Power5 boasts quadruple performance gain
Prototypes run like the clappers
SaaS data loss: The problem you didn’t know you had
Servers based on IBM's forthcoming Power5 chip will be four times faster than current Power4 machines.
That's the message from Bill Zeitler, head of IBM's server group, who told reporters at the IBM PartnerWorld conference in New Orleans that Big Blue has had a prototype Power5 server humming away in its labs for the last three weeks.
Thus far the machine is running only machine code, with an AIX and Linux port due in the next 30 days, according to reports.
Power5 processors are expected to debut in 64 bit servers Armada (aka Squadron) servers due next year.
The forthcoming Power5 processor will feature IBM's eLiza self-management and fault-correction technology. The idea is when a Power5 system detects repeated errors it will move the workload to another part of the machine.
Power5 will also bring on board improved partitioning and simultaneous multithreading (SMT) support as well as other features explained in greater depth in an earlier story here.
The U.S. Department of Energy's ASCI Purple nuclear simulation supercomputer will use 12,544 Power5 microprocessors (in 196 64-way servers), according to plans announced last year. Power5 servers are also expected to become a mainstay of far smaller systems, though IBM is yet to spell out in detail it plans in this direction. ®
Related Stories
Of IBM's Power5 Armada Servers
IBM wins US Gov super computer deal
On IBM's iSeries and OS/400 roadmaps
Power 4 the People
IT infrastructure monitoring strategies
Agentless Backup is Not a Myth
Top 10 SIEM implementer’s checklist
Steps to Take Before Choosing a Business Continuity Partner
Enabling efficient data center monitoring
