IBM’s Cloud Gains Definition

What does the “Blue Cloud” look like? There have been times when IBM’s vision for cloud computing seemed diffuse, largely because Big Blue has so many points of entry. IBM sells servers and software, builds data centers, and provides consulting services. The company also had to consider the issue of whether it might wind up competing with its customers. As a result, IBM’s early efforts in the cloud didn’t align neatly with the most visible examples of the genre, such as Amazon Web Services or Salesforce.com.

This week IBM is rolling out new products that begin to bring some definition to its cloud computing roadmap. IBM is offering several services enabling public cloud computing. But Big Blue’s sharpest focus is on the private cloud, which presents an opportunity to sell hardware and software rather than monthly subscriptions.

Here’s what IBM is announcing:

Public Cloud: IBM can run your application testbed in its public cloud today, and will soon offer a subscription service to host virtual desktops in its data centers. The IBM Smart Business Test Cloud Services taps into, while the upcoming IBM Smart Business Desktop Cloud will establish a beachhead for expected future growth in enterprise desktop virtualization as a service delivery strategy. 

IBM, Syracuse Team on ‘Green’ Testbed

An artist rendering of the exterior of a new data center IBM will build and equip at Syracuse University.

A new data center at Syracuse University will serve as a testbed for energy efficient data center design, backed by technology from IBM and financial support from the state of New York. The $12.4 million, 6,000-square-foot data center will combine multiple energy-saving technologies, including on-site power generation, DC power distribution, chillers and cabinets equipped with water-cooled rear-door heat exchangers.

Syracuse University will use the data center for its IT equipment, and also provide detailed analysis of its energy efficiency. IBM will supply $5 million in electrical co-generation equipment and servers, and use the facility to showcase its “green” data center technology. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is contributing $2 million to the project.

The new facility, which is scheduled to be completed late this year, will be powered by a microturbine engine fueled by natural gas, which will generate all electricity for the center and provide cooling for the computer servers. The heat generated by the microturbine will power an absorption chiller unit, which will convert the heat into chilled water to cool the data center’s servers.

The chilled water will be piped into IBM’s “Cool Blue” rear-door heat exchangers attached to each cabinet. IBM and Syracuse say they will implement a precision cooling system that reduces energy use by targeting only the servers that require cooling resources, rather than delivering cooling to all servers as in most data centers. Computer-controlled sensors will be used to monitor thermal conditions in the data center and direct cooling.

SciNet Supercomputer Runs on IBM iDataPlex

The University of Toronto’s SciNet Supercomputer Datacenter combines massive power (it’s number 53 on the Top 500 list) with exceptional energy efficiency, with a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating of 1.16, according to university scientists. SciNet features an unusual design combining IBM’s iDataPlex server and Cool Blue rear-door heat exchanger, which allows the university to run high-density cabinets with minimal room air conditioning. SciNet will soon be expanded with a 30,000-core system using iDataPlex servers with the Xeon 5500 (Nehalem) processor, Intel’s new high-power, low-energy chip. This video provides an overview of SciNet and its technology, and runs about 6 minutes.

For more news from Big Blue, visit our IBM channel. For additional video, check out our DCK video archive and the Data Center Videos channel on YouTube.

IBM Expands Relationship With Brocade

IBM today confirmed reports that it will be expanding its relationship with network equipment vendor Brocade Systems (BRCD). The move is widely seen as a response to the decision by IBM partner Cisco Systems to enter the blade server market, where IBM is a major player. Whatever the dynamics between IBM and Cisco, the announcement is major news for Brocade, validating its decision to buy ethernet switch maker Foundry Networks. In this video, Brocade’s CEO Mike Klayko comments on the significance of the expanded OEM agreement with IBM, which will rebrand and sell Brocade products. This video runs about 2 minutes, 45 seconds.

For additional video, check out our DCK video archive and the Data Center Videos channel on YouTube.

Is Sun-IBM Deal Back On Track?

Last week there were many reports that the rumored deal for IBM to buy Sun Microsystems was dead. Our take at the time was that wasn’t clear whether the deal was genuinely on its deadbed or the two companies were negotiating through media leaks.

Bloomberg is now reporting that the two companies may be ready to resume talks “if IBM makes a stronger commitment to close the acquisition.” Sun’s shares have slipped to $6.13 since the companies stopped talking, well below the reported IBM offer of $9.40 a share. This is obviously one to watch. This feels like one of those scenarios where things could come together quickly if the parties actually return to the table.

IBM Boulder Data Center Rated LEED Silver

Part of the 70,000 square feet of new raised floor in the IBM Boulder data center.

IBM has received LEED Silver certification for its data center in Boulder, Colorado, the company said this week. The data center, a 70,000 square foot expansion of IBM’s existing Boulder facility, opened last June and introduced as IBM’s “greenest data center in North America.” Perhaps not for long. IBM hopes to gain Gold LEED certification for its new data center in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina.

The LEED standard, short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a program for certifying energy efficient “green” buildings and is overseen by the U.S. Green Buildings Council (USGBC). With the certification, IBM’s Boulder site joins a select number data centers to qualify for LEED status.  

The Boulder facility is part of a $350 million, 125,000 square-foot corporate investment by IBM to expand the site’s hosting capacity from approximately 225,000 square feet to nearly 300,000m, making it IBM’s largest data center site worldwide.

Roundup: The Sun-IBM Deal Rumors

What’s driving IBM’s reported $6.5 billion offer to acquire Sun Microsystems? There’s lots of interesting takes on the deal reports and what they mean. Here are a few:

• ZDNet’s Larry Dignan says an IBM-Sun deal makes sense and is “long overdue.” His take: “The companies mesh on the open source software front, Sun is struggling and IBM can consolidate some server market share.” 
• Larry’s ZDNet colleague Dana Gardner sees it differently, calling the WSJ report a “trial balloon”  likely floated by Sun itself. “It smacks of desperation in trying to thwart an unwanted acquisition, or to positively impact another deal that Sun is weak in,” Dana writes. “If IBM wanted to buy Sun it would have done so years ago, at least on the merits of synergy and technology.” Yes, but would Sun time its leak for the same day it’s unveiling its long-awaited cloud platform?
• The Register says a Sun-IBM deal raises “the prospect of a massive consolidation of the software, server and storage markets,” and also notes the likelihood of close regulatory scrutiny the deal would face.
• At GigaOm, Stacey Higginbotham sees the opportunity for cloud collaboration. “The deal makes sense given Sun’s distressed share price, and because both companies appear to be pursuing cloud computing — the next big computing opportunity — in a similar manner.” 

IBM Apps Now Running on Amazon’s EC2 Cloud

IBM and Amazon Web Services have partnered to allow developers to use Amazon EC2 to build and run a range of IBM platform technologies, the companies announced today. The new “pay-as-you-go” model provides development and production instances of IBM DB2, Informix Dynamic Server, WebSphere Portal, Lotus Web Content Management and Novell’s SUSE Linux operating system on EC2.

Developers can use their existing IBM licenses on Amazon EC2 or use new Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) that IBM is making available at no charge for development and test purposes, enabling software developers to quickly build applications based on IBM software within Amazon EC2. In coming months, Amazon will introduce production AMIs running IBM services, enabling users to purchase these services by the hour.

The agreement with IBM, perhaps the company most identified with corporate IT, is the latest indicator of the growing traction for Amazon’s cloud computing platform among enterprise users. The old maxim that “nobody ever got fired for buying IBM” underscores the significance of the partnership. At a time when many corporate IT departments are debating the merits of cloud computing, the IBM-Amazon partnership is a signal that IBM sees Amazon’s public cloud as enterprise ready.