As the currently very scarce PowerPC 604 parts are still proving problematical when used in symmetrical multiprocessor configurations, IBM Corp has instead extended its existing J Series and R Series 601-based systems with add-on boards. This enables the systems to scale up to six or eight processors and there is a new AIX release, 4.1.3, to support them (CI No 2,670). The 604 symmetric multiprocessing boxes will eventually come along later this year according to Randy Groves, vice-president RS/6000 System Development, who said a six-way 601-based J-Series would pretty much equal the performance of a four-way 604 ma chine. Upgrade options will be offered. Meanwhile, symmetric multiprocessing machines can now participate in high-availability clusters, with the release of High Availability Cluster Multiprocessing HACMP for AIX Version 4.
