AIx

Advanced Interactive eXecutive (AIX) is IBM's proprietary Unix operating system for POWER-based IBM servers. First released in 1986, it has evolved into the primary Unix platform for IBM's POWER hardware and related systems. AIX is based on UNIX System V with BSD-derived features and is POSIX-compliant, with certifications that align it with UNIX standards.

AIX supports a range of enterprise features designed for reliability, scalability, and security. It offers transactional and multi-user capabilities, high availability, and robust networking. Storage is managed using the Journaled File System (JFS) and later JFS2, along with the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) for flexible disk management. The system supports logical partitions (LPARs) and IBM PowerVM virtualization, enabling consolidation and dynamic resource allocation. High-availability clustering is provided by PowerHA SystemMirror.

Administration and software delivery are handled through command-line tools and a System Management Interface Tool (SMIT). Software can also be installed with installp and via the AIX Toolbox for Linux Applications, which provides GNU tools and utilities compiled for AIX.

AIX runs on IBM POWER hardware, including the POWER4 and later families, and remains a central element of IBM’s Power Systems platform. It is commonly used for databases, ERP, and other mission-critical workloads, often in conjunction with IBM DB2, Oracle, SAP, and other enterprise software. IBM continues to release updates and security patches to the AIX family, supporting long-term deployments and virtualization environments.