Based on the SPECjbb2000 benchmark, which evaluates Java application performance, the p610 is the fastest 2-way server currently on the market.

by Amy Newman of ServerWatch [October 26, 2001]

In its continuing quest to capture the Unix server market, IBM upped the ante this week with the introduction of its eServer p610, code-named "Colt."

The two-way Unix server is designed to provide industry-leading performance, wireless manageability features, and advanced self-healing technologies to the entry-level server market.

Priced starting at just under $7,500, the p610 falls in the same product family as the enterprise-class p690 server (formerly code-named "Regatta") and the midrange p660 system. According to Big Blue, the p610 is designed to be powerful enough to run all the applications of a small company or a department within a large enterprise.

"By offering superior performance and more advanced manageability and reliability features than competing systems, our new entry server follows the same playbook that made IBM the leading vendor of high-end servers," said Val Rahmani, vice president, IBM pSeries.

"With the p610, we expect to continue winning customers from our competitors at the entry level," Rahmani added.

The eServer p610 was designed to consume less electricity than similar servers on the market. Its maximum power consumption is 450 watts, 19 percent less than the 560 watts the Sun Fire 280R consumes.

In addition, IBM's copper microprocessors use less electricity than aluminum chips while providing better performance.

Based on the SPECjbb2000 benchmark, which evaluates Java application performance, the p610 is the fastest 2-way server currently on the market.

The p610 also offers self-healing technologies developed under Project eLiza. Technologies include First Failure Data Capture, which keeps a running log of all system errors, and Persistent Deallocation, which can automatically remove failed components when a system is rebooted.

Major components of the p610 are equipped with LED lights that flash red if the component is not performing optimally. A dedicated service processor monitors the overall health of the system to detect potential problems before they occur.

The p610 is fueled by IBM's copper-based POWER microprocessors. It can contain up to 291 GB of internal disk and five PCI slots and is available in both rack-mounted and tower versions. The p610 can be managed remotely using a handheld wireless PDA. Enterprises looking for scalability can cluster up to 32 p610s using IBM's cluster management software.

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