IBM Linux Servers To Set Sail

IBM's upcoming Regatta series of Unix servers, expected to be released this fall, will include several mainframe-class functions and be among the first Unix servers to natively run Linux applications, according to the company.

Solution providers that have seen information on the new servers from IBM expect Regatta to be a hit with clients and be a formidable competitor to Sun Microsystems' new StarCat server line, also slated for release this fall.

"You gotta have Regatta," says Chris Neary, southeast regional manager at Cornerstone Systems, a Santa Ana, Calif.-based IBM business partner.

Regatta is an extension of IBM's current pSeries line of servers, formerly known as the RS/6000.

IBM is not discussing Regatta or its release date in depth. However, Joel Tendler, program director of technology assessment for the IBM Server Group, says the servers will be based on IBM's new Power4 microprocessor and will be available in eight-way, 16-way, 24-way and 32-way configurations with a maximum of 256 Gbytes of memory.

The primary operating system will be AIX version 5.0, with hooks to allow Linux applications to run natively. Linux can also be run in a logical partition, Tendler says.

Solution providers praise IBM for building in Linux capabilities.

"IBM thinks Linux is important and is betting the farm on it," says one solution provider who requested anonymity. "I think they're trying to position Linux so that if it takes off, they will have the leadership."

Each Power4 microprocessor module will have two processors and 32 Mbytes of Level 3 cache, Tendler says. Each eight-way server module will have a total of 128 Mbytes of Level 3 cache acting as a single cache, he says.

Regatta will support logical partitioning instead of virtual partitioning, with each partition running on a minimum of one processor. Several Power4 features,including proactive memory error detection and correction, automatic rebuilding of a bit of memory if a memory chip goes down and automatic correction of PCI bus errors,will help ensure mainframe-class reliability and availability, says Tendler.

"We've got to start living in the customer's mind, looking for ways to let the customer concentrate on their business and not worry about reliability issues," he says.

Regatta has more than 5,600 sensing points in a 32-way configuration to help discover and correct errors before they affect performance, Tendler says. These sensing points, when combined with an intelligent internal brain, can track errors proactively and call in a technician before a customer even sees a problem, he says.

IBM is offering customers advance information on pSeries SP, p680 and S80 server upgrades to Regatta under nondisclosure agreements.

Solution providers say they expect Regatta to be launched in October.

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