IBM releases z/OS 2.5 to help modernize mainframe computing

3 years ago 505

Contrary to what you whitethorn think, mainframe computing continues to beryllium cardinal to enterprises contempt the occurrence of unreality computing, and z/OS 2.5 could marque mainframes adjacent much valuable, the institution says.

IBM precocious announced the merchandise of mentation 2.5 of its z/OS mainframe operating system. The latest mentation of z/OS is, according to IBM, "designed to accelerate lawsuit adoption of hybrid unreality and AI and thrust exertion modernization projects."

The caller mentation of z/OS comes on with an IBM study that recovered mainframes and mainframe-based applications to beryllium a cardinal portion of modern concern strategies for 71% of executives responding to the study. In addition, IBM predicts that mainframe usage successful hybrid unreality environments volition turn by a origin of 2 successful the adjacent 3 years.

SEE: Research: Video conferencing tools and cloud-based solutions predominate integer workspaces; VPN and VDI little fashionable with SMBs (TechRepublic Premium)

"Executives from immoderate of the largest and astir palmy businesses asseverate that mainframe and unreality are not either-or propositions. They are seamlessly intertwined successful delivering cutting-edge enterprise-wide agility and capability," IBM said.

z/OS 2.5 is doing its champion to invited the aboriginal of mainframe computing, which it predicts volition beryllium a cardinal constituent of AI-driven hybrid unreality environments. To that end, caller AI capabilities "are tightly integrated with z/OS workloads, designed to springiness clients concern insights for much informed determination making."

In summation to AI capabilities, IBM added further information features designed to combat ransomware and SolarWinds-types of attacks. These features see expanding pervasive encryption to screen further information types and anomaly mitigation capabilities for real-time cognition of atypical web behavior.

z/OS 2.5 volition besides person caller Java/COBOL interoperability features, easiness of usage for z/OS instrumentality extensions and Linux integration and caller unreality retention integration capabilities.

The aboriginal of mainframes

Mainframes look astir anathema to the doctrine of modern computing, wherever everything is sent off-site, hosted successful the unreality and made into a managed work that takes hardware concerns retired of the heads of IT staff.

IBM decidedly disagrees, arsenic does Forrester research. In a study from 2019, Forrester described mainframes arsenic seemingly old-fashioned, but not going away.

"Despite reports of its inevitable demise, mainframe usage is growing. Some of this is owed to entrenchment, but it's besides owed to mainframe's inherent spot arsenic a platform, peculiarly with precocious transactional workloads and security," the Forrester study said.

Data from Forrester besides recovered that 62% of organizations were utilizing mainframes successful 2020 (up from 53% successful 2018); 53% program to increase their mainframe workload successful the adjacent 2 years, portion lone 11% said they program to decrease.

"We tin accidental that [mainframes are the] astir secured and a reliable root for storing the lawsuit delicate data. They tin tally unsocial bundle (sometimes) and enactment unsocial usage cases," Forrester said.

The mainframe and unreality markets person some been increasing implicit the past respective years, IBM said. Interestingly enough, that inclination coincides with different fig from IBM's report: The percent of leaders who privation to wholly re-architect their infrastructure arsenic portion of integer translation is dropping, portion the stock of those who privation to leverage existing mainframes is rising. It's not a tiny shift, either: Today, 57% accidental they privation to re-architect; looking 3 years out, lone 41% accidental the same. Only 21% said they were presently modernizing existing mainframes, portion 46% accidental they program to successful the adjacent 3 years.

SEE: AI connected the precocious seas: Digital translation is revolutionizing planetary shipping (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

"IT leaders and organizations are uncovering that unreality solutions are not a replacement for mainframe operations. Rather, the 2 tin coexist arsenic portion of a holistic translation strategy that includes modernized mainframe applications and integrated systems supported by a hybrid unreality architecture," IBM said.

Data Center Trends Newsletter

DevOps, virtualization, the hybrid cloud, storage, and operational ratio are conscionable immoderate of the information halfway topics we'll highlight. Delivered Mondays and Wednesdays