In particular, the pSeries 630
server is well-suited for handling
the e-infrastructure and business
processing tasks for distribution,
financial services and public sector
organisations. The rack-mount
Model 6C4 is planned to be optimised
for the telecommunications and
service provider industries
with NEBS Level 3 (L3) compliance
and -48 volt DC power.
2
Head of the class
The pSeries 630 server is an integral
part of the IBM
^
product line
– advanced servers that can help
lower costs, improve efficiency and
speed e-business transformation.
The foundation of this server class
is innovative technology from across
IBM.
The pSeries 630 incorporates
the same 64-bit POWER4 ‘SMP-
on-a-chip’ microprocessors as the
pSeries 670 and 690. These copper/
silicon-on-insulator (SOI) chips are
so advanced that they have twice
received the best workstation/server
processor award from
MicroDesign
Resources
1
and are a major reason
why the pSeries 690 has won an
eWeek
eXcellence Award
3
and a
VAR Business
Editor’s Choice Award.
4
One or two 1.0 GHz processors
are incorporated on each chip with
shared Level 2 (L2) cache and
mounted on a processor card. Also
on the card is 32MB of L3 cache,
which helps stage information more
effectively from system memory to
application programs. The
processor card is packaged with the
system memory to form a processor
book – a sealed unit that protects
the components in a rigid structure
designed to provide higher reliability.
This design greatly simplifies
up-grades. The base one-way
processor card can quickly be
replaced with a two-way card.
Plugging in a second two-way
processor book with its L3 cache and
memory creates a four-way system.
Later in 2002, the pSeries 630 is
planned to support dynamic logical
partitioning (LPAR). This will allow the
system to run multiple partitions, each
with its own system resources such as
processor, memory, input/output (I/O)
and operating system.
LPAR will provide new options for
horizontal scalability so that
developers can run and test different
levels of their applications or
operating system. It will also enable
greater flexibility in matching
resources to workloads for more
efficient use of the system. It will
also allow the system administrator
to dynamically reconfigure partitions
– while still operating – to meet
changing workload demands.
High availability, all day, every day
To help ensure strategic applications
remain highly available, the
pSeries 630 incorporates additional
enterprise-class technology.
Each pSeries 630 system includes
an integrated service processor – a
computer within a computer – that
constantly monitors the system’s vital
signs. In the event of a malfunction,
the service processor is capable
of ‘calling home’ by automatically
dialing out to an IBM service centre,
often before any problem is apparent
to users or system administrators. In
this fashion, the service technician
may be able to correct the problem
and restore system function remotely
without interruption.
The service processor enables
First Failure Data Capture (FFDC),
which helps to virtually eliminate the
need to recreate intermittent errors
– a time-consuming, inefficient and
sometimes impossible process. FFDC
identifies and logs the source of
failures in real-time and helps make
it possible to determine the
replacement parts necessary
to fix the problem.
The pSeries 630 uses error checking
and correcting (ECC) memory
technology to enhance reliability
and error correction of L2 and L3
cache memory, as well as main
memory. ECC technology is designed
to detect single and double errors and
correct all single-bit errors.
