Powering next-generation BI systems

November 2009 | 13 pages | ID: P7282892EF1EN
Ovum

Abstracts

Many server functions, such as application and web serving, can be handled easily by “commodity” Windows platforms. But requirements for core business intelligence (BI) database serving are significantly different. This report explains the requirements of next-generation BI and details the technological components and features that companies should look for in their choice of server hardware, arguing that it is best served by a scalable, high-performance and reliable server platform. It looks at how one supplier, IBM, is bringing together the smarts of its Cognos BI platform and processing brawn of its Power Systems to support customers adopting BI or expanding their BI ambitions across the enterprise. It examines the key value proposition that joint IBM Cognos-Power customers can gain from implementing BI software optimized to run on a scalable, high-performance and reliable platform.

Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
IN A NUTSHELL
THE OVUM VIEW
RESHAPING BI REQUIREMENTS
EMERGENCE OF NEXT-GENERATION BI
THE RIGHT SERVER PLATFORM IS KEY
FACTORING IN COST OF OWNERSHIP
IMPORTANT TECHNICAL ATTRIBUTES FOR BI SERVERS
DECISION CRITERIA, NOT DECISION INERTIA
SMOOTH SCALABILITY
STABLE PROCESSING PERFORMANCE
EFFICIENT USE OF CAPACITY AND RESOURCES
SYSTEM RESILIENCE AND AVAILABILITY
GREEN FOOTPRINT
OPTIMIZING YOUR BI ENVIRONMENT
TUNING THE SERVER
CHALLENGES OF MANUAL FINE-TUNING
RUNNING COGNOS 8 ON POWER SYSTEMS
TWO PLATFORMS – ONE OPTIMIZED SYSTEM
IBM COGNOS 8
IBM POWER SYSTEMS
CUSTOMER BENEFITS
FASTER TIME TO ANALYSIS AND PREDICTABLE SCALABILITY
IMPROVED SERVER USAGE
RELIABLE AND AVAILABLE BI ANALYSIS