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New IBM zEnterprise 114 a Hit with Clients for Production, DR, Linux Workloads (October 2011) |
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 Since IBM began shipping the new zEnterprise 114 (z114) product line on September 9th, the new, smaller member of the zEnterprise family has been a hit with Sirius clients. The combination of performance, scalability, flexibility and affordability has proved popular with clients that are migrating from older System z machines, those who are implementing multiple z114 servers, or first-time System z converts.
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Contact Sirius to find out how the new IBM zEnterprise System can save you money while you solve your enterprise computing challenges
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| A number of the initial Sirius shipments have included both production and disaster recovery (DR) machines, as many clients choose to keep production and DR sites at the same hardware level to ensure the highest level of recoverability. Two such clients were creating an in-house DR site for the first time. Two other clients were in production on the z114 by the end of September, and are thrilled with the performance provided by the faster processors and specialty engines of the z114 compared to the z9 BC and z10 BC machines they replaced. |
An affordable Linux powerhouse
Sirius shipped eight Integrated Facilities for Linux (IFLs) to z114 clients in September, providing further evidence of the rising acceptance of Linux on System z in the marketplace. The z114 IFL is 18% faster than the z10 BC IFL, and 63% faster than the z9 BC IFL, providing dramatically improved price-performance. IBM has slashed memory prices with the z114, so many clients have added significant amounts of memory with their z114 order, in some cases to handle growing Linux on System z workloads, and in others to improve DB2 performance using Data in Memory techniques.
Early installation experiences have demonstrated how the z114 has similar migration characteristics compared to its two predecessor machines. One reason is the “Driver 93” letter recently released by IBM. Driver 93 closes a gap between FICON channel protocol specifications and implementation, and applies to all FICON adapters using that Driver. The letter also references possible issues with Driver 86. Clients considering a z114 who have IBM I/O controllers installed should contact their IBM client executive for more information and to arrange any firmware updates that might be required. Clients with non-IBM I/O controllers should contact their vendor for firmware updates well in advance of bringing in a z114. Your Sirius client executive or systems engineer can help too |
Financing makes the z114 even more affordable
When planning your move to a new z114 server, don’t forget that aggressive financing options available from IBM Global Financing can make your acquisition even more affordable, by turning the upfront expense into affordable periodic payments that can easily work within your operating budget. Nearly half of the z114 systems that Sirius has implemented for clients so far took advantage of these special rates and options. Talk to your Sirius client executive about how IBM Global Financing can make your z114 acquisition easier and more affordable. |
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