IBM Z systems are always fascinating to a computer engineer. I was fortunate at my first job to be able to access a z10 brand new, and was tasked with installing, configuring, and trying out several POCs with z/OS, DB2 on z/OS, WebSphere Application server on z/OS, CICS transaction server, z/VM operating system, running 1000's of linux images on top of z/VM, making them communicate with each other and z/OS using Hipersockets. It was pure fun.
The cool moments I distinctly remember were runing the z/OS installation binaries from tape drives, and swapping in and out - DASDs(Hard disks), and perhaps the coolest was being able to hot plug in/out CPU blades from the cabinet while the system is live.
It's pity that thing is so expensive, and out of reach of the common folks.
For those not in the know, and curious.
Based on my knowledge from 2011, CPs are the general purpose CPUs that run z/OS - the main OS companies typically run on System Z.
There were special CPUs(may be microcoded so), called IFL that were allowed to run z/VM and Linux.
I don't know how things have evolved in the last 7 years :-)
The cool moments I distinctly remember were runing the z/OS installation binaries from tape drives, and swapping in and out - DASDs(Hard disks), and perhaps the coolest was being able to hot plug in/out CPU blades from the cabinet while the system is live.
It's pity that thing is so expensive, and out of reach of the common folks.
For those not in the know, and curious. Based on my knowledge from 2011, CPs are the general purpose CPUs that run z/OS - the main OS companies typically run on System Z. There were special CPUs(may be microcoded so), called IFL that were allowed to run z/VM and Linux. I don't know how things have evolved in the last 7 years :-)