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PowerLinux (also called Linux on Power) is the combination of a Linux-based operating system (OS) running on POWER Architecture technology. It is commonly used in reference to Linux running on POWER-based systems from IBM.

Overview
PowerLinux is the result of uniting high-performing POWER architecture with the open-source Linux OS. The combination produces a customizable system capable of handling large quantities of data more efficiently without the need for additional hardware. IBM POWER processor-based systems offer reliability, availability and serviceability characteristics that are not commonly found in server families running the Linux OS and provide mission-critical applications a higher level of support than other 32- or 64-bit Linux environments. PowerLinux systems include PowerVM virtualization built in to the system. PowerVM is designed to pool resources and optimize their use across multiple application environments and operating system instances. This increases server efficiency by creating higher utilization per core and more throughput per server.

IBM and Linux
In the late 1990s, IBM began considering the Linux operating system for its potential for open innovation. In 2000, IBM announced it would embrace Linux as strategic to its systems strategy. In 2001, IBM invested $1 billion to back the Linux movement, embracing it as an operating system for IBM servers and software. Within a decade, Linux could be found in virtually every IBM business, geography and workload, and continues to be deeply embedded in IBM hardware, software, services and internal development.

IBM is consistently among the top commercial contributors of Linux code. A survey released by the Linux Foundation in April 2012 showed IBM as the fifth-leading commercial contributor over the past seven years, with more than 600 developers involved in more than 100 open-source projects.

IBM established the Linux Technology Center (LTC) in 1999 to combine its software developers interested in Linux and other open-source software into a single organization. The LTC collaborated with the Linux community to make Linux run optimally on POWER, x86, and more recently, the Cell Broadband Engine. Developers in the LTC contribute to various open-source projects as well as projects focused on enabling Linux to use new hardware functions on IBM platforms.

Linux has run on IBM POWER systems since 2001, when a team created a new, 64-bit port for the Linux kernel to allow the OS to run on PowerPC processors. The first system to fully support the 64-bit Linux kernel was IBM’s POWER5, created in 2004. It was followed by POWER6 in 2007 and the current POWER7-based systems in 2010.

PowerLinux Solution Editions
In April 2012, IBM introduced two new Linux-specific systems focusing on solutions for big data analytics, industry applications and open-source infrastructure services such as Web-serving, email and social media collaboration services.

The IBM PowerLinux 7R1 and IBM PowerLinux 7R2 systems are one- and two-socket, high-performance rack-mount servers that support either 8 or 16 POWER7 microprocessor cores in 3.55GHz (7R1 only) or, with the 7R2, 3.55 and 3.3 GHz options with 128 GB maximum memory (for the 7R1) or 256 GB maximum memory (7R2) that can be configured with 8, 16 and 32 GB dual inline memory modules (DIMMs). Both systems run industry-standard Linux operating systems: Red Hat Enterprise Linux or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and include a built-in PowerVM for PowerLinux hypervisor that supports up to 10 VMs per core and 160 VMs per server.

In a study on systems and architecture for big data, IBM Research found that a 10-node Hadoop cluster of PowerLinux 7R2 nodes, running InfoSphere BigInsights 1.3 software, can sort through a terabyte of data in less than 10 minutes.

IBM also introduced the IBM Flex System p24L Compute Node, a Linux-specific two-socket compute node for the recently announced IBM PureFlex System, which contains 12 or 16 POWER7 microprocessor cores, up to 256 GB of memory, the option of Red Hat Enterprise Linux or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server operating systems and built-in PowerVM for PowerLinux.

PowerLinux versus Linux/x86
The April 2012 releases by IBM of its PowerLinux solutions are the first servers designed specifically to optimize the Linux OS on the company’s POWER7-based systems. Unlike servers built on the [xeon|Intel Xeon] processor, an x86 descendant with two threads per core, the POWER7 processor provides four threads per core. POWER-based servers are virtualized to provide 60 to 80 percent utilization, compared to a typical 40-percent rate for x86 processors. The PowerVM virtualization program has a [common criteria|Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance] (CC) level of 4+, with zero security vulnerabilities reported, as well as unlimited memory use.

Vendors and licensing
The two largest commercial Linux vendors, Red Hat and SuSE, offer licensing and support based on a "per physical machine" system for Power Systems servers; cost is not based on number of processors installed. Purchasing higher model numbered servers allows for a smaller monetary investment but leaves room for more physical expansion if capacity exceeds the original investment.

PowerLinux distributions
Officially supported distributions are listed here.