IBM System x M4 delivers leadership performance for a server using Intel Xeon E3-1280 processor

The lastest release of the x3100 M4 and x3250 M4 has positioned IBM with a set of rack and tower servers that have raised the bar in single socket performance.

System x 3100 M4

The IBM System x 3100 M4 is a single-socket tower server that uses Intel’s latest quad-core processor technology, the Intel® Xeon® E3-1200 series. Competitively priced in a compact tower, the x3100 M4 is designed for small businesses and first-time server buyers looking for a solution to improve business efficiency. 

In recent measurements with the SPEC® CPU2006 benchmark suite, the x3100 M4 delivered outstanding performance for a single-socket server using the Intel Xeon E3-1280 processor. The SPECint2006, SPECint_base2006, SPECint_rate2006, SPECint_rate_base2006 and SPECfp2006 scores are leadership for a server using one Intel Xeon E3-1280 processor. The SPECfp_rate2006, SPECfp_base2006 and SPECfp_rate_base2006 scores are competitive for this processor.  

The x3100 M4 was configured with the Intel Xeon E3-1280 processor (3.5GHz, 8MB L3 cache per processor—1 processor/4 cores/2 threads), 8GB of memory, and Red Hat ® Enterprise Linux 6 x64 SP1. (1) The scores in the following table are the first SPEC CPU2006 results published for the x3100 M4 using this processor. 

SPEC CPU2006 Benchmark Quad-Core Intel Xeon E3-1280 (3.5GHz, 8MB L3 Cache)
SPECint®2006 54.3
SPECint_base2006 51.1
SPECint_rate2006 178
SPECint_rate_base2006 172
SPECfp®2006 64.7
SPECfp_base2006 62.7
SPECfp_rate2006 122
SPECfp_rate_base2006 118

 

System x 3250 M4

The IBM System x 3250 M4 is a 1U, single-socket, rack-optimized server that uses the Intel Xeon E3-1200 series, Intel’s latest quad-core processor technology. Compact and competitively priced, the x3250 M4 is designed for small businesses and first-time server buyers looking for a solution to improve business efficiency. 

In recent measurements with the SPEC CPU2006 benchmark suite, the x3250 M4 achieved solid overall performance for a single-socket server using the Intel Xeon E3-1280 processor. The SPECint2006, SPECint_base2006, SPECint_rate2006 and SPECfp_base2006 scores are leadership for a server using one Intel Xeon E3-1280 processor. The SPECfp2006, SPECfp_rate2006, SPECfp_rate_base2006 and SPECint_rate_base2006 scores are competitive for this processor.  

The x3250 M4 was configured with the Intel Xeon E3-1280 processor (3.5GHz, 8MB L3 cache—1 processor/4 cores/2 threads), 8GB of DDR3 PC3-10600E memory, and Red Hat Enterprise Server 6 x64 SP1. (1) The scores in the following table are the first SPEC CPU2006 results published for the x3250 M4 using this processor. 

SPEC CPU2006 Benchmark Quad-Core Intel Xeon E3-1280 (3.5GHz, 8MB L3 Cache)
SPECint®2006 54.3
SPECint_base2006 51.1
SPECint_rate2006 178
SPECint_rate_base2006 171
SPECfp®2006 64.6
SPECfp_base2006 62.8
SPECfp_rate2006 122
SPECfp_rate_base2006 118

Results are current as of September 13, 2011. The scores have been submitted to SPEC for review and will be posted on their Web site upon successful completion of the review. View all published results at http://www.spec.org/cpu2006/results/.

If you are a current Green Hat customer and would like to find out more how the merger will affect you, please contact us today.

Software Testing in the Cloud Helps Customers Reduce Cost, Improve Quality

ARMONK, N.Y.- 04 Jan 2012: IBM today announced a definitive agreement to acquire Green Hat, a leader in software quality and testing solutions for the cloud and other environments. Financial terms were not disclosed.  

Founded in 1996, Green Hat is jointly headquartered in London, England and Wilmington, Delaware. Green Hat helps customers improve the quality of software applications by enabling developers to leverage cloud computing technologies to conduct testing on a software application prior to its delivery. Historically, to run simulation testing on a software program, a development team must construct an actual testing lab made up of both hardware and software. This time consuming and labor intensive process has become even more compounded with the short development cycle needed to compete in rapidly expanding markets such as those for smart phones and tablets. By using Green Hat’s solutions, a virtual test environment can be set up in a matter of minutes versus weeks, and for a fraction of the cost.   

According to recent industry reports, software testing represents more than 50 percent of overall development costs, and testing teams often spend upwards of 30 percent of their time managing the complexity of the test environment.1 Green Hat creates a virtual environment that simulates a wide range of IT infrastructure elements, without the constraints of hardware or software services. This continuous test environment enables developers and quality professionals to test software earlier and more frequently throughout the software development lifecycle. 

Upon the acquisition close, Green Hat will join IBM’s Rational Software business. When combined with the IBM Rational Solution for Collaborative Lifecycle Management, developers and testers can achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency, effectiveness, and collaboration while delivering quality software to their business. IBM and Green Hat will help customers maximize continuous integration of an application, including creating virtual protocols, message formats, services, customization and engagement with third-party software. Development teams can avoid scrap and rework and dramatically reduce costly delays while achieving greater business agility and accelerating the delivery of software applications.   

“This acquisition extends IBM’s leadership in driving business agility and software quality by changing the way enterprises can manage software development cost, test cycle time and risk,” said Kristof Kloeckner, General Manager, IBM Rational. “Together, we offer the most complete solution available today for agile software development and testing, with flexible options such as the cloud. Green Hat’s application virtualization capabilities will help our customers accelerate their delivery of business critical software.” 

“We’ve been focused on transforming our customers’ software development processes through innovative testing and quality improvements,” said Peter Cole, CEO, Green Hat. “We are looking forward to bringing Green Hat’s innovative application virtualization and continuous integration testing expertise to IBM customers who have a growing business need to better manage their complex testing environments.” 

The Green Hat software testing solutions also will be offered through IBM Global Business Services’ Application Management Services (AMS). IBM AMS provides strategy, design, implementation, testing and managed services for application virtualization to accelerate customer results. 

Green Hat is an automated testing technology leader, operating worldwide with a Global 2000 customer base. Green Hat makes automated testing simple for complex systems relying on Cloud, Web Services, messaging, SOA (Service Oriented Architecture), ESB (Enterprise Service Bus), BPM (Business Process Management), CEP (Complex Event Processing), SAP and other distributed technologies. Their diverse range of customers includes prestigious representation in financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, transportation and the energy industry.  

For more information on Green Hat: http://www.greenhat.com 

For more information on IBM Software: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/rational

National Institute of Standards and Technology, http://www.nist.gov/director/planning/upload/report02-3.pdf