A key feature of the new IBM servers -- there will be various multiprocessor versions -- will be micropartitioning for a new version of the AIX operating system, which is IBM's version of UNIX. The micropartitioning feature will enable users to run different operating systems at the same time within a single processor. "That's a big breakthrough," said Brookwood.
The new eServer p5 family will be offered initially in processor multiples of two, four and sixteen -- each with ascending degrees of scalability. Brookwood said a 64-processor version should be available later in the year.
Brookwood noted that the new eServers represent a doubling of power over IBM's Power4-based servers. In addition to the AIX and the i5/OS operating systems, a version of Linux is expected to be available for the new family.
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