Windows on zBX

When IBM announced the zEnterprise System with its zBX, it was quite clear on what was going to run on the zBX and what wasn't. At the launch only Power 7 blades were available with AIX running on it, no Linux, no i (formerly OS/400). Next to that Xeon-based blades with Linux were put on the roadmap for the first half of 2011. No Windows as this seemed to be too difficult to implement.

Apparently the situation has changed now as we read in this article from The Register : 'IBM's mainframe-blade hybrid to do Windows'. This article does not only give a good recap of the (concepts of the) zEnterprise System, it also gives us some insights in its future, as told by some IBM people. I quote :

"The (...) change that's coming with the zBX, according to Doris Conti, director of System z marketing at IBM, is that Microsoft's Windows operating system will be supported on the Xeon blade servers inside the zBX complex. IBM has hosted over 300 workshops with mainframe customers discussing the new hybrid system, and customers were not exactly happy that IBM was restricting Linux to Xeon blades and not supporting Windows.

'We heard the feedback and we very much intend to deliver Windows support on zBX,' says Conti."

Mind you, no specific date has been given, nor with which hypervisor it will be implemented on the zBX. If we deduce a timescale we now will first see the Xeon-based blades with Linux. Afterwards IBM seems to go for the Windows implementation. Then "if mainframe shops want to run the IBM i 7.1 operating system (formerly known as OS/400) on Power blades, IBM will consider it, says Conti". Linux on Power seems to have the lowest priority for the moment.

Never thought I would give one of my posts a 'Windows' label.

As I always say, just check it out !