IBM is not just introducing new mainframes, but a new way of paying for
on premises big iron that makes mainframes cheaper than they've even
before.
SEATTLE -- At LinuxCon, IBM launched LinuxONE, a new pair of IBM mainframes along with Linux and open-source software and services. These new systems are the LinuxONE Emperor, which built on the IBM z13 mainframe and its z13 CPU, and its little brother, Rockhopper, which uses the older z12 processor. IBM's new LinuxONE mainframes aren't only powerful, they're very affordable.IBM
claims that LinuxONE Emperor is capable of scaling up to 8,000 virtual
machines or tens of thousands of containers and that's more than any
other single Linux system. LinuxONE Rockhopper is an entry-level
mainframe. It's designed for clients and emerging markets seeking
mainframe speed, security and availability but for a smaller price-tag.The
z13 mainframe series can hold up to 10 TBs of memory. Its 8-core z13
CPU can run up to 5GHz. On IBM benchmarks, a loaded LinuxONE could
perform 30-billion Representational State Transfer (RESTful)
transactions a day using Node.js and MongoDB in Docker containers. In
brief, these are spectacularly speedy systems.
IBM also states
that the LinuxONE are the most secure Linux systems ever with advanced
encryption features built into both the hardware and software to help
keep customer data and transactions confidential and secure. This is
done with dedicated crypto processors and cards so your company can
handle millions of transactions per second securely.
LinuxONE isn't just a new use of hardware. IBM has enabled key open
source and industry software for LinuxONE and IBM z Systems. This
includes Apache Spark, Node.js, MongoDB, MariaDB, PostgreSQL and Chef.
These technologies work seamlessly on the mainframe just as they do with
other platforms, requiring no special skills and with compelling
performance advantages.
Is that really true? You can see for
yourself. IBM, in partnership with Marist College and Syracuse
University's School of Information Studies will host clouds that provide
developers access to a virtual IBM LinuxONE at no cost. IBM will also
create a special cloud for independent software providers (ISVs) hosted
at IBM sites in Dallas, Beijing, and Boeblingen, that provide
application vendors access and a free trial to LinuxONE resources to
port, test and benchmark new applications.
That's nice you might say, but I can't afford a mainframe. Think again.
Ross
Mauri, IBM's General Manager of z Systems, said in a LinuxCon keynote
speech, that LinuxONE comes with a new financing model. With this you
can have a LinuxONE Emperor or Rockhopper on site but, like a public
cloud, you'll only pay for the resources you use.
In an interview, Mauri added, "You can still buy or
lease a mainframe. The elastic pricing is meant mostly for emergencing
markets and service providers. IBM will work with existing customers who
want to move to the new elastic pricing model."
Why would
customers who already own or lease mainframes want to do that? Mauri
explained, "With a Rockhopper and elastic pricing, this is the least
expensive entry option ever for a mainframe."
Linux continues to give the mainframe the new blood it needs to stay alive in the 21st century.
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