The Ultimate Windows Server?

Many months ago, I spoke with storage and virtualization guru Jon Toigo about the IBM System z, otherwise known as a mainframe. This puppy isn't your father's mainframe; it runs on Power6 processors (a lot of them), the same basic chip that drove Macs for years. The latest System z was touted as being able to operate up to 1,500 virtual machines, so for those seeking green datacenters, that mainframe is pretty darn compelling.

The only problem was IBM didn't announce support for Windows servers. Toigo, though, told me these machines could, in fact, be made to run Windows.

I didn't think about this conversation 'til yesterday, when I read our report on Windows mainframes. While IBM and Microsoft still don't officially support Windows on mainframes, there are a couple of apparently solid emulation tools that let you do just that. However, not being native, these solutions are a bit of a compromise.

Has the role of the mainframe in your shop changed? If so, how? E-mail your answers to dbarney@redmondmag.com. 

Posted by Doug Barney on September 09, 2009 at 11:53 AM