Rob McNelly on Power11: A Rundown of the New Servers and AIX and IBM i Enhancements
Redbook co-author Rob McNelly reels off the announcement links
Power11 is here:
“For the first time ever, the Power11 general availability will simultaneously include high-end, mid-range, and entry servers as well as IBM Power Virtual Server in IBM Cloud. IBM Power Virtual Server offers a fast path to the cloud for Power workloads, and is certified as a hyperscaler platform for RISE with SAP. Power11 will also be the first IBM Power server to support the IBM Spyre Accelerator, IBM’s system-on-a-chip available Q4 2025 that is purpose-built for today’s AI-intensive inference workloads.”
Watch the launch event replay, and read Brandon Pederson’s overview:
“The IBM Power E1180 is a full-rack server engineered for the largest and most complex business-critical workloads. It harnesses up to 256 Power11 cores and 64 TB of DDR5 memory, and runs IBM AIX, IBM i, and Linux.
“The IBM Power E1150 is a 4U server built for memory- and data-intensive workloads in midsize companies to the largest enterprises in the world. It runs AIX and Linux and has up to 120 Power11 cores and 16 TB of DDR5.
“The IBM Power S1124 is a 4U server designed for enterprises and regional data centers that need strong compute, memory, and hybrid cloud flexibility. It runs AIX, IBM i, and Linux, and has up to 60 Power11 cores and 8 TB of DDR5 memory.
“The IBM Power S1122 is a dense 2U rack server designed for small to midsized businesses, remote branches, and space-constrained environments. It runs AIX, IBM i, and Linux, and has up to 60 Power11 cores and 4 TB of DDR5 memory.”
Also check out the Virtual User Group’s July 24 session: Power11 Processor and Hardware with Bill Starke. Watch the replay and consult the slides.
For specifics on the individual Power11 servers, start here. Then read about the E1180, the E1150, the S1122, the S1124 and the Linux variants, the L1122 and the L1124.
When you’re ready for a deeper dive, dig into the Redbooks on the S1122 and S1124, the E1180 and the E1150 (I was a co-author on this one).
Though not Power11-related, I also recommend the new Redbook that covers the IBM Storage FlashSystem grid.
Back to the announcements: Here are rundowns on the AIX and IBM i enhancements.
Finally, for those of you who are in Australia, there are upcoming Power11 events in Sydney on Aug. 5, Melbourne on Aug. 12, and Brisbane on Aug. 14.
About That Redbook Authorship
Yes, my name now graces the cover of an IBM Redbook. Some months back I’d expressed interest, and I wound up being selected. Once I filled out the appropriate paperwork with IBM, I was able to get access to all of the materials that would aid us in creating this publication.
We worked on the project remotely, communicating regularly via Slack as we contributed to the many different chapters. There were also bi-weekly meetings to check in, get questions answered and discuss milestones and next steps.
With the three Redbooks on the Power11 servers being written simultaneously, we were able to collaborate with the other teams that were working on similar content.
It was very interesting getting behind the curtain and seeing how it all comes together. There is a long list of co-authors, contributors and those that helped behind the scenes in other capacities. It truly was a team effort.
As a longtime reader, watching these Power11 Redbooks come together gives me an even greater appreciation for these publications. The volume and quality of IBM Redbooks is no accident. I’m glad I had a chance to be a part of this process, and I hope to do more in the future.
Enjoy Those Moments
I mentioned that I recently completed a Grand Canyon rim to rim hike in May. Let’s just say it’s been an eventful summer out there.
In July, the Dragon Bravo fire destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge and numerous other structures. It’s not known when the trail will reopen:
“The North Rim is closed for the remainder of the 2025 season because of damage and losses caused by the Dragon Bravo Wildfire.
“In July 2025, the Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed approximately 70 structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, the North Rim Visitor Center, and many guest cabins. As a result, the North Rim developed area remains closed to all public access for the remainder of the 2025 season. This closure includes all lodging, visitor services, and developed facilities.
“The park is currently focused on emergency stabilization to protect remaining infrastructure and natural resources. Planning is underway for the recovery and rebuilding of visitor facilities, including the Grand Canyon Lodge, although this process will take time.”
I had already been thinking about my next rim-to-rim hike. It’s yet another reminder to seize the opportunities and savor the experiences that you get in life. You never know when or if you’ll get that chance again.