________________________________________________________________________ | | | Report prepared by: Faulkner Information Services | | 114 Cooper Center | | 7905 Browning Road | | Pennsauken, NJ 08109 USA | | Telephone: 609-662-2070 | | Fax: 609-662-6634 | | | | Report submitted on: September 7, 1993 | |______________________________________________________________________| NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR IBM AS/400 SERIES F The following text is an excerpt of IBM's September 7 announcement of enhancements to the AS/400 Series F. These enhancements will be fully incorporated into the IBM report by September 13. With the Version 2 Release 3 enhancements, IBM continues the AS/400 strategic focus on client-server, openness, and systems management while significantly extending the system's graphical capability. The continuing evolution of growth and performance further enhance the AS/400 as a premier distributed client-server. o Client-Server, Openness, and Connectivity o Three new Server Series Models 100, 135, and 140 are included in Version 2 Release 3. o Integrated support for Apple Macintosh users, optimized 5250 support for Hewlett-Packard and Sun users, high-speed communications, significant extensions to the Client Series and Server Series, preloaded IBM ValuePoint for AS/400, simplified ASCII printer support, and IBM AS/400 ImagePlus File Cabinet all extend the AS/400 system into new arenas. o Growth and Performance: New I/O, performance enhancements, and increased capacities include: o Three new Server Series Models o High-performance 9337 DASD o New 9406 DASD controller o Increased DASD capacities o Enhanced memory management o 3494 Tape Library Dataserver Model L10 o Expanded software for the tape library o Improved tape save/restore operations o New printers o Expanded capacity of 5494 Remote Control Unit o System Management: The system management strengths of the AS/400 system are further extended with the addition of: o Managed Systems Services/400 o Netview Remote Operation Agent/400 o ManageWare/400 o Graphical Environment: The modern look and feel of the AS/400 system is significantly extended with the addition of the following: o ValuePoint for AS/400, a new graphical workstation o Client-server tools o Graphical interface for system operations DESCRIPTION Growth and Performance Client-Server Models: Three new AS/400 Server Series Models 100, 135, and 140 are added in Version 2 Release 3. These Server Series Models are specifically optimized to provide high performance in the client-server environment. While offering flexible configurations, these new models are compatible with and preserve the strengths of the AS/400 product family. The new models utilize the integrated operating system (OS/400) and offer a totally integrated relational database, sophisticated systems management tools, a variety of client types, and a wide range of connectivity options. The Server Series Models offer an excellent solution for customers and business partners requiring a full-function database server. 9337 Disk Array Subsystem: The performance and capacities of the 9337 Disk Array Subsystem are extended significantly with the addition of new models. Write-assist disk (WAD) is moved to nonvolatile memory. Customer- usable storage space is increased, performance is improved, and reliability is extended. Maximum storage capacity per 9337 is increased 14% to 17%. User can switch, via software, to or from high-availability mode (RAID-5) and non-high-availability mode on the same model. Previously, user flexibility was limited because a specific model was dedicated to a single mode. This new, extended capability enables users to maintain greater flexibility in their availability strategies. Expert Cache: The performance of the single-level storage architecture in OS/400 is enhanced by the addition of an expert cache algorithm that enable the architecture to take better advantage of the main storage capacities available today, particularly in batch processing environments. Elapsed- time reductions for batch jobs could range up to 75%, depending on the disk processing characteristics. Tape Support: Buffer handling is improved for high-speed tape drives, resulting in the potential for improved save/restore rates for nondedicated save operations. Assuming low system activity, the save/restore rate should be approximately equivalent to the save/restore rate in a restricted state. As a result, save/restore in a nondedicated mode using fast tape drives can improve up to 50%. 9406 Maximum Main Storage: Maximum main storage is increased on the 9406 F60, F80, F90, and F95 models. Maximum (MB) ------------------ Model Current New ===== ======= ==== F60 256 384 F70 512 512 (no change) F80 512 768 F90 512 1024 F95 512 1280 9406 DASD Controller: A new 9406 DASD controller transfers data at 20MB per second over a two- byte-wide SCSI-2 interface, improving the internal transfer rate by a factor of four. The new 9337 models combined with the new 9406 DASD controller can result in very significant performance improvements in both batch and interactive jobs. A typical interactive task could improve from 10% to 20%. Improvements are very dependent on the characteristic of the individual job. The improvement of batch jobs, for example, will depend on DASD speed and could range up to 20% to 30%. 9404 DASD: Growth options for 9404 customers are increased. Maximum disk capacity is raised to 19.7GB with the incorporation of a new 2GB drive. This 2GB drive improves reliability by a factor of 1.8 times. 9404 High-Performance Magnetic Tape Adapter: With the Magnetic Tape Subsystem Attachment/HP now available on the 9404, customers can select from a variety of 34xx tape devices that meet the requirements of the additional 9404 DASD and the Server Series Models. 5494 Remote Control Unit: The capacity and flexibility of the 5494 Remote Control Unit are greatly increased. The total number of devices attachable to the controller is raised to 80. These devices can be a maximum of 56 twinaxial or up to 80 token-ring attached devices. High Speed Communications Adapter: A new High Speed Communications Adapter enables users to take advantage of T1/J1 (1.544 Mbps) or E1 (2.048 Mbps) lines. Data rates are thereby increased and transmission costs lowered. 3494 Tape Library Dataserver Model L10: A new Automated Tape Storage Subsystem, capable of handling up to 2.4TB (terabytes) of decompressed data, improves the speed and reliability of tape handling. Using improved Data Recording Capabilities (IDRC) at 3:1 compaction can increase this capacity up to 7.2TB. AS/400 9404 and 9406 users may now significantly improve their backup/restore and archive/retrieve procedures. The 3494 is designed to grow as storage and usage needs grow. The entry-level configuration of one drive and 210 tape cartridge can be expanded to combinations of one to eight drives and storage from 210 to 3040 tape cartridges. Backup Recovery and Media Services/400 (BRM Services/400) initial support is for backup and restore capability. Also, as previously announced, BRM Services/400 will be enhanced in the first half of 1994 to automatically migrate data between DASD and the tape library based on customer-defined policies. A single Tape Library Dataserver can attach to multiple AS/400, RISC System/6000, and ES/9000 systems. Graphical Environment IBM ValuePoint for AS/400: Users now can take advantage of the PC's processing power, graphics, and so on without the effort and cost of loading and customizing each PC. These preloaded, programmable workstations greatly simplify the installation of intelligent workstations for the customer. Selected IBM ValuePoint workstations will be preloaded with DOS, Microsoft Windows, a communications driver, and V2R2 PC Support/400 and V2R2 RUMBA/400; (V2R2 is supported via the normal PC Support update function). Various connection types are also supported. These workstations will arrive at the user's site ready to be plugged in, logged on to the AS/400 system with a graphical log-on screen, and begin running. Valuepoint for AS/400 will be a member of the client Series. Client-Server Open Client Support o Apple environment now can realize the benefits of the AS/400 system and inexpensively. A new controller provides Macintosh users with a simple connections to the AS/400 system. This eliminates the need for costly gateway hardware, by attaching via LocalTalk (twisted pair) directly to the AS/400 system. A Macintosh can also be an AS/400 system console, thus eliminating the need for a twinaxial 5250-type display. o Sun Polaris and HP/UX users can now take advantage of AS/400 systems in their networks by attaching to the AS/400 system via the Workstation Control Program/400 (formerly AIX AS/400 Connection Program/6000) via TCP/IP. This fulfills a previous statement of direction. Client Series: The Client Series tool set adds workgroup solutions for work flow and file distribution, and adds selected open server enablers. These tools are available through IBM channels. Server Series: The Server Series offers: o Three new AS/400 Server Series Models specifically designed to deliver improved performance in the client-server environment. o Server Series LAN Packages that use new Server Series Models, providing platforms that address three client environments currently supported by the Client Series: OS/2, Microsoft Windows, and Apple Macintosh. o Server Series Solutions that use Server Series LAN Packages to deliver preloaded client-server solutions. LAN Resource Extension and Services/400: Customers can save time and leverage skilled resources using LAN Resource Extension and Services/400 (LANRES/400). LANRES/400 establishes a server environment on the AS/400 system to allow Novell NetWare customers transparent access to host resources. Graphical Operations: A new graphical use interface for system operations expands the usability of the AS/400 system significantly. End users and system operators can now take advantage of the direct manipulation capability of a programmable workstation (for example, point-and-click or drag-and- drop) rather than having to type commands and command parameters to do the same things. Numerous AS/400 tasks are covered in the first release. They include: work areas; printer output; output queues; printers; jobs; job queues; messages; message queues; sending messages; signed-on users; system status; libraries; and objects. Openness/Connectivity TCP/IP Utilities/400: Additional business solutions and improved productivity will benefit customers in the TCP/IP environment through several extensions of the TCP/IP Utilities/400 licensed program. Support for the DEC VT220 data stream is added. Therefore, many terminals offered by various vendors can now be attached to the AS/400 to take advantage of the additional display and language functions. In addition, new remote printing support is provided, and both remote log-on across multiple systems and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol facilities are enhanced. Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN): With the implementation of Bellcore National ISDN (US) and ISDN-Euro (Europe), customers can take advantage of additional emerging communications standards. PC Support/400: The selection of new devices is broadened by inclusion of a number of new IBM and non-IBM laptop PCs in PC Support/400. Also, support of OS 6.0 and Novell NetWare 4.0 coexistence is added. Systems Management Managed System Services/400: The management of software through its life cycle is greatly enhanced with SystemView Managed Systems Services/400, which provides facilities on an AS/400 system to receive, install, and activate software change plans from a central site to plan and implement software changes on remote AS/400 systems: o Unattended remote site management is strengthened o Software is handled consistently o Operator productivity is greatly enhanced The cost of transmission is reduced because the central site can direct a change plan to set of AS/400 systems in one operation. In the first phase, a central site System/390 with NetView Distribution Manager that is managing a network of AS/400 systems can: o Send, retrieve, and delete AS/400 objects, documents, libraries, folders, PTFs, files, and programs o Apply or remove PTFs o Perform an IPL o Run programs These functions can be automated and executed unattended. In the second phase, an AS/400 system can be the central-site system managing other AS/400 systems and PS/2s running NetView DM/2. NewView Remote Operations Agent/400: NetView Remote Operations Agent/400 enhances the MVS customer's centralized management of AS/400 systems from the mainframe. Network control is improved and operator productivity is enhanced. BEST/1 Capacity Planner: Functional improvements to the BEST/1 Capacity Planner include support for hardware and communications extensions and open interfaces for improved automation. Host Print Transform: The incorporation of host print transform function into OS/400 standardizes programming support of ASCII printer in the operating system in a single, easily understood, consistent manner. This makes it easier to attach and support ASCII printers. PC Support/400 uses the OS/400 host print transform function to combine the functions of client- based print emulators with a single server-based emulator output for a much greater consistency of print quality for ASCII printers. Application Enabling Multimedia: The quality of multimedia is further improved by the addition of digital video and digital audio to Ultimedia Host Support/400. The flexibility and usability of AS/400 multimedia solutions is also enhanced by adding user exits and OS/2 support to Ultimedia Host Support/400. Additional Enhancements Enhanced User Order Process (EUOP): Enhancements in OS/400 now allow (only in the United States) customers to send electronic requests to IBM Application Business Systems (ABS) for assistance in ordering hardware, software, and services (including PTFs) directly from ABS. When the request for assistance is sent, OS/400 will automatically include the system's hardware and software configuration to ensure accuracy in preparing the order. A representative from the AS/400 Fulfillment Center in IBM Rochester will call the customer and assist in configuring and placing the order. Performance Management/400: Performance Management/400 is a service offering that automates performance data collection, reduces the data daily, and manages the amount of DASD consumed by the collected data. The information collected is sent electronically to IBM where management level reports and graphs are created and mailed to the customer. This allows customers to manage their systems effectively without requiring a highly trained system operator. Other: Minor enhancements are made to Performance Tools/400 and CICS/400. ________________________________________________________________________ | | | Report prepared by: Faulkner Information Services | | | | Report submitted on: September 7, 1993 | |______________________________________________________________________|