On Friday, 01/18/2002 at 05:01 GMT, Alan Cox <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
> > less software costs (one copy per engine vs one copy each for each
boxes) then
> > most other platforms.
>
> software costs lower. How many copies of Red Hat PC boxed set can you
buy
> for a VM license ;)
I can't let that one go by! ;-)
If acquisition costs were the issue, there would be no market for Linux on
S/390 or zSeries. There *is* a market, so that isn't it. Instead, Total
Cost of Ownership (TCO) is the issue. Yes, it's more expensive to acquire
and deploy that 1st Linux on zSeries (if you don't have a zSeries). But
by the time you get to, say, 20, you are seeing the savings trend. The
more you deploy, the cheaper they get, which isn't true with discrete
systems. (TCO includes electricity, a/c, floor space, people, wiring,
hubs, reliability, etc. over time.)
But I will be the first to admit that (surprise, surprise) Linux on
mainframes just isn't right for every application. Some servers are best
left on the PC ("it depends"). The best I/T shops use the right tools for
the right jobs: PCs, midrange, and mainframes all cooperate together to
bring us the function we need at a price we can afford year after year.
Regards,
Alan
IBM Senior Software Engineer
z/VM Development, Endicott, NY
Phone 607.752.6027 fax 607.752.1497 t/l 852
