Wabi 1.1 for AIX licensed from Sun is claimed to match 80486 machine
IBM Corp has introduced Wabi 1.1 for AIX – licensed from Sun Microsystems Inc – as a new feature of its AIXwindows Environment/6000 Version 1.2.5. Wabi 1.1 provides an environment for the execution of many Microsoft Windows-based applications on the RS/6000 with AIX. Wabi 1.1 for AIX currently certifies support for a specific set of Microsoft Corp Windows-based applications. The certified applications supported by Wabi 1.1 install and operate just as if they were running under Windows 3.1 on a personal computer. Performance will vary, depending on the particular RS/6000 model. For example, the company claims that when using an RS/6000 PowerPC Model 250 with 16MB RAM, the performance of applications that run under Wabi 1.1 is comparable to an 80486-based personal computer. Wabi 1.1 for AIX is a separately-ordered feature of AIXwindows Environment/6000 Version 1.2.5. IBM says you don’t actually need Windows for most applications currently certified by Wabi 1.1 for AIX. There’s a basic one-time charge of $250 for the product, which should be out by the end of April.
Two more high-availability disk arrays
IBM has added two new models to its range of 3514 High-Availability External Disk Arrays for some models of the RS/6000. The new models, 212 and 213, are deskside configurations. The addition of a 1Mb non-volatile write cache significantly improves performance, says the company: the response time to the user is reduced and the total throughput that the 3514 can sustain is increased, while maintaining reliability. The new models continue to support RAID-5 and add the option of RAID-0. They also offer a Hot Spare (RAID-5 only) that enables the failed disk drive data to be automatically rebuilt on a stand-by hard disk drive without operator intervention. The RAID-0 option enables the user to use all the available storage capacity. In the RAID-5 mode, the storage capacity equivalent to one disk drive provides data redundancy and access to data if a single disk drive fails. The RAID-0 option is available on Models 212 and 213. Three new features – UKP1011, UKP2002 and UKP3001 – are now available to support the new models. Feature 1011 is a preformatted 986Mb SCSI-2 disk drive. The base Model 212 contains three disk drives for a usable capacity of 1.973Gb in RAID-5 mode. It can be expanded up to 6.906Gb by adding up to five of these features. Feature 2002 (RISC System/6000 Attachment Kit) allows the attachment of the IBM 3514 High-Availability External Disk Array (Models 212 and 213) to some models of the RS/6000 with the RS/6000 SCSI-2 Differential High-Performance External I/O Controller (UKP2420). Feature 3001 (Multiple Attachment Cable) allows a second 3514 Model 212 or 213 to be connected to the same SCSI-2 differential controller, and consists of a 2m cable that daisy-chains two 3514s together via the SCSI terminal on the back of the 3514. An existing preformatted 1.967Gb SCSI-2 Disk Drive (UKP1008) is used in Model 213. The base Model 213 contains three disk drives for a usable capacity of 3.935Gb (in RAID-5 mode). Model 213 can be expanded up to 13.774Gb (in RAID-5 mode) by adding up to five of these features (UKP1008). All three are available now, costing from $17,650.
Price cuts on RS/6000 models, disk, memory and other storage products…
IBM has made a series of price cuts on some RS/6000 models, along with disk, memory and storage products. The prices of RS/6000 PowerServer models 23S, 25S, 360, 365, 36T, 370, 375, 37T and 570 have been cut by an average of $3,600. At the bottom of the range, the price of the RS/6000 PowerServer 23S drops by $300 to $6,895; at the top end, the PowerStation or PowerServer is down $13,000 to $24,500. The price of the company’s speech accelerators has almost halved, and the cost of eight tape drives has dropped by an average of $385. A range of memory boards has also dropped in price. Some models and features of 9333 and 9334 Storage Subsystems have also changed in price although here some prices have gone up.
For example, while the Drawer High Performance Subsystem has dropped in price from $21,200 to $17,800, the cost of the 2Gb to 875Mb Disk Drive rockets from $1,700 to $5,100. Finally, there are also price cuts on some RS/6000 disk products, averaging $530.
…and trade-ins for Model 370 buyers
IBM has tweaked the requirements for trading in RS/6000 and non-IBM workstations. Eligible customers can now receive a $3,000 credit by trading in an installed RS/6000 Model 320, 320H, or 320E on an RS/6000 Model 370. There’s also a $9,000 credit to be had by trading in an RS/6000 Model 320, 320H, 320E, 340, 34H, 350, 360 or 370 against an RS/6000 Model 570 or 580. Many non-IBM Unix systems are also worth $3,000 against a new RS/6000 Model 370.
Tape Library Dataserver enhanced for remote operation
IBM has made a series of enhancements to its 3495 Tape Library Dataserver, designed to enable users to automate operation and to control operations from a remote location. The External High Capacity Input/Output Station provides 240 input-output cells which may be used either to load or unload cartridges while the accessor remains active. There’s no need to put the library in pause mode. All input-output cells may be used in either the input mode or output mode, but the High Capacity I/O Facility can’t be activated when this feature is installed. The Utility Cover – Tape Control Unit provides temporary utility covers over the openings in the wall frame assembly where the 3490 Tape Control Unit and wall will be installed. The Utility Cover Tape Drive Unit provides a temporary utility wall that fits in the opening where the 3490 Tape Drive Units will be installed. This lets users carry out portions of tape inventory and teach tasks without having all of the 3490 control units and tape drive units installed on the library. The IBM Token Ring and Ethernet LAN Attachments, as their names imply, let users attach the 3495 Library Manager to a Token Ring or Ethernet local network. The Remote Library Manager Console, in conjunction with a local network attachment feature, lets users control or monitor the operations and status of up to eight 3495 Tape Library Managers from a remote location. Connection to the Library Manager is password controlled, and the remote console can be located anywhere on the local network. The Utility Covers and External High Capacity I/O Station are available now, with the other new features appearing at the end of June.
