Ok, you decide to make your own hardware to run IBM's software.
How can IBM know that your hardware is working correctly and they
aren't having to diagnose your hardware system rather than just
diagnosing their software, if you get what I mean?
How long will it take you to develop architectural testing
software that will ensure that the machine you have (actual
microcoded and/or emulated) will give the correct results?
So, why does IBM want to give you all the specs to be able to do
this?
There are non-documented instructions that zVM and z/OS use.
I used to know a few of them in another life with a company that
competed with IBM on mainframe hardware.
If IBM blesses your system, how can IBM know that you aren't
running production workloads without paying them the requisite
license fees?
Do not get me wrong. I think IBM really needs this competition.
IBM was a very healthy company when Amdahl was making machines in
my personal opinion (having worked at IBM as a contractor after
layoffs at Amdahl). I found it interesting that IBM started
having problems and then Lou Gerstner was brought in. I don't
think IBM has been the same.
Regards,
Steve Thompson
On 10/04/2016 03:09 PM, Charles Mills wrote:
IMO, FWIW <g> IBM is *very* supportive of those of us who make money developing software.
The pricing at the Dallas Innovation Center cannot be a huge profit center for IBM. IBM is
about to host a software vendor meeting (how much can I say without violating the NDA?) that
has to cost IBM a heck a lot more than the nominal attendance fee. IBM gives my employer a
"software vendor advocate." I can go to him with any problem (well, any problem that
might be in IBM's court) and while he probably does not know the answer (unless it is a GRS or
RSM question) he probably knows someone who knows who knows the answer. We pay nothing for his
time.
That said, why is IBM so antagonistic to z/OS running on non-Z hardware? I of
course don't know (and doubt our advocate would get us an answer!) but perhaps
they fear opening the floodgates? If z/OS on Hercules, then legally why not
z/OS on a Brand X mainframe? Still makes no sense to me, but IBM employs people
who know more and spend more time on this subject than I.
Charles
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