Unisys Enhances ClearPath Mission-Critical Capabilities

Unisys Enhances Mission-Critical Capabilities of ClearPath Libra Systems

New release of MCP operating environment and high-availability option for mid-range server broaden client options for mobility, security and application availability

Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today expanded the mission-critical computing capabilities for its ClearPath Libra servers with a new release of the flagship MCP operating environment and a high-availability option for the ClearPath Libra 4200 system.

Release 15.0 of ClearPath MCP includes new options for end users to access ClearPath applications securely through mobile devices, expanded application-development capabilities, increased protection against security breaches and enhanced data centre automation and administration. The high-availability option for the ClearPath Libra 4200 is designed to strengthen failover protection in high-volume transaction environments.

“In recent years the definition of ‘mission-critical’ has expanded to include mobility, SOA and a host of other potentially disruptive IT trends that CIOs can turn to advantage if they address them in the right way,” said Bill Maclean, vice president, ClearPath portfolio management, Unisys. “Our ClearPath systems are synonymous with mission-critical computing. We continue to add new capabilities that help ClearPath clients stay ahead of evolving challenges while enjoying the advantages of business continuity and cost efficiency to which they’ve become accustomed.”

The ClearPath Libra enhancements are the latest step in Unisys’ continual initiative to enrich capabilities that address clients’ rapidly evolving enterprise-computing needs. Earlier this year Unisys enhanced the mission-critical capabilities of the ClearPath Dorado systems.

Client Requests Drive Enhancements in New MCP Release
Like all ClearPath operating environments, MCP Release 15.0 comprises an integrated stack of software products – more than 125 – designed and tested as a unit. This integration enables clients to migrate applications transparently from one release to another, with no need to change operating procedures or to recompile. The new MCP release includes enhancements to 38 products in the stack – many resulting from direct client requests.

MCP Release 15.0 delivers significant benefits in three key areas:
• Application Modernisation. Enhancements to the ClearPath ePortal for MCP specialty partition – a special processing component that empowers users to quickly Web-enable enterprise applications – broaden the range of smart phones and tablets that clients can use to access strategic ClearPath applications. They can now use devices running Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, Windows Surface and Internet Explorer 10 in addition to Apple, Android and BlackBerry mobile devices already supported. The enhanced ePortal supports Unisys Enterprise Application Environment (EAE) and Agile Business (AB) Suite development environments. Coupled with new support for the latest version of Java SE 7 and JBoss middleware in the ClearPath MCP JProcessor – a specialty partition for Java applications – those enhancements give clients a broader range of options for creating integrated SOA environments for their mission-critical applications.
• Security. Incorporation of two new security products into the MCP integrated stack is designed to help clients reduce risk to IT assets, protect sensitive data from unauthorised access and improve monitoring and auditing capabilities. Locum Safe & Secure, from Locum Software, helps centralise and simplify security administration and provides a single point of control in multi-system environments. dbaTOOLS AcessLog makes it easier for administrators and auditors to extract and analyse database log entries for security purposes. The enhanced Unisys Enterprise Database Server further strengthens administration and auditing. It can automatically log all database inquiries and updates, so auditors can discover who accessed what resources, when, and what they did with them.
• Data Centre Transformation. Increased data centre automation is designed to help clients manage operating costs and increase availability of mission-critical applications. For example, an upgraded version of Workload Management for ClearPath MCP makes it easier to track MIPS usage for accurate billing. Enhanced Business Continuity Accelerator enables faster controlled system failover, making disaster recovery testing easier and reducing impact on running applications. A new release of the Unisys Operations Sentinel automated system management solution includes a simplified web interface to view the status of managed devices – including from tablets connected to the organisation’s intranet. TCP/IP Interprocess Communications Services enable an administrator to seamlessly move an IP address from a failing device to a functional one, reducing the potential impact of operational anomalies.

Libra 4200 High Availability Option
The standard Libra 4200 is a highly reliable system. Unisys also offers an automated High Availability (HA) option for environments requiring the highest level of solution availability. The HA capability equips the mid-range Libra 4200 system with functionality usually associated with high-end systems – demonstrating the value of continual availability in all classes of systems in today’s high-volume transaction processing environments.

The HA system features component-level redundancy, with dual processor cells and a fully redundant I/O subsystem complex. The HA system addresses I/O subsystem faults transparently and enables transparent failover for major processor complex failures.

Based on Intel® Xeon® Family processors, the ClearPath Libra 4200 uses Unisys s-Par secure partitioning technology, which brings enterprise-class virtualisation to clients’ data centres. The s-Par architecture enables multiple secure partitions in a system, including one running the ClearPath operating environment and others incorporating specialty partitions such as the ClearPath ePortal for MCP and ClearPath MCP JProcessor. A High Availability configuration protects all those system elements.

The ClearPath Libra 4200 with HA option is priced starting at US$800,000.

ends

© Scoop Media