CPW
Commercial Processing Workload, IBM's relative-performance benchmark for IBM i systems, used to compare processor options across Power models.
CPW is not a raw clock-speed or core-count comparison; it reflects IBM's own commercial transaction-processing benchmark run against a reference system. Higher CPW generally means more IBM i transaction throughput, but CPW figures should only be compared within the same benchmark family and software release, never across unrelated vendor benchmarks.
Related Terms
rPerf
Relative Performance, IBM's benchmark estimate for AIX and Linux workload throughput, analogous to CPW but for non-IBM i operating systems.
Power 11
IBM's 2025-generation Power processor and server family, spanning the entry S1112 through the flagship E1180, built around three pillars IBM calls Trusted, Autonomous, and Modern.