rwessel (robertwessel@yahoo.com) on 10/17/06 wrote:
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>foobar (asdf@asdf.com) on 10/17/06 wrote:
>---------------------------
>>David Kanter (dkanter@realworldtech.com) on 10/17/06 wrote:
>>---------------------------
>>>>Very nice article David but I have a problem with this >statement:
>>>>
>>>>"The current z9 processor uses the POWER5 as an I/O >processor, and it is expected
>>>>that the POWER6 will act as an assist processor for >mainframes."
>>>>
>>>>Care to elaborate?
>>>
>>>I can't elaborate too much because I'm not an expert on the subject. However,
>>>several folks have indicated to me that existing POWER chips are used as IO assist
>>>processors for mainframes and do some other functions.
>>>
>>>Perhaps Robert Wessel, Dean or someone else who is an actual mainframe specialist can comment?
>>>
>>>DK
>>
>>I'm not an expert either, and it's my job :)
>>
>>The zseries processors are unique. There aren't any POWER5 processors in a z9.
>>The differences between CP, SAP, IFL, zAAP, zIIP, etc is simply the code that runs
>>on them. They are all z9 "bluefire" processors.
>>
>>However, the newer channels are SOCs built on PPC 440s. But I wouldn't equate PPC 440 and Power5.
>>
>>Lots of z9 details will be published soon:
>>
>>http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/rdpip.html
>
>
>In addition to the I/O card controllers, there are a bunch of PPC cores scattered
>around a z9. They're called FSP ("Flexible Support Processors"). There are a
>pair of Ethernet LANs internal to a z9, and most of the FSPs connect to both. For
>example, there's a FSP in each power supply, a pair on each processor book, one in each Support Element.
>
>Like foobar, I'm not aware of any of these actually being Power5s.
>
>I do believe that Power5s are used in one or more of IBM's storage controllers.
>
>

Some of the DS8x00s even have Power5+