Big Blue has previewed a key release of i5/OS -- V6R1 -- which is not expected until 2008 but which will feature significant new security, web services and virtualisation capabilities to help businesses get the most out of their IT operations. IBM has also announced the first System i offering to feature POWER6, the i570 to be available September 14 this year; MySQL for i5/OS and DB2 Web Query.

V6R1 will introduce encryption capabilities as well as intrusion prevention and system integrity enhancements. Customers will be able to encrypt data stored on disk as well as encrypt backups to tape. In addition, high-availability features like cross-site mirroring are being enhanced, while advanced virtualisation for hosting storage for i5/OS partitions with virtual I/O server client support is being beefed up.

Extended SAN integration will show off a new fibre adapter and tools that will enhance interoperability and performance. IBM Systems Director will replace the current i5/OS Navigator product for web-based multi-platform systems management. V6R1 will also bring a boost to Java performance (also a new 64-bit Java virtual machine, which is the same JVM as on other operating systems which means that IBM will have common tools for things like performance management) and simplified web services features.

The POWER6 i570 follows the previously-announced System p570, which IBM announced in May. Although the System p version offers models with lower-speed processors, the i570 comes with the current maximum 4.7GHz (the fastest processor ever built, IBM says). It can deliver up to twice the performance of the POWER5, but the capability can vary based on workload. It comes in modular, 4-way nodes (1/4, 2/8, and 4/16-way) and can put out 76,900 CPW (the maximum CPW on a 16-way).

Medium and large clients have asked IBM for the flexibility to grow their systems more affordably and without disruption. In response, Big Blue is to introduce a flexible i5/OS Edition pricing structure with the POWER6 i570 to better enable clients to pay for the software, middleware and features they use. With this “pay-for-what-you-use” approach, three simple base configurations are offered with an initial processor license of the i5/OS operating system and other components -- e.g. additional processor activations, Linux, AIX or 5250 online transaction processing -- can be added per-processor based on need.

A new Power Systems business unit announced on July 19 includes both System p and high-end System i products for enterprise clients (it includes the entire System p range). The smaller System i Models -- 550, 525, 520 and 515 -- are going to be in the new Business Systems unit which will focus on the SMB client segment and which will build on the integrated, easy-to-use value proposition of i5/OS.

“The i570 with POWER6 processors will be available with i5/OS V5R4 in September starting at £111,190 for the base 1/4-way i5/OS Edition, with one i5/OS licence. Memory and disk are extra,” says Nigel Adams, IBM UKISA System i Product and Sales Programme Manager. V6R1 is expected to be available in 2008.

The i570 with Power6 chips will only be available with one variant of i5/OS, the i5/OS Edition. There is also a Capacity Backup Edition which can be purchased as a second system to provide HA capability. Currently there are two versions: Standard and Enterprise. The Standard Edition does not support the 5250 green-screen protocol commonly used by RPG and COBOL applications. The Power6 version of the i570 can have full 5250 capacity as an option, and has DB2/400 integrated. The single version of i5/OS V6R1 will not have all the extras the current Enterprise Edition has built in. However, there will be no shortage of extras. These will be packaged and sold separately. This is the additional software that is bundled in with the Enterprise Edition, so no one pays for features they have no intention of using. Customer friendly, or what?

Larger enterprises can choose Enterprise Enablement (5250 capacity) on a per-processor basis. It used to be available only on Enterprise Edition System i machines. “It’s like starting with a Standard Edition concept, but you’re able to add 5250,” Ian Jarman, IBM System i product manager, says. The 1/4 way nodes give customers more granular growth (previous upgrades required jumps to larger n-way configurations). Value-added software is optional (instead of automatically built in). Plus, customers used to have multiple software tiers, but now there’s only a single P30 tier so you don't have to pay more for the software stack when your POWER6 570 grows.

MySQL for i5/OS was previously announced at COMMON Anaheim in the spring. MySQL is the most popular database used with PHP applications, something that makes it the leading open-source database (over 11m installations). MySQL for i5/OS lets users deploy MySQL-based applications on i5/OS. It’s available now from MySQL or from IBM. Scheduled for release on August 17 is IBM's integration of MySQL with DB2 for i5/OS to use DB2 as a storage engine.

IBM has also announced DB2 Web Query for System i, with availability also from September 14 . Essentially, it is a web-based query and report-writing tool that’s powered by Information Builders’ WebFocus product. It is a no-charge upgrade from Query for iSeries and offers report and graphing assistants, spreadsheet integration, and lets users web-enable Query/400 reports.

Frank Booty industry reporter.