Hi Guys,

I just wondering if anyone out there have got the chance to use the Zlinux. If you have please your comments will be highly appreciated. For those who haven't heard about Zlinux is a flavour of Linux that runs on what IBM calls IFL's and is basically sitting on the mainframe (Zseries boxes). We are evaluating getting into Linux and IBM is putting this as a option on the table. Thanks.

Hi,

z/Linux is a distribution of REDHAT or SUSE Linux on IBM zSeries (mainframe). This zSeries works with CP (central processor) and, if z/Linux is working, some IFL (Integrated Facility for Linux) that are processors enabled specifically for Linux workload.

Thus, z/Linux can work on a entire zSeries (z9, z10...), on an logical image (LPAR = Logical partitioning of an zSeries) or under z/VM.

There is some links :
IBM Redbooks | z/VM and Linux on IBM System z The Virtualization Cookbook for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2
IBM Redbooks | z/VM and Linux on IBM System z The Virtualization Cookbook for SLES 10 SP2

regards

Thanks anyway but I hoping to hear from someone who has used or implemented. Finding Red books url nowdays is so easy and have checked those links already. Sometimes there is one big difference what it says on paper and what really happens once you start using it. If someone have implemented or used zlinux before would be great to hear their comments. Thanks.

That's sort of an open ended question, if you have anything more specific you would like, I can certainly chime in!

We are planning to migrate a big chunk of our Aix servers onto the new Zlinux and I wonder if whoever has done it before has seen / gained performance benefits. Maybe faster CPU's which is one of the main reasons IBM is selling this to us. AIX has become so mature and reliable so much lately and I find hard to believe that you can get similar capabilities from any other linux/unix Operating System. I work with a big group of experience unix administrators with exposure in Linux/Unix(Solaris/HP UX and AIX) and basically that is their point of view. Any comments in regards to transitioning to Zlinux regardless they are good or bad would be highly appreciated. Thanks.