Frank Soltis
Frank Gerald Soltis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age |
| Occupation | Computer scientist |
| Years active | 1968–2008 |
| Known for | Development of System/38 and IBM AS/400, single-level store concept, RS64 processor design |
Frank Gerald Soltis (born 1940) is a distinguished American computer scientist recognized for his pivotal role in developing the System/38 and IBM AS/400 systems, notably through his work on the single-level store concept and the RS64 processor design. He began his career at IBM Rochester in 1969 and concluded it in 2008, coinciding with the consolidation of System i and System p into the IBM Power Systems line. Prior to his retirement, he held the position of IBM's Chief Scientist.
Career
Soltis received his PhD in electrical engineering from Iowa State University in 1968, completing a dissertation entitled "Automatic Allocation of Digital Computer Storage Resources for Time-sharing". He commenced employment at IBM's Rochester facility in November 1968. Soltis was the lead architect behind the "Amazon" instruction set architecture, an enhanced form of the 64-bit PowerPC architecture, which was integrated into IBM's RS64, POWER4, and POWER5 processors powering IBM iSeries and pSeries hardware.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, Soltis also held an adjunct professorship in electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota, where he instructed graduate-level courses focused on high-performance computer architecture.
After four decades with IBM, Soltis retired on December 31, 2008. Shortly thereafter, in February 2009, he joined the Technology Advisory Board of Vision Solutions. Additionally, he authors a By Design column for iPro Developer magazine and has written several books including Inside the AS/400 and Fortress Rochester: The Inside Story of the IBM iSeries.
Books
- Soltis, Frank G. (1997). Inside the AS/400, Duke Press.
- Soltis, Frank G. (2001). Fortress Rochester: the Inside Story of the IBM iSeries, NEWS/400 Books.