So ... What is different with POWER8? And What is IBM delivering with this Technology?

Let us start with the hardware … well it’s not called POWER for nothing!

Power8 has 12 cores per socket compared to 8 cores per socket 

on the previous generation Power7. With SMT 8 it can deliver 

4 times more threads per core vs. commodity infrastructure. 

This means the processor can run more concurrent queries in 

parallel faster, across multiple cores with more threads per core. 

The memory bandwidth has been increased to access up to 

1 TB of memory for data operations and enlarged cache 

in every processor with faster IO to ingest, move and access data.

POWER8 processing technology includes a unique capability called CAPI technology

 - Coherent Accelerator Processor Interface technology. This means a new way to attach things. 

It allows for accelerators such as GPUs, flash memory and networking to connect directly to the

 processor, sharing the same address space and look like the CPU. This will dramatically simplify 

attaching these accelerators. This improves performance, reduces latency, and results in more 

throughput and, therefore, increased workload.

What is also nice is that if you are running AIX 7.1 TL3+SP or 6.1 TL9+SP then there is

no need to upgrade the operating system as you are Power8 ready.

IBM has re-focused on Linux for these new Power Systems with The OpenPOWER 

Foundation. This is an open technical community based on the POWER architecture 

with other members such as Google, Samsung, Hitachi and Ubuntu to enable collaborative 

development to innovate and extend the capabilities of Power Systems.

IBM is targeting the scale-out Linux market with one and two-socket offerings and a 

PowerKVM hypervisor to boost its competitive position against x86 hardware. 

Also by leveraging the speed and agility of Power8 means ‘doing more with less’ 

so there are also economic advantages of having less hardware… less energy … 

less cooling costs when compared to the server sprawl you get from small scale-out 

x86 infrastructure.

So what is the bad news you ask? Well the larger enterprise or scale-up systems 

will not be available until early next year so you are going to have to wait a while 

longer before you can get your hands on this new kit but there’s nothing 

stopping you from starting to plan today for a Power8 transition.

To Download the Power 8 Roadmap Click here 

Should you require any further information regarding IBM POWER8, please 

contact your Celerity Representative.

Neil Hulme, Technical Consultant, Celerity Limited

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-To read this article on Celerity Limited website please click here

In the Frame for Another 50 Years?

Celerity featured in CRN Magazine dated 6 May 2014 looking back over 50 years of IBM mainframe and how it transformed modern computing - and asks what the future might hold.

To read article please click here

To visit Celerity website please click here

vSphere Update Manager

What is vSphere Update Manager?

vSphere Update Manager or VUM for short is a compliance and automation patch management application used in VMware vSphere environments.

VUM compares the state of ESXi hosts with its own default or in some cases user-created baselines to check compliance and allows a user to automate updates, patches and even full upgrades to newer versions of ESXi.

Why should I be using it?

With VUM you gain visibility of the patch/update state across your whole virtual infrastructure through an easy to use patch compliance dashboard.

VUM works with vSphere DRS to allow for non-disruptive host patching and upgrading by placing hosts into maintenance mode and migrating live virtual machines to other hosts.

Patches/updates can also be staged to hosts at remote sites for remediation at a later date and time which can be scheduled to suit your business needs.

Key Benefits

Increase the security and stability of your virtual infrastructure by quickly and easily applying patches as and when they are released rather than waiting for a major update.

Schedule VMware Tools and virtual machine hardware version updates to be automatically applied outside of normal business hours to avoid disruption.

Automatic snapshotting of virtual machines with a user defined retention period so that if any issues with patching do occur the virtual machine can be rolled back.

Automatic notification when new patches are available to be applied to your environment.

For more secure environments VUM allows offline updating by downloading patch bundles directly from VMware or your vendor’s website.

Upgrading to a new major release of ESXi

VUM can also be used to upgrade hosts to a new major release of ESXi by simply downloading the latest ISO image from VMware or your vendor and using it to create a new baseline which can then be applied automatically to your hosts in the same way a patch or update would.

If you are interested in learning more about vSphere Update Manager please contact your Celerity representative or email us your enquiry.

Barry Knox, Technical Consultant, Celerity Limited

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IBM X6 Architecture - Why it Matters?

IBM X6 Architecture - Why it Matters?

Posted on: 08/05/14

IBM’s System X portfolio is IBM’s offering of Intel (& AMD) based servers and BladeCenters. These serves are offered in a diverse range of tower and rack footprints, starting with lower cost single CPU systems and spanning across the entire Intel CPU spectrum up to multi-CPU designs capable of delivering massive performance.

These systems use either Intel or AMD CPUs and standard memory DIMMS and appropriate I/O adaptors which can make the decision on which server to go for difficult. This is certainly more so on the lower end if the Intel based server market.

So what have IBM done to help them win an increasing share of this market, especially at the higher end of the market where clients and business needs demand Enterprise class computing from industry standard components? Well this is where IBM X-Architecture comes in. Their approach to offer the best and highest performing Intel servers available by adding to the capabilities of the standard components through their proven track record of great innovation.

2001 saw the launch of the first generation Enterprise X Architecture (known as EXA) and this brought to market the firstserver that supported more than an 8-way configuration. 2003 brought the second revision (EXA2) and these systems were the first to achieve 100 benchmarks ranked at #1. Then came 2005 and X3 which introduced higher density, hot-swap memory which was ideal for the emerging virtualisation market. Generation 4 brought the first Intel server to break the 1M tpmC benchmark in 2007 and in 2009 EX5 brought us the markets highest memory density server.

As the name suggests, IBM’s X-Architecture is now in its sixth generation which launched this year and this brings to market some of the biggest advancements and innovations seen in the entire X-Architecture history.

 

To quote the IBM blurb on the launch of X6 architecture which is marketed as being fast, agile and resilient they say:

“The IBM X6 product portfolio represents the sixth generation of servers that are built upon Enterprise X-Architecture. Enterprise X-Architecture is the culmination of generations of IBM technology and innovation that is derived from the experience in high-end enterprise servers. Now, with the X6 servers, IBM scalable systems can be expanded on demand and configured by using a building block approach that optimizes system design for your workload requirements. These servers scale to more processor cores, memory, and I/O than previous systems, enabling them to handle greater workloads than the systems that they supersede. Power efficiency and server density are optimised, making them affordable to own and operate.”

This new technology allows for a single x3850 X6 server to provide 60 physical cores (120 logical processors) and 6TB’s of memory in a 4U footprint or double those specifications in an 8U x3950 X6 server.

To aid its agility with deployment, its modular design is built around the concepts of “books” which are ‘block like’ modules and are available as compute books (CPU and memory), I/O books (PCI card support) and storage books (flash or spindle based storage and associated adapters) which slot in bays at the front or rear of the system.

But the ace of the pack is the support for IBM eXFlash DIMMs which allow storage to be installed in the regular DIMM sockets offering massive performance boosts and latency reductions over conventional SSD based flash storage technology. This approach allows the data transfer to happen directly between the CPU and storage, bypassing the need for PCI or SAS based controllers.

So what does this mean for your business? Well anyone looking to not only virtualise but also massively consolidate the number of required hosts would benefit from the huge memory density and high CPU resource availability.

Databases and transaction based processes can run on the eXFlash DIMMs which could not only negate the need for an external NAS or SAN based storage, but also offer extremely low latency / quick response times which will meet the highest storage and computational demands. The highly resilient and robust nature of the X-Architecture will allow you to confidently deploy your Cloud based services knowing that the supporting hardware is designed to meet the heaviest workloads. Let IBM X6 architecture give your infrastructure the edge over other offerings and you the best chance to achieve your I.T. and business goals.

For more information contact your Celerity Representative or email us your enquiry.

Ed Yates. Technical Consultant, Celerity Limited

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What's New in Windows 8.1?

It has been over a year now since Microsoft introduced the world to their new desktop operating system, and to say the industry has mixed opinions about it would be an understatement. Even though Microsoft included brand new features and support for USB 3.0, NFC and cloud computing services, the public and the office professionals still had their doubts.

Microsoft were now competing with the likes of Android and Apple iOS because they had chosen to totally redesign their user interface to improve the user experience on tablets. They included a brand new start screen which displays programs in the form of gridded tiles and also the Windows Store which allowed users to purchase apps similar to that of Apple's App Store and Google Play.

With the initial release of Windows 8 the familiar Start menu had disappeared, a feature which had been with Microsoft since Windows 95. Users who had grown up with Windows did not take to this very well, so Microsoft brought it back much to the delight of many users.
 

Windows 8.1 Taskbar with Start Button

With Windows 8 came the Windows App Store which gave you the ability to download and purchase applications. Initially only 5 devices were able to be registered which allowed devices to share their apps with other devices using the same login. With the new update, 81 devices can now share their apps, not that Microsoft expect people to own 81 devices but this number being a quick nod to the update that introduced it.

Also with the 8.1 update comes the ability to sync with cloud based storage in the form of Onedrive (formally Skydrive). When you sign-in with a Microsoft account, Onedrive is setup as your default storage location but can be changed if necessary. Files are synced with local storage so they can be accessed offline also with the ability to change individual folders and files.

When Windows 8 was first released users did notice there was the lack of guidance and help functions especially considering Microsoft was rolling out a new interface consisting of Charm bars and Live tiles. Now when you log into the OS you are presented with pop-ups explaining the new UI features and those wishing to navigate the new Windows can use the useful built-in Help + Tips app.

Support for Wi-Fi Direct which allows two devices to connect without having to join an office hotspot or home wireless network, Windows 8.1 devices can now connect to Wi-Fi Direct printers without adding additional drivers or software. More and more devices are being released with this feature giving greater flexibility of new technologies with Windows 8.1. For enterprise environments, NFC (Near Field Communication) tap-to-pair printing has been included which allows users to simply tap their NFC tagged printer without having to know details of printer drivers and location.

Browsing the Internet has become more perilous these days, so Windows 8.1 comes with the new Internet Explorer 11 brimming with a new GUI and tighter security features for enterprise environments. Internet Explorer 11 has increased anti-malware capabilities to scan ActiveX and other binary extensions to prevent malware and other harmful code.

To view other features and improvements, you can visit Microsoft Technet or contact Celerity Limited to discuss your requirements.

Gary Eckman, Technical Consultant, Celerity Limited

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