Early users of Domino for AS/400 were existing AS/400 customers looking at Domino for email, calendar/scheduling features, groupware, data integration, and Web development features. These customers typically required the integration of capabilities between Domino and business applications such as SAP, Lawson, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, SSA and the hundreds of vertical market applications available on the platform.

Unfortunately, potential customers who did not have data integration or AS/400 application requirements found the AS/400 to be much more expensive than Wintel-based Domino servers. The price discrepancy left a hole in the market. Lotus Notes customers who were interested in having a scalable, stable platform to run Domino simply were not looking to the AS/400 platform solely because of cost. Fortunately, IBM has corrected this oversight, having recently released a new AS/400 line called DSD (i.e., Dedicated Server for Domino).

DSD (Dedicated Server for Domino)
DSD, affectionately referred to as the "Bumblebee" due to the box's yellow stripe on a black frame, offers an affordable AS/400 environment to those customers who want only Domino and Domino-based applications. When IBM refers to the "AS/400", they're referring to their entire product line. In the rest of this article, we'll be talking about a specific series of models called the "AS/400e". The AS/400e DSD line is comparable to the "regular" red-striped AS/400e series with the exception that the processing of non-Domino workload is limited to approximately 15 percent of total processing power. Non-Domino workload is defined as data integration, backup, administrative functions and printing.

DSD is available in three base configurations:

• Model 2407 is suited for light mail and applications. It supports up to 1300 simple mail users. The base price is $11,000 (US), which includes 256 MB memory, 4.19 GB drive, and integrated RAID controller.

• Model 2408 contains a special cache and designed for mail and medium application usage up to 2300 simple mail users. The base price is $16,500 (US), and includes 512 MB memory, 4.19 GB drive and integrated RAID controller.

• Model 2409 provides a two-way processor for heavy mail and application users. It supports up to 4300 simple mail users. The base price is $22,500 (US), and includes 2-way processor, 512 MB memory, 4.19 GB drive and integrated RAID controller.

Realistically, you will add more hardware to the base configuration of these servers. While four GB of drive space is enough to run Domino, you will want to add more storage, possibly a tape drive, and a communications line for IBM Support purposes.

[Our assessment here at DominoPower is that the available disk space provided with these models is somewhat under-scale. For example, the model 2408 supports 2300 simple mail users on a 4 gig drive. That allows only about 1.7 megabytes per user in mail store. Given the relatively low prices of hard drives, we recommend IBM considerably increase this aspect of the server's configuration. -- DG]