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IBM To Demo OpenPower 710 At SCALE 3x
An anonymous reader writes "IBM will demo their PPC based servers including their new OpenServer 710 at SCALE 3x this week. In addition they have their i5/520 running Power Linux, Intel Linux, AIX, i5/OS (OS/400), and Windows all simultaneously. SCALE will be held this weekend in Los Angeles at the LA Convention Center. Speakers include Kevin Foreman (Real Networks), Jon Hall (Linux International), Larry McVoy (CEO BitMover), Marc Hamilton (Sun) & 30 other sessions. In addtion to the talks there will be over 40 exhibitors including IBM & Novell. If you're in LA drop by on 2/12-2/13. There will also be a dinner and GPG Key Signing party. (For a free exhibit hall pass register with the promo code "FREE" or a discounted full access pass with "NEWSP".")
I just read this entire thing at -1, and there hasn't been one post that indicates anyone has even seen an OpenPower box. We purchased an OpenPower 720 box a few months ago. 2x 1.65 GHz procs, 4 GB RAM, 2 73 GB drives, 6 146 GB drives for about $22,000. We run SLES 9 on it, and use it for ITSM. I chose it opver and x86 box for one reason: I/O, which is pretty much where all big-iron architectures trounce x86. There have definitely been growing pains, though. I had to work with SUSE on a fix for installation onto an IBM RAID array. Also, I cannot utilize all of the disk space that was purchased. Both of those issues are results of IBM controllers requiring you to format a drive with 522 byte sectors. The results are workable and perform well, but not quite the "certified" solution I was expecting. Anyways, my 2 cents. I still think I made a good choice, considering management wouldn't go for a PSeries/AIX box.