- Site menu:
- Latest Discussions
- Latest Newswire
- Archives
- Submit Story
- Story HOWTO
- Syndicate
- E-mail Alerts
Linux: The Latest MF Operating System?
Mainframes (MF) in the news again? Can it be or did I just wake up in 1980 all over again? It's true (the Mainframe part not 1980) that we are now looking backward for our future in virtualization and Cloud Computing using Linux as the delivery system. Mainframes have a 40-year history with virtualization--in fact, the IBM System z's z/VM is a Type-1 hypervisor--like VMware's ESX and Xen. Something old and something new. Melding the two disparate worlds of Mainframes and Linux is an exciting undertaking. Linux is the Operating System new kid on the block with its x86 orientation and a unix filesystem and command structure. It's also the favorite of many who use virtualized infrastructure, including Cloud-based infrastructure. Linux is an essential part of Cloud Computing because of its cost, agility, customizability, and use in supercomputing. What does this mean for you? What it means is that you'll use the Cloud for applications, services, and possibly even your Desktop interface. And it means that all the buzz, and worry, about Cloud Computing may be at an end. There's a lot of naysaying going on these days with techies and CEOs alike railing against Cloud Computing because of your lack of control--or more importantly--Security. The security question is no longer relavent since we're now talking Mainframes. Mainframes have the highest level of security of any system--and always have. z/VM fully supports Linux as a Guest OS or image in MF-speak. Almost every service imaginable is available for Linux on z/VM and IBM is excited about it and is pouring time and resources into its continued development. Does IBM know something the rest of us don't about Linux and Cloud Computing? They did. The word is out. |
|
|
Comments (9)
Given how much time a desktop PC sits idle, waiting for a user event, it still makes sense in a corporate environment to centralize a lot of the program execution. As a bonus, the lighter the desktop system, the lower its power consumption.
Thing is, the mainframe world (Unix and VMS in particular) have had multi-user multi-processing in their GUI's practically since the beginning, but That Other Redmondian OS is still single-user. Only one interactive user at a time may be logged in.The only way it becomes multi-user is through a virtualization add-on, and the proprietary licensing is dicey even for that! Virtualizing through Citrix, is "good," while doing the same within Bochs or LKVM is "evil," sez them.
Although, just think of the Folding@Home points you could get with all those desktop systems...
My only nit was that linux has been on the mainframe for years and years. AFAIK, open solaris is actually the newest mainframe OS, having just recently been ported, while linux on the mainframe actually started happening in the 90s.
Quoting:roughly twice as large as a typical desktop system
Check
Quoting:weighs five times as much
Check
Quoting:hurts a lot more when you drop it on your foot
Check :-)
Quoting:I'd need an air-conditioned room
Nope, but a closed cupboard isn't ideal either.
Quoting:a high-voltage connection
Nope. Standard will do fine.
Quoting:a special agreement with the power company not to take a kidney if I couldn't make a payment
Nope. It uses about 300W, or about $50 a month in power.
Ouch! You pay $0.23 per kilowatt-hour? (0.3*24*30=216 Kwh)
When I was in college *mumblety* years ago, the air conditioning failed in the server room. What nobody knew was that the temperature alarm had also failed sometime earlier. When the network admin opened the door to the room, a wall of hot air hit him in the face. That was how they learned about the failures.
Immediately, the VAX admin took VMS down to single-user mode, while the rest of the staff grabbed as many fans as they could, to push some room-temperature air in where it was needed. Fortunately, they didn't need to power down the VAX; it would have taken two hours to do a full reboot from power-up.
And a few years ago, I saw an 11/750 in the Computer History Museum. *snif*
Of course you have to think about the mainframe design. For instance, all of the disk I/O is offloaded to separate dedicate disk drives. There are a lot of things that come standard in a mini or X86 based server that are not in that Z-box.
(Most of the people buying the Z already have that equipment)
Post a comment
A free account is needed to post. Write your comment here first: your text is kept in this browser while you sign up or log in, and is waiting for you when you come back.
Your message:Sign up and post (it is free) or Log in and post