The mainframe's strongest assets - scalability, reliability, availability, security and manageability - are definitely the very characteristics that enterprises are most interested in because they consider moving business-critical services to your cloud-based architecture. Can the mainframe be a cloud platform?
Recent surveys underscore customer confidence in the mainframe's power to perform in new service delivery models. Growing numbers are thinking about IBM's zSeries Enterprise as a cloud computing platform. As a result, mainframes, which have been central to enterprise processing for years, will still be relevant as they find new life in modern computing architectures.
Together with the introduction of the new entry-level BC12 (Business Class), IBM is extending use cases to cloud and large data analytics. If an individual defines cloud like a resource which might be dynamically provisioned - allocated and de-allocated on demand - making provided with good security and management controls, then all the functionality already exists around the mainframe. IBM is also a cause of OpenStack, adding z/VM hypervisor and z/VM operating system APIs to your community.
Some skeptics cite deficiency of complete self-provisioning within the mainframe like a hindrance that reinforces the old-style command and control by IT. However, newer mainframe software programs do enable self-provisioning. It is usually important to note that in any cloud architecture, including those built on x86 servers, users would still need to obtain permission for services. As cloud computing matures and mainframes offer a lot more computing power at lower TCO, more organizations will consider the platform for cloud initiatives.
Concerning licensing costs, the zSeries has a little-used "on-off" feature that lets mainframe administrators turn a processor core on for just a short time only, thereby paying short-term rates for IBM software, instead of purchasing a yearly license in accordance with the number of processor cores. Improvements to Websphere as well as the z/VM computer, as well as more aggressive pricing by IBM, gives customers every one of the tools for just a self-provisioned, mainframe-based cloud. Since the mainframe runs a lot of the same software as other high-end servers and gains expanded service management capabilities, customers will increasingly notice being a workhorse with the high-end of the server market rather than as expensive legacy infrastructure.
IBM's architecture extends use cases, draws new customers
IBM's new software architecture was made with extensive input from large customers who desired to extend the fortress-like capabilities of the mainframe. It enables multiple workloads on mainframe, Power 7 plus the System x servers to become centrally managed as a single, virtualized pool of resources. The Unified Resource Manager software extends to other systems integrated within the new architecture.
Additional capabilities, including the DB2 Analytics Accelerator speeds workloads on Cognos and SPSS analytics. The BC12 also attaches to Netezza and newer PureData for high-performance data warehousing.
IBM set occurs revealed if this made Linux native to most of its mainframes. While mainframes have been using virtualization technology for over Three decades, since introduction of the z/VM Virtual Machine operating-system, the mixing of Linux meant that enterprises could run virtual x86 servers with a mainframe. Web site combine mainframe and distributed computing platforms within a common management umbrella, organizations can consolidate and virtualize on a single architecture in the centre which may be the mainframe.
Interestingly, demand has been strong in emerging markets, including BRIC countries as well as other most of asia and Latin America. Growing customers in global finance industry is utilizing the zEnterprise and new management platform to scale their business. Customers that built data focuses on different platforms, including Linux, are employing the zEnterprise to consolidate onto a single platform that natively runs Linux.
Also, as existing and customers put more workloads on zEnterprise, it could possibly turn into a platform by which to deliver private and public cloud services. IBM has added software to accelerate complex analytic workloads better and additional blades for BladeCenter Extension (xBx).
Energy consumption tilts the price analysis
Many enterprises which can be building out cloud computing platforms have gravitated toward x86-based distributed architectures a result of the very high cost mainframe hardware and licensing costs as well as the shortage of IT professionals with mainframe skills. As enterprises increasingly model price of service against usage to include electricity consumption, cooling, building/facilities costs and required manpower to keep systems uptime, the granular reporting of mainframe resource usage compares favorably to standards-based x86 servers. Past assessments of sum total of ownership (TCO) that just covered systems and software acquisition and maintenance costs, that have been then averaged across the member list, are giving way to a broader number of metrics offering the sizeable contribution of one's energy costs to opex.
The mainframe probably will do very well when its power / performance and scalable management are compared to industry standard systems. It is partly because of the platform's architecture and style, but will also into the reality that mainframes typically run consistently at utilization levels over many other platforms can choose any sustained period of time.
The pressure to model valuation on service against usage is bound to improve as organizations attempt to take full advantage of their IT infrastructure by creating highly responsive resource pools ("private cloud" or "dynamic infrastructure") to minimize It is while maximizing business value. When viewing centralized and consolidated infrastructures the question might be whether the mainframe is worthy of greater consideration than it currently receives, both if the organization already has such systems in position but additionally perhaps being a new investment.
It is clear that receiving the skills and tools available to try dynamic It'll be quite a job whichever route is taken, and despite common perception can even justify a purchase in mainframe technology in the event the organization isn't going to currently apply it.
