Solaris Unix Is Coming to IBM Mainframes
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Many things in the IT world have achieved the status of being zealously supported by a community of companies and users. The Solaris variant of the Unix operating system achieved that status during the dot-com boom, and being the first major Unix to go open source with the Solaris 10 launch more than two years ago only reinforced the zeal. And that is why IBM, Sun Microsystems' long-time rival in the server space, last week announced that it has forged a reseller agreement with Sun that will see Solaris supported fully and officially on IBM's System x and BladeCenter lines as well as moved to Big Blue's mainframes. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories from Around the Web

(InformationWeek) Even though the IBM mainframe has security tattooed into the processors, the operating system, and at the application level, the highlight of the newest release of z/OS is increased security. Network security and intrusion detection due to increasing integration with distributed systems and the handling of online transactions are at the top of the features list. READ MORE >

(SearchDataCenter) Software scalability and Unix server consolidation on the mainframe are emphasized in the release of z/OS V1.9 that becomes generally available September 28. Logical partitioning that spans 54 processors, including the zIIP and zAAP processors designated for special workloads, will contribute to gains in flexibility and scalability. READ MORE >

(InfoWorld) Look at the Power6 design and think of it in terms of its capability to bring mainframe reliability to other computers. Rather than having systems crashing like cars on black ice, the Power6 microcode looks for alternatives to shutting down. While Power6 may not have the low clock speed and thermals that some multicore alternatives have, its design is superior in ways that are more important. READ MORE >

(ComputerWorld) The shortage of skilled personnel in the mainframe environment is being somewhat offset by easier-to-manage big iron, but by this account the mainframe installed base faces, at best, a short-term skills deficit, and increasing salaries for those who have what it takes as developers and system administrators. READ MORE >

(BMC) Early adopters of IBM's DB2 V9.1 database on z/OS, which makes use of features such as PureXML, partitioning, and universal table spaces, now have the support of BMC Software's 23 management products for improving performance, administration, and recovery processes. BMC's complete line of products is compatible with DB2 V9.1 and available now. READ MORE >

(AQM Solutions) The lack of integration between Web applications and mainframe workloads often results in severe business cramping. It's not uncommon to witness IT managers doubled over in pain. Monitoring performance metrics is one way to relieve cramps. Identifying wasted CPU, and reducing IT operating costs are part of the cure, but you have to know what to eliminate before you can eliminate it. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

See our full calendar of events at
http://www.itjungle.com/big/big-calendar.html

September 17-19 -- Las Vegas, Nevada - The Gartner Portals, Content & Collaboration Summit puts the focus on building, implementing, and managing portals; leveraging social networking for collaboration; and the challenges and pitfalls of enterprise content management projects. There will be 30 sessions within four separate tracks, peer networking, product demonstrations, and distinguished keynote speakers. LEARN MORE >

September 17-21 San Antonio, Texas - The IBM System z Conference and Expo presents sessions on topics such as virtualization, security, resiliency, workload management, and integration. More than 350 in-depth elective sessions will highlight IBM System z9 and zSeries and Systems Storage. The sessions are divided into the following focus areas: General Interest and Management, z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE and Linux. LEARN MORE >

October 8-11 -- Orlando, Florida - The IBM WebSphere Portal Technical Conference will feature the latest product upgrades and platform extensions for the popular middleware. Among the highlights will be an emphasis on faster deployment of composite applications, enhanced Web 2.0 support, simplified portal-based solutions, and increased integration with business processes. IBM product architects and developers, business partners, and customers will provide training, case studies, and best practices information. Certification testing will be available and a vendor expo will be included. LEARN MORE >

October 15-18 -- Dallas, Texas - More than 140 educational sessions, plus networking opportunities with IT managers, storage architects, and infrastructure professionals, and a vendor expo are combined at Storage Networking World, an event hosted by ComputerWorld. Guest speakers include Frank Abagnale, fraud and identity theft expert; James Onalfo, CIO of the New York City Police Department; Steve Fastook, Vice President of Technical and Commercial Operations at CNBC; Brian Cobb, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Systems Management at Fannie Mae, Parker Mabry, Senior Vice President and Manager of Network Systems Engineering at Morgan Keegan; and Joe Lacik, Senior Vice President, of Information Services at Aviall Services. LEARN MORE >

December 2-7 -- San Diego, California - The 33rd annual Computer Measurement Group conference, CMG2007, brings together data processing professionals interested in system evaluation to maximize performance measured in terms of response time, throughput, and through capacity management. Sessions are geared toward making enhancements to existing systems or designing new systems with the aim of providing adequate performance at a reasonable cost. The courses are divided into two groups. One group consists of platform agnostic sessions and provides attendees with basic knowledge that is independent of any specific hardware or operating system. The second group is platform specific specializing in operating systems such as z/OS, Windows, Unix and Linux. LEARN MORE >