IBM introduces Linux servers

IBM HAS RELEASED a range of Linux servers as part of a cunning plan to get enterprises to upgrading their systems' underlying legacy kit.

It announced the new Series z Linux servers alongside an array of systems consolidation services and software.

For the last three years Biggish Blue has been trying to get its hardware, software and services arms to work a bit closer and this is one result. It has required some arm twisting and, no doubt, some extra titles added to some executives' business cards to pull off.

The new z Series Linux servers and related software and service products were all announced at the same time, which is in itself a bit of a breakthrough. All three divisions worked on the press release too, apparently.

For System z users, IBM is offering eight different configurations, each targeted at a specific use case - data warehousing, application development, disaster recovery, security, electronic payments, SAP applications, service-oriented architecture applications and services, and cloud computing.

The System z Solution Editions are each comprised of various components, such as DB2 and Websphere, that make up extended, integrated stacks.

Tom Rosamilia, general manager of System z at IBM, said that IBM is seeing a new market trend for large-scale server consolidation and bringing more capabilities to the mainframe. Of course that's only been happening for about 10 years or so already, but he's optimistic it's continuing to increase, naturally.

He thinks that only IBM's Enterprise Linux Server can provide the environment necessary to handle countless workloads securely and with high availability on such a massive scale.

Of course IBM has been using tweaked Linux VM servers and software since its blue suit and tie wearing cave men plugged the first stone kernel into their dinosaur powered server. µ