Data challenges for United States Department of Defense (DOD) agencies are no small matter—they are a matter of national security. DOD agencies are responsible for collecting and analyzing a growing amount of mission-critical data from an ever-increasing number of diverse sources. They must analyze data not only in-office, but in a variety of air, land and sea deployments. And they must be prepared to collect, analyze and act on data anytime and anywhere—often instantaneously.

1. IBM Systems and Technology Computer Services
Case Study
Tracewell delivers
mission-critical systems
for smarter intelligence
Based on IBM blade server technology
Data challenges for United States Department of Defense (DOD) agen-
Overview cies are no small matter—they are a matter of national security. DOD
agencies are responsible for collecting and analyzing a growing amount of
The need
mission-critical data from an ever-increasing number of diverse sources.
Tracewell Systems needed top, commer-
cial, off-the-shelf products to serve as They must analyze data not only in-office, but in a variety of air, land and
the foundation for the innovative plat- sea deployments. And they must be prepared to collect, analyze and act on
forms it develops for the military and data anytime and anywhere—often instantaneously.
aerospace industries.
The solution That’s where Tracewell Systems is making a difference. The company’s
Tracewell uses IBM blade technology as Advanced Form Factor Engineering Services and complete line of
the foundation for their Rugged Blade Rugged Blade Systems based on IBM blade server technology enable
Systems, including IBM BladeCenter®
HS22 and HS23 servers with Intel®
agencies to deploy high-performance computing hardware even in harsh
Xeon® processors and IBM System environmental conditions. With 40 years of expertise in this area,
Networking switches. Tracewell is the market leader, providing innovative design, engineering
and manufacturing solutions to some of the nation’s largest military,
The benefit
aerospace and commercial organizations. Tracewell’s IBM-based solutions
Tracewell Rugged Blade Systems with
IBM blade technology significantly take the best commercial off-the-shelf, high-performance computing
increase performance, reduce costs, technology and package it into rugged, high-performance systems that
lower maintenance and can easily can deliver data analytics for advanced DOD applications.
incorporate the latest high-performance
computing products.
High-performance computing for extreme
environments
With their long history of delivering innovative form factors, Tracewell
makes it possible for DOD agencies to deliver mission-critical applica-
tions wherever they are needed most—even in environments where it
was never before possible. Tracewell Rugged Blade Systems combine
IBM blade server technology with intelligent Intel Xeon processors in the
first and only ruggedized, military-spec version of a BladeCenter solution
for forward deployment by DOD agencies. They are designed to support

2. IBM Systems and Technology Computer Services
Case Study
high-performance application requirements, enabling agencies to manage
data needs for key applications including radar, data intelligence, data
“IBM was the only mining and analytics, advanced systems networking, security and cloud
company of its kind that computing.
could provide the
For example, consider a large DOD agency running IBM systems with
engineering support, critical data analytics software in the data center. Prior to Tracewell
insight and teaming we Rugged Blade Systems, such an agency would be limited in how they
could deploy that software elsewhere—aboard a ship, in an airplane or on
needed for our solution a ground-based vehicle. That’s because the systems on which the software
and our business to work.” runs are generally not capable of being deployed in harsh environments.
Tracewell Rugged Blade Systems, however, make it possible to have one
—Matt Tracewell, executive vice president, technology footprint in the data center and in the field. The agency can
Tracewell Systems take the same hardware and software solution they use in the back office
and deploy it in other places, in a solution that’s designed to survive the
rigors of forward deployment.
“It used to be that if you wanted to deploy these applications beyond the
back office, you had to create a custom system that took years to develop,
was very expensive and would lock you into a solution configuration that
could never take advantage of new high-performance products coming to
market,” explains Matt Tracewell, executive vice president at Tracewell.
“We’ve created a solution architecture, based on IBM blade server tech-
nology, in which the foundation remains constant, but the solution can be
easily updated as new blades and new IBM technologies come to market.”
Working together to engineer the right solutions
over the long term
For Tracewell, IBM was the only vendor that could provide what the
company needed for a successful solution.
“IBM products represent the best available in the market, the company
makes a significant investment in continually delivering the very best
technology, and they have a plan and roadmap for the future,” says
Tracewell. “IBM has delivered, is delivering, and has plans in place to
continue to deliver the kind of technology our business needs far into the
future.”
One of the things that was clear to Tracewell from the start was how well
IBM innovation could combine with Tracewell engineering. Delivering
the best off-the-shelf technology and making it work in harsh or unusual
environments is a feat of engineering excellence that relies both on
IBM’s ability to provide reliable, scalable solutions that work and
Tracewell’s ability to uniquely adapt those solutions.
2

3. IBM Systems and Technology Computer Services
Case Study
“Our business is in the details—the engineering details,” says Tracewell,
Solution components “and IBM was the only company of its kind that could provide the engi-
neering support, insight and teaming we needed for our solution and our
●●
IBM BladeCenter® HS22, HS23 business to work.”
●●
Intel® Xeon® processors
●●
IBM System Networking switches
Tracewell engaged with a number of groups at IBM to develop its
Rugged Blade Systems family of products, including intellectual property,
System x, engineering and product development, and a dedicated federal
team that is actively involved in working with Tracewell customers. The
result was a ruggedized blade system—based on the same technology
found in the IBM BladeCenter H Chassis with HS22 blade servers—that
meets military specifications. Tracewell is actively working with custom-
ers, including the United States Air Force, to deploy its Rugged Blade
Systems with the new IBM HS23 blades and IBM high-speed switch
technology.
As new technologies from IBM come to market, Tracewell looks to
incorporate those capabilities into their IBM-based products to deliver
ever-greater performance to their customers.
“IBM provides market-leading high-performance computing, and
Tracewell leverages that to enable customers to take advantage of it in a
form factor that meets their unique needs,” says Tracewell. “As technol-
ogy progresses, entirely new capabilities emerge. When you are making
it possible to do the impossible, new solutions just happen.”
Providing unique benefits to position Tracewell
for the future
Already the platform of choice for the United States Air Force, Rugged
Blade Systems based on IBM blade server technology position Tracewell
perfectly to meet the growing data challenges that DOD agencies face.
They specifically enable agencies to:
●● ●
Reduce costs by replacing proprietary solutions that cost up to
90 percent more
●● ●
Increase performance by leveraging advances in high-performance
computing
●● ●
Undertake cost-effective, rapid product upgrades by changing blades
on the fly
●● ●
Introduce new solutions, such as system networking
●● ●
Meet military specifications and easily handle forward deployment
3

4. For more information
Contact your IBM representative or IBM Business Partner, or visit us at:
ibm.com/systems/bladecenter
For more information about Tracewell Systems, visit:
www.tracewellsystems.com
© Copyright IBM Corporation 2012
IBM Systems and Technology Group
Route 100
Somers, New York 10589
Produced in the United States of America
April 2012
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The performance data and client examples cited are presented for illustrative purposes
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THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS”
WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
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all warranties, services and support for Rugged Blade Systems are the direct
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