Unisys to upgrade 32-way Intel server

Unisys will debut new 32-processor servers, a revamp of its ES7000 line with the latest Intel Xeon processors, the company plans to announce next week. The new Xeons, running at 1.4GHz and 1.6GHz, come with a feature called hyper-threading, which lets a single CPU act somewhat like two, but the feature isn't enabled in the first versions of the new ES7000/200. Dell plans to use the new Xeons, as will new systems from IBM, Egenera and others to be announced next week.

The ES7000 can be divided into several independent partitions, each with its own operating system. With the new server, pre-written scripts can be used to add or remove processors from a partition to adjust to increasing or decreasing workloads, the company said. Unisys has joined with Microsoft to market the machines and improve the Windows operating system for the high-end system. Deals under which Compaq Compaq and Hewlett-Packard would sell the ES7000 under their own names fell apart in 2001.