STORAGE

IBM today announced that IBM POWER5 processor-based servers and IBM TotalStorage systems, running IBM DB2 Universal Database, have combined to set a new record on the three-tier SAP® Sales and Distribution (SD) Standard Application Benchmark - a crucial performance test for SAP customers across the globe. The benchmark follows the recent announcement on the integration of DB2 software with SAP software solutions and provides a real-world illustration of the benefits that customers can realize with an Information on Demand solution. The results highlight the impressive performance capabilities of the two POWER5 systems, and mark the first time that the POWER5 processor-based IBM TotalStorage DS8300 system has been used as a key element of a three-tier SAP SD Standard Application Certified Benchmark. Customers increasingly favor IT infrastructures that provide an integrated solution to manage and store data better, faster and cheaper. This benchmark result provides an example of how IBM is able to leverage its expertise in systems, storage, software and services to provide a unified approach that delivers information on demand - a key differentiator between IBM and its competitors. The new benchmark result beats the previous record held by HP by 68 percent. In their result, HP used a database server with 64 Itanium 2 processors running Oracle 10g Database Enterprise Edition, while this new IBM result used a 32 processor POWER5 database server running IBM DB2 UDB v8.2.2, all supported by a POWER5 based IBM TotalStorage DS8300 system. "Today's announcement demonstrates the leading performance and scalability of three of IBM's most advanced products - the p5-595 system, IBM TotalStorage DS8300 system and DB2 database software," said Volker Loehr, General Manager, Global IBM/SAP Alliance. "The POWER5 processor's overwhelming performance against the competition's fastest processors combined with the scalability of a DB2 version that is optimized for SAP applications make this system an unbeatable platform for SAP customers." The IBM eServer p5 595, IBM TotalStorage DS8300 and DB2 UDB v8.2.2 software achieved 168,300 SAP SD Benchmark users running the three-tier SAP SD Standard Application Benchmark with the SAP R/3 Enterprise Release 4.70 solution. These remarkable results are equivalent in scale to processing 16,896,670 order line items per hour. The SAP SD Standard Application Benchmark is one of the most demanding benchmarks in the industry today and has become a de-facto standard not just for SAP use but also for other e-business industry comparisons. Information on Demand The desire by businesses to access, manage and deliver information more efficiently is driving rapid change in the IT marketplace. Traditional low-tech, hardware-only approaches by proprietary vendors are meeting with resistance as companies grappling with new government mandates and business demands strive to capture and integrate information in a more seamless, real-time fashion across the enterprise. IBM's information on demand approach combines deep business insight with open standards, advanced storage systems, sophisticated systems management software and leading information management software to create efficient, cost effective and flexible information infrastructures. Regardless of industry, IBM helps companies transform data into insight to enable information on demand.