IBM has launched a range of integrated infrastructure systems aimed at simplifying IT systems management.
The new PureSystems product line features automation of day-to-day tasks such as configuration and systems updates. IBM claims the products reduce the time taken to spin up applications as well as cutting management overheads of IT staff.
IBM said its PureSystems range was one of the most significant announcements to come out of Big Blue in the last 20 years. It said that $2 billion dollars and two years worth of research and development had gone into the new technology.
The system is designed to allow businesses to set up a private cloud computing environment within a short space of time as well as deploying new applications within minutes.
The PureSystems cabinets come ready assembled with compute, networking and storage hardware alongside the software required to set up and run the units. IBM said that the new system can handle twice as many applications compared to some IBM systems, doubling the compute power per square foot of datacentre space.
The software also includes automation based on years of industry expertise that allows systems to handle basic, time-consuming tasks such as configuration, upgrades, and application requirements.
"With its new scale-in design and built-in expertise, PureSystems represents an important advance in the evolution of computing," said Steve Mills, senior vice president and group executive, software and systems, IBM. "By tightening the connections between hardware and software, and adding incomparable software know-how, PureSystems is designed to help clients to free up time and money to focus on innovation that many businesses cannot address due to ever rising costs and staffing needs in the traditional data centre."
The integration of parts means that management setup requirements are reduced by 66 per cent and storage provisioning management is brought down by 98 per cent.
IBM is launching two PureSystems models initially, the PureFlex System, a basic infrastructure platform. And the PureApplication System that incorporates IBM's WebSphere middleware and DB2 database. This system is designed with transactional web applications in mind.
While businesses can define their own PureFlex configuration, the PureApplication system comes in four available configurations starting at 96 processor cores and 1.5TB of memory, up to 608 cores and 9.7TB of memory.
