IBM Wave for z/VM - Empowered Virtualization Management

Today IBM announces IBM Wave for z/VM with the following announcement : 'IBM Wave for z/VM Version 1.1 simplifies management of z/VM and Linux guests with intelligent visualization (ZP14-0036)'. Actually IBM Wave comes from the acquisition IBM did last year of CSL International with its product CSL-Wave. "IBM Wave for z/VM is an intuitive virtualization management software product that provides management, administration, provisioning, and enables automation of Linux virtual servers in a z/VM environment". The scope of IBM Wave can span multiple logical partitions (LPARs), SSI clusters, and servers.
It should help lowering the threshold for companies who see the benefits of Linux on System z but do not have the necessary skills in that area. Wave makes a complete analysis of an existing environment or it helps to setup a new environment with its interactive GUI.
The following video gives you a good idea of what you can do with IBM Wave for z/VM.



You can find several resources about IBM Wave

• IBM page for IBM Wave for z/VM
• Another IBM page directing you to several resources
• A redbook : IBM Wave for z/VM - An introduction
• The FAQ. In this FAQ you also find some references to demos on the CSI International webpage on Automatic Detection, Automation and Simplification, Enhanced Server Farm Administration, Network Management, Provisioning . . .
• Here's a nice brochure also from the CSL site : 'CSL-Wave - Get z Power without z Learning Curve'.
• The Datasheet
• A second redbook : IBM Wave for z/VM- Installation, Implementation and Exploitation

The key prerequisites : you need an IBM System z server (starting from a z10) using a currently supported release of z/VM (5.4, 6.2 or 6.3).
General availability is February 28, 2014.
IBM Wave is IPLA software with Subscription and Support (S&S). And as far as I can see, it follows the same logic for its Value Units as z/VM. It's determined by number of cores and the Value Units needed decrease when you have more cores. E.g. for 1 to 3 cores you need 10 Value Units per core, for cores 4 to 6 you need 9 Value Units per core. So for 4 cores you'll need 39 Value Units.

I can't resist by closing with one example of what's the difference between using IBM Wave or not. How to clone a virtual machine.

Without IBM Wave

1. Determine if required resources exist
2. Create clone VM definition
3. Define clone VM resources
4. Create copies of private VM resources (server)
5. Create copies of private VM resources (disk)
6. Customize clone VM
7. Authorize clone VM access / VSwitch Access
8. Add clone to management groups
9. Activate clone
10. Configure the network
11. Run middleware configuration scripts
12. Monitor and report on cloning operation.

With IBM Wave

1. Open the “Clone” form
2. Fill in the needed information
3. Press the “Go” Button