IBM upgrades Unix software

~~David~~ · Oct 8, 2002, 10:42 AM

IBM on Tuesday will release improvements to its AIX version of Unix that makes the software better able to juggle multiple jobs in the same machine.
In the race among No. 1 Unix server seller Sun Microsystems, No. 2 Hewlett-Packard and No. 3 IBM, a key feature has been the ability to split the server into several separate "partitions," a domain with its own operating system and guaranteed access to resources such as memory. The new AIX 5L version 5.2 fulfills an important but as-yet untapped partitioning potential of IBM's Unix servers.

Partitioning lets a computer perform several jobs at once more gracefully, a useful feature when replacing a host of smaller servers with one big one. This "server consolidation" push is one project companies are undertaking, despite the down economy, according to IDC analysts.

But IBM's current Unix servers, unlike Sun's and HP's, haven't been able to tap into one of the most appealing features of partitioning: The ability to expand or contract a partition to adjust to changing work loads. For example, in a retail chain, cash-register transactions might spike at certain times--lunch hours or holiday season sales--while the partition that reconciles accounts in the background might pick up the slack when shops are closed at night.

Read the full story HERE

Oct 8, 2002, 10:42 AM	#1
~~David~~ Banned Join Date: May 2002 Location: Atlanta Posts: 959 Rep Power: 0	IBM upgrades Unix software IBM on Tuesday will release improvements to its AIX version of Unix that makes the software better able to juggle multiple jobs in the same machine. In the race among No. 1 Unix server seller Sun Microsystems, No. 2 Hewlett-Packard and No. 3 IBM, a key feature has been the ability to split the server into several separate "partitions," a domain with its own operating system and guaranteed access to resources such as memory. The new AIX 5L version 5.2 fulfills an important but as-yet untapped partitioning potential of IBM's Unix servers. Partitioning lets a computer perform several jobs at once more gracefully, a useful feature when replacing a host of smaller servers with one big one. This "server consolidation" push is one project companies are undertaking, despite the down economy, according to IDC analysts. But IBM's current Unix servers, unlike Sun's and HP's, haven't been able to tap into one of the most appealing features of partitioning: The ability to expand or contract a partition to adjust to changing work loads. For example, in a retail chain, cash-register transactions might spike at certain times--lunch hours or holiday season sales--while the partition that reconciles accounts in the background might pick up the slack when shops are closed at night. Read the full story HERE