IBM Previews z/VM Version 6.1

When IBM has announcements to make it's usually on a Tuesday (U.S. time). There's a big one this week: IBM revealed many details of the forthcoming z/VM Version 6.1.

z/VM is the ultra-refined virtualization operating system ("hypervisor") for the mainframe and routinely supports hundreds or even thousands of guest operating systems on a single machine. z/VM is a critical ingredient in the mainframe's Linux prowess.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for mainframe geeks (and many other people) is that IBM also declared a new Architecture Level Set (ALS) for the mainframe. So far all 64-bit machines implemented a single ALS called z/Architecture. All current IBM software can run on every machine to implement z/Architecture, starting from the z900. (Whether it makes sense to do that is a separate question, but in pure technical terms you can run any current IBM software on any machine starting from the z900 which first shipped in the year 2000.) That's despite the fact that each new model implements new and enhanced CPU instructions. IBM software might exploit those instructions, but (currently) it doesn't require them. Most vendors have done the same thing: all their current software works with all z/Architecture machines. The one exception I can think of is OpenSolaris for System z, which requires a System z9 or higher.

That just changed, because IBM is giving advance warning that z/VM Version 6.1 will require a new ALS. (IBM says that z/VM Version 6.1 is scheduled to become generally available in 4Q2009.) I didn't see the name for this new ALS yet, but for now you can probably call it ARCHLVL 3 or perhaps z/Architecture 2. The System z10 EC and BC machines implement this new ALS, but prior machines do not. This ALS declaration establishes a significant distinction between System z9 (and prior) and System z10 models. If the past is any guide (and it usually is), z/VM Version 6.1 will only be the first software product to require ARCHLVL 3. There will be many others to come. The same happened with z/VM Version 5, the first product (that I remember anyway) to require z/Architecture (ARCHLVL 2).

Random Mainframe News for Early July, 2009

The Mainframe Blog takes no summer (northern hemisphere) vacation, nor does mainframe-related news. Here are pointers to the recent mainframe stories and happenings that interest me and hopefully you as well.

Sun Exits High-End CPU Design

The New York Times reports that Sun has canceled its chronically delayed next generation SPARC CPU, codenamed "Rock":

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/sun-is-said-to-cancel-big-chip-project

The enterprise-class server processor chip business is extremely competitive and capital-intensive. The tough global economy is forcing some tough business decisions. I expect that IBM, in particular, will disproportionately benefit from this decision and should gain additional marketshare with its POWER and System z products.

But when I first heard this news I did not think about the market implications, the effect on IBM, what happens to Intel, etc. I immediately thought about the employment implications of this announcement. This cancellation is a major blow to the relatively small processor engineering community, and too many talented engineers are presumably losing their jobs. Whatever one might say about Sun now, the company has (and had) some of the best engineers for so many years. That part of the story needs to be reported, too.

UPDATE: IBM reacted quickly to the Itanium (HP) and SPARC (Sun) processor roadmap failures and broken promises, improving its offerings to encourage more migrations to IBM System z and POWER servers. Here's one example: http://www.ibm.com/systems/migratetoibm/systems/z. And another: http://www.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/27613.wss.

UPDATE 2: Back at the end of April, Marketwatch reported (from a Japanese newspaper source) that Fujitsu is scrapping plans to develop next generation semiconductor technology on its own. The story refers to semiconductor fabrication but also (disturbingly) says that Fujitsu is cutting "other technologies that were in the development pipeline." Which ones? In contrast, IBM has state-of-the-art semiconductor factories and leads semiconductor design (and process) research and development.

Seamus McManus: Beekeeper; Father of Cloud Computing

A 2 minute 'history' of cloud computing, including the pivotal role of the mainframe. For a more factual account, see today's New York Time's article.

Random Mainframe News for Mid-June, 2009

Thank you all for some excellent comments in the informal open source for z/OS "survey." There are some excellent ideas. Please also be sure to visit (and especially contribute to) the developing Open Source for z/OS Wiki.

There's plenty of recent mainframe-related news to summarize, so here we go:

1. Intel announced yet another delay in shipping an improved Itanium CPU, codenamed "Tukwila." Tukwila CPUs were originally supposed to ship in 2007, but Intel now says you can forget about seeing them before 2010. The delay is crushing to Hewlett-Packard, the sole remaining major vendor producing Itanium-based servers.
2. PR/SM, which provides the LPAR virtualization in IBM mainframes, has once again passed its latest round of Common Criteria EAL5 certification testing with flying colors. EAL5 certification is only possible for specific configurations, and both System z10 EC and BC achieved this rigorous security standard. This certification assures that System z LPARs provide the strongest available, impenetrable separation between workloads. System z is the only business server ever to achieve EAL5, and it has done so multiple times in multiple configurations.
3. For those of you a little slow upgrading to z/OS 1.9 or (better yet) z/OS 1.10, IBM is offering a short-term lifeline with extended support for z/OS 1.8. Extended support costs extra, though, so please try not to need it. However, if you do, it's available.
4. IBM publishes lots of interesting "redbooks" (technical books and documents). A recent addition is entitled "The Mixed Platform Stack Project: Deploying a Secure SOA Solution into z/OS and Mixed z/OS and AIX Environments." It's worth a careful look.
5. Lots of seminars, webcasts, and teleconferences on offer, live and for replay. (I would bookmark the link and check back periodically.)
6. eWeek reports that IBM plans to release tons of new System z software in 2009. Be sure to pay close attention and take advantage of this software explosion.
7. Congratulations to Co-Op Financial Services in the United Kingdom which will save £3m in their upgrade to the latest IBM mainframe technologies (presumably System z10). More savings are possible as CFS looks at integrating Britannia Building Society.
8. How would you like a working vacation in Australia? Apply by 2 p.m. Australia time on June 23.
9. CA's Chris O'Malley explains "The Mainframe Bridge to the Cloud." Another link here.
10. The #1 inductee to InfoWorld's "Hardware Hall of Fame" is the IBM mainframe (in the form of the System/360).
11. For perspective, Compuware's CEO is not as wealthy as Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, or Larry Ellison.
12. David Worthington reports that the Canadian government is keeping its mainframes. (Smart move: but keep moving forward, Canada. Keep them current, keep them optimized, and keep them innovative.) In the same breath, "Russia Mounts Antitrust Charges Against Microsoft."
13. System z certainly shares the celebration of UNIX's 40th birthday coming this August. Genuine, trademarked UNIX runs three ways on the IBM mainframe (and concurrently too): z/OS UNIX System Services, OpenSolaris for System z, and UTS Global's (formerly Amdahl's) UTS.
14. System z is apparently the only server that sold well in Australia in the first quarter of 2009. Total Australian server unit shipments (all types combined) declined an astounding 38.9% (year over year); total server revenues declined an equally precipitous 38.8%. X86 units dropped 38%, and X86 server revenues utterly collapsed, by nearly half. Wow. "IDC's tracker revealed that IBM remains the market leader in non-x86 servers in Australia. Despite the hype surrounding distributed computing methodologies, System z brand continued to perform strongly."

What (More) Open Source Software Do You Want for z/OS?

One of my colleagues recently asked me, "So, Tim, what open source software do you think z/OS users want?"

"Why, that's an excellent question," I replied. "I have lots of ideas." [I shared my wonderful ideas — all quite brilliant, in fact. :-)] "But why not also ask other z/OS users that question?" (As IBM's Bob Hoey often reminds his trainees: "Ask the customer? Brilliant!")

There's lots of open source software already available for z/OS. The z/OS Ported Tools collection is only one example. To give some more examples, Dovetailed Technologies explains how to install and configure Apache Tomcat, Apache Derby, and JSPWiki on z/OS.

What else do you want to see? Post a comment with your open source wishlist. The more information you can provide about why particular open source products are important, the better. And in some cases you may discover the open source product you wish for is already available.

UPDATE: Dovetailed Technologies has established the Open Source for z/OS Wiki. There's still missing content, but it's a good start to help focus the open source community and z/OS users alike to promote further development of open source software. Please head over there, register, and fill in missing Wiki entries.

1Q2009 IBM Earnings

IBM reported 1Q2009 earnings earlier today. IBM does not report System z software results separately, but System z hardware revenue declined 19 percent year to year (12 percent at constant currency). However, MIPS shipments grew by 18 percent — the fifth consecutive quarter of double digit MIPS (mainframe capacity) growth as mainframe customers continue to expand their installations aggressively. (Simple math suggests they enjoyed lower per-MIPS pricing in the process.) And, while North America and particularly Western Europe were weak performers, System z revenue grew a whopping 37 percent in growth markets (up 60 percent in constant currency).

The System z10 EC model started shipping in 1Q2008, so this past quarter is the first with a year-to-year System z10 comparison.

Oracle Bids on Mainframe Tape Vendor

According to The Wall Street Journal, Oracle offered $9.50 per share to buy Sun Microsystems, and Sun's board accepted the offer. Sun is the second largest vendor of mainframe tape systems.

UPDATE: Yes Mark, our headline writer had a lot of fun. Thanks!

Vern Watts: Computing Pioneer

Vern Watts died on April 4, 2009, at the age of 77. He is widely and famously known as the "Father of IMS" because of his multi-decade role as its chief architect, beginning when IMS began. He "retired" in 2004 after 48 years, but Vern never left IMS or IBM. As "Distinguished Engineer Emeritus" he worked at IBM two days per week until he passed, mentoring and advising colleagues, and extending his IBM career to well over half a century. (He also worked three days per week at ScaleDB after his "retirement.") He is survived by his loving wife, Carol, several other family members, and, of course, the amazing IMS middleware, with the new Version 11 now undergoing testing. His incredible work lives on, every minute, round the clock and around the world.

Mainframe Potpourri for Mid-April, 2009

Once again it's time for everyone's favorite Mainframe Blog featurette: The Mainframe Potpourri. Are you ready for some pseudo-random reads?