Deliver Your News to the World

IBM Strengthens the Mainframe as a Premier Data Platform With Plans for Breakthrough Processor


WEBWIRE

IBM Enhances the Role of the System z9 Mainframe as the Data Hub for the Enterprise; Helps Merge Transaction Processing and Business Intelligence; Offers a Preview of the Upcoming Version of DB2 for z/OS

ARMONK, NY - 26 Jan 2006: IBM today announced plans to deliver a breakthrough IBM mainframe specialty engine that will reinforce the System z9 as a trusted data platform.

The System z9 Integrated Information Processor (zIIP) is a specialty engine that will run eligible database workloads and is designed to help free-up general computing capacity and lower software costs for select workloads such as business intelligence (BI), ERP and CRM on the mainframe. IBM will not impose software charges on zIIP capacity. (1)

The zIIP, in effect, will be a high-speed engine that better enables data to be centralized on the mainframe. The ease and economy of this solution helps break down the walls between transactional datastores on the mainframe and BI, ERP and CRM applications that run on distributed computers. With the zIIP capability, the System z9 mainframe helps minimize the need to maintain duplicate copies of the data and provide better security between the applications and the data.

“Data is at the core of today’s most critical business issues, and the IBM System z9 mainframe equipped with a zIIP engine can expertly orchestrate information resources,” said Jim Stallings, general manager, IBM System z. “When users centralize their data on the mainframe, they may decrease the risks associated with having multiple copies of data across diverse systems. Audit, compliance, control and business recovery may be easier to manage when there is a single copy of the data. The mainframe with zIIP engine can increasingly play an essential role as a security-rich enterprise data hub.”

With the addition of zIIP, the System z9 mainframe bolsters its portfolio of sophisticated data management capabilities that stem from its deep data and transaction processing expertise. IBM has built strong synergies between its flagship database DB2 and operating system z/OS that add comprehensive data protection features such as multilevel security access, centralized management of encryption keys, data intrusion detection services, and protection of data stored on tape.

The zIIP follows on the heels of the other mainframe specialty engines such as the IFL for Linux announced in 2001 and the zAAP announced in 2004. Both of these engines can help users expand the use of the mainframe for new workloads, while helping lower costs. As of fourth quarter 2005, more than 60 percent of IBM’s mainframe revenue was driven by new workloads, such as Linux and Java, compared to 15 percent at the end of 1998.

The maestro behind zIIP is the mainframe’s flagship operating system, z/OS, which will direct the work between the general processor and the zIIP. The zIIP is designed so a software program can work with z/OS to dispatch workloads to the zIIP with no anticipated changes to the application. (2)

IBM DB2 for z/OS version 8 will be the first IBM software able to take advantage of the zIIP. Initially, the following workloads can benefit:

* Select query processing of BI, ERP or CRM network-connected applications; (3)
* BI application query processing utilizing DB2 star-schema parallel query capabilities; and (4)
* Functions of specified DB2 utilities that perform index maintenance structures. (5)

Preview of Next Version of DB2 for z/OS
As part of today’s announcement, IBM is also previewing the next version of DB2 for z/OS which contains major advances for mainframe computing. The new version of DB2 for z/OS will be formally unveiled later this year. IBM’s next version of its flagship database is designed to significantly cut IT infrastructure costs, streamline efforts to meet compliance obligations and simplify data serving on the System z9 by providing:

* Enhanced XML, and IBM WebSphere and Java integration for SOA connections;
* Trusted Security Context, database roles, better auditing capabilities and improved encryption for security;
* Fast table replacement, partition by growth and other optimized features for application development; and
* SQL improvements, native SQL stored procedures, default databases and table spaces.

Availability, Pricing and Requirements
IBM intends to provide general availability for the zIIP and its requisite software in 2006. Requirements include an IBM System z9 109, z/OS 1.6 or later (with web downloads), DB2 for z/OS V8 (with enabling PTFs). The number of zIIPs per z9-109 cannot exceed the number of general-purpose processors. The zIIP will be priced at $125,000 in the United States, consistent with the zAAP and IFL engines. (6)

IBM began shipping the System z9 on September 16, 2005. The System z9 is a system that was designed to help users update, query, manage, secure, back up, recover and deliver the right data to the right user on time reliably. The new system represents a three-year, $1.2-billion development effort encompassing 5,000 IBM engineers, software developers and security experts from around the world.

About IBM
IBM is the world’s largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key IBM Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of on demand business. For more information about IBM, visit http://www.ibm.com.

1 1) Additional IBM software charges will apply when additional general purpose CP capacity is used. The amount of general-purpose processor savings will vary based on the amount of workload executed by the zIIP, among other factors.

2 2) The zIIP is designed so that a program can work with z/OS to have all or a portion of its Service Request Block (SRB) dispatched work directed to the zIIP. The below types of DB2 V8 work (footnotes 4, 5 and 6) are those executing in enclave SRB mode that can be directed to the zIIP.

3 3) BI, ERP or CRM network connected application, running on z/OS, UNIX, Linux, Intel or Linux for System z9, that access DB2 for z/OS V8, via SQL calls using DRDA over a TCP/IP connection can have portions of these queries directed to the zIIP by DB2.

4 4) BI applications that have requests that utilize DB2 for z/OS V8 star schema parallel queries can have portions of these queries directed to the zIIP by DB2.

5 5) A portion of specified DB2 utility functions that are used to maintain index maintenance structures (Load, Reorg and Rebuild Index) will be redirected to the zIIP for processing.

6 6) The price of $125,000, applies when the zIIP is purchased directly from IBM. Prices outside the United States may vary.

IBM, eServer, System z9, DB2, z/OS, and the IBM e-business logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. For a list of additional IBM trademarks, please see www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml. LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.



WebWireID8436





This news content was configured by WebWire editorial staff. Linking is permitted.

News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.