IBM Unveils New z16 and LinuxONE 4 Single Frame and Rack Mount Offerings

IBM has announced the release of the IBM z16 and IBM LinuxONE Rockhopper 4 single frame and rack mount options, designed to provide a state-of-the-art, adaptable hybrid cloud framework to support digital transformation for various IT environments. The new offerings, built on IBM’s Telum processor, would prioritize sustainability in optimized data center environments.

Ac cording to IBM, the IBM z16 multi-frame, initially introduced in April 2022, has played a significant role in transforming numerous industries through real-time AI inferencing at scale and quantum-safe encryption. The IBM LinuxONE Emperor 4, debuted in September 2022, would deliver the size, speed, and security customers require while reducing energy consumption and data center floor space needs. The new single frame and rack mount options would expand customer infrastructure choices in data center environments where space, sustainability, and uniformity are crucial.

“IBM z16 and LinuxONE systems are known for security, resiliency and transaction processing at scale,” said Matt Eastwood, Senior Vice President, WW Research, IDC. “Clients can now access the same security and resiliency standards in new environments with the single frame and rack mount configurations, giving them flexibility in the data center. Importantly, this also opens up more business opportunity for partners who will be able to reach an expanded audience by integrating IBM zSystems and LinuxONE capabilities to their existing footprints.”

Ross Mauri, General Manager of IBM zSystems and LinuxONE, stated, “IBM continues to lead the way in innovation to help clients navigate the challenges presented by an ever-evolving market.” He added that these new options enable businesses of all sizes to easily co-locate IBM z16 and LinuxONE Rockhopper 4 with distributed infrastructure, providing new possibilities in those settings.

Implementing AI Models

Bo Gebbie, CEO of Evolving Solutions, said, “We have seen tremendous benefit from utilizing IBM z16 technology in a hybrid cloud environment. Using these highly secure systems for high-volume financial tasks alongside cloud-native technologies has increased both our own business’s agility and ability to reduce costs.”

The new IBM z16 and LinuxONE 4 options are designed for modern data centers to help maximize adaptability and sustainability, with features like partition-level power tracking and additional environmental measures. Linux task consolidation, for example, can reduce energy usage and space requirements by 67% and 75%, respectively, compared to running Linux workloads on similar x86 systems in the same location and conditions, according to IBM. These new configurations are designed to deliver the “renowned” IBM transaction processing and security at volume.

The new rack-optimized size was developed and tested to the same internal standards as the IBM z16 high availability portfolio, and is intended for use with client-owned, standard 19-inch racks and power distribution units. This size would allow systems to be integrated in distributed environments with other servers, storage, SAN, and routers in a single rack, aiming to reduce latency and improve co-location for complex processing tasks like AI model development.

Implementing these configurations in the data center can enable new use cases, such as:

  • Sustainable architecture – Simplify integration into hot or cold corridor thermal management data center setups with standard data center power and cooling.
  • Optimizing AI solutions – Clients can learn or implement AI models close to where the data resides with on-chip AI inferencing and the latest IBM z/OS 3.1, regardless of rack mount, single frame, or multi-frame configurations.
  • Supporting data sovereignty for regulated sectors – Comply with governance and data placement restrictions by processing local operations through local data centers with improved rack mount efficiency.
  • Edge computing – Enable more effective rack usage in small rack spaces near industrial or medical equipment or other edge devices.

Support Services for the Complementary Technology Lifecycle

IBM will provide IBM LinuxONE Expert Care with the new IBM LinuxONE Rockhopper 4 servers. IBM Expert Care assists companies in selecting the best services by integrating and prepackaging hardware and software support services into a graded support strategy. Clients would receive increased value from this assistance for LinuxONE Rockhopper 4 as a result of known upkeep expenses and diminished implementation and running risk.

Beginning on May 17, 2023, IBM and accredited business partners will offer the new IBM z16 and LinuxONE 4 single frame and rack install choices, backed by LinuxONE Expert Care.