S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server

Announced September 13, 1994 and withdrawn December 29, 1998.

The following is the edited text of an IBM product brochure published in September 1994.

Increased volume demands from a growing user base, increased performance demands from management, the need for centralized applications to handle large, complex data collections, or simple business growth can put the squeeze on your mainframe resource. And the time to upgrade your IBM 4381, 308X, 3090 or "plug-compatible" processor arrives.

There's a new processor choice from IBM. A choice that takes you beyond used equipment or "plug compatible machines."

Now, there are the S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server processors. They comprise a line of six new models with up to six air-cooled IBM CMOS microprocessors supported by VSE/ESA, VM/ESA and MVS/ESA. You get existing application compatibility in a low-risk upgrade that can reduce your cost of computing while improving performance — and delivering the advantages of IBM's latest S/390 hardware and software technology.

There are a lot of reasons why upgrading to the S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server may be your most economical choice, even in the short term. The most obvious is power consumption. Thanks to the inherent efficiency of CMOS technology replacing an air-cooled 4381-91E with a one-way S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server can cut your energy cost by 40% while increasing performance more than three fold. Similarly, replacing a water-cooled 3090-400E with a six-way air-cooled S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server can take 98% off of your energy bill and give you greater capacity.

At the same time, the one-way S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server can cut 40% from the 4381-91E's maintenance costs. The six-way takes 93% less floor space than the 3090-400E, and can cost 84% less to maintain. Taken together, savings in energy and maintenance can add up to $600 a month for the 4381 upgrade and an astonishing $15,700 a month when upgrading the 3090. (Your savings will vary with local energy costs and other factors. Your IBM representative will be glad to help you figure the likely savings in your particular situation.)

One of the many advanced functions the S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server delivers is hardware-assisted data compression. You can use this feature to extend the capacity of your communications and DASD devices to gain more return on your investment in these subsystems.

Plus, there are productivity benefits built into the S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server's hardware management console. It features an easy-to-learn/easy-to-use graphical user interface that displays real-time status via color icons. System management becomes simpler, exceptions can be picked up sooner and your operator can work more efficiently than before.

Your S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server solution includes many advanced functions.

For example, PR/SM (Processor Resource/Systems Manager) enables you to logically divide your processor for increased operational efficiency. PR/SM has been continuously enhanced since its introduction over five years ago. The S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server supports up to ten logically isolated System Images with improved management.

These new models support up to 48 ESCON (Enterprise Systems Connection Architecture) channels. This allows you to evolve your data center to IBM fiber optic connectivity for greater flexibility and availability. ESCON connectivity allows you to directly attach devices up to 60 kilometers away. The S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server also supports parallel channels or a combination of parallel and ESCON channels.

For customer planning purposes, IBM intends to provide the Open Systems Adapter (OSA) processor feature on S/390 Parallel Enterprise Servers. This will deliver direct, native open systems connectivity to the Local Area Network (LAN) from the processor. The Open Systems Adapter feature will be a fully integrated hardware feature within the processor. The Open Systems Adapter will support Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), Token-Ring, and Ethernet LANs.

The Open Systems Adapter feature will also support offloading of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and the Network File System (NFS) application, to improve the efficiency of the processor as a server. Application support for the Open Systems Adapter will be provided by TCP/IP for MVS, LAN Resource Extension Services/MVS (LANRES/MVS), LAN File Services/ESA (LFS/ESA), and ACF/VTAM (System Network Architecture SNA) for MVS/ESA.

The Open Systems Adapter is not intended to replace the 3745 Communications Controller which is the IBM strategic solution for large Local Area Networks/Wide Area Networks (LANs/WANs) and multi-host sites. The 3172 Interconnect Controller will continue to provide multi-host access for LANs and Frame Relay WANs over parallel and ESCON channels. IBM will continue to enhance the 3172 and intends that OSA and the 3172 will provide broader interconnect capabilities.

The main purpose of corporate computing is to enhance the productivity and profitability of the organization. To maximize this, the S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server comes with several availability features built in.

You can, for example, replace a failing channel card while the system is up and running. You can also dynamically alter the I/O configuration without a power-on reset or initial program load. In addition, a failing supply can be bypassed so you can postpone replacement until regularly scheduled service.

The power supply can withstand interruptions, with an internal battery backup that keeps your S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server running for up to 3.5 minutes to cover momentary power disturbances or the delay while a backup power system starts. Alternatively, you can have your processor enter a power save state that will keep memory active for up to 80 minutes.

Another example of fault tolerance can be found in processor storage. The S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server uses IBM memory card technology that allows for 'bad' memory locations to be detected and backup memory allocated at power on and reset, thus avoiding system failure and data integrity problems due to memory defects.

Concurrent channel maintenance enables the replacement of channel cards while the system is active, thus eliminating most scheduled outages for channel repair.

In addition, S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server Models feature automated problem diagnosis and isolation tools.

The result for you could be the best of several worlds: users happy with their IS support; corporate management happy with dramatically reduced computing costs; and a data center with the flexibility to leverage new technology control costs, and provide enterprise-wide computing power for today and the future.

Hardware

Software