fbpx

Used IBM Servers | New Power9 Systems | QRadar SIEM Security

Power8 vs Power9 Performance Facts for IBM Model S924

Featured 
ibm-power9-s924-9009-42a IBM Power9 S924 9009-42A Specifications
This specification breakdown of the IBM Power9 9009-42A model S924 will explain the key performance features that sets it apart from its Power8 predecessor.
 
In comparison to the 8286-42A model S824, the IBM Power9 S924 delivers 40-50% better performance for data intensive database and analytics workloads, with over twice the memory footprint (accelerated by Coherent Accelerator Processor Interface CAPI) running at speeds up to 344 GB/s (172 GB/s per socket), has over 60-70% more CPW for IBM i workloads and 2X the I/O bandwidth (Gen4 PCIe slots). IBM Power9 with CAPI 2.0 increased I/O bandwidth over 4X Power8 ability, clocked at 192 GB/s. The Power9 S924 also has PowerVM virtualization is built into the Power9 processor chip, which increases performance, server utilization and cloud enables your data.
 
 
Power9 Processors – 2 socket server with up to 24 active cores
 
EP1E 8-core (18,188-145,500 CPW)
EP1F 10-core (17,450-174,500 CPW)
EP1G 12-core (15,446-370,700 CPW)
 
Memory - up to 4TB of DDR4 direct attached memory, 16 DIMM slots per socket
 
EM62 – 16GB DIMM (Qty. 2-8 per socket = 2666 MHz / Qty. 10-16 per socket = 2133 MHz)
EM63 – 32GB DIMM (Qty. 2-8 per socket = 2400 MHz / Qty. 10-16 per socket = 2133 MHz)
EM64 – 64GB DIMM (Qty. 2-8 per socket = 2400 MHz / Qty. 10-16 per socket = 2133 MHz)
EM65 – 128GB DIMM (Qty. 2-8 per socket = 2400 MHz / Qty. 10-16 per socket = 2133 MHz)
L2 to L3 cache - 7 TB/s on chip
Per core - 512 KB L2 | 10 MB L3 | 128 MB L4
 
PCIe Slots - Hot-plug, 4 CAPI 2.0 enabled

Two Gen4 and Six Gen3 (single socket)
Five Gen4 and Six Gen3 (two socket)
 
Storage backplane options (hot-swappable disk bays)
 
EJ1C - 12 SFF-3 Bays + 1 RDX Bay
EJ1D - Expanded Function 18 SFF-3 Bays + Dual IOA with Write Cache and optional external SAS port Expanded Function
EJ1E - Split feature to 6+6 SFF Bays + 1 RDX bax with ability to add a second SAS Controller
EJ1M - 12 SFF-3 Bays + RDX Bay and optional external SAS port.
 
SSD and HDD options
 
600GB, 1200GB, 1800GB - 10K RPM SFF HDD
300GB, 600GB - 15K RPM SFF HDD
387GB, 775GB, 1551GB - 10 DWPD SFF SSD
931GB, 1860GB, 3720GB - 1 DWPD
 
External storage attachment options
 
ESLL - EXP12SX 19-inch Disk Expansion Drawer with 12 large form factor LFF Gen2-Carrier Bays
ESLS - EXP24SX 19-inch Disk Expansion Drawer 24 small form factor SFF Gen2-Carrier Bays
5887 - EXP24S 19-inch Disk Expansion Drawer 24 small form factor SFF Gen2-Carrier Bays
EC59 - PCIe3 2x4 NVMe M.2 internal carrier PCIe3 adapter for ES14 400GB Flash
EU00 - RDX Docking Station for EU01 1TB Disk Cartridge or EU2T 2TB Disk Cartridge
Maximum storage attachments is 28
 
Other standard features
 
3 USB 3.0
2 HMC 1GbE RJ45
1 system with RJ45 connector
Redundant hot plug power supplies
Redundant hot-plug cooling
 
Power requirements: 200 V to 240 V
 
Physical Dimensions
 
Width: 441.5 mm (17.4 in.)
Depth: 822 mm (32.4 in.)
Height: 86 mm (3.4 in.)
Weight: 30 kg (65 lbs.)
1
  876 Views
  0 Comments
Tags:
Power9 servers Power9 Systems IBM Systems
876 Views
0 Comments

POWER9: Main changes and updates Vs POWER8 (2019)

Featured 
POWER9: Main changes and updates Vs POWER8 (2019)
A newer Article is now available to read: IBM POWER8 vs. POWER9 - A Comparative Analysis for 2020POWER9 is here, and with it comes loads of new hardware. With the second batch of released hardware there are several new systems that are focused on small and mid-range applications. These include Power9 models S922, S914, and S924 as well as Linu...
Continue reading
1
  10568 Views
  5 Comments
Tags:
POWER8 Vs. POWER9 IBM iseries POWER9 Information
10568 Views
5 Comments

IBM i Power9 System Pricing by Model Specification

IBM i Power9 System Pricing by Model Specification

IBM i customers upgrading to a new IBM Power9 scale-out system from an older Power system have three models to compare specifications; the 9009-41A S914, 9009-42A S924 or 9009-22A S922. Before jumping to any conclusions about which Power9 system is right for you, consider the specifications and resources of your current IBM i and performance during peak times. The new Power9 systems are so powerful, many companies are finding they can drop a software tier without any question. Dropping an IBM P-Group in itself is a significant cost savings, and the total cost of ownership price tag adds up after factoring in third-party, IBM software licenses, maintenance and support fees.
First step to a Power9 upgrade and comparison, is knowing your current Power system’s capabilities and identifying the amount of system resources (CPW, Memory, HDD/SSD and I/O 'RAID Controller' requirements) needed for peak workloads. Contact us if you need any assistance getting the performance information off your IBM i. Once you have a baseline for current performance requirements and a grasp on your growth rates, we can then determine your Power9 System Upgrade options.
All Power9 systems include a 3 year 9X5 warranty, with an option to upgrade to 24X7. The base Power9 warranty will contribute to the cost savings by comparing the estimated life expectancy of the Power9 to your current maintenance and support costs. Companies will vary in the number of years for this life cycle calculation, but most companies anticipate 3-5 years for a new Power system.
All Power9 system models support PCIe Gen 4 and earlier PCIe generation feature cards. If I/O performance, response times and throughput are contributing factors for upgrading your IBM i, you should purchase new RAID Controllers and other SAS adapters, as the newer generation PCIe adapters provide significant performance gains. The Power9 systems all support 220V power, and the 9009-41A S914 can run on 110V. The Power9 models have three backplane options, a 12 SFF-3 Bays, a 18 SFF-3 bays with write cache or a 12 SFF-3 bays with dual IOA and write cache. IBM i workloads require 4k byte block hard disk drives or SSD. If you need to boot more than one Virtual IO server from internal disks, your Power9 system needs to the split backplane feature and a minimum of four disks (two per Virtual IO Server). With the exception of the one Power9 in the P05 software tier, all other processor models support adding 28 EXP24SX I/O expansion drawers and the EMX0 PCIe adapter drawers (28 is the maximum combined quantity).
IBM Power9 S914 Model 9009-41A
The 9009-41A is a single socket, 4U system that can be configured with 4, 6 and 8-cores that have a 2.3 to 3.8 GHz chip speed range. Both the 6 and 8-core processors support up to 1TB of memory via 16 DDR4 DIMM slots, but the 4-core S914 processor has a 64 GB maximum. The amount of internal and external storage is determined by various configuration factors. Other than the CPW and main storage, the primary Power9 model differences are expandability as explained below.
The 9009-41A EP10 4-Core Processor has seven PCIe Gen3 slots, however one slot is allocated to a 4-port 1 Gb Ethernet adapter, and another PCIe slot is lost if you use the expanded function backplane. The IBM S914 4-core processor model is the only Power9 system in the P05 software tier, and the only Power9 that cannot be expanded by attaching an EXP24SX I/O expansion drawer or a EMX0 PCIe adapter drawer. The EP10 4-core processor has a maximum of 10 disk drives or SSDs in the system unit (combinations are supported). The expansion limitation is a deal breaker for many customers, but a SAN can be attached for additional storage. The 9009-41A 4-Core has many cost advantages for smaller companies that do not have foreseeable growth factors that exceed its maximum capacity limits provided in the base system.
The 9009-41A EP11 6-Core and 9009-41A EP12 8-Core systems are both in the P10 software tier, have two Gen4 and six Gen3 slots (one slot is allocated to a 4-port 1 Gb Ethernet adapter).
IBM S914 9009-41A CPW by Number of Processors Activated (for IBM i OS)
EP10 X4=52500 | X3=39375 | X2=26250 | 1=13125
EP11 X6=78500 | X5=65417 | 4X=52333 | 3X=39250 | 2X=26166 | 1=13083
EP12 X8=122500 | 7X=107188 | X6=91875 | X5=76563 | 4X=61250 | 3X=45938 | 2X=30625 | 1=15313
IBM Power9 S924 Model 9009-42A
The 9009-42A is a 2 socket, 4U system that can be configured with 8, 16, 10, 20 or 24 cores, up to 4TB of memory and are all in a P20 software tier. The S924 Power9 chip core speeds have different ranges; the 8-core is 3.8 to 4.0 GHz, 10 core is 3.5 to 3.9 GHz and the 12 core is 3.4 to 3.9 GHz. The single socket S924 processors have two Gen4 and 6 Gen3 slots, and the two socket version has five Gen4 and six Gen3 slots, however some slots are dedicated for mandatory an Ethernet adapter and attachment requirements.
IBM S924 9009-42A CPW by Number of Processors Activated (for IBM i OS)
EP1E X8=145500 | 7X=127313 | X6=109125 | X5=90938 | 4X=72750 | 3X=54563 | 2X=36375 | 1=18188
EP1F 10X=174500 | X9=157050 | X8=139600 | 7X=122150 | X6=104700 | X5=87250 | 4X=69800 | 3X=52350 | 2X=34900 | 1=17450
EP1G 12X=370700 | 11X=338404 | 10X=306108 | X9=273812 | X8=241517 | 7X=209221 | X6=176925 | X5=144629 | 4X=112333 | 3X=80038 | 2X=47742 | 1=15446
IBM Power9 S922 Model 9009-22A
The S922 can have 1 or 2 sockets that can be configured with 4, 8, 16 (2 x 8), 10 or 20 (2 x 10) cores and up to 4TB of memory. The S922 Power9 chip core speeds for the 4 core range from 2.8 to 3.8GHz, on the 8 core range from 3.4 to 3.9 GHz and 2.9 to 3.8 GHz on the 10 core. The single socket 9009-22A can have up to 6 PCIe (2X Gen4 and 4 x Gen3) slots and the two socket models have up to 9 slots (5X Gen4 and 4X G3slots). One slot is used by a mandatory Ethernet adapter. Depending on what is attached, up to three of those slots may be reserved for other purposes. IBM i is only supported on the 6 cores and 8 core processors and is limited to 4 cores of IBM i with a software tier of P10.
IBM S922 9009-22A CPW by Number of Processors Activated (for IBM i OS)
EP16 X8=68,000 | 7X=60,714 | X6=53,429 | X5=46,143 | 4X=38,857 | 3X=31,571 | 2X=24,286 | 1=17,000
EP18 10X=60,000 | X9=55,000 | X8=50,000 | 7X=45,000 | X6=40,000 | X5=35,000 | 4X=30,000 | 3X=25,000| 2X=20,000 | 1=15,000
EP19 X2 16X=272,000 | 15X=255,000 | 14X=238,000 | 13X=221,000 | 12X=204,000 | 11X=187,000 | 10X=170,000 |X9=153,000 | X8=136,000 | 7X=119,000 | X6=102,000 | X5=85,000 | 4X=68,000 | 3X=51,000 | 2X=34,000 | 1=17,000
Power9 Memory
IBM Power9 Memory is available in 8GB (324D), 16GB (324E), 32GB (324F), 64GB (325A) and 128GB (324C) increments for 32 DDR4 slots, providing a maximum of 4TB main storage for two processor sockets systems, and 2TB for single processor socket systems using 16 memory slots. The IBM 9009-41A Model S914 is the only system that is limited to only 1TB of main storage. 
 
Power9 Storage and Expansion Options
Although most companies will not attach a SAN to their IBM i, it is supported. The EXP24SX SAS Storage Enclosure (ESLS feature code) has twenty-four 2.5-inch SFF-2 SAS bays for HDDs or SSDs, and a total of 28 can be attached to any Power9 model, except for the 9009-41A EP10 4-Core Processor model. The EXP24SX requires a EJ14 PCIe3 12 GB Cache RAID Plus SAS or one of the 6 GB PCIe3 RAID SAS Adapters (EJ0J, EJ0M, EL3B, or EL59).
FAQ
  • Although both 4k and 5XX byte sector HDD and SSD are supported on Power9 systems, they cannot be mixed in the same array.
  • PowerVM Enterprise Edition is provided free of charge on all Power9 systems, and if your upgrading from a Power7 or Power8, IBM provides a 60-day activation at no charge for data migrations.
  • If your Power9 will be operating PowerVM want concurrent firmware maintenance, you will need a HMC or Virtual HMC (vHMC). You will need a 7063-CR1 or later (with code 8.8.7 or higher), or a vHMC. For a vHMC, the x86 Power based server will need 4 cores, at least 8GB memory and 500GB of disk space.
  • Power9 systems do not include an internal DVD drive, but an external USB DVD can be purchased separately.
  • Power9 systems all have the security patches for Meltdown and Spectre installed and enabled.
0
  758 Views
  0 Comments
Tags:
AS400 iSeries ibm i
758 Views
0 Comments

How to Accelerate the Use of AI in Organizations with Power9 Systems

How to Accelerate the Use of AI in Organizations with Power9 Systems

Written by: Bob Picciano

Open any business publication or digital journal today, and you will read about the promise of AI, known as artificial or augmented intelligence, and how it will transform your business. The fact is, AI will not only transform your entire business, whether you are in health care, finance, retail or manufacturing, but it will also transform technology itself.

The essential task of information technology (IT), and how we measure its value, has reached an inflection point.

Continue reading
0
  623 Views
  0 Comments
623 Views
0 Comments

The Big Difference Between Power9's Industry Standard Memory vs Buffered Memory

Stock_Servers_Composite-25pct
POWER9 Memory changes and what it means.Our last article was about the primary changes made to the POWER Systems, scale out line up with the release of the first set of POWER9 (You can view some of the POWER9 benchmarks here) servers back in February. We briefly covered several of the changes including the change made to the type of ...
Continue reading
1
  3161 Views
  0 Comments
Tags:
POWER8 Vs. POWER9 POWER9 Memory IBM POWER9
3161 Views
0 Comments

10 Facts you need to know about the POWER9 S924 CPUs:

Featured 
9009-42A_S924
Nigel Griffiths presents 10 useful facts about performance, history and architecture of IBM's Power9  S924 System CPUs. Nigel works for IBM Advanced Technology Support, Europe. His job is to promote IBM Power Systems, PowerVM and AIX Technology. He not an IBM spokesperson. All opinions are his own. 1) 1 or 2 sockets for 1 or 2 POWER9...
Continue reading
0
  2356 Views
  0 Comments
Tags:
S924 cpu s924 Power9 S924 IBM POWER9
2356 Views
0 Comments