Intel-Based Servers Get Ready To Compete With UnixIntel-Based Servers Get Ready To Compete With Unix

Dell Computer and IBM are readying server enhancements that should bring their Intel-based platforms into closer competition with the Unix and mainframe systems that typically run enterprise applications. IBM last week unveiled a memory-doubling technology, while Dell added several reliability features to its latest PowerEdge servers.

IBM's Memory Expansion Technology (MXT) is a hardware-based data-compression technique that doubles memory capacity. MXT saves money, IBM says, because customers can buy less memory without sacrificing performance, and memory represents up to half the cost of Intel servers. The technology will debut in a new version of IBM's xSeries 330. The MXT-equipped servers will sell for several hundred dollars more than the other xSeries servers.

Past attempts to double memory using software techniques have had mixed results. MXT's hardware approach should be more effective. "The problem with software-based compression is you're adding system overhead," says Jeff Benck, IBM's marketing director. Implementing the memory enhancement in hardware provides a performance boost without requiring software processing.

IBM has licensed MXT to Broad-com Corp. subsidiary ServerWorks, which makes chips and other server components. MXT should be available to other server makers in about six months. IBM rival Dell is evaluating MXT, says Randy Groves, Dell's enterprise systems group VP.

More immediately, Dell's PowerEdge 1650 and PowerEdge 4600 servers boast several industry firsts. The PowerEdge 1650 1.75-inch server offers hot-plug redundant power. The PowerEdge 4600 comes with Intel's new Pentium 4-based Xeon processor and is the first server on the market with the Grand Champion HE chipset from ServerWorks. The chipset features 3.2 Gbps of bandwidth memory and can accommodate up to 12 Dual In-Line Memory Modules of double data-rate memory.

Technology Business Research analyst Brooks Gray says the new technologies could be a boon for Intel shops, but cautions that none of them is proven.