IBM 88553RX, Installation Manual

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Chapter 2. Positioning
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processing will be more efficient. That combined with up to four Itanium 2
processors and a highly efficient cache system make the x450 an ideal choice.
Market leaders offer 64-bit optimized versions of their enterprise applications for
use on the x455 now, including SAS Release 9.0 (Windows version) and SAP
R/3 4.6C (Windows/Linux), among others.
Independent software vendors such as JD Edwards, Baan/Invensys, i2
Technologies, PeopleSoft, Veritas, Computer Associates, BMC Software, and
many others already offer a variety of products available in 64-bit version.
Business intelligence
Business intelligence (BI) is a broad category of applications and technologies
for gathering, storing, analyzing, and providing access to data to help enterprise
users make better business decisions. BI applications include the activities of
decision-support systems, query and reporting, online analytical processing
(OLAP), statistical analysis, forecasting, and data mining.
The x455 brings high I/O bandwidth and performance to handle
compute-intensive BI applications. A world-class floating-point engine, capable of
addressing much larger amounts of memory, helps speed up data-intensive BI
applications that help companies to increase employee productivity.
Enterprise Resource Planning
ERP is an industry term for the broad set of activities supported by multi-module
application software that helps manufacturers manage the important parts of
their businesses: Product planning, procurement, inventory maintenance,
supplier interaction, customer service, and order tracking. ERP can also include
application modules for the finance and human resources aspects of a business.
Typically, an ERP system uses or is integrated with a relational database system.
Key server attributes for ERP applications are availability, scalability, and
performance. The x455, with its flat memory model, Itanium 2 processors, and
Enterprise X-Architecture technology such as Active Memory and XceL4 Server
Accelerator Cache, provides a robust base on which to build and implement
successful ERP solutions.
Supply chain management
Supply chain management (SCM) is the oversight of materials, information, and
finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler
to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and
integrating these flows both within and among companies.