Table of Contents page

An Oracle Use Case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2The Limits of Virtualization on Commodity Hardware for Certain Use Cases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2The Solution: IBM System z with SUSE Linux Enterprise for System z. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Benefits of Oracle Consolidation with IBM System z and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. . . . . . . . . 5The Proof: Customer Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Conclusion / Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Database Consolidation on SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server for System z

Business White PaperServer

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Server Business White PaperDatabase Consolidation on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for System z

Executive SummaryCertainly,.x86.systems.are.both.“good.enough”.and.cost-effective.for.virtualizing.servers.and.applications.in.many.circumstances ..But.as.virtualization.grows,.the.result.is.often.virtual.server.sprawl—creating.a.new.kind.of.IT.complexity.and.adding.costs ..

Databases.have.been.particularly.challenging.to.consolidate ..Many.leading.databases.are.not.certified.(and,.therefore,.aren’t.supported).for.virtualization ..Most.run.on.bare.metal—which.adds.database.licensing.costs.as.well.as.increasing.hardware.costs.as.the.physical.environment.grows ..What’s.more,.running.databases.on.separate.servers.often.reduces.processing.performance .

As.a.result,.many.companies.with.databases.running.in.a.dis-tributed.environment.still.suffer.from.IT.complexity.and.continu-ally.escalating.database.licensing,.hardware.and.other.IT-related.costs.as.they.grow ..What.can.they.do?

One.virtualization.solution.overcomes.these.challenges:.IBM.System.z.hardware.(the.mainframe).running.SUSE®.Linux.Enter-prise.Server.for.System.z.on.IBM.z/VM.virtualization.technology ..It.offers:

OneoftheveryfewvirtualizationsolutionscertifiedforandsupportedbyOracle

Well-known,industry-leadingperformanceandsecurity,aswellasreliability,availability,andserviceability(RAS)—betterthananyx86environment

Opportunityforsignificantgrowthwithinasinglephysicalsystem—minimizingtheneedforadditionaldatabaselicenses(requiredper-core)andadditionalhardware

Lowertotalcostofownershipcomparedtovirtualizationonx86,includingreduceddatabaselicensingcostsandlowercostsinobtainingortrainingskilledmainframeresourcesthanisgenerallythought

Here’s.a.closer.look,.including.company.examples.that.illustrate.these.advantages ..

The Limits of Virtualization on Commodity Hardware for Certain Use CasesFrequently,.a.company.replaces.an.aged.x86.or.UNIX.server.or.virtualizes.workloads.with.a.new.commodity.x86.machine.be-cause.they.offer.greater.performance.per.watt.at.a.low.cost ..However,.in.mid-to-large.size.data.centers.often.issues.arise.in.using.x86s.for.virtualization.that.undermine.the.cost.cutting.and.IT.simplification.goals.of.virtualization .

Virtual Server SprawlWhat.happens.as.virtualization.on.x86.systems.keeps.growing—as.is.forecast?1.Typically,.virtual.server.sprawl ..As.more.mission-critical.workloads.are.virtualized.on.one.physical.machine,.the.risks,.if.that.machine.fails,.increase ..To.ensure.robust.fail-over.

An Oracle Use CaseTo reduce IT costs and complexity, many companies have used virtualization to consolidate x86 servers in their data centers—only to discover problems inherent in their virtualized, distributed UNIX, Linux, and/or Windows environments.

__________

1 EdisonGroup,“IBMEnterpriseLinuxServer:SuperiorVirtualizationEliminatesx86ServerSprawl,”NewYork,2012.

3www.suse.com

requires.adding.equivalent.hardware.as.well.as.two.disk.storage.adapters.and.networks.interface.cards ..Now.the.redundant.server.is.underutilized ..Also,.costs.have.doubled,.as.have.RAM,.processor.core.count.and.physical.cabling,.and.more.switches,.floor.space,.and.cooling.are.required ..New.servers,.backup.servers,.monitor-ing.infrastructure,.etc ..can.multiply.quickly--.bringing.greater.complexity.with.less.visibility.and.spiraling.costs ..And.with.more.external.“connections”.required.to.complete.processing,.comput-ing.slows.and.the.incidence.of.disruption.and.security.risks.rise .

Lack of Certification—and Support—for Databases in Virtualized EnvironmentsEven.with.small.virtualization.projects,.there.is.one.looming.issue ..

First.and.foremost,.most.databases.aren’t.certified.or.supported.on.virtualization.software ..For.example,.Oracle.products.are.not.certified.or.supported.to.run.on.any.non-Oracle.x86.virtualization.technology.such.as.KVM,.Xen,.Hyper-V.or.VMWare .2.

Other.issues.that.arise.with.databases.in.distributed.x86.environ-ments.lead.to.increasing.costs ..For.example:

MostDBMS(databasemanagementsystem)vendorsrequirerecreatingtheDBMSonbaremetalforsupport,addingtothehardwarecountandcosts.

Ifadatabaseislargeorgrowing,asislikely,allthedatawon’tfitintomainmemoryonanx86.Therefore,databaseadministratorsoftenhosttheirDBsonbaremetaland,forimprovedresponsetimes(pagecachehits),theyaddalotmoremainmemorytothesetup—againaddingcostandcomplexity.

Whendevelopingandtestingapplications,it’sbestNOTtousetheproductiondatasets.Developersmustmakecop-iesofthedatabase—thusneedinganotherphysicalmachine.Multipledevelopmentprojectscan,therefore,leadtoaddingmorehardware,thusincreasingtheneedforcablingandcooling—anddatacentercosts.

Finally,databasesareusuallylicensedpernumberofproces-sorcorespermachine(notjustthecoresinuse).Soasthenumberofdatabaseserversgrows,sodothenumberofsoftwarelicenses—forincreasingcosts.

Fortunately,.there.is.a.solution.designed.to.circumvent.or.handle.these.problems .

The Solution: IBM System z with SUSE Linux Enterprise for System z

Why IBM System zIBM.System.z.machines.offer.many.advantages.for.virtualization:

CERTIFIED FOR VIRTUALIZING ORACLE DATABASES

One.mainframe.advantage.is.crucial.in.reducing.IT.complexity ..On.most.hardware.architectures.and.operating.systems,.Oracle.only.certifies.and.supports.its.own.virtualization.solutions ..This.is.different.for.IBM.System.z.running.Linux ..Oracle.software.stacks.are.certified.and.supported.on.certified.distributions.of.Linux.run-ning.natively.in.LPARs.or.as.a.guest.OS.in.z/VM.Virtual.Machines.deployed.on.IBM.System.z.64-bit.servers .”2.As.a.result,.Oracle.databases.are.supported.on.mainframe.partitions,.reducing.risks.and.eliminating.the.cost.of.adding.physical.machines.just.for.the.databases ..There.are.other.virtualization.and.cost.benefits.as.well .

HIGH PERFORMANCE, LARGE MEMORY CAPACITY

From.the.top.of.the.line.(IBM.z196./EC12).to.the.entry.point.(IBM.z114/zBC12).systems,.mainframes.excel.in.performance.and.ca-pacity ..The.IBM.zEC12.can.often.meet.the.capacity.requirements.of.an.entire.multi-platform.data.center.in.a.single.system ..It.offers.101.configurable.cores,.has.up.to.3.TB.of.main.memory,.uses.the.world’s.most.powerful.microprocessors.running.at.5 .5.GHz.and.is.capable.of.executing.more.than.78,000.millions.of.instructions.per.second.(MIPS) .3.The.newest.entry.point.system,.the.zBC12,.offers.up.to.13.configurable.microprocessors.running.at.4 .2.GHz.and.495.GB.of.available.memory .

BEST-IN-CLASS VIRTUALIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION

WITHOUT VIRTUAL SERVER SPRAWL

From.its.earliest.days,.IBM.designed.the.mainframe.with.two.lay-ers.of.available.virtualization ..The.first.layer.allows.partitioning.of.the.physical.machine,.or.general.purpose.processor,.into.several.independent.virtual.systems.(i .e .,.LPARs.or.logical.partitions) ..The.second.layer.is.made.up.of.IBM’s.z/VM.hypervisor,.which.can.host.hundreds.of.virtual.machines.within.an.LPAR.or.in.an.Integrated.Facility.for.Linux.(IFL) ..Operating.systems.running.in.an.LPAR.with.__________

2SeeOraclereferenceDocID:417770.1,OraclereferenceDocID249212.1

3“IBMUnveilszEnterpriseEC12,AHighlySecureSystemforCloudComputingandEnterpriseData,”www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/38653.wss

4

Server Business White PaperDatabase Consolidation on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for System z

z/VM.still.experience.hardware-supported.acceleration.to.manage.their.virtual.memory.at.very.low.cost.to.the.z/VM.and.LPAR.hyper-visor,.leaving.more.processing.resources.for.the.target.workloads .

z/VM.is.very.fast.and.efficient.and.allows.the.system.to.overcom-mit.main.memory.by.two-to-five.times,.depending.on.the.work-load ..Rates.of.800 .000.pages/sec.(at.4KB).are.not.uncommon,.and.delays.are.usually.unnoticed.by.the.user .

As.a.result.of.its.performance.and.design,.IBM.System.z.ma-chines.offer.massive.consolidation.potential.with.extreme.virtual.machine.(VM).density .................

Note:.Clientresultswillvarybasedoneachspecificcustomeren-vironment,includingtypesofworkloads,utilizationlevels,targetconsolidationhardware,andotherimplementationrequirements.Source:IBMSystemzTechnicalUniversity2012

In.short,.mainframes.often.have.85.percent.or.more.server.utiliza-tion.rates;.leading.performance,.in.part.from.a.huge.internal.com-munications.bus.and.off-loading.of.certain.computing.tasks.to.specialized.engines;.vast.memory.and.exceptional.security.(e .g .,.IBM.System.z.servers.are.the.only.commercial.servers.awarded.Common.Criteria.Evaluation.Assurance.Level.5+.security.certi-fication) ..Also,.z/VM.can.support.hundreds.of.individual.Linux.VMs.for.consolidating.distributed.x86.Linux.server.workloads .4.Additionally,.having.multiple.workloads.in.a.single.system.simpli-fies.system.management.and.maintenance.while.reducing.the.number.of.IT.resources .

But.when.is.this.overkill.and.when.is.this.an.efficient.way.to.re-duce.virtual.server.sprawl?.An.enterprise.should.start.taking.it.in.consideration.when.it.has.10.or.more.virtual.servers ..According.to.IBM,.the.System.z.entry.point.zBC12.“can.consolidate.up.to.40.virtual.servers.per.core.or.up.to.520.in.a.single.footprint.for.as.low.as.US$1 .00.per.day,.per.virtual.server ..A.single.zBC12.can.save.clients.up.to.55.percent.over.x86.distributed.environments .”5.These.statistics.were.derived.from.customer.data.on.the.zBC12’s.predecessor,.the.z114,.and.depend.on.workload.and.customer.configuration .

Why SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for System zLinux.running.on.System.z.combines.the.advantages.of.the.IBM.mainframe.with.the.flexibility.and.open.standards.of.the.Linux.operating.system ..Linux.can.play.a.major.role.in.simplifying.the.IT.infrastructure—not.only.because.it.helps.simplify.business.in-tegration.through.the.use.of.open.and.industry.standards,.but.also.because.it.supports.quicker.new-solution.deployments.and.accelerates.time.to.market .__________

4IDCwhitepaper.RandyPerry,JeanBozman,NancySelig,“TheBusinessValueofIBMzEntepriseSystemDeployments.”Framingham,MA.July2012.

5IBMpressrelease,“IBMBoostszEnterpriseMainframePortfoliotoHelpClientsBuildBetterCustomerExperiences,”www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/41529.wss

Industry

Distributed Cores

IBM Enterprise Linux Server Cores

Core-to-Core Ratio

. .Public 292 5 58.to.1

Banking 111 4 27.to.1

Finance 442 16 27.to.1

Banking 131 5 26.to.1

Insurance 350. 15 23.to.1

Insurance 500+ 22 22.to.1

Banking 63 3 21.to.1

Finance 854 53 16.to.1

Healthcare 144 14 10.to.1

Transportation 84 9 9.to.1

Insurance 7. 1 7.to.1

Figure 1. IBMSystemzStructure

Figure 2. HighCore-to-CoreRatiosforConsolidation—RealCustomerExamples

5www.suse.com

SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.is.the.Linux.operat-ing.system.from.SUSE.that.is.optimized.for.IBM.mainframes ..It.includes.features.developed.specifically.for.System.z.to.take.advantage.of,.and.fully.exploit,.System.z-specific.hardware.ca-pabilities.and.IBM.z/VM.virtualization.technology ..

Running.under.z/VM.on.a.System.z.server,.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.offers.an.alternative.to.x86.platforms.for.virtualizing.Linux,.UNIX.and.Windows.workloads ..When.you.use.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.to.consolidate.servers,.you.are.leveraging.the.resiliency.of.the.mainframe,.the.power.of.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.and.the.hypervisor.capabilities.of.z/VM.to.create.a.virtual.environment.that.lowers.TCO,.reduces.data.center.complexity,.increases.flexibility.and.decreases.downtime ..

As.the.market-share.leader.in.Linux.for.mainframes,.SUSE.en-sures.that.you.have.access.to.the.largest.number.of.open.source.and.proprietary.applications.for.IBM.System.z,.and.receive.the.best.support.in.the.industry ..Today,.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.is.the.overwhelming.choice.of.organizations.that.run.enterprise-class.software.on.Linux.for.System.z ..

Benefits of Oracle Consolidation with IBM System z and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

A Winning Combination with Superior Performance, Security, and RASSUSE,.IBM.and.Marist.College.began.collaborating.in.1999.to.port.the.Linux.operating.system.to.the.mainframe ..Since.then,.SUSE.and.IBM.have.focused.on.optimizing.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.to.run.seamlessly.with.System.z.hardware.and.the.z/VM.hypervisor ..SUSE.has.worked.with.IBM.on.Linux.for.System.z.more.closely—and.for.much.longer—than.any.other.company ..Our.longstanding.joint.development.of.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.with.IBM.means.businesses.have.been.running.the.SUSE.platform.for.the.IBM.mainframe.in.data.centers.for.about.15.years ..As.a.result,.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.delivers.the.reliability,.availability.and.ser-viceability.that.enterprises.in.general—but.above.all.mainframe.owners—demand ..

System.z.hardware.is.celebrated.throughout.the.IT.world.for.its.ability.to.manage.mission-critical.workloads.such.as.databases,.protect.the.integrity.of.sensitive.data.and.preserve.business.

continuity ..IBM’s.mainframes.have.been.known.to.run.for.years.without.interruption ..Your.internal.policies.and.customers’.ser-vice.level.agreements,.however,.may.require.even.higher.levels.of.protection.for.your.data.and.workloads ..You.can.implement.these.with.the.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.High.Availability.Extension ..SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.is.the.only.operating.sys-tem.for.mainframes.that.provides.these.advanced.high.availabil-ity.services.with.every.subscription ..The.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.High.Availability.Extension.includes.the.only.clustered.file.system.available.for.Linux.on.System.z,.and.delivers.essential.monitor-ing,.messaging.and.cluster.resource.management.features.in.an.integrated.suite.of.open.source.technologies ..

In.addition,.SUSE.is.renowned.for.its.enterprise-class.security.ap-plications ..As.an.example,.AppArmor®,.an.open.source.offering..included.with.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise,.is.an.effective,.easy-to-use.application.security.framework.for.Linux ..It.proactively.protects.the.operating.system.and.applications.from.external.and.inter-nal.threats.and.zero-day.attacks ..AppArmor.comes.with.default.policies.out.of.the.box.and.lets.you.secure.even.the.most.com-plex.applications.with.minimal.time.and.resources ..SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.also.integrates.with.other.secu-rity.products.and.connects.with.standard.mainframe.security.through.the.Identity.Manager.Integration.Module.for.Mainframes .

Low TCO THE COST OF MAINFRAME SKILLS

One.persistent.myth.that.keeps.many.IT.departments.from.evalu-ating.mainframes.is.that.it’s.time-consuming.and.expensive.to.hire,.train,.and.maintain.people.with.mainframe.skills ..

Some.SUSE.customers.that.purchased.their.first.mainframe.for.new.projects.also.had.this.fear—and.later.discovered.it.was.unfounded ..The.staff.at.Allone.IT.Co .,.Ltd ..had.very.limited.ex-perience.with.the.mainframe.platform ..But.according.to.Marco.Mak,.Allone’s.Regional.Director,.“Getting.started.on.Linux.on.the.mainframe.was.a.very.smooth.process ..By.choosing.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.IBM.System.z,.we.were.able.to.take.advan-tage.of.the.mainframe.while.using.an.operating.system.that.we.are.relatively.familiar.with ..This.helped.us.to.leverage.the.exist-ing.skills.of.our.staff .”.For.their.staff—as.for.many.others.with.Linux.skills—this.knowledge.is.easily.transferable.to.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z ..

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Server Business White PaperDatabase Consolidation on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for System z

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE COSTS

Several.factors.result.in.affordable.total.cost.of.acquisition.(TCA).and,.in.most.cases,.reduce.the.TCO.of.IBM.System.z.servers.run-ning.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z:.

Thesupporteddatabaseworkloadscanbevirtualizedandconsolidated,reducingcorecountsandresultinginsignificantsavingsonsoftwarelicenses.(Seebelowonpricing.)

Consolidationonasingleserveravoidsadditionalroom,rackspace,cableandcoolingcostswhileincreasingresourcesharingandutilizationandreducinglatency.Additionally,thenetworktrafficofmulti-tieredapplicationsstaysinthesamebox,whichincreasessecurityandperformance.

Developmentenvironmentscanbecreatedasvirtualmachinesonthesamemachine.WithSystemzthesecanbestrictlyisolatedfromaccesstoandresourcerequirementsofproductionworkloads.Duringguestidletimes,resourcescanbereallocatedinstantlytoothertasks,whileworkloadpeakscanbesupportedandconfined.

WithinIBMSystemz,theIntegratedFacilityforLinux(IFL)isaspecializedprocessorthathandlesLinuxworkloadsexclusivelyandissup-portedbythez/VMvirtualizationtechnology.OnoneIFLyoucanrunalargenumberofLinuxvirtualmachinesinparallel(theoreticallyanunlimitednumber,butpracticallylimitedbythespecificworkloadyourunonthevirtualmachines).ThankstospecialpricingofmostsoftwareonIFLs,youcanbuyasinglesoftwarelicenseandshareitacrossmanyLinuxvirtualmachines.Forexample,Oracleuses“cores”forthepurposeofpricing.OnelicenseforanOracledatabasecoststhousandsofdollarspercoreorprocessor.FromanOraclelicensingper-spective,oneIFLequalsonecore.Becauseyouarechargedforonlyoneprocessorli-cense,runningOracledatabaseworkloads

onanIFLkeepsthecostsofsoftwarelicensesdown.Yousimplybuyasingle-corelicenseforanOracledatabaseforusebyseveralvirtualLinuxserversandjustoneSUSELinuxEnterpriseServerforSystemzsubscriptionperIFL.

Comparethattoamulti-corex86machinewithfourprocessors:softwarelicensecostsquadruple.Thenwithfourquad-corex86machines,thecostofsoftwarelicensesincreases16times(withoutevenconsideringtheaddedstaffandmanagementsoftwarecostsforhandlingmultiplex86serversversusoneSystemzmachine).Thisismajorcostsavings—onlyavailablebyrunningSUSELinuxEnterpriseServerforSystemzrunningonanIBMmainframeIFL.

The.graphic.below,.based.on.calculations.using.the.z114,.sums.up.this.advantage:

Figure 3. ConsolidationandCostReductiononLinux

7www.suse.com

The Proof: Customer ExamplesWhile.this.may.sound.too.good.to.be.true,.the.experience.of.customers.worldwide.of.varying.sizes.and.different.industries.validate.the.cost-effectiveness.of.this.platform .

Business ConnexionTHE CHALLENGE

Headquartered.in.South.Africa,.Business.Connexion.Pty.Ltd ..pro-visions.information.technology.and.communication.services.to.the.financial.sector,.government,.the.petrochemical.and.auto-motive.industries.and.more ..The.company.wanted.to.extend.its.BMC.Remedy.internal.help.desk.solution.running.on.Solaris.and.make.it.available.as.a.hosted.service.to.clients ..The.company.needed.a.flexible.but.low-cost.platform.for.hosting.virtual.client.environments—one.that.also.supported.very.high.availability.and.performance .

THE SOLUTION

The.company.set.up.two.IBM.System.z.Enterprise.Class.servers.in.separate.data.centers,.hosting.around.50.virtual.machines.with.a.mix.of.databases,.applications,.and.proxy.servers.for.different.hosted.clients.across.them ..It.also.switched.from.Red.Hat.to.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z.with.the.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.High.Availability.extension ..With.SUSE,.the.company.quickly.clones.new.instances.from.an.existing.template.and.cus-tomizes.them.for.their.clients .

THE RESULT: COST SAVINGS

According.to.Frans.Labuschagne,.Senior.Manager.for.Open.Systems.Support.Services.at.Business.Connexion,.“We.calcu-lated.that.our.production.environment.equates.to.about.36.Intel-based.servers ..Running.in.a.distributed.environment.would.have.pushed.the.Oracle.licensing.costs.way.beyond.the.point.where.we.could.offer.a.competitively.based.solution.to.our.clients ..With.the.System.z.IFLs,.Oracle.is.priced.as.running.on.one.CPU,.and.you.can.run.as.many.virtual.machines.as.you.want.with.that.one.SUSE.subscription ..That.means.that.cost.is.a.very.manageable.component.as.we.grow .”

Sparda DVTHE CHALLENGE

Sparda-Datenverarbeitung.eG.(SDV).is.the.IT.provider.for.the.Sparda-Bank.Group.in.Germany ..SDV.needed.a.reliable.and.well-supported.Linux.distribution.to.run.on.its.IBM.mainframe,.which.supported.its.online.banking.and.Oracle.databases,.to.maximize.stability ..

THE SOLUTION

“We.considered.Red.Hat.Enterprise.Linux,.but.SUSE.Linux.Enter-prise.Server.had.the.better.driver.support.for.our.needs,”.said.Bernd.Bohne,.Department.Head,.Central.Systems.Technology,.SDV ..“The.longstanding.collaboration.between.SUSE.and.IBM.convinced.us.that.even.over.the.long.term.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.will.be.the.ideal.platform.for.our.IBM.mainframe .”

THE RESULT: ORACLE CONSOLIDATION AND VIRTUALIZATION,

HIGH PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY

Bohne.says:.“The.zEnterprise.platform.is.perfect.for.consolidating.Linux.workloads.because.of.the.high.I/O.bandwidth.and.business.continuity.with.capacity.backup.features ..Oracle.has.been.consoli-dated.on.this.platform;.we.are.using.right.now.only.Oracle.on.the.z196.platform .”.He.adds,.“Running.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.on.IBM.System.z.really.gives.us.peace.of.mind ..We.get.the.benefits.of.open.systems.technology.with.all.its.flexibility.combined.with.high.availability.and.high.performance.of.the.mainframe.platform .”.

Dundee City CouncilTHE CHALLENGE

Dundee.City.Council.needed.to.handle.increasing.demand.for.IT.and.eGovernment.services.while.reducing.costs ..When.the.lease.on.its.server.and.storage.hardware.needed.to.be.renewed,.it.saw.an.opportunity.to.enhance.its.capabilities.and.increase.value.for.money .

THE SOLUTION

Dundee.upgraded.its.mainframe.environment.with.two.powerful.IBM.System.z.servers,.IBM.storage.and.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.for.System.z ..It.chose.SUSE.because.it.is.the.best-adapted.Linux.distribution.for.the.mainframe.and.matched.the.release.cycles.for.Oracle.more.closely ..

262-002507-001 | 02/14 | © 2014 SUSE LLC. All rights reserved. SUSE, the SUSE logo and AppArmor are registered trademarks of SUSE LLC

in the United States and other countries. All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact your local SUSE Solutions Provider, or call SUSE at:

1.800.796.3700.U .S ./Canada1.801.861.4500.Worldwide

SUSEMaxfeldstrasse.590409.NurembergGermany

THE RESULT: IMPROVED PERFORMANCE,

CAPACITY FOR LOW-COST GROWTH

The.new.platform.improves.performance.by.more.than.50.percent.while.providing.capacity.for.low-cost.growth ..Tim.Simp-son,.IT.Support.Manager,.Dundee.City.Council,.says,.“Our.two.mainframes.host.100.virtual.servers,.replacing.at.least.50.underutilized.x86.machines.and.all.the.as-sociated.power.and.cooling.requirements.as.well.as.giving.us.a.smaller.and.more.efficient.infrastructure ..This.ultimately.means.that.we’re.making.better.use.of.taxpayer.money .”

“Running.Linux.on.the.System.z.platform.is.a.cost-efficient.approach,.especially.for.software.like.Oracle,.which.is.licensed.on.a.per-processor.basis ..We.can.run.60.vir-tual.machines.on.just.four.System.z.pro-cessors.here.as.an.equivalent.x86-based.architecture.might.require.several.proces-sors.for.each.server!.So.the.savings.can.be.considerable .”

Conclusion / SummaryAs.the.previous.customer.examples—and.the.calculations—show,.consolidating.and.virtualizing.databases.on.IBM.System.z.machines.running.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.can.reduce.data.center.complexity.

and.costs,.along.with.providing.other.op-erational.benefits ..

In.particular,.if.you’re.currently.running.your.Oracle.environment.on.distributed.systems.and.are.confronted.with.the.fol-lowing.questions,.you.should.probably.rethink.your.strategy:.

Howmanyx86/UNIXserversareyoudeployingeverymonth?

Howmuchdatacenterspaceisstillavailable,andwillspacebecomeaproblem?

Howfastisyourenergyconsumptiongrowing?Howmanyadditionalpeoplewillberequiredtomaintainyourgrowingnumberofservers?

Howmuchareyoursoftwarelicensecostsgrowing,includingvirtualizationsoftwarecosts?HowcanyouensureIT’savailability,andwhathappensintheeventofadisaster?

Explore.your.options.and.evaluate.the.costs ..Many.companies.have.been.doing.this—and.choosing.SUSE.Linux.Enterprise.Server.running.on.IBM.System.z.as.the.platform.for.their.Oracle.consolidation ..Shouldn’t.you.be.the.next.one?

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