Localized tech support?

[Bulletsponge]

If you say so. I still prefer virtualization and a real computer at the other end. I hate terminal/thin-client solutions. They have their place, but there's just something about having a real machine on the other end that seems a bit more fitting in almost every scenario. The only place I can forsee keeping AS400 is major security undertakings like banking systems, or retail scenarios where there are credit card transactions and product database queries on a massive scale. Like WorstBuy, or Staples.

 

[ScrappyDoo]

Hey now. AS/400's can do virtualization too!

 

[Bulletsponge]

I didnt mean to make it sound as though they couldn't. That would be a very expensive virtualization system though. VMWare + Server clusters are usually far less expensive. Particularly when considering hardware and maintenance agreements.

 

[mrcool]

I didnt mean to make it sound as though they couldn't. That would be a very expensive virtualization system though. VMWare + Server clusters are usually far less expensive. Particularly when considering hardware and maintenance agreements.

Hey, hey, stay on topic here fellas! We're talking about saving the world, not arguing about QWERTY v. DVORAK

 

[ScrappyDoo]

DVORAK is better for your hands.

I don't do a lot on the server hardware procurement side of things, but if you add up the costs for one AS/400, including licenses and support, and on-going operations, and then compare it to the cost of getting the same equivalent computing power, licenses, support, and on-going support - you might be surprised how close they are in terms of competitiveness.

Then you start throwing in a back-end SAN, necessary networking requirements, and sometimes - not all the time - but sometimes, the AS/400 pulls head in cost/value.

If you think about it, everyone is moving to virtualization as an attempt to reduce overhead costs (power, cooling, support, physical plant) and optimize CPU efficiencies. Well, mid-range and mainframe systems have been doing that since forever - ala the AS/400. And now that you can run Linux natively on the AS/400...

 

[Bulletsponge]

My experience with AS/400 has been strictly IBM solutions, which are mostly migrating to the iServer series anymore from what I can tell. I havent touched an AS/400 system in about 3-4 years so I have no idea what's been going on. The majority of my customers are using stand-alone servers or small server farms. The last virtualization project I did was VMWare with HP Blades. It happened to also be my first real-to-life experience with blade servers. I have to say... I'm not impressed. The absolute only reason to buy in to blades are for space requirements. They're slow, and obnoxious.

 

[Bulletsponge]

QWERTY = The invention of my father-in-law. Amazing, I know. He has the patent hanging up in his living room. Unfortunately for him it belongs to Big Blue.

-- Of course, Im joking. I WISH!

 

[Rabid Ewoks]

Please keep on topic people...

This thread isn't about the AS/400.

 

[mrcool]

Please keep on topic people...

This thread isn't about the AS/400.

Hear hear