Mainframe, MVS and zOS Discussion

Hi,

Has someone here started using IBM's z13? Are we able to use it for better cloud and analytics use compared to traditional zOS hardware?

I think you're asking a very hard-to-answer question. A former employer had 2 z13 machines when I stopped working for them, but they were using both machines for traditional system z workloads; any cloud of analytics work being done on them was a very small component in a very large system. The z13, being larger and faster than previous hardware generations, will be able to work with cloud and analytics better than the previous hardware generations. However, I suspect few -- if any -- companies are going to spend the money for a z13 merely for its cloud and analytics capabilities. Most companies upgrade machines because they are running out of capacity processing their current workload, or because their previous machine is going out of service -- not for some nebulous concept like "better cloud and analytics". Perhaps you should direct your question to a company doing cloud and analytics?

Most companies upgrade machines because they are running out of capacity processing their current workload, or because their previous machine is going out of service

We got z13 for both of these reasons and have no cloud running on them. However all other workloads are performing better. Like 30% reduction in CICS transaction response times & job elapsed times.

vasanthz wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 3:47 amLike 30% reduction in CICS transaction response times & job elapsed times.

That's an interesting number - just hardware changes brings in that change?

On the same machine, going from z/OS 1.8 to 1.9 increased CPU usage by 10% or so -- sometimes unexpected results occur when changing software OR hardware. IBM tries to lower the processing time with each new generation of machine, so 30% is not impossible. It would depend upon the processing mix, the use of cryptography, and specialty engines in use.

Thanks Robert.