IBM System z - z9 

IBM System z9 is a line of IBM mainframes. It was announced on July 25, 2005 and the first models were available on September 16, 2005. The System z9 also marks the end of the previously used eServer zSeries naming convention.

 

Enterprise Class - 2094

The System z9 Enterprise Class server, formerly known as the System z9 109, was the flagship of the System z9 series until the announcement of the IBM System z10. The most powerful model, the 2094-S54, achieves approximately twice the transactional performance of its most powerful predecessor, the zSeries z990 (2084-332). A single 2094-S54 machine provides up to 54 main processors (plus scores of secondary processors), at least two spare main processors, and up to 512 GB of main memory. Minimum memory is 16 GB.

The System z9 EC is available in five hardware model configurations:

 

2094
MODEL

ACTIVE
Z CPUS

MEMORY
OPTIONS

CHANNELS
ESCON / FICON EXP / FICON EXP 2 /
OSA EXP / OSA 2 / HIPER

COUPLING LINKS

ISC-3

IC

ICB-3

ICB-4

S08/401-708

1 - 8

16GB - 128GB

960 / 120 / 256 / 48 / 48 / 16

48

32

16

16

S18/701-718

1 - 18

16GB - 256GB

1024 / 120 / 336 / 48 / 48 / 16

S28/701-728

1 - 28

16GB - 384GB

S38/701-738

1 - 38

16GB - 512GB

S54/701-754

1 - 54

Channel configurations are subject to minimums
  

Business Class

On April 27, 2006, IBM announced the System z9 Business Class, also known as the z9 BC, as the successor to the zSeries z890 mainframe. IBM is positioning the z9 BC as a midrange system with a low cost of acquisition with up to twice the performance of the z890. The first z9 BCs began shipping on May 26, 2006. The z9 BC supports up to seven main processors (plus a dozen or more secondary processors). While the z9 BC can provide general purpose central processors (CPs), IBM is actively marketing the use of low cost specialty processors such as IFLs, zAAPs, and the new zIIPs. (Every z9 BC can support at least three specialty engines even when maximally configured with CPs.) The z9 BC comes with a minimum of 8 GB of RAM and is expandable up to 64 GB. IBM offers kits that allow current z800 and z890 customers to upgrade to the z9 BC. A z9 BC customer can then upgrade to the z9 EC if extra capacity is required.

The System z9 BC is available in two hardware model configurations:

 

2096
MODEL

ACTIVE
Z CPUS

MEMORY
OPTIONS

CHANNELS
ESCON / FICON EXP /
FICON EXP 2 OR 4 /OSA EXP OR 2

ICB-4

CRYPTO

A01

1

8GB - 64GB

240 / 32 / 64 / 24

8

8

OTHER A-J

1 - 3

8GB - 64GB

240 / 32 / 64 / 32

16

8

ALL K-Z

1 - 4

8GB - 64GB

420 / 40 / 112 / 48

16

16

The seven System z9 hardware configurations support scores of software model configurations: 2094-401 through 2094-754 for the EC and 2096-A01 through 2096-Z04 for the BC (plus IFL-only models).