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IBM on Monday is rolling out a version of its Itanium-based server that will enable users to scale the system from four to 16 processors.
The eServer xSeries 455 is designed to enable users to scale their Itanium systems and increase their 64-bit computing capabilities as their business demands dictate, something officials with the Armonk, N.Y., company say is particularly important for businesses with transaction-intensive workloads and large enterprise resource applications.
The new server—which supports both Linux and Microsoft Corp.s Windows operating systems—will be available Dec. 9 starting at $21,999. It will enable customers to scale their systems in four-processor nodes. Each node includes processors, I/O expansion and up to 56GB of memory. That capability mirrors what IBM currently offers in its systems based on Intel Corp.s 32-bit Xeon chips, officials said.
In an unrelated move, IBM on Monday also is unveiling the Remote Supervisor Adapter II, an upgraded version of its remote management software that the company will offer as an option on its IA-32 systems. The new software, which will be available Dec. 5 starting at $995, offers up to five times the graphics redirection capability of the current version and remote access via a Web browser.
Businesses are seeing their Itanium options increase. Earlier this month, Hewlett-Packard Co., of Palo Alto, Calif., rolled out three new systems in its Itanium-based Integrity line—a four-way, an eight-way and a 16-way system—that complement the companys 64-way Superdome. The eight- and 16-way systems also will feature partitioning capabilities, enabling it to run Linux, Windows 2003 or HP-UX 11I simultaneously.
While interest in Itanium-based Superdomes continues to grow—it will come with 128 processors next year—HP officials said there also is increasing demand to bring Itanium to the midrange.
Unisys Corp., of Blue Bell, Pa., offers three Itanium 2-based systems that scale up to 32 processors.
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