IBM System p
Encyclopedia
The System p, formerly known as RS/6000
, was IBM's RISC/UNIX
-based server and workstation product line.
In April 2008, IBM announced a rebranding of the System p and its unification with the System i platform. The resulting product line is called IBM Power Systems
.
With the advent of the POWER5 processor in 2004 the family was rebranded the eServer p5.
With the global move of the server and storage brands to the System brand with the Systems Agenda, the family was renamed yet again to System p5 in 2005.
The System p5 now encompasses the IBM OpenPower
product line.
With the introduction of POWER6 processor models the new models are now being released under the System p brand, dropping the p5 designation.
and PowerPC
processors, when pSeries came along this had evolved into RS64-III and POWER3
across the board. POWER3 for its excellent floating point performance and RS64 for its scalability, throughput and integer performance.
IBM developed the POWER4
processor to replace both POWER3 and the RS64 line in 2001. After that the differences between throughput and number crunching optimized systems no longer existed. Since then System p machines evolved to use the POWER5
but also PowerPC 970
for the low end and blade systems.
The last System p systems used the POWER6
processor, such as the POWER6 based System p 570 and the JS22 blade. In addition IBM introduced during the SuperComputing 2007 (SC07) conference in Reno a new POWER6 based System p 575 with 32 POWER6 cores at 4.7 GHz and up to 256GB of RAM with water cooling.
with Virtual I/O
and Micro-partitioning
.
System p generally uses the AIX
operating system
and, more recently, 64-bit
versions of the Linux
operating system. Sun Microsystems
is also developing an OpenSolaris
port, currently experimental.
RS/6000
RISC System/6000, or RS/6000 for short, is a family of RISC and UNIX based servers, workstations and supercomputers made by IBM in the 1990s. The RS/6000 family replaced the IBM RT computer platform in February 1990 and was the first computer line to see the use of IBM's POWER and PowerPC based...
, was IBM's RISC/UNIX
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
-based server and workstation product line.
In April 2008, IBM announced a rebranding of the System p and its unification with the System i platform. The resulting product line is called IBM Power Systems
IBM Power Systems
Power Systems is the name of IBM's Power Architecture-based server line.Before the Power Systems line was announced on April 2, 2008, IBM had two distinct Power-based lines: the System i running IBM i - and the System p series running AIX or Linux.- History :IBM had two discrete Power Architecture...
.
History
It was originally a line of workstations and servers called RS/6000. The server line was then renamed to the eServer pSeries in 2000 as part of its e-Server branding initiative.With the advent of the POWER5 processor in 2004 the family was rebranded the eServer p5.
With the global move of the server and storage brands to the System brand with the Systems Agenda, the family was renamed yet again to System p5 in 2005.
The System p5 now encompasses the IBM OpenPower
OpenPower
OpenPower was the name of a range of servers in the System p line from IBM. They featured IBM's POWER5 CPUs and run only 64-bit versions of Linux...
product line.
With the introduction of POWER6 processor models the new models are now being released under the System p brand, dropping the p5 designation.
Processors
Where RS/6000 used a mix of early POWERIBM POWER
POWER is a reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by IBM. The name is an acronym for Performance Optimization With Enhanced RISC....
and PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
processors, when pSeries came along this had evolved into RS64-III and POWER3
POWER3
The POWER3 is a microprocessor, designed and exclusively manufactured by IBM, that implemented the 64-bit version of the PowerPC instruction set architecture , including all of the optional instructions of the ISA such as the POWER2. It was introduced on 5 October 1998, debuting in the RS/6000 43P...
across the board. POWER3 for its excellent floating point performance and RS64 for its scalability, throughput and integer performance.
IBM developed the POWER4
POWER4
The POWER4 is a microprocessor developed by International Business Machines that implemented the 64-bit PowerPC and PowerPC AS instruction set architectures. Released in 2001, the POWER4 succeeded the POWER3 and RS64 microprocessors, and was used in RS/6000 and AS/400 computers, ending a separate...
processor to replace both POWER3 and the RS64 line in 2001. After that the differences between throughput and number crunching optimized systems no longer existed. Since then System p machines evolved to use the POWER5
POWER5
The POWER5 is a microprocessor developed and fabricated by IBM. It is an improved version of the highly successful POWER4. The principal improvements are support for simultaneous multithreading and an on-die memory controller...
but also PowerPC 970
PowerPC 970
The PowerPC 970, PowerPC 970FX, PowerPC 970GX, and PowerPC 970MP, are 64-bit Power Architecture processors from IBM introduced in 2002. When used in Apple Inc. machines, they were dubbed the PowerPC G5....
for the low end and blade systems.
The last System p systems used the POWER6
POWER6
The POWER6 is a microprocessor developed by IBM that implemented the Power ISA v.2.03. When it became available in systems in 2007, it succeeded the POWER5+ as IBM's flagship Power microprocessor...
processor, such as the POWER6 based System p 570 and the JS22 blade. In addition IBM introduced during the SuperComputing 2007 (SC07) conference in Reno a new POWER6 based System p 575 with 32 POWER6 cores at 4.7 GHz and up to 256GB of RAM with water cooling.
Features
All IBM System p5 and IBM eServer p5 machines support DLPAR (Dynamic Logical Partitioning)Dynamic Logical Partitioning
Dynamic Logical Partitioning , is the capability of a logical partition to be reconfigured dynamically, without having to shut down the operating system that runs in the LPAR...
with Virtual I/O
Storage Virtualization
Storage virtualization or storage virtualisation is a concept and term used within computer science. Specifically, storage systems may use virtualization concepts as a tool to enable better functionality and more advanced features within the storage system.Broadly speaking, a 'storage system' is...
and Micro-partitioning
Micro-Partitioning
Micro-Partitioning is a form of logical partitioning which was introduced by IBM on systems using the POWER5 processor, and is also referred to as a shared processor partition, and only differs from a dedicated processor partition in the way CPU utilization is configured and managed by the POWER...
.
System p generally uses the AIX
AIX operating system
AIX AIX AIX (Advanced Interactive eXecutive, pronounced "a i ex" is a series of proprietary Unix operating systems developed and sold by IBM for several of its computer platforms...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
and, more recently, 64-bit
64-bit
64-bit is a word size that defines certain classes of computer architecture, buses, memory and CPUs, and by extension the software that runs on them. 64-bit CPUs have existed in supercomputers since the 1970s and in RISC-based workstations and servers since the early 1990s...
versions of the Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
operating system. Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
is also developing an OpenSolaris
OpenSolaris
OpenSolaris was an open source computer operating system based on Solaris created by Sun Microsystems. It was also the name of the project initiated by Sun to build a developer and user community around the software...
port, currently experimental.
System p
- IBM System p 520 Express (POWER6)
- IBM System p 550 Express (POWER6)
- IBM System p 560 Express (POWER6)
- IBM System p 570 (POWER6)
- IBM System p 575 (POWER6)
- IBM System p 595 (POWER6)
BladeCenter
- IBM BladeCenter JS12 (POWER6)
- IBM BladeCenter JS22 (POWER6)
- IBM BladeCenter JS23 (POWER6)
- IBM BladeCenter JS43 (POWER6)
pSeries
- IBM eServer pSeries 610
- IBM eServer pSeries 615 (7029-6C3, 7029-6E3) 1-2 POWER4 CPUs
- IBM eServer pSeries 620
- IBM eServer pSeries 630 (7028-6C4, 7028-6E4) 1-4 POWER4 CPUs
- IBM eServer pSeries 640
- IBM eServer pSeries 650 (7038-6M2) 2-8 POWER4 CPUs
- IBM eServer pSeries 655 (7039-651) 4-8 POWER4 CPUs
- IBM eServer pSeries 660
- IBM eServer pSeries 670 (7040-671) 4-16 POWER4 CPUs
- IBM eServer pSeries 680
- IBM eServer pSeries 690 (7040-681) 8-32 POWER4 CPUs
System p
- IBM System p5 505
- IBM System p5 505Q
- IBM System p5 510 (9110-510) 1-2 POWER5 CPUs
- IBM System p5 510Q
- IBM System p5 520 (9111-520) 1-2 POWER5 CPUs
- IBM System p5 520Q
- IBM System p5 550 (9113-550) 1-4 POWER5 CPUs
- IBM System p5 550 Express(1.9G, 2.1G)
- IBM System p5 550Q
- IBM System p5 550Q Express (4-8 POWER5+ CPUs) (Model 9133-55A)
- IBM System p5 560Q
- IBM System p5 570 (9117-570) 2-16 POWER5 CPUs
- IBM System p5 575 (9118-575) 8-16 POWER5 CPUs
- IBM System p5 590 (9119-590) 8-32 POWER5 CPUs
- IBM System p5 595 (9119-595) 16-64 POWER5 CPUs
OpenPower
- IBM eServer OpenPower 710 (9123-710) 1-2 POWER5 CPUs
- IBM eServer OpenPower 720 (9124-720) 1-4 POWER5 CPUs
IntelliStation POWER
- IBM IntelliStation POWER 265
- IBM IntelliStation POWER 275
- IBM IntelliStation POWER 185 (PowerPC 970)
- IBM IntelliStation POWER 285
BladeCenter
- IBM BladeCenter JS20 (PowerPC 970)
- IBM BladeCenter JS21 (PowerPC 970)
See also
- RS/6000RS/6000RISC System/6000, or RS/6000 for short, is a family of RISC and UNIX based servers, workstations and supercomputers made by IBM in the 1990s. The RS/6000 family replaced the IBM RT computer platform in February 1990 and was the first computer line to see the use of IBM's POWER and PowerPC based...
- Web-based System ManagerWeb-based System ManagerIBM Web-based System Manager is a management software for administering AIX 5L host on RS/6000 systems, it can be run in standalone mode or in a client-server environment....
, an AIXAIX operating systemAIX AIX AIX (Advanced Interactive eXecutive, pronounced "a i ex" is a series of proprietary Unix operating systems developed and sold by IBM for several of its computer platforms...
management software - IBM Hardware Management Console, a management appliance
- Dynamic Logical PartitioningDynamic Logical PartitioningDynamic Logical Partitioning , is the capability of a logical partition to be reconfigured dynamically, without having to shut down the operating system that runs in the LPAR...
- Linux on PowerLinux on PowerLinux on Power is the combination of any Linux-based operating system running on Power Architecture technology, a microprocessor architecture.-Introduction:...
- IBM IntelliStation POWERIBM IntelliStationThe IBM IntelliStation was originally a workstation-class personal computer announced on March 1997 as the follow-on to the IBM PC Series 360 and 365. Certain IntelliStation M Pro Series were near hardware identical to low end IBM Netfinity 1000 Series network servers...
- IBM System iIBM System iThe IBM System i is IBM's previous generation of midrange computer systems for IBM i users, and was subsequently replaced by the IBM Power Systems in April 2008....
- List of IBM products