Specifications

Chapter 15. Virtualization

zPDT may be used in a virtual environment. Two environments have been tested for zPDT

usage:

򐂰 VMWare products, all at the version 5.1.0 level:

– VSphere Enterprise (a server allowing more than 8 (virtual) cores per guest)

– ESXi Essentials (a server with a maximum of 8 (virtual) cores per guest)

– VSphere VCenter (a controller with extended features and functions)

– VSphere VCenter Client (a basic controller)

Many of the tests were run on an IBM 3650-M04 server with 16 cores and 128 GB

memory. Typically, four zPDT guests were run. The most typical configurations were:

– Four to eight (virtual) cores per guest, with three zPDT System z CPs defined.

Typical zPDT memory specification was 8-16 GB.

– Twelve (virtual) cores per guest, with up to eight zPDT System z CPs defined.

򐂰 KVM as used on IBM zBX components.

We used four different guest memory sizes (8, 16, 32, and 64 GB) to observe throughput

differences when running our test job streams.

Both RHEL 6.3 and SLES 11 (SP2) were used.

Other virtual environments may operate correctly, but have not been tried by zPDT

development and no assistance is available for other environments. In particular, the VMWare

Player (operating under Microsoft Windows) has not been investigated and no support is

available for this configuration.

SLES 11 (SP2) and RHEL 6.3 were used for testing. Other Linux levels (and Fedora or

openSUSE) may work correctly, but were not tested and might be used at your own risk.

This does not mean that it fails. We simply did not investigate it and cannot offer any support for using it with zPDT.

Important: The zPDT level used for all the activities mentioned in this chapter was the

GA4 level plus a fixpack (GA4.1), which is z1090 45.24 or later. Earlier zPDT levels were

not tested.