Re: Larry Bolhuis

It is not a new version, nor is the i5/OS actually missing the integrated DB2; it is of course, integrated :-). What is available is an option to purchase per-processor entitlements for i5/OS, where the price of the DB2 has been excluded. Such activations would be valid on partitions where no use of the DB2 is applicable; e.g. an LPAR for an application server or e-mail server which does not make use of the DB2 on that partition.
That was part of the 10-Apr-2007 announce materials. For a better description, refer to:
IBM System i platform includes a new i5/OS license option for application and infrastructure serving
IBM United States Software Announcement 207-068
http://tinyurl.com/2zbspo

For convenience, the most relevant portion of the abstract are appended below the quoted text of this reply.

Regards, Chuck
-- All comments provided "as is" with no warranties of any kind whatsoever.

albartell wrote:
<<SNIP>>

They are going to be(or already have, kinda unclear on this one) releasing a
version of the System i5 without DB2 and some other features in an effort to
better offer solutions for customers that are using the iSeries in different
ways (I think Domino was the example Mark S mentioned).

<<SNIP>>


System i operating system continues to evolve to meet the customer's demands. There is now a lower priced entry into the market with i5/OS Licensing by User and offering the higher end an option to license i5/Os partitions without the need to use the i5/OS database called i5/OS Application Server.

<<SNIP>>

i5/OS Application Server (5722-SSB)

A new i5/OS license for additional processors on System i models 550, 570, and 595 offers a reduced i5/OS entitlement charge for System i processors. The processors are assigned to logical partitions (LPARs). These LPARs host applications that access DB2 data residing and managed in other partitions as well as applications that do not execute DB2 function in i5/OS within the partition at all.

Using the new i5/OS Application Server processor entitlement offering, you can now leverage the benefits of i5/OS work management, security, and scalability in new applications even more affordably. Additionally, you can manage these applications with the same resources and skills that support their other i5/OS business applications.

The i5/OS Application Server license entitlement can support partitions that run products such as Lotus Domino and Sametime, which do not require DB2 UDB to execute. License entitlement is also ideal for Web application serving workloads such as Java language business applications running under WebSphere Application Server or even PHP or Apache-based applications running on i5/OS. These applications typically access DB2 data only in other i5/OS partitions or servers.