IBM Corp is killing off its 9672-E and -P CMOS mainframes, announced only on April 6 1994, and first shipped at the end of June 1994, writes Hesh Wiener in his Infoperspectives International newsletter. The unsentimental slaughter comes after an even shorter period of time than it took to obsolete the 370/165 and and 155 with the 168 and 158, or to make people realise that the D in 3090D stood for Dead. The E and P models are CMOS machines that can include up to eight central electronic complexes, each with up to six S/390 engines. The E versions have Escon channels, the P versions parallel channels. Since August, customers with Es and Ps have been told that IBM can split their machines into single-complex E01s, replace the motherboards with 9672-RX1 circuits and then, if the customer wishes, upgrade the Rs to faster RX2 or RX3 technology. The R machines can then be linked into a parallel Sysplex via a 9674 coupling facility. The resultant processor complex, say IBM insiders, is a lot easier to manage than an E or P machine. The Sysplex also has greater potential total power because it can include more S/390 engines and the engines can be R2 or R3 types, which are faster than the R1 chip sets in the E and P processors. IBM has advised E and P users that the splits will extend asset longevity. That is about as clear a declaration that the Es and Ps are dead end machines as IBM is likely to make. (Whatever customers do, IBM will continue to support installed Es and Ps). Prices for the 9672-E and -P splits are being quoted individually so that removing a complex from an E or P and moving it into an RX1 frame; converting an E or P secondary frame that can house one or two processor complexes into a stand-alone RX1; and converting a primary E01 frame into an RX1 are each separately priced Request for Price Quotation items. A full conversion involves peeling off Central Electronic Complexes and frames from the far end of an E or P system and converting each one until the customer has a collection of 9672-R machines. This collection can then be bound into a parallel Sysplex using a 9674 using the same technology as does the fastest 9672.
