Simplification through migration

There's never been a better time to simplify your servers and storage

In the past, a major consolidation inhibitor was the concern that legacy applications could not be supported. Furthermore, many were concerned that the migration process would be time consuming and painful. IBM can help. IBM servers enable migration to a collaborative, interoperable and optimized IT environment.

Simplify with IBM systems and:

• Achieve consolidation and allow for adjustments in your IT to scale up and meet spikes in workloads.
• Employ a flexible architecture that can be enabled to support multiple tiers of distributed applications and workloads.
• Safely combine test, development and production servers on the same system.
• Confidently combine different types of batch, transaction, web-facing and core database production applications on a single system.

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IBM servers: advanced virtualization

So, why migrate to simplify with IBM? The short answer is because IBM has fully embraced the concept of virtualization. IBM's years of continued improvements and refinements enable the power of virtualization, and reduces the need for an inefficient one server to one workload ratio.

IBM provides virtualization across the system - for the processor, I/O, memory and storage. This can provide flexibility and can improve a company's ability to share devices and resources. And improve communication between devices on an IBM virtualized network.

In addition, IBM offers:

• Strategic support: Often a company wants to migrate but doesn't know where to start. With IBM and its partners, you get a highly trained team with tools that can assess your current situation, discuss your business objectives and develop a customized solution that can include implementation and continued support. Learn more
• More choice: From applications and skills to technology resources — IBM offers flexibility in a choice of platforms, a wide application portfolio and virtualization capabilities so you can do more with less. All built on open industry standards to help meet an enterprise's needs. Learn more
• Virtualization leadership: IBM pioneered virtualization and continues to share these capabilities across product families. Virtualization allows data or computing resources to be logically represented and moved to where they are needed the most, when they are needed the most. This allows customers to enjoy high levels of service and help their IT team manage the systems better and respond more effectively to business goals. Learn more
• Systems management: IBM extends the view and capability far beyond the realm of simple partitioning, going “beyond the box” to help create virtual resources, access and management of resources as one. For example, IBM Virtual Machine Manager provides a consolidated view of physical and virtual machines. Learn more
• Storage Virtualization: IBM delivers the depth and breadth of intelligent storage virtualization solutions and experience to help bring information to people in a cost-effective way. You can greatly simplify the task of migrating data from one array to another and ease the process of migration overall by insulating the applications and data from the underlying physical infrastructure. Learn more

Taneja Group (Aug 2006): IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller 4.1 — Proven, Enterprise-Ready and Scalable Storage Virtualization Solution (86.5KB)

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Possible benefits of consolidation

• Optimization and simplification: Eliminate server sprawl once and for all. Simplify your IT infrastructure by organizing all components into a single solution that can help improve performance and increases control. The result is an on demand environment that can be efficient, resilient and able to swiftly accommodate changes in the marketplace.
• Help reduce costs: Consolidation unleashes the potential to reduce per-machine software licensing fees that can result in software savings. Consolidation, when combined with virtualization software, may also help decrease administration and management costs by reducing the amount of manpower needed to maintain and manage servers. Lastly, centralizing and automating routine server management activities can help free up resources for more strategic tasks.

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Case study: GHY International

GHY International, a customs broker, recently migrated to IBM and reaped the following rewards:

• Consolidated 17 servers onto two iSeries machines, while also obviating a planned investment in nine new servers, which would have cost US$22,000.
• POWER™ Hypervisor enabled them to first consolidate, then run multiple operating systems simultaneously.
• Consolidation improved their business flexibility while allowing the whole IT environment to work better together.
• Ensured the best IT solution for the needs of the business and opened up the number of products and applications they could offer their customers, gaining competitive advantage.
• Realized significant cost savings. In the first year of the consolidation, GHY cut its IT budget by 14 percent, or nearly US$100,000.

Read the complete case study

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Consolidation questions? We can help

IBM representatives are on hand and ready to help calculate the possible cost benefits of server consolidation, as well as to help plot long-term strategy. Whether the focus is integrating enterprises, improving internal infrastructure or increasing business efficiencies, we have the know-how, the customer support and the systems to provide cost-saving potential migration. Consolidating on IBM servers — the power of simplicity.

• Consolidated 17 servers onto two iSeries machines, while also obviating a planned investment in nine new servers, which would have cost US$22,000.
• POWER™ Hypervisor enabled them to first consolidate, then run multiple operating systems simultaneously.
• Consolidation improved their business flexibility while allowing the whole IT environment to work better together.
• Ensured the best IT solution for the needs of the business and opened up the number of products and applications they could offer their customers, gaining competitive advantage.
• Realized significant cost savings. In the first year of the consolidation, GHY cut its IT budget by 14 percent, or nearly US$100,000.

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