Fact Sheet: IBM S/390 G5 Server — World-Class Performer
N/A (May 07, 1998) – The IBM S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server – 07 May 1998:
– Generation 5 Server (S/390 G5) offers customers outstanding performance, flexibility and enhanced security. It is IBM’s most powerful enterprise server yet, with double the performance of previous servers. To facilitate customers’ connections to enterprise networks and increase their access to data, the S/390 G5 Server provides customers with optimized processor power, expanded memory, balanced system design and increased I/O bandwidth.
The S/390 G5 Server enhancements include:
New S/390 CMOS Packaging — Within the S/390 G5 Server, IBM packages a complete system with 12 microprocessors, two of which are dedicated as I/O processors. The new multichip module (MCM) also includes 256 kilobytes (KB) on-chip private cache per processor, 8 megabytes (MB) additional shared cache, two cryptographic coprocessors, memory control and I/O hubs on one single module — providing the densest packaging of any commercial system in the world. This leading-edge technology provides significant advantages in performance, power consumption and reliability. What used to require more than 10,000 chips to build a bipolar technology-based system with about half the performance, has now been condensed onto just 29 chips on a single module measuring just 25 square inches.
IEEE Binary Floating Point — IBM incorporated this industry standard function in the S/390 G5 Server and solidified its support of the fast emerging Java marketplace. The IEEE Binary Floating Point offers higher performance for Java applications and better portability for C/C++ applications that use this standard floating point. The Java Virtual Machine for OS/390 is slated to be updated later this year to utilize this feature. Last month, IBM started making available the Java Developer Kit 1.1.4 for OS/390, offering developers enhancements to help them build scalable applications with Java.
Up to 24 Gigabytes Processor Storage Capacity — Bringing customers increased capacity to support more workloads than ever before, the new S/390 G5 Server can provide customers with storage capacity in 16 different increments to meet growing needs. Memory design also has been enhanced to improve overall availability.
S/390 FIbre CONnection (FICON) Channel — IBM intends to make available first quarter of next year new FICON channels that are designed to provide customers with significantly improved I/O performance. The S/390 G5 Server provides double the internal I/O bandwidth currently available on S/390 servers. The FICON channels utilize the ANSI fibre channel as a base to break through the 256-channel limit as well as significantly improve performance.
Designed to coexist with current channel connections on any S/390 G5 Server model, the FICON channel is expected to support existing ESCON control units using a new bridge feature. The FICON channels provide 100 MB/second bi-directional data transfer rates at distances of up 20 kilometers over fiber optic cables — compared with the ESCON channel architecture that supports 17MB/second data transfer rates. The FICON high I/O rate and bandwidth assist channel consolidation by increasing total system I/O capacity. Up to 12 FICON channel cards are initially supported on an S/390 G5 Server. One FICON channel can replace eight ESCON channels. This technology will help enable easier server consolidation, new application growth, business intelligence queries and e-business transactions.
Leading-edge Security — IBM increased its Triple DES performance by replacing its microcode implementation with an all hardware implementation. Triple DES, a high-level data encryption implementation, remains available to customers in the United States and Canada and was recently approved by the U.S. government for export on S/390 G4 and G5 servers to banks worldwide, in accordance with U.S. export laws and regulations. Each of the two integrated cryptographic coprocessor chips has been moved into the multi-chip module on the S/390 G5 Server, providing a dual processor chip path that enhances the overall availability of cryptographic processing. IBM enhanced the Key-MAC security protocol by providing a double-length key for message authentication (MAC) processing. This support allows for enhanced message authentication between sender and receiver. Emerging VISA International and MasterCard protocols support this critical security standard, known as the ANSI X9.19 MAC standard.
Storage Enhancements — IBM also announced enhancements to the IBM RAMAC Virtual Array (RVA) disk storage system for the S/390 G5 Server that can boost performance and enhance availability and disaster recovery capabilities. A customer will be able to order the RVA with larger cache sizes and obtain more electronic storage for faster data access. IBM also introduced peer-to-peer remote copy for the RVA. With this capability, data can be copied and stored in an RVA at a remote location to help minimize data loss in the event of a disaster.
Source: IBM