with double the number of cores in the same footprints, along with sys admin solutions most appealing to AIX users, IBM i made some gains. *Read more...

November 19, 2008
Frank Soltis Calls It Quits

Amid rumors of layoffs in Rochester, Minnesota, Dr. Frank Soltis, creator of the technology-independent architecture used in the System/38, AS/400, and subsequent i systems, is retiring from IBM after a long and enviable career. There's a bit more to the backstory, of course, plus a bit of supposition, and maybe even a dose of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. *Read more...

Posted by cmaxcer at December 21, 2008 11:03 PM