IBM Intros Breakthrough Server Based on X3 Architecture
IBM is extending its eServer X3 Architecture-based family of servers with the introduction today of the IBM eServer xSeries 460, designed for highly scalable, always-on environments. The x460 entry configuration starts as an affordable four-way server and easily scales up to 32-way processing in an eight chassis configuration, allowing customers the flexibility to upgrade on demand to greater capacity as their business demands increase.
The X3 Architecture, introduced in February, is the culmination of a three-year, one hundred-million-dollar development effort to bring mainframe-inspired capabilities and sophisticated high-end technology to the company's next-generation 64-bit Intel Xeon processor MP-based xSeries servers.
"Our business is driven by transaction speed with five 9's reliability. If our systems are not up and running full-speed, we cannot service our customers. So every second counts, which is why we've been buying the fastest 8-way servers on the planet from IBM," said Bryan Harwood, director and principal architect, enterprise architecture, Cendant Travel Distribution Services. "You just can't touch IBM's Enterprise X-Architecture for performance and reliability. With the launch of their eServer X3 architecture, the x460 unlocks some phenomenal new capabilities for an x86 server. Incredible 64-bit performance, unmatched scalability, and that continued commitment to availability leave little doubt what we'll be deploying into the future."
The IBM eServer xSeries 460 is planned to be available in mid-June. The x460 entry price starts at $18,129 in the U.S., and typical eight-way configurations start at $72,182 in the U.S. IBM's eServer X3 architecture-based systems run new scalable 64-bit x86 operating system software from major technology vendors including Microsoft, Red Hat and Novell.
"The x460 has impressed us by demonstrating a new level of performance and scalability that is better matched to the growth requirements of our business," said Justin Poulter, information technology director, St. Paul Travelers Insurance Company. "Already using the IBM x445 server architecture to provide a robust VMware environment, we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new IBM x460 to move to the next phase."
"The combination of the significantly extended scalability of IBM's x460 and VMware's virtualization solutions brings customers unparalleled scalability and flexibility in a single system," said Diane Greene, president of VMware.
"The new high-end performance capabilities that IBM's X3 architecture enables are an ideal fit with the enterprise capabilities of VMware's ESX Server virtualization products."
"The eServer x460 is peerless in the scalable x86 marketplace," said Leo Suarez, vice president, IBM eServer xSeries. "Other vendors either can't compete or will mix two to three architectures as they try to provide solutions that stand up to IBM's offerings -- one of the industry's most extensive line of 64-bit Intel Xeon processor servers."
The x460 is the new leader of the high-performance pack
The dual-core-capable x460 features increased scalability, larger cache processor performance, expandable memory and I/O resources, systems manageability and simultaneous support for both 32- and 64-bit applications. Target applications include database serving, ERP, CRM, server consolidation and vertical market custom applications.
The X3 Architecture provides up to 60 percent higher eight-way performance than IBM's previous generation of Intel Xeon processor MP-based eight-way server, enabling businesses to simultaneously run native and virtualized 32- and 64-bit applications and more rapidly process massive amounts of data.
The x460 server and IBM DB2 UDB delivered 250,975 tpmC (transactions per minute C) -- the highest performance result to date for an eight-way Intel processor-based server on the industry-standard TPC-C online transaction processing benchmark.
IBM is the leader in the eight-way and above Intel server market segment with 54.5 percent of the market segment.
