Fujitsu Siemens Computers announces 'PRIMEPOWER extended architecture` for IT infrastructure consolidation

Fujitsu Siemens Computers has announced its new generation of Solaris/Sparc-based PRIMEPOWER Enterprise Servers with Extended Architecture for Business-Critical Computing environments.

The new PRIMEPOWER series features state-of-the-art servers combining mainframe-class availability, performance capabilities of vector-processing machines and the "open-world" benefits of Unix servers. Based on the industry-standard Solaris operating environment and the Fujitsu SPARC64TM microprocessor as well as many novel system architecture features, the new PRIMEPOWER family will be of interest to CIOs and IT managers choosing the optimum new IT infrastructure.

"Customers are increasingly focusing on how to optimise their existing IT infrastructure and beginning consolidation projects to drive better overall performance as well as increased return on investment (ROI). PRIMEPOWER is the ideal platform for such projects and this new generation brings industry-leading capabilities in performance, scalability, manageability, high availability, and many other benefits which will lead to a faster ROI for our customers, " said Peter Jilek, Executive Vice-President Enterprise Products at Fujitsu Siemens Computers.

The new PRIMEPOWER series includes the PRIMEPOWER 900, 1500, 2500 scaling from 4 to 128 processors. These SMP (Symmetric Multi Processing) machines all currently run on, and are shipped with, the Solaris 8 or Solaris 9 operating environment.

The new servers use the fifth generation 1.3GHz clock SPARC64 microprocessors. This microprocessor complies with the SPARC International V9 Level 2 specification to guarantee a long-term application compatible platform. Shipments of the new PRIMEPOWER models start in February 2003.

This server is scalable up to 16 processors and ideally deployed as a lower cost alternative for server consolidation, e-commerce and large application processing. The PRIMEPOWER 900 is the smallest model, which allows partitioning of the server into totally separated domains.

This server is scalable up to 32 processors and designed for server consolidation, e-commerce and large application processing. It can be deployed in standalone or multi-server clusters for high performance, availability and scalability.

The PRIMEPOWER 1500 combines SPARC64 processors with the company`s innovative crossbar switching to ensure maximum scalability and system resource utilization. The power of its SMP configuration can be dynamically reallocated allowing multiple applications to obtain the resources they need when required. As a result PRIMEPOWER 1500 is ideal for all, even the largest consolidation projects.

The 64-way and 128-way top Model 2500 brings mainframe levels of high availability with levels of up to 99.999%. The Model 2500 is targeted at the server consolidation, data warehousing and application service providers markets which require sophisticated dynamic partitioning combined with mainframe-class performance.

The highlights of the Extended Architecture are:

* Performance optimised 1.3GHz SPARC64 V processors.

* By factor 2 performance enhanced and fully redundant crossbar (PRIMEPOWER 2500).

* Extended Partitioning (XPAR) combining all benefits and advantages of the various partitioning concepts in the market.

* Enhanced hot-plug capabilities.

* Extended RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability) functions like cable less crossbar, instruction retry and processing and register data protection.

* High density cabinet housing, reducing foot print up to 50%.

The new generation of PRIMEPOWER servers offers all functionality needed for simplifying and optimising existing IT Infrastructures. Based on the new SPARC64 processor generation, the overall system performance is raised by 60%. The unique Built-in-AIR (Automatic Instruction Retry)-functionality improves Single System Availability to Mainframe Class level.

PRIMEPOWER Extended Architecture has enhanced partitioning functions called "Extended Partitioning" (XPAR). Depending on the model, the minimum number of CPUs contained in a single partition is two or four. This enables more sophisticated and granular resource allocation. The maximum number of partitions is 15. By this feature PRIMEPOWER can provide flexibility equivalent to software partitioning while maintaining the desirable features of hardware partitioning in the areas of security and fault tolerance.

Such "flexibility" is a key building block of the 24/7 continuously operational system.

This is also true with the market trend to IT Infrastructure consolidation, where multiple workloads running on multiple small servers are consolidated into one higher performance server, in order to reduce TCO and lead to a faster ROI.

Consolidation is about simplifying and optimising an existing IT Infrastructure, including servers, storage, databases, applications, networks and system management processes.

Needing less processors for given applications with simultaneous increase of flexibility by introducing XPAR makes PRIMEPOWER servers the ideal foundation for future growth and new solution deployment for implementing new business processes. Overall improvement of system RAS features by implementing cable less interconnection of system building blocks, redundant Crossbar technology, modular scalable I/O subsystems supporting hot plug, multi-path PCI I/O controllers will clearly reduce maintenance expenses and together with Advanced Server Management makes it even easier to configure and maintain PRIMEPOWER servers.

Dynamic reconfiguration with XPAR combined with best-in-class Workload Management (ARMTech) and Performance Management (Sightline) allows 100% utilisation of PRIMEPOWER resources and together with ESCoD, Fujitsu Siemens Computers` advanced Capacity-on-Demand offering, PRIMEPOWER provides just-in-time access to needed resources for peak performance time slots. This, combined with the Fujitsu Siemens Computers` Cluster Technology PRIMECLUSTER, makes PRIMEPOWER the best choice for real rational consolidation.

The PRIMEPOWER family consists of Midrange Models and Enterprise Models. With the PRIMEPOWER 650 and 850 the first two members including the Extended Architecture have already been announced end of last year, with already included first new architectural characteristics - like 8-way systemboard - but at that time with the SPARC64 IV 675 MHz chip. With this product announcement full Extended Architecture - including GHz class SPARC64 V processors as well as features like Extended Partitioning - comes with the new PRIMEPOWER Enterprise models 900, 1500 and 2500.

Fujitsu Siemens Computers today also announced PRIMETIME, a strategic framework for reducing IT risk, lowering ownership costs and enabling innovative business solutions through improvements in the manageability, flexibility, availability, and security of multi-vendor IT infrastructures.

PRIMETIME incorporates mainframe technologies and capabilities - including self-configuring, self-optimising, self-healing and self-protecting features - into Solaris enterprise environments. It includes systems, software and services from Fujitsu Siemens Computers and its key technology and business partners to address the requirements of the most demanding computing environments. The PRIMETIME framework will create increasingly autonomous, self-managing, auto-optimised systems infrastructures that will free customers to focus on more important business issues.