« In Memoriam: Steve Jobs | The Mainframe Blog Home | RIM Needed a Mainframe »
My Personal Mainframe: Late 2011 Edition
Back in 2006 and again in 2010 I illustrated how just about anyone, with relatively little money, can buy and run an IBM mainframe. In my case, that's to run my mission-critical home computing workloads. My only real barrier is that, like most data centers that are overstuffed with other servers, I don't have physical room in my home for even another laptop computer.
That aside, I keep an eye on the marketplace. The trends are entirely helpful in making it easier and more affordable to acquire your first mainframe, whether for your home or for other, more demanding situations. So I'd like to update all Mainframe Blog readers who share my fascination and interest in jumbo shrimp small mainframes. And, if you have some stories to share about your small mainframe in your home (or your small office), please post some comments.
First, I'd like to set some unofficial rules:
- My personal mainframe must run licensed z/OS. I like all mainframe operating systems, and I may run some others as well, but z/OS is my base requirement.
- My software licensing should not unduly restrict who can use the system (or how), nor should the licensing be artificially time-limited (like some of Oracle's licensing). IBM's Monthly License Charge (MLC) software licensing is perfectly fine, even excellent, and I'm quite confident it'll be reasonably stable (or even declining in price) given IBM's track record.
- On the other hand, I'm OK with software licensing that restricts what products I can run. All commercial software licensing does that.
- I want to be able to write and run some programs in one or a couple popular programming languages. I want at least basic transaction management, basic database capabilities, and Web user interface support. As in 2010 that means I'm getting z/OS which includes VSAM, plus the C/C++ compiler and a few other optional z/OS features, plus WebSphere Application Server for z/OS.
In other words, I'm considering full commercial software licensing. If I want to set up an account for a remote user connecting via the Internet to my machine, that's no problem with full commercial licensing. Some of IBM's special pricing, such as zNALC and Solution Edition, can meet my personal requirements. Of course, your personal mainframe requirements may be very different. Read on for information on development-only options, as a notable example.
With those rules out of the way, let's consider the changes in the marketplace since 2010 and how they affect my choices and finances. As mentioned above, the news is again all good:
- IBM dropped the starting price for its smallest new z114 mainframe configuration under $75,000 (U.S. price). IBM's new model introduction and price reduction means there are more used models at lower prices that will meet my personal mainframe requirements. I would be quite satisfied running a z890 (model 110), z9 BC (model A01), z10 BC (model A01), or of course a z114 (model A01). In my 2010 review I said that I wouldn't buy a used z800 unless I happened to get an incredible deal. That's still true, but with all the other, newer used models available that would have to be priced well below $75,000, it's hard to imagine any used z800 would make the cut. And all of those other, newer models run all currently available z/OS software, unlike the z800 (which can't run DB2 10).
- IBM discontinued the DS6000 line of FICON-compatible storage products, but they're available in the used market. For this 2011 update I also found this interesting option which provides about 6.5TB of total storage. That unit would also meet my personal mainframe requirements. If I grow, I have several storage options, including NFS-compatible Network Attached Storage (NAS). IBM shipped tapeless z/OS loading and installation support, and so I would skip tape for my personal mainframe.
- IBM has made it easy (and even more affordable) to order my preferred software licensing with hardware with their zEnterprise Solution Edition for WebSphere offering. Alternatively, if I opt for a used machine, I could just order the software licenses separately, still applying for zNALC qualification. WebSphere Application Server V8 for z/OS is now available, and that version offers even better performance on every machine, including my 26 MIPS configuration, so I'm delighted with that. That's more performance per dollar. And JZOS has been enhanced to improve VSAM access, plus there are various z/OS improvements in C/C++ and UNIX System Services. All of those improvements are fantastic for my personal mainframe.
Of course, you don't have to buy a physical machine to enjoy mainframe computing. You can access cloud-based z/OS remotely, across the Internet, from several different companies. If you're interested in development-only licensing, then IBM's new Rational Developer for zEnterprise Unit Test Feature is a great choice. Information Technology Company is a one-stop shop that makes it easy to satisfy your mainframe development needs.
Now, if I can just clean out my home data center....
| by Timothy Sipples | October 7, 2011 Permalink |
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d834521c8469e2014e8c15732a970d
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference My Personal Mainframe: Late 2011 Edition:
Comments
Instead of the huge data servers that we've seen in different data centers, small-scale entrepreneurs like me use small mainframes in order to keep the business ongoing. Maybe we can adopt some cloud computing strategies so that we can conserve even more space inside these servers.
Posted by: Mac Pherson | Oct 19, 2011 5:41:19 PM
Good news! Here's a starting point for your home mainframe, given today's bumper crop of IBM news releases. Something might be kluged together...
1) Use solar arrays instead of diesel fuel generators to power that over-stuffed data center
hxxp://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/35891.wss
2) Warren Buffett bought more than 5% of outstanding IBM stock hxxp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204323904577037742077676990.html
3) MS Windows applications now run on zOS!
hxxp://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/35925.wss
4) Leaving HPC to Cray, a very sensible move:
hxxp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204323904577036172972050222.html
You need a z114 model with solar arrays on your roof generating DC electricity to power your home mainframe. You can then run MS Excel and use it to track your Berkshire-Hathaway portfolio. And follow IBM common stock price as it steadily ascends, now that super-computing has been cut loose.
Posted by: Ellie K | Nov 20, 2011 4:47:02 PM
