IBM moves iSeries backup downmarket

On Wednesday IBM announced that it was making its Capacity BackUp (CBU) software available on its mid-range iSeries systems.

CBU will now be available to run on machines with four-way and eight-way processors. Up to now it has only been available on high-end 16-way and 32-way systems.

IBM claims CBU can lower the cost of implementing a second system for business continuity by some 30 to 50 percent, depending on the configuration. Implementing a second system is the first step organisations have to take to provide high-availability, which is increasingly in demand as organisations try to tighten system security.

CBU comes with a set of standby processors that can be used at no charge in the event of a disaster, or individually activated to affordably support additional applications, the company says.

Companies can also temporarily transfer their operating system licences from their primary system to the CBU edition to avoid extra fees when either scheduled or unplanned outages occur.