A brief history of the AS400

The AS400 is dead, Long Live the iSeries

In the late 1990s, the next version of the AS400 was announced. IBM replaced the AS400 line with a new system , with new hardware obviously differentiated by its stylish black hardware. The IBM iSeries years commenced.

Another huge difference from the earlier AS400 generation was the new iSeries systems ability to manage Microsoft* Windows* via the Integrated xSeries* Adapter and Integrated xSeries Server.

The IBM iSeries had some radical new hardware, hugely upgraded operating system and full internet connectivity - now serving business applications across a diverse realm of user interfaces (Web, pervasive, thick client and 5250) to local and remote users.

One of the huge benefits of the iSeries was the fact that it was still fully backward compatible to earlier System/3x and AS/400 machines.

This generation of the iSeries and pSeries systems-the eServer i5 and eServer p5 systems, were based on POWER5* technology, the ninth generation of IBM 64-bit processor technology.

POWER5 processors featured proven, open and flexible design that leveraged the iSeries tradition of integration, virtualization and systems-management technology to bringing increased levels of functionality and simplicity to business of all sizes.

Back in 2005 - Series* Marketing Vice President Peter Bingaman implored COMMON attendees to stop saying "AS/400*" when referring to the iSeries system. He went on to say:

"Both the eServer i5 and eServer p5 systems feature Micro-Partitioning*, which allows one server to be carved into several virtual servers, making either a great platform for server consolidation. IBM Virtualization Engine* technology also spans across the eServer family. iSeries  virtualization capabilities can help your company maintain service levels and automatically manage the changing resource demands of applications by moving computing resources to where they're needed. This can maximize its IT investment by streamlining the management of heterogeneous platforms or servers, helping save money and allowing you to focus on your business and not your IT environment."

In January 2006 IBM announced new System i5 processor models and new I/O capabilities,
including I/O adapters (IOAs) that do not require attachment to an I/O Processor (IOP), and
the new i5/OS V5R4 release.

The new V5R4 release of i5/OS contained even more integrated capabilities with selected IBM middleware enhancements that promotes innovation, while enhancing the value of current investments in solutions in the areas of:

•  Integrated middleware
•  Simplified Information Technology (IT) infrastructure
•  Security and compliance
•  Business resiliency
  

i5/OS V5R4 contained a wide range of medium to small enhancements and new functions

Taken together, this set of capabilities provided significant enhancements to assist you in providing solutions innovation, simplifying your information technology, and supporting your business resiliency and compliance requirements. System i also included enhancements to many System i licensed programs with i5/OS V5R4.

The 'i' revolution had began.

A new Powerful System - IBM POWER SYSTEM

A few short years later, comes a paradigm shift for IBM. The IBM POWER SYSTEM separates hardware from Software for the first time.

So many huge differences from the original AS400 hardware range, my favourite difference is that the IBM POWER SYSTEM hardware, obviously hugely more powerful than previous machines, can now operate with multiple logical machines.

So, within one Power System you can run an *LPAR (logical partition) running Unix, or Linux, or IBM i.

The IBM i operating system is the grandson of the old AS400 operating system (OS400) and as well as being fully backward compatible is fully internet compliant, SQL focused and filled with leading edge web technology.

The new IBM Power E1080 server, the first in a new family of servers based on the new IBM Power10 processor, designed specifically for hybrid cloud environments. The IBM Power10-equipped E1080 server is engineered to be one of the most secured server platforms and is designed to help clients operate a secured, frictionlessⁱⁱⁱ hybrid cloud experience across their entire IT infrastructure.

The new IBM E1080 was designed to introduce several key features including:

• Enhancements for hybrid cloud like planned industry-first, by the minute metering of Red Hat software including Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, 4.1x greater OpenShift containerized throughput per core vs x86-based servers^vi, and architectural consistency and cloud-like flexibility across the entire hybrid cloud environment to drive agility and improve costs without application refactoring.
• New hardware-driven performance improvements that deliver up to 50% more performance and scalability than its predecessor the IBM Power E980^vii, while also reducing energy use and carbon footprint of the E980, allowing customers to do more with less. The E1080 also features four matrix math accelerators per core, enabling 5x faster inference performance as compared to the E980^viii.
• New security tools designed for hybrid cloud environments including transparent memory encryption so there is no additional management setup, 4x the encryption engines per core, allowing for 2.5x faster AES encryption as compared to the IBM Power E980^ix, and security software for every level of the system stack.
• A robust ecosystem of ISVs, Business Partners, and support to broaden the capabilities of the IBM Power E1080 and how customers can build their hybrid cloud environment, including record-setting performance for SAP^® applications in an 8-socket systemii. IBM is also launching a new tiered Power Expert Care service to help clients as they protect their systems against the latest cybersecurity threats while also providing hardware and software coherence and higher systems availability.

Frictionlessⁱⁱⁱ Hybrid Cloud Experience Drives Modernization on IBM Power E1080
The IBM Power E1080 server helps deliver on the customer demand for a frictionless hybrid cloud experience, with architectural consistency across the entire hybrid cloud estate to simplify management and seamlessly scale applications to meet the dynamic needs of today's world.