Is Mainframe Available On Cloud?
‘Is the mainframe available on the cloud?” is a question I am frequently asked. This is a loaded question with no simple “Yes” or “No” answer. In this blog, I attempt to address the same subject by breaking it down into smaller portions.
This blog seeks to literally answer the question “Is Mainframe Available on Cloud” and does not go into modernization offerings such as Re-Platform, Re-Host, and other ways that mainframe applications can be modernized to the cloud; that is a topic for another day:-)
Chapter 1: What is the Mainframe?
Let’s first define “mainframe,” as per IBM [1] ‘At their core, mainframes are high-performance computers with large amounts of memory and processors that process billions of simple calculations and transactions in real time. The mainframe is critical to commercial databases, transaction servers, and applications that require high resiliency, security, and agility.’
There are many players who are involved in the manufacturing of mainframe computers. To name a few, IBM, Fujitsu, Hitachi, and HP. IBM dominates the mainframe market with a 90% [2] market share. blog will talk about the IBM Mainframe.
Chapter 2 — Mainframe Hardware and Software
The mainframe is like any server combination of hardware and software.
Hardware: The first mainframe was created using the s360 architecture, which evolved into the s390 architecture and the recent zArchitecture [3]. The most recent mainframe, z15 (launched in 2019), is built on the zArchitecture platform and features 40TB of memory and a PR/SM hypervisor that can accommodate up to 185 LPARs [4].
Software: Like x86 servers, mainframe servers, can run more than one operating system. Let’s have a look at which operating systems run on the mainframe.
Below is the list of operating systems for mainframe computers:
1) z/OS: The z Operating System is the de facto mainframe operating system. zOS runs COBOL, CICS, DB2 , IMS etc.
2) z/TPF: The z Transaction Processing Facility (z/TPF) operating system is a special-purpose system used by organizations that process a large number of transactions, such as credit card companies and airline reservation systems.
3) z/VSE: The z Virtual Storage Extended operating system is a stable and secure transaction and batch workload operating system for the mainframe platform. zVSE is preferred for a smaller, less complex base for batch processing and transaction processing.
4) z/VM: The z Virtual Machine is the current version of IBM’s VM family of virtual machine operating systems and acts as a hypervisor on which multiple LPAR’s can run.
5) z/Linux: Linux on IBM Z is the collective term for the Linux operating system compiled to run on IBM mainframes, especially IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE servers ( Note the term LinuxONE)
Chapter 3 — Public Cloud and Mainframe
The prominent players in the public cloud market are the MAAGI (Microsoft, Amazon, Alibaba, Google, and IBM), and they have a plethora of offerings around distributed computing. Do they also offer mainframe servers on their cloud?
As of today (February 2022), IBM is the only vendor that offers a mainframe server on its public cloud, and the z14 and z15 hardware infrastructure are made available as part of IBM Cloud MZR (Multi Zone Region). Let’s look at these offerings :
1) Z Hardware and Linux OS — Hyper Protect Crypto / DBaas / Virtual Servers / LinuxOne Virtual Servers
In 2019, IBM announced [7] the availability of Hyper Protect Virtual Servers[6] These servers run Linux OS on top of zArchitecture ( LinuxOne Servers).
a. Hyper Protect Crypto Services is a key management and cloud hardware security module.
b. Hyper Protect Virtual Servers grants complete authority over Linux-based virtual servers for workloads that contain sensitive data and business IP
c. Hyper Protect DBaaS Fully managed and highly secure databases — including PostgreSQL and MongoDB Enterprise Server — provide a high level of data confidentiality for sensitive data
2) Z Hardware and z/OS — Wazi as-a-Service
For the first time, zOS will be available on the IBM Cloud for development and testing purposes. IBM Wazi as-a-Service (Wazi aaS), announced on February 14, 2022, brings z/OS capabilities to the IBM Cloud. According to IBM, general access to z/OS is scheduled to be accessible in 2H 2022, available as needed for development and test purposes. This infrastructure-as-a-service solution is positioned as a method to cut down on the time and resources needed to develop mainframe applications.
Chapter 4 — Mainframe as a Service (MFaaS)
While the mainframe servers have generally been handled in-house by staff IT personnel, some organizations have chosen to use a “Mainframe as a Service” approach, in which a third-party vendor provides the infrastructure, support, and maintenance. Vendors like IBM’s (now Kyndrl) zCloud, Ensono, etc provide MFaaS offerings. The jury is still out on whether or not the MFaaS service qualifies as a complete end-to-end cloud offering 😊
Chapter 5 — Conclusion
The discussion over mainframe vs. cloud, which has raged for many years since the inception of the cloud, has shifted to mainframe and cloud, how they can co-exist! As technology advances on Z, it’s critical that Z become a part of the cloud / hybrid cloud environment. IBM has taken the initial steps in this direction with Wazi as a service offering, and I am hopeful that end-to-end Z services will be available on the cloud in the not-too-distant future.
I hope this article has clarified what the cloud has to offer in terms of mainframes.
References:
[1] https://www.ibm.com/in-en/topics/mainframe
[2] https://www.360researchreports.com/global-mainframe-market-15056041
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_System/360_architecture
[4] https://ibm-zcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/IBM-z15-Technical-Pitch-Handout.pdf
[5] https://www.ibm.com/cloud/wazi-as-a-service
[6] https://cloud.ibm.com/catalog/services/hyper-protect-virtual-server#about
[7] https://www.ibm.com/cloud/blog/announcements/announcing-ibm-cloud-hyper-protect-virtual-servers