System i & i5/OS – Integrated by Design

It is widely acknowledged that System i has high single-system reliability. This reliability is a byproduct of integration. When you consider that system crashes are often a result of software failures or human error rather than hardware failures, the value of integration and rigorous testing at the factory becomes more apparent.

Integration yields simplicity, ease of operations and a lower overall total cost of ownership. We’ll talk more about those in a moment.

Integration yields optimization. … For example, in benchmarks we’ve demonstrated the ability for system hardware and software resources to work together in harmony to support multiple, disparate applications at system utilization levels in excess of 95% while still meeting service level objectives for the applications which are running. And using built-in virtualization technology, i5/OS can be used to help optimize multiple operating system environments.

Integration yields automation. … There are numerous capabilities which are completely automated on System i that require human resources to manage on other platforms. For example, storage management is automated. Any data which is placed on an System i is automatically scatter-loaded across all available disk arms, which reduces the cost of administration while contributing to more balanced performance. The value of storage automation also extends to the relational database, consequently, most System i customers have no need for a database administrator. On other platforms it is necessary to have people manage the allocation and placement of data … and relational database implementations typically require the services of a full time administrator. 

Integration yields security with less effort and less cost. Security has been a design point for i5/OS from the beginning, unlike some other platforms. As a result, your ability to implement, enforce and audit a given security policy on System i is greatly enhanced. Any platform can be secured … but at what cost? The more you explore it, the more I believe you’ll find that it’s easier and less costly to secure System i systems. In a little while you’ll see that even the System i architecture contributes to your ability to secure it affordably.

It is almost a misnomer to call i5/OS an operating system. It is more accurately a nearly complete operating environment, because it includes so many systems management tools and middleware. First and foremost, any customer who buys a license for i5/OS automatically receives a copy of one of the world’s most sophisticated relational database management systems: DB2. This is not some dumbed-down, developer’s edition. This is the fully-functional, enterprise-class, industrial strength DB2 UDB for System i. To get the equivalent functionality in Oracle, you would have to buy the Enterprise Edition, which has a list price of $40,000 per processor.

In addition, we continue to improve our integration with the Websphere family of products. The Websphere Application Server is part of System i packaging, and we continue to incorporate additional Websphere products, such as Portal Server. Although the System i has only been around since 2000, its predecessors first appeared in the 1970s. And since the 1970s, this operating system has shipped with an impressive amount of systems management capabilities. For example, in i5/OS, there is a single security mechanism that administrators use to control access to the system, to data, and to applications. To get the same amount of systems management functionality on other operating systems, you would have to buy between 5 and 10 additional tools, that you would then maintain separately.