Cobol - [SeimOT] IBM, Linux, and IFLs

Author

[SeimOT] IBM, Linux, and IFLs

William M. Klein

2007-10-07, 6:55 pm

Let me preface this by making it clear that I really DO NOT know anything
(beyond what I have found on the IBM site) about IBM's IFLs (Integrated Facility
for Linux). However as a follow-up on another post, I thought I would point
others to:
http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/os/linux/ifl.html

It appears to me that an IFL is *only* available as an "add-on" to a
"traditional" z9 processor (general processor). And in fact in the
chart/diagram on this page called "One IFL added " it appears to me that there
is STILL a zVM OS running on the IFL *with* Linux - even though the IFL is a
"dedicated" CP. Notice particularly the bullet
"Software cost for z/VM and Linux distribution"

I would be interested if anyone working at a z9 shop that has an IFL can clarify
this for me (us).

--
Bill Klein
wmklein <at> ix.netcom.com

Robert

2007-10-07, 6:55 pm

On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:33:32 GMT, "William M. Klein" <wmklein@nospam.netcom.com> wrote:

>Let me preface this by making it clear that I really DO NOT know anything
>(beyond what I have found on the IBM site) about IBM's IFLs (Integrated Facility
>for Linux). However as a follow-up on another post, I thought I would point
>others to:
> http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/os/linux/ifl.html
>
>It appears to me that an IFL is *only* available as an "add-on" to a
>"traditional" z9 processor (general processor). And in fact in the
>chart/diagram on this page called "One IFL added " it appears to me that there
>is STILL a zVM OS running on the IFL *with* Linux - even though the IFL is a
>"dedicated" CP. Notice particularly the bullet
> "Software cost for z/VM and Linux distribution"

The chart below that one, and the first chart on the page, both show Linux running without
VM.

I cited the same page in the other posting.

>I would be interested if anyone working at a z9 shop that has an IFL can clarify
>this for me (us).

This guy works in a z9 shop.

QUESTION POSED ON: 26 August 2005
Can I run Linux on the bare metal of the mainframe or do I have to use VM? If I can run it
natively, what are the advantages/di

vantages?

EXPERT RESPONSE

It is possible to run Linux on the bare metal (on machines that still have basic mode) and
in an LPAR without VM. Unless your application is such that it requires absolutely every
possible cycle that can be squeezed out of the underlying hardware, the manageability,
error management and resource management capabilities added by z/VM are overwhelmingly
desirable (to the point of being my "recommended" method for deploying Linux on zSeries).

http://searchdatacenter.techtarget....1153029,00.html

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