IBM updates desktop mainframe emulator
- Reference: 1664344990
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/09/28/ibm_mainframe_test_dev_environment/
- Source link:
Big Blue's emulators are called the "IBM Z Development and Test Environment", of which version 14.0.0 debuted yesterday.
The software runs on x86 servers or desktops. IBM hasn't updated its [2]hardware requirements page with details for the version 14.0.0 release, but version 13.0 required a 64-bit x86 server with at least four cores, 100GB of space disk space, and between 2GB and 4GB of memory for each. You can get away with an Intel Core 2 Duo at 2GHz, or a first-Gen Core i3.
[3]
IBM recommends one core be dedicated the Linux OS that must be present to run the emulator, then another core dedicated to Linux for every three emulated z/OS cores.
[4]IBM puts NIST’s quantum-resistant crypto to work in Z16 mainframe
[5]AWS says it will cloudify your mainframe workloads
[6]Db2 13 makes z/OS debut, promises AI, hybrid cloud features
As its name implies, the software is designed for test and development workloads. IBM also allows employee education or demonstration of applications that run on z/OS.
Sadly, IBM has limited its functionality, and offers the following warning about what is not possible with the tool:
It cannot be used for code refactoring or re-engineering with the intention to re-platform existing z/OS based applications, neither used for production workloads of any kind … or performance testing. The load module or object code compiled on IBM Z Development and Test Environment cannot be promoted to production.
Sorry, dear reader, if that quashed your dreams of a fully featured desktop mainframe.
If you still fancy taking Big Blue's biggest baddest boxen for a spin, IBM recently [7]spun up a cloudy z/OS test and dev environment designed for real work.
[8]
Or if you can tolerate the desktop edition, IBM charges $5,540 for a license that lasts a year. At the time of writing, Big Blue's e-commerce site also [9]mentions a perpetual license sold at $975 – but when The Register pretended to buy it the price suddenly rose to $11,700. ®
Get our [10]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/05/ibm_z16/
[2] https://www.ibm.com/software/reports/compatibility/clarity/hardwareReqsForProduct.html
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/systems&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YzQbQDxBq1kaPnVOVDb3ogAAAJA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/27/z16_ibm_post_quantum_crypto/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/09/aws_mainframe_modernization/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/11/db2_13_appears_for_osz/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/29/ibm_cloud_mainframe_launch/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/systems&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YzQbQDxBq1kaPnVOVDb3ogAAAJA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.ibm.com/marketplace/purchase/configuration/en/us/checkout?editionID=EIDXNMGM
[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Same here
Think I'll sit this one out whilst waiting for the sorry logic "Also this is USD so it would be double for GBP" to become reality.
Perpetual licence
Well, if it costs $11K but the yearly license costs $5K, I'd say that's still a deal.
Some people buy a car on retirement..
Some people buy a new car on retirement.. I bought a zD&T system. I consider it a good deal, more fun than any car.
I spent my working life on the mainframe, and with zD&T I have been into so many interesting new areas.
It would be good if it was even less expensive - we could get youngsters into it. I remember telling some new graduates "I was involved in 'cloud' and virtualisation 40+ years ago - the rest of the world has now caught up!" We had a pool of second level VM machines, you selected which mini disks of products you wanted ( CICS, IMS etc). ipled and away you went.
Translation
> It cannot be used for code refactoring or re-engineering with the intention to re-platform existing z/OS based applications
Do not even allow yourself to think about other vendors.
No walled *garden* here.
Or I guess you could purchase Enterprise Server licenses from Micro Focus, as that will let you run production workloads.
Same here
I thought I'd see what the perpetual licence cost and yes, it also jumped from $975 to $11,700. Two-year up front charge for perpetual licence seems not a terrible deal, as long as there are upgrades included, which I kind of doubt...Also this is USD so it would be double for AUD I suppose.
cheers