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wallabyfan2
Contributor
Contributor

AS400 I-Series - Possible Virtualization Candidate?

Hello Community -

Just had a query come across my desk, can an AS400 I-Series server running an accounting package (Horizon) be virtualized with vSphere?

If more info required, please let me know and I will provide, not sure where to start with this one.

GuestOS Install Guide.pdf does not mention AS4000.

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mreferre
Champion
Champion

You cannot do that.

OS/400 (aka i5OS now) only runs on IBM POWER series of processors. VMware only virtualize x86 architectures.

The good news is that the IBM POWER servers do have their own virtualization algorithms that are integrated into the architecture and are as advanced as VMware is in many areas (including VMotion-like functionalities).

Ask your IBM sales rep.

Massimo.

Massimo Re Ferre' VMware vCloud Architect twitter.com/mreferre www.it20.info
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rofish
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi,

System i (AS400 ) uses a different CPU architecture (IBM's Power RISC Architecture). Guest-OSes or applications for system i can not be run on a x86 or Intel Architecture platform. Because VMware (ESX) is a x86 type hypervisor, you are not able to run this application.

You have several options:

  1. If you have more AIX/Linux or system i applications in your environment you can consider consolidating these to fewer and bigger Power systems, which provide sophisticated virtualization features.

  2. Consult the 3rd party vendor if there is a x86 application version available (Windows or Linux). This is typically not an easy option because even when there is a x86 version available you application behaves differently (in terms of scalibiltiy, performance, resource usage, etc.).

  3. If it is home-grown, you might consider porting it to a different platform.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Ronald

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wallabyfan2
Contributor
Contributor

Good stuff. Thank you very much.

What about migrating to HP INFINITE platform? What would that offer? Just a question I was asked, which I don't know.

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Texiwill
Leadership
Leadership

Hello,

VMware Products, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Citrix XenServer, not to mention Free Xen, Virtual Iron, and current implementations of KVM ONLY run on x86 or x86_64 architectures and nothing else.

That means Power PC and IA64 architectures will NOT work. For Power PC, IBM may have something. For IA64 HP Sells HP VM or something similar in name.


Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, Virtualization Practice Analyst[/url]
Now Available: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment'[/url]
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'[/url]
[url=http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll]SearchVMware Pro[/url]|Blue Gears[/url]|Top Virtualization Security Links[/url]|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast[/url]

--
Edward L. Haletky
vExpert XIV: 2009-2023,
VMTN Community Moderator
vSphere Upgrade Saga: https://www.astroarch.com/blogs
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Texiwill
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mreferre
Champion
Champion

If you mean HP Integrity that is no different as Ed pointed out.

There is no industry standard virtualization software for Itanium (that is worth talking about at least). As per the IBM Power processor at HP tehy have their own virtualization mechanisms for the Itanium processor.

Massimo.

Massimo Re Ferre' VMware vCloud Architect twitter.com/mreferre www.it20.info
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rofish
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi,

Infinite is a 3rd party vendor (not HP ownedI think) that works closely with HP to provide application rehosting capabilities from AS/400 and system i environments to host it on HP's Itanium platfrom.

Unless you are an HP-only shop, I am not sure you should be very interested in this option since it is moving you from one vendor's platfrom to another vendor's (HP) closed platform (Itanium). Replatforming is not an easy or cheap exercise. Operational costs for system i are typically very low.

Just my two cents.

Regards, Ronald

If you appreciate my feeback, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

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Texiwill
Leadership
Leadership

Hello,

If you are moving to Itanium then the HP VM software will in general work for you.


Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, Virtualization Practice Analyst[/url]
Now Available: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment'[/url]
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'[/url]
[url=http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll]SearchVMware Pro[/url]|Blue Gears[/url]|Top Virtualization Security Links[/url]|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast[/url]

--
Edward L. Haletky
vExpert XIV: 2009-2023,
VMTN Community Moderator
vSphere Upgrade Saga: https://www.astroarch.com/blogs
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Texiwill
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azn2kew
Champion
Champion

You may want to check out www.transitive.com if they have anything new to virtualization other than x86 architecture. I believe IBM bought the company but worth check out what other options can be done with Power, UNIX, SPARC etc...

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

VMware vExpert 2009

iGeek Systems Inc.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!! Regards, Stefan Nguyen VMware vExpert 2009 iGeek Systems Inc. VMware vExpert, VCP 3 & 4, VSP, VTSP, CCA, CCEA, CCNA, MCSA, EMCSE, EMCISA
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AsherN
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

You wouldn't want to even consider virtualizing as AS/400. That system is full of proprietary hardware. It usually supports too many users for a x86 to handle.

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petedr
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

I came from an a big AS400 environment, those were the only physical boxes we had, everything else was virtual. Never thought it was possible or was a good idea if it was.

www.phdvirtual.com, makers of esXpress

www.thevirtualheadline.com www.liquidwarelabs.com
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BrendanCosgrove
Contributor
Contributor

So for comparison on a SQL 2008 server supporting 1000 users what does an midrange iSeries 5 max out at? Is there a dollar to dollar comparison?

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AsherN
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

So for comparison on a SQL 2008 server supporting 1000 users what does an midrange iSeries 5 max out at? Is there a dollar to dollar comparison?

There is no dollar to dollar comparison. Simply because the AS/400 is a total solution. The database (DB2) is built into the OS. It would also run your ERP. You could not have 'role' based AS/400s. Also, you are paying for more than just computing power. I've been working with AS/400 and it's predecessor, the S/38 for 30 years. I cancount on the fingers of one hand, with fingers to spare, the number of unplanned downtime. Even then, it's not always catastophic.

Couple of examples. I had a non-hot swap drive, part of a RAID 5 array, fail one day. The IBM tech came over at lunch time, while about 200 users were banging away at the '400. he unscrewed the failed drive, got it ready to be taken out. We then powered down the drive rack, swapped the drives and powered on the rack. total time about 2 minutes. I had 2 users call inquiring about slow response time. The AS/400 never really missed a beat.

When we upgraded from a CISC to a RISC processor, after the hardware upgrade, all we had to do was restore the programs. They converted on the fly. Saved a lot of time.

The AS/400 is a true enterprise grade system. MS for years, and as far as I know, Apple still, run their businesses on AS/400s. But that does come at a cost.

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