IBM Takes Top Spot in UNIX Server Study
IBM’s UNIX servers have received the highest commercial ranking in an innovative composite benchmark-testing study of server performance. The independent study, conducted by D.H. Brown Associates, ranked IBM’s high-end UNIX servers number one, ahead of HP and Sun, which placed second and third respectively.
The new RS/6000 S80 server was singled out as helping IBM gain performance leadership. Other IBM UNIX systems contributing to the win include the RS/6000 SP and S70. This D.H. Brown study compares server performance by using a weighted average of several industry-standard benchmark results that measure general commercial applicability, online transaction processing, decision support and enterprise resource planning. The result is an overall numerical ranking, or a "Composite Performance Metric," designed to help gauge all-around server performance.
"The IBM RS/6000 achieved the number one position in our commercial rankings by maintaining balance with solid scores in application areas important to IT and business managers," says Richard Partridge, Senior Research Analyst for D.H. Brown. "IBM’s lead shows the versatility of the RS/6000 family, and for users who wish to deploy a variety of applications on one platform, versatility is an important attribute."
According to D.H. Brown, the composite study was developed to help IT managers focus benchmark data into an overall ranking that could provide better information to formulate purchasing strategies and in turn deliver benefits to their businesses.
The full report can be viewed at www.rs6000.ibm.com/resource/consult/dhbrown/perf.pdf.