IBM has introduced new systems software for managing virtualized servers, to help clients plan, build and maintain data centers. The new systems software-IBM Systems Director VMControl-gives companies a tool to manage heterogeneous virtual servers. The solution is designed to enable users to discover, display, monitor and locate virtual resources; create and manage virtual servers; and deploy and manage workloads with a common interface across IBM System z mainframes, System x x86-based servers, BladeCenter, Power Systems AIX, Linux, and System i platforms.
VMControl is part of the IBM Systems Director family of software for the management of IBM servers, storage and networking, and provides automatic discovery, as well as monitoring and updates for physical and virtual resources. Systems Director can help businesses maintain the performance and availability of their servers and simplify operations in a dynamic infrastructure.
"Across enterprises today, even small and medium businesses, with diverse environments, the whole issue of administration and management of systems is becoming more and more important," Steve Sibley, Power Systems Platform manager, tells 5 Minute Briefing. "As we deploy virtualization capabilities across now on x86 to join virtualization capabilities that have been available on Power and other technologies, the ability to manage those from a single console dramatically simplifies client environments. Our new IBM Systems Director VMControl product will enable you to do that, to manage both your virtual as well as your physical systems, whether you are in an x86-type environment or a Power-Unix environment as well."
IBM also announced an upgrade path to the next-generation of Power Systems based on the POWER7 microprocessor. In addition to existing customers, clients can purchase a POWER6 based 570 or 595 server today, and can then upgrade their existing system when POWER7 becomes available. A Power 595 or 570 system upgrade can be accomplished during planned downtime by simply replacing the processors, memory and system controllers with new POWER7 components within the existing system frame. POWER7 processors will offer two to three times the performance of POWER6 using the same amount of energy (and will be available in four, six and eight-core varieties).
For either system, once upgraded to POWER7, applications from POWER6 systems can be moved to the newly upgraded Power 595 or Power 570 servers using IBM's PowerVM Live Partition Mobility or AIX Live Application Mobility software, without impacting availability of the applications.
IBM also introduced a TCO Center of Excellence intended to help customers reduce server sprawl and overall infrastructure costs by eliminating under-utilized Unix and x86 servers.
For more information on IBM Power Systems, go here.