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Slashdot Talks WIth IBM Power Systems GM Doug Balog (Video)

Yesterday we had a story titled 'IBM Gearing Up Mega Power 8 Servers For October Launch.' In the intro Timothy wrote, '...watch for a video interview with Balog on how he's helping spend the billion dollars that IBM pledged last year on open source development.' This is that video, and in it Balog tells us how much IBM loves Linux and open source, and how they're partnering with multiple distros, recently including Ubuntu. So get ready for Power 8 servers in October. IBM is pushing them like mad -- especially in the Linux/FOSS realm. (Alternate Video Link)

25 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. Workstations ? by psergiu · · Score: 1

    As the video won't play (even alt link), i want to ask:

    Any plans for [somewhat] affordable Power8 workstations that can run AIX and some limited PowerVM (something like IntelliStation POWER 285 where you can have 2 LPARs)

    --
    1% APY, No fees, Online Bank https://captl1.co/2uIErYq Don't let your $$$ sit in a no-interest acct.
  2. Re:I've always wanted a sytem! by Penguinisto · · Score: 1

    heh - don't eat much? You should see the electrical and HVAC bills...

    --
    Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
  3. Refreshingly 'normal' interview by schweini · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I just wanted to say that I was pleasantly surprised that this guy seems relatively buzzword free and seems to know his stuff. Obviously he has his corporate agenda, but I would really like more higher-ups in big companies to do interviews like this.

    1. Re:Refreshingly 'normal' interview by s.petry · · Score: 1

      IBM was kind enough to invite me to the launch of the Pure systems, and it was well done also. The majority of the speakers were the engineers that designed and tested the systems, and it was very much a show for techies. Launch means sales, so of course there was some of that but it was not the majority and not the highlights.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    2. Re:Refreshingly 'normal' interview by jon3k · · Score: 1

      I gotta agree. He seems relatively well informed and not full of bs. I enjoyed this.

  4. Re:Fully loaded 2U POWER8 for $2,000 USD, yes or n by armanox · · Score: 1

    Can you buy *ANY* prebuilt, 1U or 2U system, commercial, fully loaded, for that price? I didn't think so.

    Also, if you want to cheap out on compilers, GCC is a perfectly valid option on AIX.

    --
    I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
  5. "A Balog," muttered Gandalf. "Now I understand." by sconeu · · Score: 1

    It makes sense... we know that the Nazgul come from IBM, why not the Balog?

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  6. Re:Fully loaded 2U POWER8 for $2,000 USD, yes or n by kthreadd · · Score: 1

    Yep. A lot of entry-level systems start at around $500 to $1000.

  7. Re:Fully loaded 2U POWER8 for $2,000 USD, yes or n by Monkius · · Score: 1

    Link?

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    Matt
  8. While this isn't ask slashdot, a question: by Let's+All+Be+Chinese · · Score: 1

    How about supporting open source besides fifty shades of the same thing? Like, porting one or more *BSDs to POWER 8?

    There really is more to open source OSes than just "linux", you know.

  9. Re:Fully loaded 2U POWER8 for $2,000 USD, yes or n by bws111 · · Score: 1

    What enterprise class entry level server can you get 'fully loaded', including a supported proprietary operating system and proprietary development tools for $500 to $1000?

  10. Re:Fully loaded 2U POWER8 for $2,000 USD, yes or n by msobkow · · Score: 1

    They said "fully loaded", not "entry level."

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
  11. Re:Fully loaded 2U POWER8 for $2,000 USD, yes or n by Wesley+Felter · · Score: 1

    Start at != fully loaded.

  12. Nice, but lowered support for POWER3 != good. by sethstorm · · Score: 1

    Wouldn't mind if they would done their part to keep the slightly older, but still-viable CHRP systems in the loop. AIX is one thing, but dropping it from Linux just seems odd.

    AFAIK, it seems like the only way you can still build for POWER3 is if you build the toolchain not to be crippled or go with a fully 32-bit system.

    --
    Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
    1. Re: Nice, but lowered support for POWER3 != good. by Funk_dat69 · · Score: 1

      Dude, Power3 came out in 1998. How can you possibly complain about that?

      --
      FUNK!
  13. I can't really listen by gelfling · · Score: 1

    Almost everything IBM says is bullshit. Sorry but it is.

  14. Re:Fully loaded 2U POWER8 for $2,000 USD, yes or n by sethstorm · · Score: 1

    Also, if you want to cheap out on compilers, GCC is a perfectly valid option on AIX.

    The folks at Mozilla would beg to differ unless they're stopped NOTFIXing gcc on it.

    --
    Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
  15. transcript finally ready by Roblimo · · Score: 1

    Better late than never, although this was *way* late...

  16. Re:Fully loaded 2U POWER8 for $2,000 USD, yes or n by armanox · · Score: 1

    I suppose that would be on the GCC team then, yes? I'm using it myself (v4.8). I suppose they could try LLVM, but I have no idea how viable that is on AIX.

    --
    I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
  17. Reality check by s.petry · · Score: 1

    I call bullshit! I worked with a team that had this believe at a very large telecom in San Jose. They swore that their off brand servers were just as good as name brand but cheaper. Of course we had to ignore the fact that every machine came with different LOM cards, most of which didn't work at all. That itself should have been a dead giveaway, but oh no.. can't convince these guys that their cheap custom built servers are any different than an enterprise class system.

    Until of course we started adding 10Gb cards and could not get images to work on most machines. Drivers would fail for unknown reasons and a bit different on every box. Then after some digging we find out that every box has a slightly different mother board, slightly different NIC cards, slightly different memory, slightly different 10Gb NIC cards, etc.. etc.. because of course they are built for price as one off systems.

    Since the project was to build out a large simulation cluster the boxes had to have identical loads, so we scrapped 200,000 worth of "cheap" servers that at least a dozen people fought tooth and nail to get because they were "just as good as other enterprise systems but cheaper".

    If you want to claim that your cheap stuff is "enterprise ready" I demand you prove it.

    As a caveat, I don't have anything against those types of systems for special purposes. Special purposes are not "enterprise class" systems, they are custom built for a specific purpose. I am not confident, but I do hope, that you can distinguish the difference between the two.

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    1. Re:Reality check by Bonzoli · · Score: 1

      Actually unless you guarantee a number of sales or purchases up front(with money), the vendor almost always just orders as needed. The manufacturer will always improve the Mboards/cards/etc. So you get a,b,c version of the same numbered board. The only way to guarantee you get the same board and replacement board is to order up front all of them plus 40% so you have specific backups if one goes bad. Most likely you have to specify they all come from the same manufacturing run.
      Even then you get subtle differences, as capacitors might change a bit, components the supplier uses change. Most keep the same numbers.
      Writing a piece of paper that specifies these things is beyond most engineering departments as the cost of doing that is much better spent buying a machine from a company that controls the whole pipeline.

  18. Re:flash is horrible by s.petry · · Score: 1

    flash is nothing more than Powerpoint with two bad copies of javascript and a heap of vulnerabilities added.

    FTFY

    FT FTFY!

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

  19. Re:Fully loaded 2U POWER8 for $2,000 USD, yes or n by MoonlessNights · · Score: 1

    Having used GCC and XLC on AIX, I can tell you that XLC is definitely the superior compiler.

    The difference is less dramatic on Linux, but it is still there.

    The difference between the platforms is caused by some interesting knowledge the compiler has of how the OS does some things (readable zero page being the most obvious example).

  20. Re:I SURE FUCKING HOPE SO! by IAN · · Score: 1

    AIX is UNIX Done Right. It's the kind of UNIX that doesn't fuck around. It just goddamn works, and it works really well.

    Unless much has changed with AIX, this quote still applies. I used to coddle some AIX servers in the 4.2-4.3 timeframe, and can vouch for the truthfulness of the quote. AIX is... strange. Though, in fairness, they did have LVM done right.

  21. Ugh by jon3k · · Score: 1

    Pet Peeve. Moore's Law doesn't say "2X the performance". Doubling the number of transistors doesn't equate to 2X the performance.