IBM delivers new server OS

IBM has unveiled z/OS, a self-managing 64bit operating system for its eServer z900 machines.

Rich Fuqua, director of ebusiness infrastructure, IBM e-servers, said IBM has included a feature called Intelligent Resource Director (IRD) that allows businesses to decide how they want to set their priorities: for example, giving higher access to buyers rather than to people who simply browse.

IRD is also claimed to enable the system to dynamically shift processor power within the server and the network according to priorities set by the customer.

"We are giving our customers the ability to configure, connect, extend, operate and optimise their central computing resources to efficiently meet the always-on demands of ebusiness," Fuqua said.

Other features of z/OS include 'Entrust Ready', with which customers can keep vital digital certificates on the z/OS LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) server. This allows electronic transactions to be processed from end to end without additional hardware.

The new z/OS also allows greater computing power, with 64bit real storage and a simpler system, according to IBM.

Future enhancements will include IRD for Linux that will provide security improvements and new intrusion detection capabilities. IBM and SAP have announced that SAP's programs had been configured to run on IBM's x900 mainframe using Linux. With the mainframe, hundreds or even thousands of versions of Linux can run simultaneously on the same machine.

Separately, IBM said it would provide real-time data mining capabilities as part of its core database product, DB2, by the end of March.

Jeff Jones, senior program manager, IBM Data Management Solutions, said the Intelligent Miner Scoring services enable companies to mine data for predictive modelling, such as customer buying behaviour. Thus, it could allow an ecommerce website to immediately analyse what a web surfer is purchasing, predict other items that the buyer may be interested in, and offer those other items to the buyer.