What is AIX server?

AIX server is a type of server that runs on IBM’s proprietary Unix operating system, AIX. AIX stands for Advanced Interactive eXecutive, and it was first released in 1986 for use on both workstations and servers. AIX is designed to run on IBM Power servers, which are based on the 64-bit POWER processor architecture. AIX is one of the most widely used Unix operating systems in the world, and it is known for its reliability, scalability, security, and performance.

Features of AIX server

Some of the features that make AIX server a popular choice for enterprise applications are:

Binary compatibility: AIX server supports binary compatibility, which means that applications compiled for previous versions of AIX can run unchanged and without recompilation on the latest releases. This ensures backward compatibility and reduces the cost and risk of migrating to new versions of AIX.
Live Update: AIX server supports live update, which allows the system administrator to apply patches and updates to the operating system without rebooting or disrupting the running applications. This minimizes downtime and improves availability and productivity.
Security: AIX server provides strong and enduring security features, such as Kerberos V5 network authentication, dynamic secure tunnel authentication, encrypted file systems, role-based access control, trusted boot, and trusted execution. These features help protect the data and resources on the server from unauthorized access and malicious attacks.
Virtualization: AIX server supports various types of virtualization technologies, such as PowerVM, PowerKVM, Power Containers, and WPARs (Workload Partitions). These technologies allow the system administrator to create multiple virtual machines or partitions on a single physical server, each with its own operating system and resources. This enables better utilization of the server resources, lower operating costs, and easier management.
Cloud readiness: AIX server is cloud ready, which means that it can run on both on-premises and cloud environments. AIX server can integrate with IBM Cloud Pak for Data, which is a platform that provides data and AI services on any cloud. AIX server can also leverage IBM Cloud Power Virtual Server, which is a service that offers flexible and scalable virtual servers on IBM Cloud.
Open source: AIX server supports open source software, which means that it can run most Linux applications (after recompiling them) and has full support for Java 2. AIX server also includes a large number of open source tools and packages, such as bash, gcc, git, perl, python, ruby, and more. These tools and packages help enhance the functionality and compatibility of AIX server.

Benefits of AIX server

Some of the benefits that AIX server offers to its users are:

Innovation: AIX server enables innovation with hybrid cloud and open source capabilities that help users build and deploy modern applications within a secure and resilient environment. AIX server also supports AI inference directly in the core with AIX 7.3, which helps users streamline insights and automation.
Reliability: AIX server has the lowest percentage of unplanned annual server downtime and best-in-class reliability among all operating systems ¹. AIX server also has a proven track record of running mission-critical applications for over three decades in various industries, such as banking, healthcare, retail, telecommunications, and more.
Performance: AIX server delivers high performance and scalability for demanding workloads, such as database, analytics, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), and more. AIX server also leverages the power and efficiency of IBM Power10 processors ² , which offer up to 3x performance per core ³, up to 4x performance per watt, and up to 20x faster AI inference than previous generations.

Conclusion

AIX server is a powerful and versatile server that runs on IBM’s proprietary Unix operating system, AIX. AIX server offers many features and benefits that make it a preferred choice for enterprise applications. AIX server is binary compatible, live update capable, secure, virtualizable, cloud ready, open source friendly, innovative, reliable, and performant. If you are looking for a server that can handle your most complex and critical workloads with ease and efficiency, you should consider using an AIX server.

What is AIX server?