IBM (NYSE: IBM) today introduced new systems that are optimized for client workloads. The new x86-based servers extend the market-leading capabilities of its System x portfolio and raise the limits on enterprise workloads, memory and scaling. The new blade and rack servers rely on IBM's exclusive X-Architecture® technology to offer clients advanced computing platforms designed to wring maximum performance from the new Intel® Xeon® processor E7 family.
The new System x 3850 X5 server, for example, has already claimed the highest result achieved to date by a non-clustered server on the TPC-H® 1000GB benchmark, beating HP's best results for performance and price/performance by 24% and 52% respectively. The x3850 X5 has also achieved a world-record four-processor result on two-tier SAP SD standard application benchmark -- 14,000 SAP SD users.[ii] The benchmarks demonstrate the leadership performance that is possible with the power of IBM's fifth-generation X-Architecture® technology (eX5).
IBM also announced today the IBM Systems solution for SAP In-Memory Appliance, SAP HANA.(TM) Certified by SAP, the systems enable SAP analytics of SAP ERP data on the fly with proven capabilities of processing 10,000 queries per hour against 1.3TB of data.[iii] IBM and SAP have cooperated closely to implement the advanced replication scenario for DB2-based customers. DB2 is SAP HANA-ready and can efficiently replicate data into SAP HANA in near real time using the Sybase Replication Server. Customers with ERP systems on DB2 can therefore seamlessly support demanding business needs for real-time reporting based on the latest available data with unmatched administrative effort.
"The new System x servers are designed for data and will help keep IBM customers ahead of the curve when it comes to preparing for a new era of applications," said Adalio Sanchez, general manager, IBM System x. "With our innovation leadership we are delivering systems optimized for big data; systems that deploy extended memory, for example, to allow businesses to not only handle new streams of data, but to help convert them into new revenue streams."
Highlights of New 2011 System x and BladeCenter eX5 Systems
New System x3950 X5, x3850 X5, x3690 X5, and BladeCenter HX5 Models
New enhancements include:
- 2X increase in memory capacity across the entire eX5 product line, up to 6TB in total.[iv]
- Up to 40% CPU performance improvement over previous generation Intel Xeon 7500 series.[v]
- Up to 1000X performance boost and 4X more internal SSD storage capacity with new 50GB and 200GB drives for eXFlash.[vi]
- The new two-socket x3690 X5 server pushes the limits of virtualization with the ability to deploy the maximum number of virtual machines supported by VMware.
- The new eX5-powered BladeCenter HX5, features up to 40 processor cores, tuned for data-intensive workloads.
MAX5 Memory Expansion
The MAX5 memory expansion drawer provides additional DIMM slots for each eX5 server-without the need for purchasing additional processors and software licenses.
New MAX5 expansion capabilities include:
- Eight-socket x3850 X5: up to 192 DIMM slots (6 TB)
- Four-socket x3850 X5: up to 96 DIMM slots (3 TB)
- Two-socket x3690 X5: up to 64 DIMM slots (2 TB)
- Two-socket HX5: up to 32 DIMM slots (512 GB)
eXFlash Solid State Storage Technology
IBM eXFlash solid-state drive technology has been updated with new 50 GB and 200 GB solid state drives. New eXFlash technology can achieve 2,100% more I/O transactions per second and 9X faster response time when compared to traditional hard drives.[vii]
FlexNode Partitioning and Failover
FlexNode technology, introduced in 2010, has now been extended to the eight-socket x3850 X5 with MAX5. FlexNode offers failover and portioning flexibility, giving these systems the ability to dynamically unite and separate dual node HX5 or x3850 X5 with MAX5 systems according to business needs.
TPC-H result on IBM System x®3850 X5 (8 processor chips/80 cores/80 threads) of 173,961.8 QphH @ 1000GB, $1.37 USD / QphH@1000GB, availability date 5/20/11 vs. HP Integrity Superdome (16 processor chips/64 cores/64 threads) of 140,181 QphH @ 1000GB, $12.15 USD / QphH@1000GB, availability date 10/20/10 vs. HP Proliant DL785 G6 (8 processor chips/48 cores/48 threads) of 81,514 QphH @ 1000GB, $2.90 USD / QphH@1000GB, availability date 11/09/09.
[ii] SAP SD 2-tier result of 14,000 SAP SD benchmark users, IBM System x3850 X5, Intel® Xeon® E7-4870 (4 processors / 40 cores / 80 threads), IBM System Storage(TM) DS4800, IBM DB2 9.7, SAP enhancement package 4 for the SAP ERP application Release 6.0., 0.92 seconds average dialog response time, 99 percent CPU , Certification number 2011015.
[iii] http://www.sap.com/...
[iv] Obtained by using 32GB DIMMs in two fully configured x3850 X5 servers with two MAX5 memory expansion enclosures (192 DIMM slots in total x 32GB DIMMs = 6TB).
[v] Up to 40% generational compute-intensive throughput claim based on SPECint*_rate_base2006benchmark comparing next generation Intel®Xeon®processor E7-4870 (30M cache, 2.40GHz, 6.40GT/s Intel®QPI, codenamed Westmere-EX) scoring 1,010 (includes Intel Compiler XE2011 improvements accounting for about 11% of the performance boost) to X7560 (24M cache, 2.26GHz, 6.40GT/s Intel QPI, formerly codenamed Nehalem-EX) scoring 723 (Intel Compiler 11.1). Source: Intel SSG TR#1131.
[vi] 1000X improvement in high random read/write performance when compared to conventional HDDs based in internal measurements from SMART Modular Technologies (www.smartm.com). New 200GB drives are 4X larger than previous 50GB eXFlash drives.
[vii] Based on IBM Jetstress tests on the x3850 X5 running Microsoft Exchange.
Sources: www.tpc.org, www.sap.com/benchmark, www.spec.org. Results current as of 4/05/11.
The new System x 3850 X5 server, for example, has already claimed the highest result achieved to date by a non-clustered server on the TPC-H® 1000GB benchmark, beating HP's best results for performance and price/performance by 24% and 52% respectively. The x3850 X5 has also achieved a world-record four-processor result on two-tier SAP SD standard application benchmark -- 14,000 SAP SD users.[ii] The benchmarks demonstrate the leadership performance that is possible with the power of IBM's fifth-generation X-Architecture® technology (eX5).
IBM also announced today the IBM Systems solution for SAP In-Memory Appliance, SAP HANA.(TM) Certified by SAP, the systems enable SAP analytics of SAP ERP data on the fly with proven capabilities of processing 10,000 queries per hour against 1.3TB of data.[iii] IBM and SAP have cooperated closely to implement the advanced replication scenario for DB2-based customers. DB2 is SAP HANA-ready and can efficiently replicate data into SAP HANA in near real time using the Sybase Replication Server. Customers with ERP systems on DB2 can therefore seamlessly support demanding business needs for real-time reporting based on the latest available data with unmatched administrative effort.
"The new System x servers are designed for data and will help keep IBM customers ahead of the curve when it comes to preparing for a new era of applications," said Adalio Sanchez, general manager, IBM System x. "With our innovation leadership we are delivering systems optimized for big data; systems that deploy extended memory, for example, to allow businesses to not only handle new streams of data, but to help convert them into new revenue streams."
Highlights of New 2011 System x and BladeCenter eX5 Systems
New System x3950 X5, x3850 X5, x3690 X5, and BladeCenter HX5 Models
New enhancements include:
- 2X increase in memory capacity across the entire eX5 product line, up to 6TB in total.[iv]
- Up to 40% CPU performance improvement over previous generation Intel Xeon 7500 series.[v]
- Up to 1000X performance boost and 4X more internal SSD storage capacity with new 50GB and 200GB drives for eXFlash.[vi]
- The new two-socket x3690 X5 server pushes the limits of virtualization with the ability to deploy the maximum number of virtual machines supported by VMware.
- The new eX5-powered BladeCenter HX5, features up to 40 processor cores, tuned for data-intensive workloads.
MAX5 Memory Expansion
The MAX5 memory expansion drawer provides additional DIMM slots for each eX5 server-without the need for purchasing additional processors and software licenses.
New MAX5 expansion capabilities include:
- Eight-socket x3850 X5: up to 192 DIMM slots (6 TB)
- Four-socket x3850 X5: up to 96 DIMM slots (3 TB)
- Two-socket x3690 X5: up to 64 DIMM slots (2 TB)
- Two-socket HX5: up to 32 DIMM slots (512 GB)
eXFlash Solid State Storage Technology
IBM eXFlash solid-state drive technology has been updated with new 50 GB and 200 GB solid state drives. New eXFlash technology can achieve 2,100% more I/O transactions per second and 9X faster response time when compared to traditional hard drives.[vii]
FlexNode Partitioning and Failover
FlexNode technology, introduced in 2010, has now been extended to the eight-socket x3850 X5 with MAX5. FlexNode offers failover and portioning flexibility, giving these systems the ability to dynamically unite and separate dual node HX5 or x3850 X5 with MAX5 systems according to business needs.
TPC-H result on IBM System x®3850 X5 (8 processor chips/80 cores/80 threads) of 173,961.8 QphH @ 1000GB, $1.37 USD / QphH@1000GB, availability date 5/20/11 vs. HP Integrity Superdome (16 processor chips/64 cores/64 threads) of 140,181 QphH @ 1000GB, $12.15 USD / QphH@1000GB, availability date 10/20/10 vs. HP Proliant DL785 G6 (8 processor chips/48 cores/48 threads) of 81,514 QphH @ 1000GB, $2.90 USD / QphH@1000GB, availability date 11/09/09.
[ii] SAP SD 2-tier result of 14,000 SAP SD benchmark users, IBM System x3850 X5, Intel® Xeon® E7-4870 (4 processors / 40 cores / 80 threads), IBM System Storage(TM) DS4800, IBM DB2 9.7, SAP enhancement package 4 for the SAP ERP application Release 6.0., 0.92 seconds average dialog response time, 99 percent CPU , Certification number 2011015.
[iii] http://www.sap.com/...
[iv] Obtained by using 32GB DIMMs in two fully configured x3850 X5 servers with two MAX5 memory expansion enclosures (192 DIMM slots in total x 32GB DIMMs = 6TB).
[v] Up to 40% generational compute-intensive throughput claim based on SPECint*_rate_base2006benchmark comparing next generation Intel®Xeon®processor E7-4870 (30M cache, 2.40GHz, 6.40GT/s Intel®QPI, codenamed Westmere-EX) scoring 1,010 (includes Intel Compiler XE2011 improvements accounting for about 11% of the performance boost) to X7560 (24M cache, 2.26GHz, 6.40GT/s Intel QPI, formerly codenamed Nehalem-EX) scoring 723 (Intel Compiler 11.1). Source: Intel SSG TR#1131.
[vi] 1000X improvement in high random read/write performance when compared to conventional HDDs based in internal measurements from SMART Modular Technologies (www.smartm.com). New 200GB drives are 4X larger than previous 50GB eXFlash drives.
[vii] Based on IBM Jetstress tests on the x3850 X5 running Microsoft Exchange.
Sources: www.tpc.org, www.sap.com/benchmark, www.spec.org. Results current as of 4/05/11.
