System_Guard

IBM RS/6000

IBM RS/6000

1990s line of RISC servers and workstations from IBM


The RISC System/6000 (RS/6000) is a family of RISC-based Unix servers, workstations and supercomputers made by IBM in the 1990s. The RS/6000 family replaced the IBM RT PC computer platform in February 1990 and was the first computer line to see the use of IBM's POWER and PowerPC based microprocessors. In October 2000, the RS/6000 brand was retired for POWER-based servers and replaced by the eServer pSeries. Workstations continued under the RS/6000 brand until 2002, when new POWER-based workstations were released under the IntelliStation POWER brand.

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History

AIX RS/6000 servers running ibm.com in early 1998

The first RS/6000 models used the Micro Channel bus, later models used PCI. Some later models conformed to the PReP and CHRP standard platforms, which were co-developed with Apple and Motorola, with Open Firmware. The plan was to enable the RS/6000 to run multiple operating systems such as Windows NT, NetWare, OS/2, Solaris, Taligent, AIX and Mac OS but in the end only IBM's Unix variant AIX was used and supported on RS/6000. Linux is widely used on CHRP based RS/6000s, but support was added after the RS/6000 name was changed to eServer pSeries in 2000.

The RS/6000 family also included the POWERserver servers, POWERstation workstations and Scalable POWERparallel supercomputer platform. While most machines were desktops, desksides, or rack-mounted, there were laptop models too. Famous RS/6000s include the PowerPC 604e-based Deep Blue supercomputer that beat world champion Garry Kasparov at chess in 1997, and the POWER3-based ASCI White which was the fastest supercomputer in the world during 20002002.

Architecture

Hardware

Service processor

Many RS/6000 and subsequent pSeries machines came with a service processor, which booted itself when power was applied and continuously ran its own firmware, independent of the operating system. The service processor could call a phone number (via a modem) in case of serious failure with the machine.[1] Early advertisements and documentation called the service processor "System Guard",[2] (or SystemGuard[3]) although this name was apparently dropped later on, roughly around the same time that the simplified RS/6000 name was adopted for the computer line itself.

Late in the RS/6000 cycle, the service processor was "converged" with the one used on the AS/400 machines.[4]

Software

POWER machines typically ran AIX. Solaris, OS/2 and Windows NT were also ported to PowerPC. Later Linux was also used.

Some AIX systems support IBM Web-based System Manager.

Models

Some models were marketed under the RS/6000 POWERstation and POWERserver names.

Micro Channel-based lines

The early lines were based on an IBM proprietary Micro Channel architecture; the same architecture that was used in the high end PS/2 x86 desktop line. MCA-based lines were produced until 1999.

Type 7006

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Type 7008

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These workstations were marketed under the PowerStation name.

Type 7009

RS/6000 C10 small server
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Type 7010

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This type was for Xstations, IBM's line of X terminal.

Type 7011

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Type 7012 and 7030

RS/6000 type 7012-320
Type 7030 servers (model 3BT)
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The 380, 390, and 39H servers correspond to the 3AT, 3BT, and 3CT workstations.

Early RS/6000 7013
RS/6000 7013 J-series

Type 7013 and 7016

The 7016-730 model was a version of 7013-530 model, but with licensed by Silicon Graphics graphics card.[16]

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Type 7015

Uses a IBM 9309 Rack Enclosure; this a first generation RS/6000 server running AIX. These units were configured by IBM as experimental "NSS" ("Network Switching Subsystem") routers, and used on the NSFnet T3 backbone in the early/mid-90s.

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PCI-based lines

Produced since 1994 until the time were the RS/6000 line was rebranded to System P.

Type 7017

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Type 7020

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Type 7024

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Type 7025

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Type 7026

An H70 Enterprise Server rack, 2001
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Type 7043 and 7248

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Type 7044 (44P)

IBM RS6000 44P: model 170 and model 270
Dual 375 MHz IBM POWER3-II processors on the CPU module of a RS/6000 44P 270
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Type 7046

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Type 7317

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Laptops

Type 7007

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The Model N40 was a PowerPC-based laptop developed and manufactured by Tadpole Technology in conjunction with IBM.[30] It was released on 25 March 1994, priced at US$12,000. The internal batteries could power the system for 45 minutes only and an external battery pack that lasted for 4 hours was available for this reason.[31]

Type 7249

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See also

Preceded by IBM RS/6000
1990 - 2000
Succeeded by

References

  1. IDG Enterprise (3 April 1995). Computerworld. IDG Enterprise. p. 61. ISSN 0010-4841.
  2. IBM RISC System/6000 SMP Servers Architecture and Implementation (PDF). IBM. November 1995. SG24-2583-00. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2015.
  3. "REDP0195.book" (PDF). Csee.umbc.edu. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  4. "RS/6000 Machine Type Models". Archive.rootvg.net. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  5. "7006-41T IBM RS/6000 Model 41T". www-01.ibm.com. 14 September 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  6. "7006-41W IBM RS/6000 Model 41W". www-01.ibm.com. 14 September 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  7. "7006-42T IBM RS/6000 Workstation Model 42T". www-01.ibm.com. 14 September 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  8. "7006-42W IBM RS/6000 Workstation Model 42W". www-01.ibm.com. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  9. "Powerstation * 16MB, Graphics, 33MHz, desktop, S.Hem". 01.ibm.com. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  10. "7011-250 IBM RS/6000 Model 250". 01.ibm.com. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  11. "How can I get the clock speed of an AIX machine? (Text of DW7410)". Sdsc.edu. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  12. "7012-39H IBM RS/6000 Model 39H". 01.ibm.com. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  13. "7012-G40 IBM RS/6000 Enterprise Server Model G40". www-01.ibm.com. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  14. "7030-3CT IBM RS/6000 Model 3CT". 01.ibm.com. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  15. Name (15 February 1990). "IBM'S RS/6000 ANNOUNCEMENTS". Tech Monitor. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  16. Model 53E is a special designation for Models 520 and 52H converted to 53H functionality (33 MHz Processor and 33 MHz memory) as on-site upgrade. See US Announcement Letter 192-005 Archived 7 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  17. Model 58F is a special designation for Models 530H, 550 and 560 converted to Model 580 functionality (62.5 MHz Processor) as on-site upgrade. See US Announcement Letter C92-016 Archived 7 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  18. The RS/6000 Enterprise Server Model S80 Technology and Architecture. IBM.
  19. "IBM RISC SYSTEM/6000 MODEL 40P ENTRY WORKSTATION". www.ibm.com. 4 October 1994. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  20. "7025-F50 IBM RS/6000 Server Model F50". 01.ibm.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  21. Stephen Lutz; Shyam Manohar; Scott Vetter (9 May 2000). "RS/6000 7025 Model F80 Technical Overview and Introduction" (PDF). IBM. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2011.
  22. "EMEA - IBM RS/6000 43P Series Model 132". 01.ibm.com. 5 October 2004. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  23. "7043-240 IBM RS/6000 43P Model 240". 01.ibm.com. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  24. "7043-270 IBM RS/6000 7043 Model 270". 01.ibm.com. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  25. "7044-270 IBM RS/6000 Model 270". 01.ibm.com. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  26. "7317-F3L IBM RS/6000 Telecommunications Server Model F3L". 01.ibm.com. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  27. "7007-N40". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011.
  28. Nadel, Brian (31 May 1994). "RISC Workstations on the Go". PC Magazine. Vol. 13, no. 10. p. 137.
  29. "Category:860 - ThinkWiki". www.thinkwiki.org. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
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