IBM has considerably decreased the dimensions of some its Massive Iron z16 mainframes and given them a brand new working system that emphasizes AI and edge computing.
The brand new configurations—which embrace Telum processor-based, 68-core IBM z16 Single Body and Rack Mounted fashions and a brand new IBM LinuxONE Rockhopper 4 and LinuxONE Rockhopper Rack Mount packing containers—are anticipated to supply prospects higher data-center configuration choices whereas lowering vitality consumption. Each new Rack Mount packing containers are 18U in comparison with the present smallest Single Body fashions, that are 42U.
“Decreasing data-center vitality consumption is a tangible option to lower influence on the atmosphere, and key architectural benefits assist distinguish each IBM z16 and LinuxONE for sustainability, particularly when consolidating x86 workloads within the knowledge heart,” stated Marcel Mitran, IBM Fellow and CTO Cloud Platform, IBM zSystems and LinuxONE.
He stated transferring workloads from x86 servers to LinuxONE or z6 realized vitality financial savings of 75% and decreased the required data-center area by 67%. “When evaluating to prior generations of zSystems and LinuxONE, each new methods use much less energy than comparably configured previous-generation methods and enhance computing energy delivered for every kilowatt-hour of electrical energy consumed by 18%,” he stated.
As a result of the brand new z16 takes up half the rack area it used to, storage, networking, and different adjoining methods can occupy the identical rack to offer extra mainframe compute density in a a lot smaller bundle, stated Steven Dickens, vice chairman and observe chief with Futurum Analysis. “Definitely it’s going to make it loads simpler for patrons to handle and keep their mainframes going ahead,” Dickens stated.
Whereas the form-factor shift is critical, the brand new packing containers can be optimized to run a lately detailed model of the mainframe’s working system, z/OS 3.1.
The working system will embrace new options together with a brand new AI Framework for system operations supposed to enhance z/OS with intelligence that optimizes IT processes, simplifies administration, improves efficiency, and reduces ability necessities.
The brand new model will additionally help applied sciences supposed to allow deployment of AI workloads co-located with z/OS purposes and have improved cloud capabilities, IBM stated in a buyer preview letter.
IBM stated prospects will have the ability to management the system with AI-powered workload administration that intelligently predicts upcoming workloads and reacst by allocating an acceptable variety of batch runs, thus eliminating guide fine-tuning and trial-and-error approaches.
“z/OS safety plans to be enhanced to offer ever-greater defense-in-depth performance that’s centered on mitigating the elevated danger to knowledge privateness and safety for total system hardening,” IBM acknowledged. For instance, it incorporates a new Licensed Code Monitor to protect towards potential vulnerabilities, expanded System Restoration Increase options, and new interfaces for runtime diagnostics and useful resource monitoring, IBM acknowledged.
“Paired with a z16 system, the brand new z/OS will additional allow the AI acceleration, quantum-safe and versatile capability capabilities of the platform,” stated Mitran.
For the LinuxONE system, the most recent variations of the SUSE, RHEL, Ubuntu Linux distros help key options within the Telum processor such because the accelerated AI inferencing, safe execution for confidential computing, and quantum safe-cryptography. These Telum options had been launched in RHEL8, SLES 15 and Ubuntu 20 distro streams, stated Mitran.
“The truth that the LinuxONE Rack Mount can match right into a third-party rack will take away another friction level to prospects adopting the Rockhopper which has been very profitable already in competing towards generic x86 server distributors like Cisco, HP, and others,” Dickens stated. “IBM is seeing enormous progress in it’s Linux enterprise—it grows even sooner than the 20% per yr it sees with Purple Hat.”
In response to Mitran, prospects can partition the rack-mount system into 40 totally different logical partitions—the equal of 40 steel servers able to internet hosting a whole lot of workloads at sustained excessive utilization.
The brand new z16s might additionally drive different new use instances resembling edge computing the place prospects can extra simply find highly effective sources nearer to customers which may very well be priceless particularly in an AI-development atmosphere, IBM acknowledged.
Different edge makes use of might embrace areas which have restricted rack area resembling manufacturing and healthcare amenities.
The brand new IBM z16 and LinuxONE 4 Single Body and Rack Mount choices can be usually out there IBM and licensed enterprise companions on Could 17.
Copyright © 2023 IDG Communications, Inc.
