In this issue, I’ll cover the following:
1. IBM Announces New Processors
2. Amdahl Announces New Processors
3. IBM Announces Reversioning of OS/390
4. Additional APAR for DFSMS
1. IBM Announces News Processors
On June 9, IBM announced fourteen new 9672-G4 CMOS models (announcement #197-127) and three new Multiprise 2000 CMOS models (#197-128, available July 31, 1997). The largest of the G4 models, the 10-way 9672-RY5, provides a capacity of over 450 MIPS, over a 40% increase from the RX4 G3 model. There are four groups of R4 models. The low-end three models are similar in speed and capacity to current Rx4 models. The R15 is roughly equivalent to the 9021-711 model and provides a 2-, 3-, and 4-way version. The R55 through RX5 models are based on a faster chip, and the RY5 on an even faster chip. The G4 models, except the RY5, will be available June 30, 1997. The RY5 will be available 4Q97.
The importance of this announcement, as I mentioned in Cheryl’s List #5, is that the CMOS processors can now match, and even exceed, the speeds and processing capacity of IBM’s largest bipolars. This allows more installations to take advantage of the lower price/performance ratio of the CMOS processors. I’ll provide an in-depth analysis in the next issue of our printed product, Cheryl Watson’s TUNING Letter.
IBM also announced enhancements to their G3 series of CMOS processors. The enhancements, which are also available on the G4, include:
- New High performance Coupling Links (HiPerLinks) to improve coupling facility response times.
- New Internal Coupling Facility as an optional feature to allow an internal CPU on the G3 to be configured as a coupling facility without incurring additional software licensing costs that a coupling facility LPAR would create.
- Function enhancements including Concurrent CP Sparing, Dynamic Coupling Facility Dispatching, and the ability to define up to fifteen LPARs.
Listed below is a summary of the service units per second, processor groups and MSUs for each of the new processors. Subscribers to “Cheryl Watson’s TUNING Letter” may also obtain the preliminary MIPS estimates for all these processors by sending an email to Doni Richardsondoni@watsonwalker.com, including either the company name and address or the subscriber’s name. These estimates will also be included in the next TUNING Letter (1997, No. 2, expected to be mailed before July 4).
Note: A major benefit of subscribing to Cheryl Watson’s TUNING Letter is receiving, at no extra charge, our extensive CPU Chart and its updates. The CPU Chart contains CPU models from all three major vendors, the number of CPUs, average, min, and max MIPS, MIPS per CPU, processor group, MSUs, and version code. A recent addition even provides the processor groups in descending order and MSUs for easy evaluation of options when trying to size a new machine.
The following material represents the data that is currently available. IBM will be publishing LSPR numbers by August 1, 1997. It’s possible that some of the following numbers might change at that time.
Model # CPUs SU/Sec UP Proc MSU Ver
SU/Sec Grp
2003-107 1 1197.87 35 4 0A
2003-124 1-way 1 1307.40
2003-124 2 1202.83 1307.40 38 8 09
2003-1C5 1-way 1 1618.29
2003-1C5 2-way 2 1488.79 1618.29
2003-1C5 3 1407.83 1618.29 40 15 08
9672-RA5 1 2312.47 38 8 7F
9672-RB5 2 2058.14 2312.47 40 15 7E
9672-RC5 1-way 1 2622.52
9672-RC5 2-way 2 2439.02 2622.52
9672-RC5 3 2255.43 2622.52 60 24 7D
9672-R15 1 2937.94 40 11 71
9672-R25 2 2732.24 2937.94 50 20 72
9672-R35 3 2555.91 2937.94 60 28 73
9672-R45 4 2438.28 2937.94 70 35 74
9672-R55 1-way 1 3129.28
9672-R55 2-way 2 2910.15 3129.28
9672-R55 3-way 3 2722.48 3129.28
9672-R55 4-way 4 2597.40 3129.28
9672-R55 5 2472.19 3129.28 80 45 75
9672-R65 6 2378.47 3129.28 80 51 76
9672-R75 7 2253.20 3129.28 80 57 77
9672-R85 8 2127.94 3129.28 80 61 78
9672-R95 9 2002.75 3129.28 80 65 79
9672-RX5 10 1908.85 3129.28 80 69 7A
9672-RY5 1-way 1 3496.50
9672-RY5 2-way 2 3252.03 3496.50
9672-RY5 3-way 3 3042.40 3496.50
9672-RY5 4-way 4 2902.76 3496.50
9672-RY5 5-way 5 2762.91 3496.50
9672-RY5 6-way 6 2657.81 3496.50
9672-RY5 7-way 7 2518.10 3496.50
9672-RY5 8-way 8 2378.12 3496.50
9672-RY5 9-way 9 2238.08 3496.50
9672-RY5 10 2133.05 3496.50 80 78 7B
You can find more information on IBM’s S/390 home page at http://www.s390.ibm.com and we’ll provide a more in-depth analysis in our upcoming newsletter.
2. Amdahl Announces New Processors
Amdahl threw a little rain on IBM’s parade yesterday by pre-releasing information about today’s announcement for their new Millennium 700-series CMOS processors. While these models won’t be available until 1Q98, they are all based on a processor speed of about 75 MIPS, and include the first 12-way CMOS machine. Amdahl announced availability of ten new models that will provide over 650 MIPS of processing power for the largest 12-way machine.
Amdahl also set a new precedent by pre-announcing the next two generations of CMOS processors. The first provides a uni-processor that will break the CMOS 100-MIPS barrier by 1999. The second is an expected 50% performance improvement in the CMOS models that will be available in 2000. This early announcement allows customers to better plan for future upgrades.
Amdahl announced enhancements to their current 400- and 500-series of Millennium CMOS models. The enhancements, which also apply to the new 700-series, include:
- Extended Year 2000 support to allow a customer to set each domain profile with different time of day values to provide better repeatability for Year 2000 testing.
- Enhanced CPU Fencing to provide the ability to use spare processors to define an internal coupling facility. Like IBM’s “Internal Coupling Facility”, this allows Amdahl customers to provide an integrated coupling facility without the additional software license charges.
- The ability to add up to 128 parallel channels on all CMOS models.
- Peripheral Power Control to reduce the risk associated with an instantaneous power load.
The ten new CMOS processors that will be available in 1Q98 are listed below. They include Amdahl’s expected assignment of processor group and MSUs. No other data is yet available. We’ll let you know when these become final.
Model # CPUs Grp MSU
GS735 3 70 35
GS745 4 80 45
GS755 5 80 56
GS765 6 80 65
GS775 7 80 74
GS785 8 IMLC 83
GS795 9 IMLC 91
GS7X5 10 IMLC 99
GS7Y5 11 IMLC 106
GS7Z5 12 IMLC 113
You can find more information on Amdahl’s home page at http://www.amdahl.com and we’ll provide a more in-depth analysis in our upcoming newsletter.
3. IBM Announces Reversioning of OS/390
IBM also announced (#297-194) yesterday a change in version for OS/390. In March, IBM announced the availability of OS/390 R4 for September 1997. Yesterday, they announced that this release will be named OS/390 V2, R4. The new version will consist of additional base products (to provide a total of fifty base products) and twenty optional products. Some users might see an increase in their software license charges. The difference in price will be very dependent on the products already installed at a site. During their announcement teleconference for consultants, IBM indicated that a medium-sized user (3 MSUs, for example) will typically see no additional charge between OS/390 V1 and V2; a large user (45 MSUs) might see a 5% increase between V1 and V2, and a very large user (100 MSUs) might see 6.5% (all of these are using PSLC pricing and are dependent on the currently installed product base).
A related announcement (#997-145) stated that marketing of OS/390 V1 customized offerings (ServerPac and SystemPac) will be withdrawn as of September 12, 1997 (CBPDO will still be available). This is an important announcement for users of those offerings that don’t want to take the step to V2 yet – you MUST have V1 ordered before that date!
4. Additional APAR for DFSMS
In Cheryl’s List #5, I listed some APARs (provided by Brian Currah) that occur after UW23547 has been applied. An additional APAR, OW24886, can also be added to that list (end of second paragraph).
That’s all for now. Stay tuned!