Showing posts with label cost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cost. Show all posts

Monday, March 20, 2023

Harnessing the Power of zIIP Processors for Improved Db2 Performance and Lower Cost

As a Db2 DBA, you're constantly looking for ways to improve performance and efficiency while minimizing costs. One technology that can help achieve these goals is the zIIP (IBM System z Integrated Information Processor) processor. By offloading eligible Db2 workloads to zIIP processors, you can free up capacity on general-purpose processors and reduce costs, while improving performance.

So, what workloads are eligible for offloading to zIIP processors? XML processing, and portions of the Db2 LOAD, REORG, RUNSTATS and REBUILD utilities are among the most common. If you have third-party utilities (BMC, Broadcom, InfoTel) it is likely that they, too, will be zIIP-eligible, at least for some of their functionality.

Shifting workload to distributed/DDF is another good way to exploit zIIPs because SQL statements executed through DDF are zIIP-eligible. But most of the time DBAs have little influence on moving workload to distributed processing. This choice is typically driven by application development plans instead of DBA tuning tactics. 

Nevertheless, by understanding what type of workload is zIIP-eligible and encouraging such usage, you can offload workload to zIIP processors. Moving workload from general-purpose processors to zIIPs can possibly improve system performance and reduce costs.

You might also want to take a look at converting some of your COBOL workload to Java, if at all possible because Java programs are zIIP-eligible. Of course, this requires application developers to get involved, as well as (possibly) a conversion tool.

To fully harness the power of zIIP processors, it's important to identify eligible workloads and configure the system accordingly. Here are some tips to help you get started:

  • Configure Db2 for zIIP offload: Configure Db2 to take advantage of zIIP processors by setting the appropriate parameters and options. Consult the IBM Db2 documentation for specific guidance on configuring zIIP offload.

  • Monitor and analyze performance: Use Db2 performance monitoring tools to track the performance of zIIP offloaded workloads and identify areas for further optimization. This can help you continually improve performance and efficiency over time.
By effectively utilizing zIIP processors for Db2 workloads, you can achieve significant cost savings and performance improvements on IBM Z mainframe systems. Don't let this powerful technology go to waste – start exploring the benefits of zIIP processors today!

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Asking ChatGPT About the Advantages of Db2 for z/OS over Oracle

If you read my blog post from yesterday, you know that I have been playing around with ChatGPT, the latest AI technology that is sweeping the headlines.

Yesterday I was asking it about the mainframe, but today I thought I'd ask ChatGPT about Db2 and Oracle, specifically:

In what ways is IBM Db2 for z/OS better than Oracle?

Yes, I know that is a loaded question and that the results would likely be different if I swapped the order of Db2 for z/OS and Oracle. Nevertheless, I liked the results that ChatGPT generated, so I figured I'd share them with everybody here!

So here is ChatGPT's reply:

"Both IBM Db2 for z/OS and Oracle are mature and widely used relational database management systems, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. However, here are some ways that IBM Db2 for z/OS might be considered better than Oracle:
Transaction Processing: Db2 for z/OS is known for its high performance and ability to handle large transaction processing workloads. It is optimized for OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) applications and can handle high concurrency and high throughput.
Security: IBM has a long-standing reputation for security, and Db2 for z/OS is no exception. It has a robust set of security features, including encryption, role-based access control, and auditing capabilities that help ensure that sensitive data is protected.
Cost: Db2 for z/OS can be less expensive to operate than Oracle for some use cases. It is designed to run on IBM mainframes, which are known for their scalability and efficiency, allowing organizations to reduce hardware and software costs. Additionally, because IBM mainframes are known for their reliability, uptime, and availability, they can help reduce costs associated with system downtime or data loss.
Integration: Db2 for z/OS can integrate with other IBM products and services, such as CICS (Customer Information Control System) and IMS (Information Management System). This can be particularly beneficial for organizations that already have an IBM infrastructure in place.
Built-in Analytics: Db2 for z/OS includes built-in analytics features, such as IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator, which can help organizations to run complex analytics queries on large datasets. This can be particularly useful for organizations that need to process large amounts of data quickly and efficiently. 
It is worth noting that Oracle also has its own strengths and advantages, such as its support for a wide range of platforms and its focus on database consolidation. Ultimately, the choice between Db2 for z/OS and Oracle will depend on the specific needs and requirements of an organization."

Again, a quite reasonable response! I think the thing that jumped out at me the most here is the "Cost" section. As a grizzeled, old mainframer I am always ready to fight back against unfounded claims that the mainframe option is always the more espensive one. But ChatGPT didn't make that mistake! Maybe because Oracle has a reputation of being expensive, too?

At any rate, I look forward to asking ChatGPT for help in my future endeavors. 


Thursday, August 04, 2022

All About zIIPs

If you work with Db2 then you need to know about the IBM zIIP specialty processor. This is true whether you are a DBA or a developer... and, let's face it, if you work on a mainframe in any capacity, you'll want to know at least something about zIIPs.

With that in mind, today's blog post is sort of a meta-post. You see, I've been writing a series of blog posts for Cloudframe on the topic of zIIPs. So, the goal today is to provide you with information about those posts and links to their content.

The first blog post, Understanding Mainframe Specialty Processors: zIIPs and More, is introductory in nature. It defines the term "specialty processor" and defines the various types of specialty processors available from IBM. And then it offers a bit more information about the zIIP.

The second post in this series is titled Digging Into the zIIP: What Does zIIP-Eligible Mean? The title is kind of self-describing as to what this post offers!

Next (3 of 8) we have Types of Processing That Can Utilize zIIPs & Why You Want to Use zIIPs which gets into TCBs and SRBs, enclaves, and discusses how zIIPs can reduce your mainframe software costs.

The fourth post in this series digs into one of the major benefits of zIIPs, namely the ability to run Java workloads on the zIIP. In the article, titled Java and the zIIP: Five Major Benefits, we look at the primary advantages that can be accrued by running Java on zIIPs instead of a general purpose CP.

And because the vast majority of mainframe programs are written in COBOL the fifth post, provides Options for Converting from COBOL to Java.

Next, we take a look at Common zIIP Usage Mistakes and How to Identify Them.

Then we turn our attention to the latest IBM pricing model, Tailored Fit Pricing, and examine how it can impact cost savings when it comes to zIIP usage. This post is titled, appropriately enough, The Impact of Tailored Fit Pricing on zIIPs.

And we close out with Predictions on the Future of zIIP and Specialty Processors (of course, this is my personal viewpoint on the topic with the proviso that nobody knows the future for sure)!

So it is my hope that you will take a moment or two and click through the links to the articles above that look interesting to you. And if you have any comments, or suggestions for future articles, as always, please post them below!

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

Mainframe Cost Optimization



Modern businesses live in an age of financial austerity, cost containment and cutbacks. It is just a fact of life in many organizations that you need to be constantly vigilant for new ways to reduce costs. If your business relies on the mainframe -- and many of the biggest businesses do -- cost containment is of the utmost importance.
But how to cut costs? Many mainframe support groups are running thin in terms of people - so layoffs don't make a lot of sense. And the software that runs the business can't be cut. Management software supports the business systems, so cutting those may cost more than you save!

But there are things you can do. If you're interested in learning more about IBM MLC software costs, pricing/licensing, mainframe cost optimization and a solution to dynamically manage your system to reduce software costs be sure to take an hour out of your busy schedule and join me for a free webinar titled Mainframe Cost Optimization: Pricing, Licensing, the R4HA, and More! 

I'll be delivering this webinar on September 10, 2015 at 2pm EDT.

During this session I'll discuss:
  • The new mainframe pricing options including zCAP, CMP and MWP
  • The disparate moving parts of sub-capacity pricing including the R4HA
  • Methods for controlling R4HA intelligently to reduce monthly software costs.

So click here to register for the webinar and join me on September 10th.