Let’s start with two simple facts about mainframe virtualization:
IBM released its first version of the z/VM product (then called VM/370) in 1972, which was the first commercially available OS with built-in virtualization functionality. That was nearly 30 years before VMware introduced its first server product.
And, it’s not as if IBM was resting on its laurels with its 30-year head start. In fact, IBM has been bringing innovation to virtualization for more than four decades. Today, the System z platform is the only platform that can run at near-100% utilization. It can run more virtual images per core than any other platform. It is the only platform that has never suffered a security breach on the Internet.
With the zEnterprise System, IT organizations can consolidate multiple systems and software stacks on a single platform, deploying an integrated platform that brings System z and distributed technologies together. Current System z models allow IT to create up to 60 logical partitions, running z/OS, z/VM, Linux, Transaction Processing Facility and/or z/VSE on a single System z server.
The z/VM mainframe virtualization software allows IT to run up to hundreds, even thousands, of virtual servers from a single point of control, providing horizontal scalability and enormous opportunities for cost savings through consolidation onto a single System z. IBM’s z/VM is designed for rapid server deployment and provisioning and enables new virtual servers in real time, providing support for multiple diverse workloads in a secure EAL+4 and isolated environment.
z/VM offers the highest levels of resource sharing – including over-commitment capabilities for processors and memory, Live Guest Relocation, Single System Image, I/O bandwidth and system availability, resulting in nearly 100 percent utilization of the system resources nearly 100 percent of the time. From simple multitasking to logical partitions to complete simulation of virtual hardware and operating environments, the System z virtualization capabilities provide mature and sophisticated virtualization technologies.
Why is this all so important to today’s IT professionals?
Because virtualization is the driving factor for many of the significant trends in business and technology today, particularly cloud computing. Organizations are under pressure to consolidate IT resources and to create new models for optimization, resource utilization, agility, automation and efficiency. In addition, they must build their highly virtualized cloud infrastructures on secure platforms that ensure the highest levels of performance, cost savings and elastic scalability.
The original pioneer in virtualization is still setting the standard. And all of the benefits that IBM first envisioned with virtualization have now become more important than ever.
