IBM Power 9 Servers; A Great Choice for Enterprise Applications
November 30, 2021

IBM Power 9 Servers; A Great Choice for Enterprise Applications

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Reseller

Modules Used

  • Power9 Servers

Overall Satisfaction with IBM POWER9 Servers

IBM Power 9 Servers are typically used as an application server, either in an enterprise or departmental setting. They are also used as a database server for DB2. Their scalability allows their use in a variety of organizations ranging from small businesses and government scaling up to Fortune 500 enterprises. Traditionally IBM Power Servers are used for lines of business applications, but with the ability to run Linux derivative operating systems, Power 9 Servers also support a number of varying applications. IBM has done a very good job in maximizing its system to run SAP very efficiently in large-scale environments.

Pros

  • Reliable data base processing, especially IBM DB2.
  • Tremendous scalability.
  • very strong maintenance and support.

Cons

  • Bringing more applications to the platform.
  • Improve the branding and marketing
  • IBM sometimes focuses more on internal issues than market share
  • Reliability
  • Ease of updating from older Power systems to Power 9
  • Availability of quality support
  • The ability to focus on line of business.
  • Not having to deal with unneccesary bugs or glitches
  • Confidence in the IBM name
Both company's products are outstanding. The biggest difference is that IBM Power Servers do not support Microsoft applications. Dell servers do primarily support Microsoft. IBM Power 9 Servers support two IBM legacy operating systems, IBM iOS and AIX. The primary area of the competition is within the Linux space. In that space both have their supporters. For enterprise settings, IBM traditional support often brings a comfort level. However, there are a multiplicity of reasons why one platform might be better suited for a specific business case.

Do you think IBM Power servers delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with IBM Power servers's feature set?

Yes

Did IBM Power servers live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of IBM Power servers go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy IBM Power servers again?

Yes

Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), Google Sheets, Microsoft Teams
IBM Power 9 Servers are usually an excellent choice to run vendor-supported applications. They tend to offer high reliability and very strong support. Rarely are there any problems with IBM Power 9 Servers. But if a problem occurs, IBM usually resolves the matter quickly and effectively. An area where IBM Power 9 Servers are limited is in cases where new and desirable software is not supported or optimized for the platform. This is often prevalent in small apps and developmental tools. Many times software is initially developed on intel then later ported to IBM Power chipsets.

Evaluating IBM POWER9 Servers and Competitors

  • Product Usability
  • Prior Experience with the Product
IBM offers a very compelling track record of providing a predictable stream of solid processors that both scale within the particular product, in this case Power 9, but also offers easy upgrades to new processing versions. IBM has recently released the next in its product line, the Power 10 Server. Early upgrades have already proven to be quick and easy. Another strength of the IBM Power 9 platform is that it has seamlessly implemented many other new technologies into the platform without any requirement of end-user integration. For example, major PCI enhancements and storage enhancements have been included within the two major Power 9 Servers models.
Being experienced with the IBM Power systems line has made the selection and evaluation process rather simple. Because these IBM systems are being utilized with settings that primarily use legacy operating systems, IBMi OS and AIX, that does make the process more direct. It would have and still could be nice to investigate how other Linux-based products might be used for available Power 9 cores. It would be helpful if IBM made the process easier to learn about the options.

IBM POWER9 Servers Support

On large-scale systems, the rating would have been 10. However, I have seen some cases in more rural areas where the IBM onsite support is not as available or of the highest quality as in the past. For software support, there are sometimes instances of language barriers.
ProsCons
Quick Resolution
Good followup
Knowledgeable team
Problems get solved
Kept well informed
No escalation required
Immediate help available
Support understands my problem
Support cares about my success
Quick Initial Response
None
Yes, most Power 9 Servers are running mission-critical applications. If something is worth purchasing and using as an important business tool, it only makes sense to maintain full twenty-four-sever support. This support is often valuable even for minor issues, allowing them to be addressed during non-critical production times.
Yes - yes
In numerous cases when IBM support was told of specific business requirements and time needs, they react. I have seen this customer concern transcend not just on a local level but throughout the IBM value chain in order to get a problem resolved. IBM does take responsibility for the Power 9 Servers to remain up and running.

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