IBM z14 (IBM 3906) Specifications

Elevate your data center with the IBM z14 mainframe. The z14 mainframe’s Pervasive Encryptions allows for businesses to feel safe knowing that their data is secure with every interaction and transaction. With up to 170 cores doubling real memory, the z14 is set to handle the ever-increasing mobile transactions, analytics and machine learning. The z14 runs at 5.2GHz processor frequency, offers between 8TB-32TB memory, has 85 partitions, and up to 170 cores to configure. If you are ready to take the next step, Top Gun should be your number one choice.

Highlights

This product extends IBM Z leadership with:

  • Agile innovation through a trusted cloud infrastructureWith IBM z14 you can rapidly develop and deliver high-quality services deployed on a trusted cloud infrastructure that is flexible, efficient, and resilient, and includes enhanced security features.
    • The use of pervasive encryption for most extended format data sets can help address compliance requirements around encryption of data on disk and tape devices.
    • High-performance processors, large memory, and synchronous I/O to storage are designed to deliver significant performance improvements, driving faster user response times.
    • The scale is designed to help you manage more workloads at less cost with increases in capacity per core and increases in single system capacity.
    • Developers and administrators with no mainframe resources can rapidly develop new services, and monitor and provision resources without the need for new specialized skills.
  • Trusted insight built into everything you do with advanced cognitive and analytics processingWith IBM z14 in the era of cognitive business you can build trusted insight into everything you do for smart operations, intelligent transactions and interactions, as well as intuitive business processes. The IBM z14 provides the ideal hardware platform for running these cognitive and analytical workloads.
    • Clients can build new cognitive and analytical applications by taking advantage of data natively created on IBM Z using industry-standard tools like Apache Spark.
    • Clients can help enhance the productivity of data scientists and improve time to value of Machine Learning (ML). Deploying ML on IBM Z gains the benefits of data gravity, high security, and IBM Z resiliency.
    • Integrated IBM Z data sources allow clients to capture new business value by leveraging insights from dark transactional data in their systems of insight.
  • IBM Blockchain, driving next-generation business networksWith IBM z14 you can help ensure compliance and protect your business network by deploying Blockchain on IBM Z. IBM Z is the system of record for major organizations around the globe, handling the most sensitive data and critical transactions. Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that is transforming businesses. IBM is building a blockchain for business where security, availability, and performance are fundamental. With support for pervasive encryption, as well as improvements to I/O performance, z14 provides the perfect platform for this next generation of ledgers for any industry.

Upgrade Path

Upgrades from Models M01, M02, and M03 to M02, M03, and M04 are concurrent. Any z13 or zEC12 model can be upgraded to z14 models M01, M02, M03, M04, and M05 disruptively. Upgrades from z14 M01, M02, M03, or M04 to z14 model M05 are not supported. M05 is offered only as factory build. Figure 1-1 shows the supported upgrade paths. Figure 1-1 shows the upgrade path.

On upgrade from zEC12 to z14

When a zEC12 is upgraded to a z14, the zEC12 must be at least at Driver level 15. Upgrading from zEC12 to z14 servers is disruptive. zBX Model 003 cannot be upgraded to zBX Model 004 during an upgrade from zEC12 to z14.

IBM Z14 Upgrade Path

Technical Overview

IBM z14 provides the cornerstone for the trust economy

The world is in the midst of a transformation. It’s having a profound effect on us as individuals, in business, and in society at large. As businesses adapt to capitalize on digital, trust will be the currency that drives this new economy.

Trust is the foundation of digital relationships. Consumer, client, and partner expectations have grown. They demand security, transparency, and greater value in every interaction and transaction as this new currency is exchanged.

Data is the new source of business value and differentiation. The ability to rapidly derive actionable insights will enable progressively smarter business decisions and improve customer experiences, leading to new revenue streams. Data protection is paramount for trust across the ecosystem.

Digital experiences are delivered through the cloud. Businesses must be open and connected in order to drive innovation at speed. They must accelerate development and delivery of secure, scalable services with new economic models.

The IBM z14, designed for trusted digital experiences

IBM z14 (z14), machine type 3906, provides a scalable, highly available platform that delivers differentiated value to enable business growth, reduce cost, and protect existing investments. The IBM z14 platform provides the hardware infrastructure, in a balanced system design, with the encryption capabilities that now make it possible to create a fortified perimeter around critical business data. z14 provides the infrastructure to meet the demands of a digital business. z14 continues in the same footprint as its predecessor z13, 42u in height with a 38u height reduction. It runs at 5.2GHz processor frequency, offers 8 TB memory/drawer for up to 32 TB per machine, 85 partitions, and up to 170 cores to configure (versus 141 on z13). z14 also offers IBM Virtual Flash Memory (VFM), Dynamic Partition Manager (DPM), zHyperLink Express, enhanced computing for TKE and HMC, Coupling Express LR for long range coupling connectivity, and a design for pervasive encryption allowing you to encrypt many new data sets transparently.

The newest member of the IBM Z family, the IBM z14 (z14), (TM), is designed to be the cornerstone for a trust economy. IBM z14 provides a scalable, highly available platform that delivers differentiated value to enable business growth, reduce cost, and protect existing investments.

  • More total system capacity as compared to the z13 for exceptional scale in a single footprint.
  • Faster uniprocessor performance as compared to z13.
  • 170 cores to configure (versus 141 on z13).
  • Up to 32 terabytes (TB) of available Redundant Array of Independent Memory (RAIM) real memory per server to help improve transaction response times, lower CPU costs, simplify capacity planning, enlarge in-memory buffer pools, and ease deploying memory-intensive workloads.
  • 2x more on-chip cache per core, compared to z13, to minimize memory waits while maximizing the throughput of concurrent workloads — perfectly optimized for data serving.
  • A design for pervasive encryption allowing you to encrypt many new data sets transparently, which can help you to provide an envelope of protection around data placed on IBM Z. This includes cryptographic performance improvements with the Crypto Express6S (#0893) and the IBM Z processor based cryptography with the CP Assist for Cryptographic Functions that helps enable the protection of data in flight or at rest.
  • Hardware accelerated encryption on every core with the Central Processor Assist for Cryptographic Function (CPACF) feature which is designed to provide faster encryption and decryption than previous servers.
  • Economies of scale with next-generation multithreading (SMT) for Linux and zIIP eligible workloads, new support for the I/O System Assist Processor (SAP), 2x AES performance over z13, a True Random Number Generator, SHA3 support, and RSA/ECC acceleration.
  • New instructions in Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) which are designed to give a performance boost for traditional workloads using COBOL and new applications like analytics.
  • FICON Express16S+ (#0427, 0428) which is designed with a boost in I/O rates and a reduction in single stream latency to help absorb large application and transaction spikes driven by large unpredictable analytic and mobile workloads.
  • Improved compression ratio (using Huffman coding) and order-preserving compression for the on-chip compression coprocessor which results in fewer CPU cycles to enable further compression of data, improving memory, transfer, and disk efficiency.
  • 10 GbE RoCE Express2 with 4x more virtual functions per adapter and a performance improvement.
  • Coupling Express LR (#0433), for long range coupling connectivity. It is a replacement for the existing InfiniBand 1x HCA3-O LR coupling links.
  • IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC) 2.14 with simplification updates to improve workspace and manage system time. New security features include Multifactor Authentication and a new HMC Mobile application for monitor and recover action controls.
  • IBM Secure Service Container (formerly called z Appliance Container Infrastructure — zACI) which can be used to create isolated partitions for protecting data and applications automatically –helping to keep them safe from insider threats as well as external cybercriminals.
  • IBM Dynamic Partition Manager enhancements which provide a simplified, consumable, enhanced IBM Z experience, reducing the barriers of adoption for new and existing Linux on z Systems, KVM, and z/VM clients.
  • Trusted Key Entry (TKE) 9.0 License Internal Code (LIC).
  • Optimized z/OS Platform for Apache Spark.
  • Java performance: support for reducing program pauses during Java Garbage Collection.
  • IBM Virtual Flash Memory (#0604), the replacement for the Flash Express features (#0402, #0403), offering up to 6.0 TB of virtual flash memory in 1.5 TB increments for improved application availability and to handle paging workload spikes.
  • IBM zHyperLink Express (#0431), which uses a direct connect short distance link (zHyperLink) to deliver low latency connectivity between z14 and FICON storage systems. Working in conjunction with your existing FICON SAN infrastructure, zHyperLink Express delivers the next generation of I/O for IBM Z storage.
  • Nonraised floor option, offering flexible possibilities for the data center.
  • Optional water cooling, providing the ability to cool systems with user-chilled water.
  • Optional high-voltage dc power, which can help IBM Z clients save on their power bills.
  • Optional top exit power and I/O cabling designed to provide increased flexibility.
  • New ASHRAE class A3 for robustness, data center flexibility, and energy savings.
  • The inclusion of IBM zAware function for cutting-edge pattern recognition analytics for fast insight into system health as part of the IBM software product IBM Operations Analytics for z Systems(tm)V3.1
  • Upgradability to IBM z14 from IBM z13 and IBM zEnterprise EC12 and upgradability within the IBM z14 family.

z14 10-Core Chip Details

The z14 PU chip (installed as a PU SCM) is an evolution of the z13 core design. It includes the following features:

  • CMOS 14nm SOI technology
  • Out-of-order instruction processing
  • Pipeline enhancements, dynamic improved simultaneous multithreading (SMT), enhanced single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD), and redesigned, larger on-chip caches

Each PU chip includes up to 10 active cores that run at 5.2 GHz, which means that the cycle time is 0.192 ns. The PU chips come in four versions: 7, 8, 9, or 10 active cores. For models M01, M02, M03, and M04, the processor units in each drawer are implemented with 41 active cores per drawer. This configuration means that model M01 has 41, model M02 has 82, mode, M03 has 123, and model M04 has 164 active cores.

Cache Improvements

– New power efficient logical directory design
– 33% larger L1 I$ (128 KB), private
– 2x larger L2 D$ (4 MB), private
– 2x larger L3 cache with symbol ECC, shared

Pipeline Optimizations

– Improved instruction delivery
– Faster branch wake-up
– Reduced execution latency
– Improved OSC avoidance
– Optimized second-generation SMT2

Inside the IBM Z14 3906

IBM z14 3906 MIPS Chart

ProcessorCPPCIMSUMSUps
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IBM z14 (IBM 3906) Maintenance

In the IBM world, engineers possessing the skills capable of the highest expertise are recognized as “top guns.” Top Gun is internationally recognized as a top performer for IBM mainframe maintenance and support for enterprise-critical hardware within the data center.  Top Gun maintenance support for IBM Z helps you avoid problems before they happen. Our highly skilled IBM Z engineers act as an extension of your IT staff, problems are resolved quickly, improving your system availability, and productivity.

Additional IBM Mainframe Specs
Model
IBM z15 (IBM 8651)
IBM z14-ZR1 (IBM 3907)
IBM z14 (IBM 3906)
IBM z13s (IBM 2965)
IBM z13 (IBM 2964)
IBM EC12 (IBM 2827)
IBM BC12 (IBM 2828)
IBM z196 (IBM 2817)
IBM z114 (IBM 2818)
IBM z10 BC (IBM 2098)
IBM z10 EC (IBM 2097)
IBM z9 BC (IBM 2096)
IBM z9 EC (IBM 2094)

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