TechWatch: IBM, Opsware, Silex

POWER (5) TO SPARE

Resellers looking to slake the never-ending need for high-end computing performance need look no further than IBM's new Power 5 microprocessor. Big Blue rolled out this latest incarnation of its RISC architecture back in March. Now, it has made the CPU the centerpiece of its new eServer p5 family of midrange Unix/Linux servers. The systems are fully 64-bit, have a top clock speed of 1.9 GHz and apply innovative control software dubbed the IBM "Virtualization Engine." The technique uses micropartitioning to enable multiple virtual servers to run on a single processor. The servers thus have the flexibility to handle widely varying workload demands and deliver an average 80 percent utilization of system resources. The eServer p5s come in three models with configurations ranging from two to 16 processors. They can run Linux simultaneously alongside IBM's AIX flavor of Unix. (An earlier eServer i5 system introduced in May runs IBM's proprietary OS/400 operating system and is aimed at the SMB market.)

IBM ESERVER P5, www.ibm.com/servers Price: Model p5 570 (shown) $26,000 and up; other models start at $12,900

OPS...THEY DID IT AGAIN

A company co-founded by Netscape creator Marc Andreessen would be expected to be Net-centric. That's certainly the case with Opsware, which pitches itself as a provider of IT-automation software that's driving the shift from client-server computing to a Web-based architecture. That mouthful aside, the company's eponymous System 4.5 and Extension Builder products constitute a heavy-duty method of automating the process of IT management. Opsware System 4.5 enables users to keep an eye on their heterogeneous networks via remote management and troubleshooting of servers, as well as scheduling of apps and generating reports. The Extension Builder, which includes APIs and reference applications, can be used to create custom modules that fold additional control features into the repertoire.

OPSWARE SYSTEM 4.5, www.opsware.com Price: $1,200 per server

PERSONAL-SERVICE SERVER

"Why didn't I think of that?" is the typical response to the latest emerging category of IT gadget to catch fire. It's Silex Technology's miniature device (a.k.a. print) server--a dedicated Ethernet bridge, which takes a USB device, such as a printer, scanner or hard drive, and hangs it off of a standard 10Base-T network. That turns what was previously, say, a standalone printer into a shared resource everyone can use. Additionally, the IP-filtering security incorporated into these servers ensures that your fellow sharers won't include those who shouldn't be surfing your network. The upshot is that resellers should have no trouble moving these dynamic gizmos into all sorts of SOHO and SMB applications.

SILEX TECHNOLOGY'S USB DEVICE SERVERS, www.silexamerica.com

Price: $179 (wireless, above), $229 (four-port wired, right)