“In a new salvo in the server wars, IBM will extend its Unix
server line with two new products on Monday, including a high-end
machine that can run up to 24 processors. …the high-end S80,
code-named ‘Condor,’ and the low-end B50, code-named
‘Pizzazz’–will mark a substantial improvement to the RS/6000 line
of Unix-based servers…”
“…IBM plans to update AIX, its version of the Unix operating
system… The newest version, 4.3.3, will be able to run software
that will be compatible with a future version of Unix called
Monterey-64, scheduled to arrive with Intel’s 64-bit Merced chip in
late 2000. Monterey-64 also will be able to run software
written for the Linux open-source operating system…”
“Although based around Unix, IBM’s PowerPC-based RS/6000
line increasingly shares characteristics of IBM’s Intel-based
Netfinity line. On the operating system front, Monterey will
work on both PowerPC and Intel chips, and IBM will support
Linux for both types of servers as well. IBM’s acquisition of
Sequent will result in both server lines embracing the same
technique of packing dozens of chips in one server.”
“…the S80 will be able to use as many as 24 processors, twice
the number in IBM’s current high-end S70A. The overall expectation
was for two to three times the overall performance… One source
familiar with the S80 said the combination of improvements lift the
server performance above Sun’s E10000, a server that uses up to 64
CPUs and has been popular with the rise of the Internet.”