Re: i5 Youngsters -- MIDRANGE-NONTECH

This installation is a large distributor. And costs more that $50k and less than $100k. MS/Citrix licensing already paid for. Main app is on the i5. All other apps, email, virus checking, thin client desktops (Citrix), web publishing, SQL database, etc are all on Windows boxes. The VMware allocates memory, CPU and disk space. They also provide an environment just for the development/testing world. Add a fix, it breaks, reload OS in 5 min. Works well.

Fritz Hayes

Aaron Bartell wrote:

Are the Windows servers doing the "One App One Server" approach? That's
still a lot of server OSes to maintain (i.e. patches). I have also seen the
many LPAR approach taken in i5/OS shops also though - it lessens the chance
of stepping on other apps toes I guess, though you end up with more OSes to
maintain (again).
We all know Windows and i5/OS are both capable of being more than a
One-App-One-Server machine, but it is interesting to see how companies are
reasoning away from that approach.

BTW, that _is_ quite the impressive setup you have there! Would be
interesting to hear pricing on your setup if you are able to divulge.
Apart from VMWare for servers I have often wondered about using VMWare for
developer machines to get them up and running with necessary software on a
fresh OS in less than 10 minutes. I believe it would be as simple as
copy/paste one VMWare session file to another, right?

Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Fritz Hayes
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 12:45 AM
To: Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: i5 Youngsters

Having just put VMWare through it's paces next to a beautiful i5, I can wish for VMWare on the i5. Right now, there are 2 - 4 way IBM servers running, with 40 GB RAM connected to a SAN. 17+ windows servers run on the hardware with dynamic, live failover between the boxes. Citrix is running on some of those servers. All desktops have iSeries Navigator running. Truly a mind bending assembly. The underlying OS for the VMware is Linux. Makes one think about i5 possibilities.

Best regards,

Fritz Hayes

Aaron Bartell wrote:

1) OK. What is it? Seriously. Why would you prefer a single machine

w/LPAR

to multiple "pizza-box" servers?

Note that I have NOT done the multiple LPAR thing, but am simply acting on
what I have read. Yes, I know that is dangerous, so thanks for any and

all

light anyone can shed.

Can you control/share resources on multiple pizza boxes like I believe you
can on the iSeries? Can you get processing on demand? The amount of

power

consumption would be less more than likely - that is something more
organizations are starting to consider. I am sure there are other

benefits

that I am not entertaining.

I guess I would like to ask you the same question as you seem to like the
multiple pizza box approach - what is it that you feel makes them better
than System i other than price?

2) And now, for all your reasons given for #1. Can you do that w/VMWare?

To date my experiences with VMWare sessions has been limited to some
business use, but mostly personal use. I think a VMWare vs. System i LPAR
would be a great article for somebody other than myself to write - I would
read it.

Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Walden H.
Leverich
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 2:55 PM
To: Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: i5 Youngsters

I do see value in having all your processes/servers running on a single machine using multiple LPARs.

1) OK. What is it? Seriously. Why would you prefer a single machine
w/LPAR to multiple "pizza-box" servers?

2) And now, for all your reasons given for #1. Can you do that w/VMWare?

-Walden