March 2007 – One age-old saying is that, 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks.' Venerable mainframe systems from IBM may have supported your business well in the past, but today’s business challenges demand greater computing flexibility, more adaptable applications and better return on your IT investments. IBM has been touting new tricks for the mainframe such as affordability1, Linux, and power efficiency 2 in an attempt to keep the mainframe relevant -- but do these claims hold up to close scrutiny?
Please consider the following:
Without public performance data, users must rely on data from IBM. How can a customer do independent comparisons of cost, energy efficiency, or TCO between mainframes and other platforms without objective public data?
Why doesn’t IBM freely publish the specifics of the TCO data presented to analysts so that the detail can be scrutinised?
Contrast this to x86 or Itanium-based servers:
| Mainframe Linux | HP Integrity Linux | |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) |
$95-000 - $125,000 USD per IFL |
Not applicable |
| Basic SUSE Linux Enterprise Server subscription (1 year) |
$11,999 USD/processor or IFL |
$349 USD/System |
| Basic SUSE Linux Enterprise Server subscription (3 year) |
$29,998 USD/processor or IFL |
$873 USD/System |
Because of this huge HP TCO advantage, it’s not surprising that IBM’s press release of December 2006 does not address mainframe TCO versus HP Integrity NonStop.8
For more on the HP Integrity NonStop NS1000 Availability click here to read the report.
The specified typical power draw for a HP Integrity Superdome with 64 Itanium2 cores is 9,490 watts,9 which is about ½ that of the IBM System z9 Enterprise Class model s54 with 54 central processors, rated at 18,300 watts.10
The HP Virtual Server Environment (VSE) for HP Integrity servers helps you achieve improved utilisation. VSE gives you flexible capacity by optimising server resource utilisation in real time based on business priorities.
| IBM z9 EC Mainframe11 | HP Integrity Superdome12 | |
|---|---|---|
Maximum CPUs Memory Capacity Internal I/O Capacity |
54 PU (processing units) 512GB 84 slots (3 I/O cages |
128 cores (64 dual core Itanium2) 2TB 192 slots (with I/O expansion) |
Max soft partitions Max virtual machine images (theoretical) Max electrically isolated hard partitions |
60 LPARs with z/OS13 >1,000 Linux VMs with z/VM 5.314 N/A |
128 vPars with HP-UX 2,560 Integrity VMs per Superdome with HP-UX, Windows (and Linux - future) 16 (HP-UX, Windows, Linux, OVMS) |
Max # cores in a single OS image |
32 with z/VM 5.3 |
128 (available now) |
For example, the HP BladeSystem’s Virtual Connect can reduce total LAN and SAN connectivity costs by up to 38 percent versus pass-through modules, and can consolidate cables and switch ports by up to 94 percent.17
Unlike the proprietary, monolithic mainframe approach, HP Virtual Connect is built on industry-standard technologies. The HP Virtual Connect modules cleanly separate server management from local area network (LAN) and storage area network (SAN) management without introducing another network to manage or disturbing existing network topologies.
To see how much HP Virtual Connect can save you see: http://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/cache/459620-0-0-0-121.html#How_much_could_it_save_me
IBM’s marketing machine is pushing hard on the idea that the mainframe is a cost effective platform relative to other platforms. When the claims are put to scrutiny, we found that --without the objective data behind those claims -- it is hard to tell what is truly fact and what is creative marketing.
HP Consulting and Integration Services can help assess your mainframe applications and IT environment, and recommend more agile and cost-effective alternatives that will be right for your business. For more information about mainframe modernisation options, visit:
1 IBM Mainframe More Cost Efficient Than Other Platforms, Analyst Reports http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/20823.wss
2 IBM 'IBM Mainframe Offers Unmatched Security and Power Efficiency, Analyst Says' http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/20840.wss
3 As of 13 March 2007. A review of http://www.spec.org and http://www.tpc.org
4 IBM document 'Linux on System X – Integrated Facility for Linux
5 See: http://www.novell.com/products/server/howtobuy.html
6 See: http://www.novell.com/products/server/howtobuy.html
7 The Standish Group, Virtual Beacon Issue 387, 03 June 2005, http://www.standishgroup.com/sample_research/beacon_387.php
8 IBM Mainframe More Cost Efficient Than Other Platforms, Analyst Reports http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/20823.wss
9 HP Integrity Superdome site preparation guide; http://docs.hp.com/en/A9834-9003D/A9834-9003D.pdf
10http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/z9ec/specifications.html, http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/19577.wss
11http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/z9ec/specifications.html
12 HP Integrity Superdome Specifications, http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=5982-9836EN&cc=us&lc=en
13ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_sp/n/ZSO03005USEN/ZSO03005USEN.PDF
14http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/21029.wss
15http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/21029.wss
16http://www-306.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/8/897/ENUS207-018/ENUS207018.PDF
17http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2007/070227a.html
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