IBM Servers to Provide Open Platform for Big Data

RMN Digital | June 11, 2014 | Backend, Enterprise, Enterprise Tech | No Comments

IBM (NYSE: IBM) begins Tuesday shipping its next generation of Power Systems servers incorporating IBM’s POWER8 processor which is available for license and open for development through the OpenPOWER Foundation.

IBM designed the new servers specifically for a new era of Big Data, allowing organizations to manage staggering data requirements, says the company.

According to IBM test results, the IBM Power Systems running BLU Acceleration on Power are capable of analyzing data 82 times faster than a comparably configured x86-based system.

Designed for scale-out computing environments, three out of four of the new Power Systems servers shipping today can run various combinations of Linux, IBM AIX or IBM i operating systems. The fourth model, the Power S822L, runs Linux exclusively.

“Big Data workloads require systems that scale to manage massive amounts of data,” said Doug Balog, general manager, Power Systems, IBM. “Clients are choosing to run Linux on Power Systems because they are seeking a higher value, open server solution to help them better handle and leverage growing volumes of data.”

Recognizing Linux as a driving force for innovation, IBM last year committed $1 billion (USD) in new Linux and other open source technologies for IBM’s Power Systems servers.

Major investments include new products, a growing network of five Power Systems Linux Centers around the world, and the Power Development Platform, a no-charge development cloud for developers to test and port x86-based applications to the Power platform.

In the picture above: POWER8 in the Data Center: IBM Power Engineers Andrew Geissler (left) and Adriana Zobylak (right) perform a quality check on a stack of new Power Systems servers, the first to incorporate IBM’s POWER8 open processor technology. Available on Tuesday, June 10, the new servers are designed for large, scale-out computing environments.