IBM Offers Windows on Mainframes For The First Time

News
By Douglas Perry
published

IBM is expanding software support for its mainframe server technology.

zEnterprise system will be able to connect to Windows applications in a hybrid computing environment that combine z196 and z114 servers that are combined with x86-based IBM x servers. IBM said that the "new heterogeneous virtual IT infrastructure" will become available on December 16.

With an approach that enables front-end Windows applications to integrate with applications and data on a mainframe system, IBM says that the technology addresses the problem of "the jumble of disparate technologies added over time to run specific applications." The combination of the mainframe with an x86 server can consolidate app environments, staff and software tools. As a result, the IT environment will be less complex, will require less management and reduces cost, IBM claims. The company said that the cost savings can amount to "up to 70 percent" over traditional distributed platforms.

The addition of x86 now enables IBM's mainframe system to support z/OS, Linux, IBM AIX, x86 Linux and Microsoft Windows.

Douglas Perry
31 Comments Comment from the forums
  • YES!
    Reply
  • goatsetung
    No idea what the implications are, but it's interesting.
    Reply
  • back_by_demand
    goatsetungNo idea what the implications are, but it's interesting.
    The company said that the cost savings can amount to "up to 70 percent" over traditional distributed platforms.
    Millions of dollars, that's a pretty big implication
    Reply
  • hpglow
    They are selling something, so of course they are going to say that this technology will save a company millions. The catch of course is that it is not free and you will have to spend money to "save" this money. Therefore, it may take a company many years to recoup these savings, if they do at all.
    Reply
  • marraco
    WTF!!!

    I would never put windows on a server, and even less on a mainframe. But I would had bet that windows was available at least a decade ago.

    I guess that mainframes are getting inexpensive enough to appeal to a broader "audience", and they have no time to fight console screens.

    Creating graphic, human "readable" standards good enough to replace console commands is a huge task, but we are in 2011. Is time to evolve, Linux.
    LVM is unnecessarily complex, anti intuitive, and obscure.
    Reply
  • ta152h
    It sounds like they're just making data sharing easier, not actually running x86 on mainframes, or am I missing something?

    Why would anyone want to run Windows on a mainframe? Mainframes are supposed to be reliable. Microsoft on something mission critical makes about as much sense as electing a Democrat and hoping for a balanced budget.
    Reply
  • Mainframes need to go away, they've outlived their usefulness. There are plenty of other ways to have security and 100% uptime without having to deal with odd hardware and bizarre operating systems.

    What makes this stranger is Windows integration. Windows is not synonymous with mission-critical or secure, Meanwhile, businesses will continue to flock en masse to Linux for mission-critical applications.
    Reply
  • TA152H: You mean electing a Republican and hoping for a balanced budget? Or are we re-writing history where Bush had a balanced budget, and Obama turned it into a massive deficit?

    You should try factoring in the cost of interest payments on previous Republican debt, then adjusting for inflation. It's not that bad.
    Reply
  • palladin9479
    @TA152H ??? Umm what? MS Windows server 2003 and beyond run quite stably, we utilize them for exchange and AD services for 24/7 ops. Considering this is a C2 system it's about as "mission critical" as you can get other then a space shuttle.

    That being said we also heavily utilize Solaris for core systems, so it's about picking the right tool for the right use.
    Reply
  • togenshi
    Mainframes need to go away, they've outlived their usefulness. There are plenty of other ways to have security and 100% uptime without having to deal with odd hardware and bizarre operating systems.

    What makes this stranger is Windows integration. Windows is not synonymous with mission-critical or secure, Meanwhile, businesses will continue to flock en masse to Linux for mission-critical applications.

    Obviously someone has never worked in a IBM midrange/mainframe environment. You have no idea what you are talking about. Windows is not a server OS. If anything, it is a bastardized version of a desktop-made-serverish OS. IBM i/p/z series usually clock in the uptime in years and if there is anytime a failure, there is redundancy and I (front panel or HMC) or IBM can locate the EXACT part that is faulty and have an engineer with the spare part at work within 4hours, even if its 2am in the morning.

    Not to mention that working with ILE makes programming so much easier to interact with the OS. IBM's documentation is very thorough as well.

    If it wasn't that the service and systems came at a significant premium, it would be far more popular in businesses than it is now. If IBM gave systems for free to universities, IT will see a significant change. Oh and changed their damn entitlements/passport advantage systems already.
    Reply