Using IBM i? Need to create Excel, CSV, HTML, JSON, PDF, SPOOL reports? Learn more about the fastest and least expensive tool for the job: SQL iQuery.
IBM i Supports New IBM BladeCenter PS703 & PS704 Express Servers
IBM United States Software Announcement 211-108
April 12, 2011
At a Glance
IBM® i offers enhanced support for IBM BladeCenter® PS703 and PS704 Express Servers™, IBM PowerVM™ virtualization, and I/O.
IBM i is enhanced with:
- Support for new BladeCenter PS703 and PS704 Express Servers
- New processor options on the IBM Power® 750 Express®
- New servers eligible for IBM i license transfer
- New features in Systems Director Navigator for i 6.1 for management of IBM i
- The addition of IBM Web Enablement for i to WebSphere® Application Server - Express V8.0
- Ability for IBM i 5.4 customers to acquire 7.1 IBM i Access for Windows®
- Improved text indexing and searching of IBM i objects
- Improvements in DB2® for i function and performance with SQL Query Engine, solid-state drives (SSD), and advanced database technologies
- Enhanced support for SSDs
- Support for partition suspend/resume
- New IBM i to IBM i virtual tape support
- Additional I/O support
Lab Services offers an enhancement to improve the process and speed of data migration, easing transitions from IBM 3995, IBM 3996, and selected non-IBM optical libraries.
IBM Systems Director Management Console (SDMC) V6.73 supports managing IBM POWER6™ and POWER7™ technology-based systems running IBM i.
IBM Rational® Developer for i for SOA Construction V8.0 provides a comprehensive application development and modernization solution, providing development tools for today's IBM i development teams.
Note: The IBM i license transfer offering does not apply in Japan.
For ordering, contact your IBM representative, an IBM Business Partner, or IBM Americas Call Centers at 800-IBM-CALL (Reference: AE001).
| Overview |
 |
IBM i 6.1 with 6.1.1 machine code and IBM i 7.1 support BladeCenter PS703 and PS704 Express Servers. BladeCenter PS703 Express with POWER7 processor is available in a 16-core configuration. BladeCenter PS704 Express with POWER7 processor is available in a 32-core configuration. The IBM BladeCenter family of products is a set of integrated platforms with a high degree of deployment flexibility, energy efficiency, scalability, and manageability. The BladeCenter PS703 Express and PS704 Express are two comprehensive new blade additions.
Redundant VIOS capability is now provided for POWER processor-based blades and can provide enhanced availability. Similar to the existing multiple VIOS capability already on rack/tower Power Systems™, IBM i partitions on a POWER6 or POWER7 processor-based blade can be configured with multiple paths to connect to the same IBM System Storage® device.
PowerVM includes support for an IBM i 7.1 partition to be suspended, and later resumed. Using Suspend / Resume, clients can perform long-term suspension of partitions, which frees server resources used by that partition, and later resume operation of that partition and its applications on the same server. PowerVM has been enhanced to include the N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) attachment of DS5100 and DS5300 Storage Systems with IBM i 7.1. Setting up configurations to share adapters is easier with NPIV. This support also allows the use of a Lab Services toolkit to access copy services for the DS5000 storage.
A simple, cost-effective virtual tape solution provides the capability for an IBM i 7.1 server partition to be used to share a tape drive among multiple IBM i 7.1 and 6.1 client partitions without the use of VIOS.
IBM i now supports the new EXP24S SFF Gen2-bay drawer, which has a higher physical density, fitting 24 hard disk drive (HDD) disks in the space that used to fit just 12. This drawer can be used in conjunction with existing SAS adapters.
IBM i now also provides support for the new 571 GB SAS disk drive, which provides a lower cost per gigabyte and more gigabytes per 2U rack space.
IBM i now provides expanded SSDs hardware support for previously announced PCIe RAID and SSD SAS adapters and their 177 GB SSD modules. This SSD option previously required IBM i 7.1 or required VIOS with IBM i 6.1.
For IBM i clients who want to move more performance-sensitive workloads to external or VIOS-attached storage, advanced multipath algorithms are now available in IBM i 7.1 that can improve performance in certain multipath configurations.
IBM Lab Services now provides an offering for clients who are migrating their data from optical libraries. This offering improves the process and speed of data migration, easing transitions from IBM 3995, IBM 3996, and selected non-IBM optical libraries. Image catalog support can be used to move data from an optical library volume to a virtual optical volume on disk. Directories and files can then be copied as desired to other destinations from the virtual optical volume at faster rates than previously possible.
Systems Director Navigator for i, 6.1 has been enhanced to allow clients to work with multiple systems from a single interface. It includes a 5250 emulation portlet and new Disk Response Time bucket perspectives and an IBM Technology for Java™ Memory perspective. New options have been added for managing journals, integrated servers, and network and disk management features.
IBM Systems Director Management Console (SDMC) V6.73 is the next-generation Hardware Management Console (HMC). For IBM i customers who currently use System Director, SDMC incorporates the IBM Systems Director software to provide consistency with IBM Systems Director.
IBM Rational Developer for i for SOA Construction V8.0 provides a comprehensive application development and modernization solution, providing development tools for today's IBM i development teams.
IBM Web Enablement for i now includes WebSphere Application Server - Express V8.0, which builds on over a decade of market leadership to offer Java EE 6 and broad programming model support, enhanced developer and administrator productivity, and improved security, installation, and maintenance.
The integrated DB2 database for IBM i is enhanced with advanced SQL functionality in its XML and recursive query technology support as well as offering additional performance improvements to a wide range of customers.
 |
| Key prerequisites |
|
IBM BladeCenter PS703 or PS704, IBM i 6.1 with machine code 6.1.1 or IBM i 7.1
|
| Planned availability date |
|
May 13, 2011, except for IBM Web Enablement for i (5722-WE2) which is June 17, 2011, and for DB2 Web Query for i Additional User Option (5733-QUB) which is April 15, 2011.
Refer to the hardware announcements listed in the Reference information section for hardware availability dates.
|
| Description |
|
IBM i Support for BladeCenter PS703 and PS704 Express Servers
IBM i 6.1 with 6.1.1 machine code and IBM i 7.1 support BladeCenter PS703 and PS704 Express Servers. BladeCenter PS703 Express with POWER7 processor is available in a 16-core configuration. BladeCenter PS704 Express with POWER7 processor is available in a 32-core configuration.
- Allows workload consolidation on IBM BladeCenter Power Architecture® blades with POWER7 processors and application virtualization to better utilize resources and amplify the already-significant advantages of BladeCenter efficiencies
- Offers elegantly simple scalability, easy expansion, and pay-as-you-grow flexibility for the utmost in investment protection, performance growth, and time to value
- Provides a highly secure, resilient infrastructure solution that can help drive cost down, reduce risk, improve energy efficiency, and enhance flexibility
The IBM i processor groups for the BladeCenter PS703 (7891-73X) and PS704 (7891-74X) are:
- 16-core, 32-core = P10
PowerVM redundant VIOS support for IBM i on POWER processor-based blade
Redundant VIOS capability is now provided for POWER processor-based blades and can provide enhanced availability. Similar to the existing multiple VIOS capability already on rack/tower Power Systems, IBM i partitions on a POWER6 or POWER7 processor-based blade can be configured with multiple paths to connect to the same IBM System Storage device.
Note: This support requires use of Systems Director Management Console.
POWER7 processor-based server enhancements
The following new processors and processor activations are available on the Power 750 Express server:
- 8-core 3.6 GHz POWER7 Processor Card (#EPA1), Processor Activation (#EPB1), and Zero-priced Processor Activation (#EPF1)
- 6-core 3.7 GHz POWER7 Processor Card (#EPA2), Processor Activation (#EPB2), and Zero-priced Processor Activation (#EPF2)
- 4-core 3.7 GHz POWER7 Processor Card (#EPA3), Processor Activation (#EPB3), and Zero-priced Processor Activation (#EPF3)
- 8-core 3.2 GHz POWER7 Processor Card (#EPA4), Processor Activation (#EPB4), and Zero-priced Processor Activation (#EPF4)
Partition Suspend/Resume
PowerVM now includes support for an IBM i 7.1 partition to be suspended, and later resumed. Using Suspend / Resume, clients can perform long-term suspension of partitions, thereby freeing server resources that were in use by that partition, and later resume operation of that partition and its applications on the same server. During the Suspend operation, the partition state (memory, NVRAM, and Virtual Service Processor state) is saved on persistent storage. The Resume operation restores that saved partition state to the server resources. Suspend / Resume can be used to save energy or to allow other partitions to make use of the resources from the suspended partition.
- Requirements for Suspend / Resume:
- IBM i 7.1, or later, is required.
- All I/O resources must be virtualized using VIOS.
- All partition storage must be external.
- Either an HMC or SDMC must be used to manage the partitions.
- The partition must be resumed on the same server on which it was suspended.
- POWER7 firmware: Ax730_xxx, or later, is required.
- VIOS 2.2.0.12-FP24 SP02, or later, is required.
IBM i to IBM i virtual tape support
An IBM i server partition can now be used to share a tape drive among multiple client partitions without the use of VIOS. With an IBM i 7.1 server partition and either an IBM i 7.1 client partition or an IBM i 6.1 client partition with 6.1.1 machine code, IBM i now supports virtualizing LTO3, LTO4, LTO5, DAT160, and DAT320 tape drives, including drives in a TS2900, TS3100, and TS3200 tape library when the tape library is in sequential mode. See info APAR II14615 for a complete list of supported devices and required PTFs.
PowerVM N_Port ID Virtualization attachment of DS5000
IBM i 7.1 partitions on POWER6 or POWER7 rack and tower systems now support N_Port ID Virtualization attachment of DS5100 and DS5300 Storage Systems. Setting up configurations to share adapters is simpler with NPIV. This support also allows the use of a Lab Services toolkit to access copy services for the DS5000 storage.
For compatibility information, consult the Storage Systems Interoperability Center
New I/O support
- EXP24S SFF Gen2 24-Bay Drawer (#5887)
- This expansion drawer has twenty-four 2.5-inch form-factor SAS bays.
- It supports up to 24 hot-swap SFF SAS HDDs.
- It has twice the number of drives compared to the current feature 5886 EXP12S I/O drawer with its twelve 3.5-inch drive capacity.
- In addition to 6 Gb SAS capability, the EXP24S SFF drives provide significant energy savings compared to the EXP12S 3.5-inch drives.
- This disk drawer is supported with IBM i 6.1, with 6.1.1 machine code, or later.
- This disk drawer attaches to both POWER6 and POWER7 servers.
- PCIe2 Riser Card (Gen2) (#5685) for IBM Power 720 and IBM Power 740 Express can provide greater bandwidth with a smaller number of PCI slots/adapters.
- The PCIe2 Riser Card (Gen2) (#5685) is an optional feature, providing four PCIe Gen2 low-profile (LP) slots for Gen1 or Gen2 adapter cards. It is physically very similar to the PCIe Riser Card (Gen1)(#5610).
- IBM i now provides direct support for this previously announced PCIe Riser Card (Gen2), without the use of VIOS, with IBM i 7.1.
- The previously announced PCIe-based SSD Offering is now available on IBM i 6.1 with 6.1.1 machine code.
- PCIe RAID and SSD SAS Adapters and their 177 GB SSD modules (#2053, #2054, #2055, #1996, #4377) are supported on IBM i 6.1 with 6.1.1 machine code on POWER7 servers. Previously, IBM i 7.1 or IBM i 6.1 with VIOS was required.
- Refer to the IBM Prerequisite website for software requirements for each feature number
- 571 GB 10K RPM SFF Disk Drive (#1916, #1962)
- A new 571 GB 10k RPM SFF-1 and SFF-2 disk drive is added to SFF disk drive options, offering a lower cost per gigabyte and more gigabytes per 2U rack space.
More advanced multipath algorithms
For IBM i clients who want to move their performance-sensitive workloads to external or VIOS-attached storage, advanced multipath algorithms are now available that can improve performance in certain multipath configurations. The new algorithms in IBM i 7.1 allow the system to be more tolerant of paths with different performance characteristics. They will automatically attempt to choose the path that has the most capacity for the I/O, thus using higher-performance paths. This is particularly useful in environments where the adapter is being shared among multiple partitions and all adapters do not have symmetric workloads.
Optical library data migration enhancements using image catalog
Lab Services offers an enhancement to improve the process and speed of data migration, easing transitions from IBM 3995, IBM 3996, and selected non-IBM optical libraries. Image catalog support can be used to move data from an optical library volume to a virtual optical volume. Directories and files can then be copied as desired to other destinations from the virtual optical volume at faster rates than previously possible.
High-speed copy of optical library media to a virtual device is supported with image catalog functions.
Optical library data migration is inherently slow when performed using CPYOPT or CPY commands directly from physical optical library media. This Image catalog enhancement leverages the faster access times of a virtual optical device and allows data migration at faster rates than previously possible.
Using this enhancement, optical library data can be migrated to other newer optical library media technologies, other file system destinations (for example IFS), or directly to an image catalog for use with the Virtual Optical Media Library for Archive Lab Services offering.
Requirements
- Optical media to be migrated must reside in a direct SCSI-attached optical library.
- Eligible optical libraries
- IBM 3995 Optical Library
- IBM 3996 Optical Library
- Plasmon "G-series for IBM" Optical Library models
The data migration enhancement using image catalog support was previously available starting in IBM i 6.1. This enhancement is now available for IBM i 5.4 (with LIC level V5R4M5). The IBM i 5.4 enhancement must be invoked using a provided API instead of the regular image catalog command support that is in later releases.
This enhancement is available and enabled through an IBM Lab Services offering and will require a corresponding license and installation of IBM i PTFs. For additional information on this offering or to contact IBM Lab Services, visit
New features in Systems Director Navigator for i 6.1
Many of the Version 7.1 enhancements in Systems Director Navigator are now available in Version 6.1.
- Systems Director Navigator for i is enhanced to allow clients to work with multiple systems from a single interface using the Set Target System support. From the web-based Systems Director Navigator interface, a client can manage a different IBM i system or partition by selecting the target system. Once this new system or partition has been selected, all data returned to the Systems Director Navigator interface is for this new system or partition. Systems Director Navigator for i, V6.1 can manage a target IBM i 5.4, 6.1, or 7.1 system or partition. With the Set Target System feature, the Systems Director Navigator management server runs in one place; one browser can be used to manage multiple environments and management is extended to IBM i 5.4 environments.
- Clients can now have more than one IBM Systems Director Navigator for i session active for the same user. Prior to these PTFs, only one session could be opened for the same user ID.
- Systems Director Navigator for i now includes a 5250 emulation portlet. Users can now access a 5250 window from the Systems Director Navigator interface, making it easier to use a single interface for managing IBM i systems.
- Systems Director Navigator for i, Performance Data Investigator is enhanced to include Disk Response Time bucket perspectives and an IBM Technology for Java Memory perspective.
- Systems Director Navigator for i also includes additional options for managing journals, integrated servers, and network and disk management features.
The enhancements are enabled in the following IBM i 6.1 PTFs, which are available April 2011: SI41378, SI41379, and SI41380.
IBM Systems Director Management Console (SDMC) V6.73
IBM Systems Director Management Console (SDMC) V6.73 is the next-generation HMC. For IBM i clients who currently use System Director, SDMC incorporates the IBM Systems Director software to provide consistency with IBM Systems Director on other platforms. The SDMC will support managing POWER6 and POWER7 systems.
The SDMC is available on physical hardware that is identical to that of the current HMC, with additional memory and disk resources. SDMC is also available in a virtual appliance format for managing small-tier servers. The SDMC offers several advantages over the HMC, including the ability to manage both Power Systems servers and IBM BladeCenter blades based on Power Architecture.
IBM Rational Developer for i for SOA Construction V8.0
IBM Rational Developer for i for SOA Construction V8.0 provides a comprehensive application development and modernization solution, providing development tools for today's IBM i development teams who need to:
- Create, maintain, and enhance RPG and COBOL applications on IBM i
- Extend RPG and COBOL applications to the web to provide end users with a richer and more productive interface
- Reuse existing applications and integrate them into automated business processes and new applications
IBM Rational Developer for i for SOA Construction V8.0 helps you:
- Reduce development costs
- Simplify the development of service-oriented architecture (SOA) applications
- Modernize existing systems
- Reuse, integrate, and extend valuable existing IT assets (such as RPG and COBOL programs and service programs) using wizards that generate web services interfaces to the existing programs
Rational Developer for i for SOA Construction includes the following products:
- IBM Rational Business Developer V8.0.1
- IBM Rational Developer for Power Systems Software™: RPG and COBOL Development Tools for i, V8.0
IBM Web Enablement for i (5722-WE2) enhancements
IBM Web Enablement for i now includes WebSphere Application Server - Express V8.0.
Your business requires a flexible, efficient, and strong foundation for SOA to align the advancements of business and IT towards improved business agility and reduced costs. WebSphere Application Server technology enables reuse and rapid creation of innovative applications and services that promote business agility -- anticipating and adjusting to the mission-critical issues that help businesses win in the marketplace. WebSphere Application Server offers the industry's broadest range of application foundation and programming model choice to support businesses of every size and includes advanced management to help decrease costs and grow your business.
WebSphere Application Server enables clients and partners to build a strong foundation and reduce cost with:
- Capabilities to efficiently build, deploy, and manage innovative applications and services
- Operational efficiency and reliability
- Integrated management that provides security and control
New and enhanced features in WebSphere Application Server - Express V8.0 included with IBM Web Enablement for i can help companies:
- Improve end-user experiences through rapid delivery of innovative applications
- Utilize diverse developer skills using comprehensive open standards-based programming models
- Achieve higher application security with flexible and granular control
- Leverage high performance to consolidate workloads, thereby reducing costs
- Maintain transaction integrity, overall reliability and scalability, and reduce downtime with industry-leading quality of service
- Reuse and extend legacy and packaged applications to reduce costs, which can be further accelerated using the optional WebSphere Adapters V7.5
- Maximize developer productivity and project delivery speed by using the separately licensed IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software V8.0.3 or Rational Application Developer Standard Edition for WebSphere Software V8.0.3 to help deliver higher-quality departmental to mission-critical applications for WebSphere Application Server
IBM i License Transfer
IBM i License Transfer adds the following:
Additional eligible donor servers:
Group 4:
- Power 520 (9405-520)
Group 5:
- Power 520 (9406-520)
- PS703 (7891-73X)
- PS704 (7891-74X)
Additional eligible receiving servers:
Group 5:
- PS703 (7891-73X)
- PS704 (7891-74X)
Note: The IBM i License Transfer offering does not apply in Japan.
IBM i Access for Windows 7.1 for IBM i 5.4 clients
Clients who want to remain at IBM i 5.4 and who have a Software Maintenance agreement can acquire IBM i Access for Windows, 7.1 by ordering 5722-SS1 refresh feature 6287. This feature delivers the PC installation media.
IBM i Access Family 7.1 for IBM i 6.1 clients
Clients who want to remain at IBM i 6.1 and who have a Software Maintenance agreement can acquire the 7.1 versions of the following products by ordering 5761-SS1 refresh feature 6287:
- IBM i Access for Windows
- IBM i Access for Web
This feature delivers both the PC and server installation media. Formerly, these version 7.1 IBM i Access products were available to IBM i 6.1 clients with 5761-XW1 feature 6221 but instead are now available with 5761-SS1 feature 6287.
IBM i Access for Windows 7.1 offers:
- Enhancements to the .NET, ODBC, and OLE DB providers
- Enhancements to Data Transfer
- Updated PC5250 Display and Printer Emulation based on IBM Personal Communications 6.0
- Help files converted to HTML help format
- Enhancements to installation, including installation-time support for secondary languages
- Enhancements to the Database function within System i® Navigator, including enhancements to the On Demand Performance Center and Health Center, support for long SQL schema names throughout the database pages, and more.
IBM i Access for Web 7.1 includes:
- Additional option for viewing spooled files as PDF documents
OmniFind for IBM i (5733-OMF)
The OmniFind™ Text Search Server for DB2 for i product available for IBM i 7.1 has been enhanced to include additional SQL programmable interfaces that extend its support beyond traditional DB2 tables. These interfaces allow text indexing and searching of IBM i objects such as spool files and integrated file system files.
PTF enablement:
- SI40272
DB2 for IBM i enhancements
SQL Query Engine (SQE) has been enhanced in IBM i 6.1 to further optimize SQL performance by adding functionality previously available only in IBM i 7.1.
- Ability to process SQL queries that reference common types of logical files. This support includes logical files used for controlling user access via object authority or to rename or remap physical files and fields. This change provides considerable enablement for many IBM i 6.1 customer environments previously hindered by this restriction, allowing them to take advantage of the many features of SQE.
- SQE can now detect and react to additional queries with fluctuating performance caused when users change criteria for search results that dramatically affect the quantity of results processed.
- Ability to preserve plan cache settings across IPLs. This simplifies the work for those clients who have changed or want to change their plan cache size by removing the complexity of resetting the value after each system restart.
PTF enablement for these new IBM i 6.1 DB2 functions:
- DB group PTF SF99601 version 19 plus
- For Version 6.1 - MF52486 and MF5195
- For Version 6.1.1 - MF52487 and MF51957
DB2 for i in IBM i 7.1 adds the following new features:
- Expanded leadership in SSD optimization by providing more granular database object placement on SSDs, down to the file member level, and by enhancing the SQL Query Engine to further recognize and exploit SSD placement for database objects. Limitations were also lifted to allow the object placement changes to concur concurrently with database production activity.
- Simplified usage of recursive query technology with the CONNECT BY clause addition to the SQL language. This provides for faster development cycles of applications that, for example, generate a bill of materials. DB2 XML also gets a boost with additional features to preserve and control result ordering when processing XML data.
- The Shipped procedure portfolio was further expanded to offer developers numerous new options to easily extract database metadata information, including index advice and database job information.
PTF enablement for these new IBM i 7.1 DB2 functions:
- DB group PTF SF99701 version 7
Back to top |
| Statement of direction |
|
IBM plans to support the feature 5685 PCIe Riser Card (Gen2) without VIOS in an IBM i 6.1 environment with machine code 6.1.1 in fourth quarter 2011.
IBM plans to introduce a large-cache PCIe SAS adapter in third quarter 2011 for clients with large numbers of HDD or SSD per adapter. It is planned to be supported on POWER7 configurations (Power 720, 740, 770, 780, 795), POWER7 750 servers with 12X PCIe I/O drawers, or on POWER6 servers with 12X PCIe I/O drawers. It is planned to support SSDs or HDDs located in feature 5802/5803 12X PCIe, feature 5886 EXP12S and feature 5887 EXP24S I/O drawers. It is planned to be supported by AIX® 5.3, or later; IBM i 6.1 with Virtual IO Server (VIOS); or IBM i 7.1 with or without VIOS. Support by IBM i 6.1 without VIOS is planned for fourth quarter 2011. The adapter is planned to be configured as pairs of single-wide PCIe cards, much like the existing feature 5805/5903 PCIe adapters.
IBM's statements regarding its plans, directions, and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice at IBM's sole discretion. Information regarding potential future products is intended to outline our general product direction and it should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision. The information mentioned regarding potential future products is not a commitment, promise, or legal obligation to deliver any material, code, or functionality. Information about potential future products may not be incorporated into any contract. The development, release, and timing of any future features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion.
|
| Reference information |
|
Refer to
- Hardware Announcement 111-020, dated April 12, 2011
- Hardware Announcement 111-032, dated April 12, 2011
- Hardware Announcement 111-033, dated April 12, 2011
- Software Announcement 211-101, dated April 12, 2011
- Hardware Announcement 111-065, dated April 12, 2011
- Software Announcement 211-100, dated April 12, 2011
- Software Withdrawal 910-203, dated September 14, 2010
- Hardware Announcement 110-199, dated October 07, 2010
- Hardware Announcement 210-205, dated August 17, 2010
|
| Program number |
|
Program
number VRM Program name
5733-QUB 1.1.2 DB2 Web Query for Billing
5733-OMF 1.2.0 OmniFind Text Search Server for DB2 for i
5722-WE2 7.1 Web Enablement for IBM i
5761-SS1 6.1 IBM i
5761-SSA 6.1 IBM i Per Processor Billing
5761-SSB 6.1 IBM i Application Server Billing
5761-SSC 6.1 IBM i Per User Billing
5770-SS1 7.1 IBM i
5770-SSA 7.1 IBM i Per Processor Billing
5770-SSB 7.1 IBM i Application Server Billing
5770-SSC 7.1 IBM i Per User Billing