IBM i
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|---|---|
| Company / developer | IBM |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Closed source |
| Initial release | 1988 |
| Latest stable release | 7.1 TR1 (Technology Refresh 1) / September 17, 2010 |
| Marketing target | Minicomputer and enterprise server |
| Available language(s) | English |
| Kernel type | shares many Microkernel (SLIC) and Virtual machine (TIMI) design philosophies |
| License | Proprietary |
| Official website | IBM i |
IBM i is an EBCDIC based operating system that runs on IBM Power Systems. It is the current evolution of the operating system named i5/OS which was originally named OS/400 when it was introduced with the AS/400 computer system in 1988.
It is one of the operating systems supported on IBM Power Systems; alongside AIX and Linux.
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[edit] History
The early IBM System/36 and IBM System/38 series customers were a key target of the AS/400, so OS/400 (and its descendants i5/OS and IBM i), have built-in subsystems that provide backward compatibility with these earlier IBM general business systems. Programs are compiled in two parts: processor-independent code, and a processor-dependent code that does not normally concern users. The operating system automatically compiles the portable binary code into the processor-dependent code, without any effort or attention by IT personnel. Notably, when migrating from a legacy processor, the only effect that most organizations notice is that the program runs somewhat longer when it runs for the first time in the new computer. Migration consists of taking a backup from the old computer, and restoring it on the new.[1]
[edit] Features
IBM designed IBM i as a "turnkey" operating system, requiring little or no on-site attention from IT staff during normal operation. For example, IBM i has a built-in DB2 database which does not require separate installation. Disks are multiply redundant, and can be replaced on line without interrupting work. Hardware and software maintenance tasks are integrated. System administration has been wizard-driven for years, even before that term was defined. This automatic self-care policy goes so far as to automatically schedule all common system maintenance, detect many failures and even order spare parts and service automatically. Organizations using i sometimes have sticker shock when confronting the cost of system maintenance on other systems.[1]
Another peculiar feature is that this system was one of the earliest to use true object-oriented code. It implemented one of the earliest-known systems for persistent objects. Further, the objects persist in very large, flat virtual memory, called a single-level store.[1]
Though not natively a graphical operating system, the IBM i Access licensed product includes iSeries Navigator, a client-based and web-based graphical tool for administration of the system, database, Apache web server, and WebSphere Application Server. IBM Systems Director Navigator for i now can be used to manage target servers running IBM i 5.4, 6.1 or 7.1 from a single browser environment with the IBM i 7.1.
In 1999, IBM introduced logical partitioning (LPARs) with i5/OS to support multiple virtual systems on a single hardware footprint.
In 2007, IBM, Zend Technologies and MySQL AB announced support for the PHP programming language and the MySQL open source database on the IBM i platform.
[edit] Version
The new operating system, IBM i, was announced on April 2, 2008,[2] along with a new version format - changing from VxRxMx (Version, Release, Modification, e.g. V6R1M0) to the more standard format (e.g. 6.1).
The latest version of OS/400 is IBM i 7.1, announced on April 13, 2010 and released on April 23, 2010 (Version Support Schedule).
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Soltis, Frank, "Inside the AS/400"; Frank Soltis was the AS/400 system architect.
- ^ IBM Power Systems: What is the new Power Equation? (Link dead at least as of Mar 28 2011)
[edit] External links
- IBM developerWorks: Articles, tutorials, and technical resources for IBM i users
- IBM i Wiki: A collaborative environment for the sharing of technical information related to IBM i
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