Siemens Nixdorf Informationssystemes AG is the latest company to commit to Intel Corp’s IA-64 architecture and will dump its current MIPS-based BS2000 mainframe and RM Unix servers in favor of new products based upon 64-bit Intel chips running BS2000/OSD and Sun Microsystems Inc’s Solaris x86 operating systems. It’s a gamble because SNI won’t be able to start selling Merced Unix servers until the second half of 1999. In the meantime, it has to convince new customers to buy current products that are going to be phased out in a few years at the same time as persuading existing customers to stay put, but believes just about everyone else is facing the same transition. SNI says it will continue to upgrade the MIPS-based Unix servers from its Pyramid Technology Corp acquisition through 2002 and service them until 2007. They run Reliant Unix, blended from Pyramid’s DC/OSx and SNI’s Sinix operating systems. Under the agreement with Sun, certain enterprise Reliant Unix features including high-availability, hot-swapping and management will be incorporated into Solaris over several releases. Reliant 5.45.A technology will feature in Sun’s Solaris x86 2.7, which is now at beta, and 5.45.B will feature in Solaris 2.x. But not until a 5.45.C release will SNI offer users what it calls DOCT – Dynamic Object Code Translation – software it claims will enable users to run MIPS-based binaries and object application code unchanged on Intel. It’s one of four mechanisms SNI says it’s developing to help users migrate to Intel. Others include compiler technology it is developing with Sun that will be the subject of a separate and as-yet unsigned technology agreement. In addition they are looking at how to put Sun’s Solstice and SNI’s TransView systems management technologies together which will be the subject of a further agreement. SNI’s current high-end mainframes are M-Series S/390 IBMulators it OEMs from Fujitsu Ltd which are microcoded to run the IBM OS/VS1-alike BS2000 mainframe operating system to which SNI has progressively added MVS features. SNI developed DOCT to port BS2000 to the entry-level MIPS-based mainframes it now offers and will use the same technology to port BS2000 to Intel. First Intel mainframes are due late 2000 or early 2001. SNI’s Pyramid group was less clear about how its Mesh systems interconnect technology will transition from MIPS to Intel. Now positioned as a clustering mechanism rather than the massively parallel technology it was conceived as, SNI said Intel’s Virtual Architecture Interface clustering I/O scheme is its target and that it will probably only use parts of Mesh to support VIA. SNI is another feather in Sun’s cap; its Solaris x86 OEM bandwagon is slowly but surely gaining momentum but there’s still a nagging suspicion that Sun may ultimately be driven into the arms of Intel and eat its OEMS’ businesses. SNI already offers the 32-bit Solaris x86 on its Intel servers. In 1997 Germany remained by far SNI’s largest single market, accounting for 60% of revenues. International sales were just $3.4bn, with Europe making up the rest. SNI points to IDC research, which says the commercial server market will be worth $92.9bn in 2001 up from $60.6bn in 1996. In 2001 mainframe revenue will account for 42% of sales, Unix 38% and NT 20% from 57%, 37% and 6% respectively in 1996.
