IBM, Sun To Unveil Midrange Servers

IBM on Monday unveiled its new eServer p670, a four-way to 16-way server based on the company's POWER4 microprocessor.

Sun Microsystems, not to be outdone, is expected to follow on Tuesday with the introduction of its Sunfire E12K, an UltraSPARC III-based server with up to 48 processors, code-named Starkitty.

IBM's p670, scheduled to ship on April 26, allows up to 16 logical partitions, said Jim McGaughn, director of pServer product marketing. A new version of the operating system that allows dynamic partitioning is expected to be available in the second half of this year, he said.

The new server also runs the AIX 5L operating system and is ready for 64-bit Linux, said McGaughn. Like the eServer p690, code-named Regatta, it includes self-healing technologies from IBM's project eLiza.

With its partitioning capabilities, the p670 is aimed at server consolidation, McGaughn. "This is important for customers looking to consolidate their servers," he said. "Such customers are typically midrange businesses with about 500 employees. They can run all their applications, including databases, on this server."

List pricing for the eServer p670 with tape drive, CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive, and two hot-swappable hard drives runs from $178,270 for a four-way configuration to $545,522 for a 16-way configuration.

Sun's Starkitty, also known as the Sun Fire E12K server, is a 48-way UltraSPARC III-based server, according to industry sources. One solution provider, who has seen information on the server and who asked not to be named, said it fills a niche between the company's flagship E15K Starcat server and its 24-way midrange 6800 server.