Linux on IBM i5 · Linux on IBM^ i5 Page 5 The iSeries family of servers offer IBM clients the innovative capability to support these applications in one partition or multiple partitions,

Craig E. JohnsonIBM ^ i5 Product Marketing Managerfor Linux

Linux on IBM ^ i5

Linux on IBM ^ i5

Page 2Linux on IBM ^ i5

Contents

The IBM ~ product line offers a range of servers designed to be

integrated into a robust, flexible infrastructure. It responds to the

unprecedented demands being made on technology in the new economy by

providing extreme performance and unmatched scalability combined with

IBM reliability and security.

Linux on IBM ^ i5 summary

The Linux operating system has emerged as a key enabler for e-business

across the enterprise. Customer acceptance of Linux is rapidly expanding, and

the operating system is now widely used for infrastructure, Web applications

serving wireless devices and Internet appliances, and application deployment

platforms.

IBM’s commitment to Linux spans the IBM ~ product line.

IBM ~ i5 servers offer innovative Linux virtualization and integration

through industry-leading logical partitioning (LPAR) technology. This

partitioning functionality supports multiple images of Linux, IBM AIX® 5L™

IBM ^ systems offer a range

of servers designed to be

integrated into robust, flexible

infrastructures.

IBM® ~® iSeries™ i5 server, the latest member of the iSeries family,

can help solve the cost equation—leaving you with time to manage your

business, not your technology. The iSeries family of servers are reliable,

scalable and recognized as one of the most flexible, easy-to-use systems in the

industry, with the ability to run multiple environments and quickly deploy

applications. These attributes position the iSeries family as one of the best

platforms to manage the complexity and cost of e-business enablement. The

value delivered with IBM ~ i5 systems—infrastructure simplification,

innovative integration and delivery without disruption—strongly support

IBM ~ initiatives and can result in measurable customer benefits for

the deployment of on demand solutions.

IBM ^

2 IBM ^

4 Linux Distributions

6 Why IBM ^ i5 for Linux

8 Linux and Logical Partitioning

12 Linux I/O Flexibility

15 Linux Applications

17 Future Investments

Linux on IBM ^ i5Page 3

Highlights

and IBM i5/OS™ (the latest generation of OS/400®) operating systems on a

single server and is available across the IBM ~ i5 product line. An

IBM ~ i5 server supports up to 10 logical partitions per processor for a

maximum of 254 partitions per physical server. Processor and memory

resources can be moved independently between partitions with a granularity

of one-hundredth of a processor and 1MB of memory. Shared processor

resources can be moved automatically between Linux, AIX 5L and i5/OS

partitions. With LPAR, IBM ~ i5 servers enable i5/OS operating

system-based applications to be extended with Linux on a single server. Linux

applications can access IBM DB2® Universal Database™ (UDB) software as

well as i5/OS programs and services through high-speed Virtual Ethernet

local area networks (LANs) that connect the partitions.

Linux is supported across the

IBM ^ i5 product line in

logical partitions.

Figure 1. Supported operating systems and features of the IBM ^ iSeries


HighlightsWhy Linux on iSeries

IBM supports Linux on the iSeries family to help clients simplify their

infrastructures and deploy next-generation applications. Linux enhances the

flexibility of iSeries servers by enabling another application environment and

providing an alternative to Microsoft® Windows® operating systems. Linux

allows iSeries systems to capitalize on the open source movement, a virtual

worldwide development team and a growing skill base. By supporting Linux,

iSeries technology-based solutions also can leverage other IBM hardware,

software and service investments in Linux.

Linux distributions

Linux for the iSeries family is available from leading Linux distributors

including Red Hat, Novell, Turbolinux and Conectiva. IBM is working with

Novell, Inc and Red Hat, Inc to certify Linux distributions for ~ i5

servers. The SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3

distributions are expected to be available from the Linux distributors in the

3rd quarter of 2004. Today, the Linux distributions are based on the 2.4

version of the 64-bit Linux kernel for POWER™ systems, and support 64-bit

as well as 32-bit applications. IBM plans to support distributions based on the

2.6 version of the 64-bit Linux kernel in 2004.*

The Linux distributions include the device drivers and other support

required to run Linux on an iSeries server. Beyond the kernel, these Linux

distributions include operating systems as well as popular open source

middleware and applications. For example, each distribution usually includes

the Apache Web server, the Samba file-and-print server and a firewall. The

distributions also contain key technology for i5/OS and OS/400 integration

including Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) and Java™ Database

Connectivity (JDBC), which enable a Linux application to access to DB2

UDB.

Red Hat, Novell, Turbolinux and

Conectiva offer Linux distributions.


The iSeries family of servers offer IBM clients the innovative capability to

support these applications in one partition or multiple partitions, while

running i5/OS-based applications in other partitions. iSeries servers can offer

an inexpensive alternative to support Linux applications. The Linux

environment can be configured with less than a processor, some memory and

disk resources. Linux can share RAID and LAN adapters as well as tape, DVD

and CD-ROM drives with i5/OS and OS/400 partitions. Minimal dedicated

hardware is required for a Linux server on iSeries systems.

Infrastructure simplification example

IBM ~ i5 server can offer a consolidated system for a small or medium

business: i5/OS runs the line-of-business applications while Linux runs the

infrastructure applications.

Several open source projects deliver applications, tools and utilities for

server-based computing. The most popular of these software programs are

included in the Linux distributions; others can be downloaded from the

Internet. With these open source applications, Linux can be an alternative to

Highlights

Today, Linux is used for Web

servers, infrastructure servers, file-

and-print servers, e-mail servers

and firewalls.

Linux enables a new stream of

e-business applications for

IBM ^ i5 systems.

Linux today

According to IBM Market Research conducted in the third quarter of 2003,

most businesses today are using Linux for Web servers, Web application

servers, network servers, e-mail servers or firewalls. Support for these

applications is included in the Linux distributions. The initial Linux

application implementations on iSeries servers include:

● Web serving using the popular open source Apache Web server and TomCatWeb application server

● File-and-print serving with Samba● Infrastructure support with Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host

Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and proxy servers● E-mail support with security services● Firewall support with Netfilter


HighlightsMicrosoft Windows-based servers to run the IT infrastructure. Multiple Intel®

processor-based servers running file-and-print, Web, DNS, DHCP and firewall

applications can be replaced with Linux-based solutions running in

IBM ~ i5 partitions.

IBM clients can extend the system to integrate Linux and i5/OS

applications. With the integration facilities available and Virtual Ethernet

connections, Linux applications can extend and leverage i5/OS-based

applications and data.

● IBM ~ i5 systems can consolidate several infrastructure servers withLinux partitions. They also support Linux across the iSeries product line,with up to 10 Linux partitions per processor for a maximum of 254partitions.

● IBM ~ i5 servers can share resources among i5/OS, AIX 5L andLinux partitions, thus reducing the cost of managing and supporting aheterogeneous environment. LPAR supports sharing and the automaticmovement of processor resources at a granularity of one-hundredth of aprocessor between i5/OS, AIX 5L and Linux partitions.

● IBM ~ i5 servers provide IBM clients with exceptional flexibilitythrough Capacity on Demand features. The processors in these servers canbe activated temporarily or permanently and dynamically allocated toLinux partitions.

● IBM ~ i5 servers offer the Virtual Ethernet LAN facilities to supportpartition-to-partition communication. With Virtual Ethernet, up to 4,094networks can be defined for application communication. These connectionscan provide 1Gbps performance and do not require LAN adapters,switches or physical networks.

Why IBM ^ i5 for Linux

IBM clients will implement Linux on IBM ~ i5 servers for the following

reasons:

An IBM ^ i5 system can

consolidate Linux servers by

supporting up to 254 Linux

partitions.


● IBM ~ i5 servers provide storage area network (SAN) facilities forLinux partitions. These partitions can access disk, tape, CD-ROM andDVD resources in i5/OS partitions. With virtual I/O, Linux can leveragethe performance, availability and manageability of the advancedIBM ~ i5 storage architecture.

● IBM ~ i5 servers can dynamically add, move or delete virtual diskspace assigned to Linux partitions. Up to sixty-four 1TB storage spaces forLinux can be carved out from the i5/OS integrated file system. Thiscentralization of storage resources enables IBM clients to extend theiri5/OS disk subsystem, management skills and best practices to Linux. Forexample, a full backup of an i5/OS system includes the virtual storagespaces used by the Linux partitions. The daily backups performed by Linuxcan support file-level save and restore, and can utilize the tape devicesmanaged by i5/OS.

● IBM ~ i5 servers provide integration between Linux applicationsand i5/OS facilities. Linux applications can access data stored in DB2UDB on i5/OS and can access files stored in the i5/OS integrated filesystem.

● With shared processor and virtual I/O support, Linux environments haveminimal hardware requirements. This can translate into a low-costinvestment to run Linux applications on IBM ~ i5 servers.

● The IBM ~ i5 system is a highly reliable server, offering leadingsingle-server availability. With unique virtual disk support, theIBM ~ i5 server can provide an excellent environment for Linux-based testing and development.

Highlights

Capacity on Demand helps IBM

clients meet unanticipated

computing needs.

OS/400 V5R1 innovations allow

sharing and movement of

processors, memory and I/O

resources among Linux and OS/400

partitions.


The iSeries family of servers can run Linux in logical partitions across the

product line. The ~ i5 delivers the third-generation of LPAR

technology.

IBM introduced Linux support on the iSeries with OS/400 V5R1, delivered

enhancements with OS/400 V5R2, and is now offering further innovations

with IBM ~ i5 and i5/OS V5R3.

OS/400 V5R1

With the OS/400 V5R1 operating system, IBM enabled Linux to run in

multiple secondary partitions. Each secondary partition has its own Linux

environment and can support a different Linux distribution. OS/400 V5R1 is

required to run in the primary or managing partition. The primary partition is

used to create partitions and move resources between partitions.

OS/400 V5R1 introduced a new LPAR functionality that allows partitions to

share processors. This operating system supports up to 4 partitions per

processor for a maximum of 32 partitions. On selected IBM ~ iSeries

270, 820 and 840 models with SSTAR processors, these shared processor

partitions can run OS/400 V5R1, Linux or both. On iSeries models 820, 830

and 840 with ISTAR processors, Linux requires a dedicated processor.

With OS/400 V5R1 LPAR, the minimum processor allocation requirement

to create a new partition is one-tenth of a processor. This allows the primary

partition’s processing requirements to be reduced to a minimum, with the

remaining processing units used to support secondary partitions.

Highlights

OS/400 V5R2 supports dynamic

shared-processor movement.

Linux and logical partitioning


HighlightsOne of the advantages of LPAR is resource movement among partitions.

Processor, memory and I/O resources can be moved among OS/400 and

Linux partitions. On selected iSeries models, one-hundredth of a processor

can be moved between partitions. On iSeries models that support only

dedicated processors, processor movement among partitions is supported in

whole-processor increments. With OS/400 V5R1, moving resources to or from

a Linux partition requires the Linux partition to be restarted.

Setting up a Linux-based iSeries server can be simple and inexpensive. The

minimum resource for a Linux partition is one-tenth of a processor on an

iSeries server that supports shared processors. In addition, a minimum of

64MB of memory is needed for Linux. The largest Linux partition is

determined by the support provided in Linux: the 64-bit 2.4 kernel supports

up to 24 processors and up to 256GB of memory.

OS/400 V5R2

With OS/400 V5R2, iSeries partitioning was enhanced for Linux. In a V5R2

primary partition, shared-processor resources can be dynamically moved

between Linux and OS/400 V5R2 partitions. In addition, the number of

Linux partitions was increased on iSeries servers with SSTAR and POWER4™

processors. Now, on a single-processor server, up to 9 Linux partitions can be

created; on a two-processor server, up to 19 Linux partitions can be created;

and on a four-processor server, up to 31 Linux partitions are supported.

iSeries storage virtualization also was enhanced with V5R2. Storage spaces

that are allocated from OS/400 now can be dynamically added to Linux

partitions. Storage virtualization enables Linux to leverage the advanced

iSeries storage architecture.

i5/OS introduces automatic

processor movement.


● Uncapped partitions: Micro-partitions can be created with as little as one-tenth of a processor, with increments of one-hundredth of a processor.Processor resources are automatically moved between partitions by thesystem based on the activity in the partitions. Weights can be assigned tothe partitions to prioritize the resource movement between partitions.

● Dynamic partitions: Micro-partitions can be created with as little as one-tenth of a processor, with increments of one-hundredth of a processor.Processor resources can be dynamically moved between partitions whilethe partitions continue to run. The processor resource movement can bescheduled, under program control or performed immediately throughiSeries Navigator.

● Dedicated partitions: Partitions can be created with whole processors, withincrements of whole processors. Processor resource movement requires theLinux partition to be stopped and restarted.

Highlights

With shared processor and virtual

I/O support, a Linux environment

requires minimal hardware.

In addition, iSeries Navigator was enhanced in V5R2 to support Linux

partition management and resource movement. This version of OS/400 also

provides a wizard to help make creating a Linux partition even easier.

With V5R2, Linux is supported on the IBM ~ iSeries 800, 810, 825,

870 and 890 servers.

i5/OS V5R3

The i5/OS V5R3 operating system—the latest generation of OS/400 and

introduced on IBM ~ i5 servers—features automatic processor

movement, a Hardware Management Console (HMC) and 254 maximum

partitions.

IBM ~ i5 systems supports three types of partitions that can be used

to meet varying implementation requirements:


Administrators can use the Hardware Management Console to dynamically

define, create and manage partitions. The HMC replaces the concept of a

primary partition that is used for partition management in the OS/400 V5R1

and V5R2 operating systems. One HMC can manage multiple IBM ~ i5

servers.

iSeries Navigator has been enhanced in i5/OS V5R3. The GUI can now be

used to start and shut down Linux partitions and to create, delete, link and

unlink virtual storage spaces for Linux servers.

With V5R3, Linux is supported on the IBM ~ i5 520 and

IBM ~ i5 570 servers.

Highlights

Figure 2. Creating uncapped partitions on the IBM ^ iSeries i5 server

IBM ^ i5 servers offer I/O

flexibility for Linux partitions.


Highlights

The iSeries Enterprise Edition

offers education and services

vouchers for Linux.

Linux I/O flexibility

The Linux environment on the iSeries family of servers supports two types of

I/O: virtual and direct. With virtual I/O, the I/O resources—such as disk, tape

and CD-ROM drives—are managed by an i5/OS or OS/400 partitions and

shared with the Linux partitions. The partition managing the resources is the

host. One partition can be the host for multiple Linux partitions. The shared

resources are under i5/OS or OS/400 management. For example, disk space is

allocated from the i5/OS disk drives for Linux to use. i5/OS provides the

RAID protection and some backup and restore facilities for the Linux

environment.

The Virtual Ethernet LAN support provided in OS/400 V5R1 and V5R2

extends to Linux. Virtual Ethernet provides sixteen 1Gbps Ethernet

communication paths between partitions (OS/400-to-Linux and Linux-to-

Linux) without requiring additional hardware resources. With IBM ~ i5

servers, the number of Virtual Ethernet connections has been increased to

4,094. Virtual Ethernet can be used to communicate between i5/OS, AIX 5L,

Linux and Integrated xSeries Solutions.

With direct I/O, the I/O resources are managed by Linux. For example, disk

drives, LAN or wide area network (WAN) adapters are under the control of

one Linux environment. Neither i5/OS nor OS/400 can use these resources. A

Linux server in a partition can take advantage of both virtual and direct I/O.


Highlights

Enterprise Edition

In January 2003, IBM introduced the iSeries Enterprise Edition, which

provides additional offerings for Linux. In the i870 and i890 Enterprise

Edition servers, an extra processor is activated for Linux at no additional

charge. In addition, education and services vouchers are included with i825,

i870 and i890 Enterprise Edition servers. These vouchers can be redeemed

for the Linux on iSeries Implementation or Migration class and the Linux on

iSeries Integration QuickStart service. Selected IBM software products that

can be deployed on Linux partitions are also included.

Figure 3. Comparing virtual and direct I/O


In March 2004, IBM enhanced the i810 Enterprise Edition with the

addition of a services voucher that can be redeemed for the Linux on iSeries

Integration QuickStart service. This service can be performed by qualified

IBM Business Partners.

With IBM ~ i5 servers and i5/OS V5R3, the Enterprise Edition

continues to include an extra processor and education and services vouchers

on selected ~ i5 model 520 and 570 servers.

Linux support

Support for Linux on iSeries family of servers has two key components.

Integration support for selected Linux distributions—provided by the iSeries

support organization—includes help with installing Linux, creating partitions

for Linux and sharing IBM ~ i5 resources with Linux partitions. This

integration support is provided with an IBM ~ i5 i5/OS or OS/400

SupportLine contract.

Support for the Linux distribution itself is a separate option. This support is

available from Novell, Turbolinux, Conectiva or Red Hat. In addition, IBM

Global Services offers a variety of support options for Linux distributions on

the iSeries family of servers.

Highlights

Support for Linux on IBM ^

i5 servers is available from the

Linux distributors and IBM.


HighlightsLinux applications

Linux enables a new stream of e-business applications for the iSeries family

of servers. Applications are sourced from many areas. The Linux distributions

contain popular open source applications including Apache and Samba.

Because the iSeries family of servers are based on POWER processors,

distributions that use the Linux kernel for POWER are required. Linux

applications compiled for POWER will run on IBM ~ i5, iSeries,

pSeries® and other POWER platforms.

Linux applications for Intel processor-based systems must be recompiled

for POWER. Open source applications available on the Internet can be

downloaded and compiled for POWER. In addition to the thousands of open

source applications, more than 200 applications are available from solution

providers. These offerings include products from S2 Systems, LANSA, Hansa,

Bynari, Mosaic, abas, ACCPAC and eOne Group. A complete list is available

at ibm.com/iSeries/linux/apps.html

Developers can obtain compilers from the Linux distributions, IBM or

solution providers. Cross-compilers support writing applications on Intel

processor-based systems and compiling them to run on POWER platforms.

Applications also can be developed specifically for POWER platforms. Or,

they can be developed on POWER workstations or servers and moved to

iSeries servers and run.

To assist solution providers with bringing additional products to market, an

iSeries Test Drive for Linux can provide remote access to Linux partitions on

an iSeries server.

The Linux distributions for

IBM ^ i5 servers contain

popular open source applications.


Linux integration

The iSeries family of servers offers several points of integration that support

Linux applications leveraging i5/OS and OS/400 applications and data. A

POWER Linux ODBC driver provides access from a Linux application

running on an iSeries server to the DB2 UDB application running in i5/OS or

OS/400. This ODBC driver is included in selected Linux distributions.

IBM has enhanced OS/400 NetServer with Samba to support the exchange

of files between OS/400 and Linux systems. With this support, Linux can send

files to OS/400 print queues.

The IBM Developer Kit for Linux, Java 2 Technology Edition, is available

for POWER Linux distributions. This Java Virtual Machine (JVM™)—in

combination with the iSeries Toolbox for Java or its open source version,

JTOpen—allows developers to access DB2 UDB data in i5/OS and OS/400

through JDBC as well as leverage i5/OS and OS/400 programs and services.

The Developer Kit and JTOpen are included in selected Linux distributions.

IBM software

Software from IBM also is available for POWER Linux distributions,

including DB2 UDB, IBM WebSphere® Application Server and Tivoli®

Storage Manager (TSM). With this middleware, solution providers and IBM

clients can build robust applications in Linux. DB2 UDB, WebSphere and

TSM are included with the iSeries 825, 870 and 890 Enterprise Edition

servers.

Highlights

IBM ^ i5 systems offer

integration between Linux and

OS/400 applications on a single

server.


HighlightsIBM plans to further enhance the integration of Linux and i5/OS, making it

simpler for IBM clients to consolidate Linux on IBM ~ i5 servers and

to leverage Linux applications.

The IBM ~ i5 development team, in conjunction with the IBM

Linux Technology Center, continues to work with the Linux community and

Linux distributors in the advancement of the Linux operating environment,

including support for distributions based on the 2.6 kernel.

The IBM Solutions team is currently working with independent software

vendors (ISVs) to expand the set of industry-leading Linux solutions for

IBM ~ i5 servers. Their focus is to leverage Linux to deliver new

applications for the IBM ~ i5 platform.

For the latest information on Linux for IBM ~ systems, visit

ibm.com/eserver/linux.

For the latest information on Linux for IBM ~ i5 systems, visit

ibm.com/eserver/iseries/linux.

Future investments*

IBM continues to invest in the

Linux environment on IBM ^

i5 servers and in the integration

between Linux and i5/OS.*

All statements regarding IBM future directionand intent are subject to change or withdrawalwithout notice, and represent goals andobjectives only. Contact your local IBM officeor IBM authorized reseller for the full text ofthe specific Statement of Direction.

* Some information in this white paperaddresses anticipated future capabilities.Such information is not intended as adefinitive statement of a commitment tospecific levels of performance, function ordelivery schedules with respect to any futureproducts. Such commitments are only made inIBM product announcements. The informationis presented here to communicate IBM’scurrent investment and development activitiesas a good faith effort to help with ourcustomers’ future planning.

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2004

IBM CorporationIntegrated Marketing Communications ServerGroupRoute 100Somers, NY 10589

Printed in the United States of AmericaMay 2004All Rights Reserved

IBM, the IBM logo, the e-business logo,AIX 5L, DB2 Universal Database, ^,i5/OS, iSeries, OS/400, POWER, POWER4,POWER Hypervisor, PowerPC, pSeries, Tivoli,WebSphere and xSeries are trademarks orregistered trademarks of InternationalBusiness Machines Corporation in the UnitedStates, other countries or both.

Java and all Java-based trademarks aretrademarks or registered trademarks of SunMicrosystems, Inc., in the United States, othercountries or both.

Microsoft, Windows and Windows Server aretrademarks of Microsoft Corporation in theUnited States, other countries or both.

Intel is a registered trademark of IntelCorporation in the United States, othercountries or both.

Other company, product and service namesmay be trademarks or service marks of others.

References in this document to IBM productsor services do not imply that IBM intends tomake them available in every country.

Information is provided “AS IS” withoutwarranty of any kind.

All customer examples described arepresented as illustrations of how thosecustomers have used IBM products and theresults they may have achieved. Actualenvironmental costs and performancecharacteristics may vary by customer.

Information in this presentation concerningnon-IBM products was obtained from asupplier of these products, publishedannouncement material or other publiclyavailable sources and does not constitute anendorsement of such products by IBM.Sources for non-IBM list prices andperformance numbers are taken from publiclyavailable information, including vendorannouncements and vendor worldwidehomepages. IBM has not tested theseproducts and cannot confirm the accuracy ofperformance, capability or any other claimsrelated to non-IBM products. Questions on thecapability of non-IBM products should beaddressed to the supplier of those products.

ISW00100-USEN-00

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Linux on IBM i5 · Linux on IBM^ i5 Page 5 The iSeries family of servers offer IBM clients the innovative capability to support these applications in one partition or multiple partitions,