We did a POC using zVM 4.4 and both RedHat and SuSE images, and ran that way on one IFL for close to a year (things move slowly here). We had just retired zVM and OfficeVision shortly after this started, so we had two zVM people with fairly extensive experience.
We currently have two LPARs in two separate CECs, with two IFLs in each, and 10Gig of memory in each, running zVM 5.1 and about 50 Linux guests. All the significant guests are SuSE SLES. We run both version 8 and 9, depending on what the application dictates. I've been rolled from the Mainframe support group into the Unix support group, and there are now two of us doing Linux support, both for the mainframe and for Intel and Blade servers. (The Linux person is learning zVM much faster than I'm learning Linux.) The two main projects we are working on in the mainframe Linux are Tivoli support, along with Tivoli's DB2 servers, and IBI I-Way servers. Our main objective was to remove usage from our zOS LPARs to extend the life of the system (I-Way accounted for 100 MIPS in zOS, and moving it to zLinux releases those resources). For what we've been working in, Linux is Linux, and virtual hardware is much easier to come by than real hardware. Where an Intel or Blade project has a several week lead-time before the applications people even get to touch the box, a zLinux system can be built and handed over in about a day. And, we're working on cutting that time down, via cloning instead of full Linux installs. Interesting bits and pieces: We're IPLing both LPARs from the same zVM sysres volume. We're working on converting everything to vSwitch, and the two vSwitches are attached to the same subnet and external switch, so we should be able to move a guest from one LPAR to the other just by bringing it down on one LPAR and then autologging it on the other (untested as yet). We're interested in Hipersockets to talk to the zOS DB2, but we haven't been able to sell our DB2 Connect support people on the idea as yet (They support DB2 Connect server on Windows, and aren't interested in supporting it on another platform.) We're looking at the cloning model described in the Virtualization Cookbook Redbook. And our Oracle people are interested in kicking the tires, so we may have an Oracle in a zLinux image shortly. That's about all I can think of that might be of interest to anyone here. If you don't have Linux in your shop... This probably isn't for you. Don't do it just for the sake of doing it. If you have a lot of Linux already, then this is something to think about, as it can cut down on your floor space and resource consumption. If you're just getting interested in Linux, do Intel first, and keep this in the back of your mind as an option for later on. Just to apply scale, for comparison to your own shop: We run two z990's running zOS and zVM in two separate data centers. We also have about 300 Unix servers supporting various tasks, and about 1,400 Windows servers. We have somewhere around 28,000 Windows desktops here on this campus; I'm not sure of the numbers at the other two sites. Mayo here in Rochester employs about 31,000 people. -- Robert P. Nix Mayo Foundation RO-OC-1-13 200 First Street SW 507-284-0844 Rochester, MN 55905 ----- "In theory, theory and practice are the same, but in practice, theory and practice are different." -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Alan C. Field Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 2:21 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Mainframe Linux Mythbusting (Was: Using Java in batch on z/OS?) So, any others care to tell about their Linux on Z POCs or implementations? Did your projects stay on schedule and run smoothly? Did you have to hire new people or were the existing zOS or *nix people in your shop able to handle it? How much help did you need / get from IBM or other consultants? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
