IBM Power System (POWER7™ processor based) server platform support announcement on AIX version 6.1

07/26/2010

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Dassault Systèmes and IBM announce the support of the IBM Power System (POWER7 processor based) server platform using AIX version 6.1.

This support is effective immediately for the following list of products:

• ENOVIA V6 Server products with V6R2010X as minimum supported level

IBM Power System (POWER7 processor based) Server support requires the following minimum software levels:

• AIX 6.1 Technology Level 04 Service Pack 2 using 64-bit kernel
• XL C/C++ Enterprise Edition V10.1.0 Run-time Environment

  -November 2008 XL C++ Runtime for AIX

• XL Fortran Enterprise Edition V12.1.0 for AIX Run-Time

  -May 2009 PTF for XL Fortran Runtime for AIX

• Java 1.6.0 32 bit SR5

  -Fileset: Java6. 6.0.0.125
  

Database and Application Server level may depend on the V6 Release targeted. Refer to the Program Directory of targeted V6 Product level.

Hardware used
Certification of the IBM Power System (POWER7 processor based) Server has been run for V6R2010X using the above Software prerequisites installed on the following hardware configuration:

Model

• System Model: IBM,8233-E8B
• Machine Serial Number: 10047CP
• Caracteristics:

  -Processor Type: PowerPC_POWER7

  -Number Of Processors: 12

  -Processor Clock Speed: 3300 MHz

  -CPU Type: 64-bit

  -Kernel Type: 64-bit

  -RAM: 16 GB

• Firmware Version: IBM,AL710_043

Architecture
For certification purpose, 4 partitions were used

• A Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) at level 2.1.2.13-FP-22.1 SP-02 for sharing physical resources between LPARs including virtual SCSI and virtual networking (Resources assigned: 0.20 shared processor uncapped)

• 3 Dynamic Logical PARtition (DLPAR) using disks resources shared by the VIOS for rootvg, using micro partitioning.

  -1.5 shared processors uncapped

  -Active memory expansion factor: 1.6

This architecture was used for certification purpose and is not mandatory.

Required Customization
IBM Power System server does not support 3D Graphic adapters, thus an X Server using the Virtual Frame Buffer technology (XVFB) has to be configured.

The XVFB technology requires installation of the following filesets:

• OpenGL.OpenGL_X.dev.vfb : OpenGL Virtual Frame Buffer
• X11.vfb : Virtual Frame Buffer Software

Those filesets could be found on the AIX 6.1 installation media.

To start the X Server with the XVFB and proper extensions:

export LDR_CNTRL=MAXDATA=0x50000000; /usr/bin/X11/X -force -vfb -x abx -x dbe -x GLX :0 >/dev/null

To restart the X Server automatically at the next reboot, add an entry to the /etc/inittab file:

mkitab "xvfb:2:respawn:export LDR_CNTRL=MAXDATA=0x50000000; /usr/bin/X11/X -force -vfb -x abx -x dbe -x GLX :0 >/dev/null"

Installation and configuration of the XVFB requires root authority.