Mark Zelden writes: >No brainer? How about the staff, time, learning curve, etc. >to support an operating system and environment that is >new to the shop?
Three points: 1. If you aren't running Linux now...well, check your TiVo and your Linksys router. :-) Seriously, Linux is not exactly uncommon and getting more common. 2. Usually paid for. (Does z/OS work more or less hard when requests arrive via HiperSocket v. network? What might the response time be like for each scenario? How about security, reliability, availability, etc?) 3. That support has got to go somewhere today, even if it is familiar. Is it easier or harder to support lots of little servers? Lots of smart people think it's harder. There's also DB2 support to consider. How many calls start with "the database is slow -- it's the mainframe's fault" or "I can't connect -- it's the mainframe's fault"? :-) >While there may be *nix people that could >support Linux or help support it, it's probably not just Linux >that would be new, it's also z/VM. Three more points: 1. z/VM is not required to run Linux. It's awfully nice but not required. For a "couple or three" Linux instances, you could go without. 2. Getting sufficient z/VM knowledge to run Linux is really not a big deal. IBM thought it was about 6 years ago and released a Linux-only virtual machine product, but it flopped. Nobody could tell the difference in learning curve. IBM thinks there are about 1,700 mainframe customers actually running Linux in production. That's some evidence this stuff isn't like building a fusion reactor. 3. To know z/OS these days you have to know USS. That's a skill set that works well for Linux, too. >I'm not saying using Linux on z is a bad idea, but you really tend >to over simplify things and look at things like a salesman, not a >technician. I wish! Sadly I don't get commissions. FWIW, I'm typing this e-mail from my Linux PC. I installed it. I even hacked some driver source code, recompiled it, and recompiled my kernel to get a special wireless card working. I've also installed and IPLed Linux under z/VM, and installed and configured software products on Linux under z/VM -- for a major bank, as it happens. Yeah, it's easy. Why, even a salesman can do it. :-) Generally good choices to run on mainframe Linux (z/OS also of course great for many of these as well): - DB2 Connect - "Utility" servers (DHCP, DNS, NTPD, LDAP, etc.) - SAP and other data-intensive LOB applications (that can enjoy HiperSockets to DB2 z/OS, CICS, IMS, etc.) - File servers (Samba, NFS) - Certain security services (e.g. Tivoli Access Manager for e-business) - Monitoring-related software (e.g. Tivoli Enterprise Console) - Lotus Domino (and other e-mail servers) - Rational ClearCase/ClearQuest, CVS, etc. - other servers to support application development and testing - WebSphere Commerce - most integration software - simplification of lots of little databases (distributed DB2, Oracle, Informix, etc.) - reporting tools (e.g. IBI WebFocus) [ Speaking for myself...because I can't afford to pay someone else to speak for me. :-) ] - - - - - Timothy F. Sipples Consulting Enterprise Software Architect, z9/zSeries IBM Japan, Ltd. E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
