RE: IxS adapters (was IBM Linux Ad during Super Bowl - slim shady?)

The short answer is Yes.  But the number of possible IxS cards depends
on your system and will likely be much lower if you're not running a big
box.  12 on an 825, for example.

The purchase price of the IxS + RAM isn't very cheap, at least when
compared to an equivalent Dell.  Current list price for a 2GHz Xeon IxS
is $1900.  I think that includes 512MB RAM but I'm not sure.  Add $1450
for another 1GB RAM.

While you pay a bit more for iSeries vs. PC server disk, that disk can
be easily shared by your IxS servers.  Also, by allocating space only as
needed, you can manage your disk resources better.  You don't wind up
with 36GB disks that are only effectively using 6GB for an
OS/application partition.

You share the iSeries CD-ROM with the IxS.  No additional cost or
footprint.

You share the iSeries tape drive.  Or just have the iSeries back up the
IxS storage spaces itself.  Again, no additional cost or footprint.

Where it becomes really cheap, though, is in the hardware maintenance.
Cost over and above iSeries MMC: $0.

It's also cheaper when you look at the data center cost of the
footprint:  No additional footprint/rack space for the IxS cards and
only a minimal effect on HVAC & power.

There are other benefits:  
- The IxS cards tend to be faster than an otherwise equivalent config
because of the underlying disk subsystem.  
- The cards, in my experience, have been very stable.  
- The Windows servers can be rebooted via a vary off/vary on command.  
- There are some remote command capabilities.  
- Disk volumes can be moved from IxS to IxS by changing their
description; no save/restore needed.  That includes OS volumes as well
as data volumes.  
- The Windows is plain off-the-shelf MS; no iSeries tweaks other than
drivers.
- The can run Citrix or VMWare.

They're great for instances where there is Windows - 400 integration,
like as a deployment server for JDE/PSFT OneWorld.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Damato [mailto:jdamato@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 7:48 PM
To: 'midrange-nontech@xxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: RE: Fw: IBM Linux Ad during Super Bowl - slim shady?

Maybe I don't understand the power of integrated Netfinity stuff, or how
it's really done.  Can you really consolidate 100 Windows servers to one
iSeries?  If so, can it be done cheaply?

-Jim