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Virtualised Linux for IBM's System p

Business IT - Technology

IBM is offering a beta version of software that allows unmodified x86 Linux applications to run on its POWER-based System p servers.

Following an initial private beta involving over 25 participants, System p Application Virtual Environment (p AVE) is now available for testing on any System p or BladeCenter JS20/JS21 server.

p AVE is intended to make it easier to transfer x86 workloads to System p servers. The release version is expected in the second half of the year.

"System p customers have told me that technology that may have been 'good enough' for deploying one x86 server at a time is not 'good enough' when consolidating over 300 x86 servers spanning eight racks onto one rack of more powerful System p servers," said Scott Handy, vice president, worldwide marketing and strategy, System p.

"These customers are choosing to trust System p products and our Advanced POWER Virtualization for those more mission critical points of consolidation and p AVE will expand the possibilities of what x86 workloads they can consolidate onto System p platforms to derive greater savings."

While around 2800 native Linux applications are already available for System p, p AVE allows the use of x86 binaries that do not require direct hardware access or kernel access. No special installation or configuration is required, IBM officials claimed: "The system will 'just know' the application is a Linux x86 binary at runtime and run it automatically in a p AVE environment."

p AVE uses dynamic translation, maps system calls onto the host system, and uses caching to optimise performance.

In addition to server consolidation, IBM expects third party developers to use p AVE in order to offer their existing x86 Linux applications to System p owners without having to recompile or make other changes. The company's existing 'Chiphopper' program (which assists vendors interested in porting applications to its Linux systems) will be extended to include the use of p AVE.

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