IBM announced that technology enabling IBM zEnterprise System users to integrate Microsoft Windows applications into the mainframe environment - an industry first - will become available on December 16th. With this new capability, end users with multi-tier applications - for example, Windows applications connected to mainframe data - can be integrated and consolidated on the same system.
With this announcement, clients can now run z/OS and Linux on System z along with IBM AIX, x86 Linux and Microsoft Windows on the zEnterprise System.
The new capability of consolidating and centralizing management of Windows applications on x86-based IBM System x servers will be available for either of the zEnterprise systems - the z196 or z114. The new enabling technology also provides centralized management, which offers a variety of money-saving benefits, such as faster and automated access to computing resources, reduced administration and lower training costs.
Through a hybrid computing approach that IBM introduced with the zEnterprise System in July 2010, select IBM System x blades and System x applications can be installed in a zEnterprise. Application servers can be physically and logically close to the data running on the mainframe.
The hybrid capability already had been available for managing IBM Power-based workloads with operating system support for AIX and System x-based workloads with Linux as well as a business analytics solution and a multi-functional appliance for System z (IBM WebSphere DataPower XI50 for zEnterprise).
These options now offer a more integrated multi-platform system that combines the best of IBM's server technology. The announcement represents another example of the mainframe's continued vitality in a highly competitive and dynamic server marketplace, IBM adds.
For more information, visit www.ibm.com/systems/z.