IBM has just announced the expansion of its server lineup, with a new mainframe system designed specifically for Linux that may be aimed, in particular, at higher-end x86 systems. This new system uses IBM's specialty Linux processor and can run either Novell SUSE or Red Hat systems. It does not support the mainframe operating system z/OS but it includes mainframe management software in addition to IBM's z/Virtual Machine system. Together, they make up the company's latest "solutions edition," or what IBM calls lower-cost, integrated stacks for the mainframe. There are two servers in this new Enterprise Linux Server line, and the starting price on the lower-end model, with its two processors, is $212,000. The system is intended to be competitive with large multicore systems used for virtualization consolidation. This Linux-specific line is IBM's best and latest... --
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