Looking for more detailed information on Linux and IBM? You've come to the right place.
We've collected reports from some of the top analysts in the industry, whitepapers from technical leaders in the Linux Technology Center, and detailed information on products and services from IBM.
Industry Perspectives
Interested in a second opinion? These whitepapers from respected industry analysts provide deeper insights into Linux on IBM Systems, as well as competitive comparisons.
- "Hyperversity" Driven by Technical & Cost Differences (612KB)
Further analysis of the results of the latest Gabriel Consulting x86 Data Center Survey shows that hypervisor diversity is set to continue, with the average x86 enterprise customer using three different hypervisors to virtualize their workloads, and that most customers choosing multiple hypervisors are focused on cost and technical differences.
- "Hyperversity" Rages On (513KB)
Gabriel Consulting survey shows that two thirds of enterprise customers surveyed are using multiple hypervisors and that hypervisor diversity is the majority choice. KVM grows; VMware, Hyper-V, Xen stable.
- VMware vs. KVM: A Functionality/Price Discussion (482KB)
Clabby Analytics dives into a detailed functional and cost comparison between VMware and KVM stacks, uncovering KVM to be up to 40% less expensive to implement and operate over a three-year TCO.
- Linux and Solaris: An Analysis of Two Strategies for Enterprise Operating Systems (293KB)
Solaris or Linux: Which operating system is the better choice? Oracle has drastically changed Sun's Solaris strategy and Linux has matured. Read this comparative report before you choose.
- KVM for Server Virtualization: An Open Source Solution Comes of Age (110KB)
Gary Chen discusses the newest hypervisor to enter the virtualization market.
- Linux: IBM’s Workload Optimization Growth Engine (313.5KB)
Clabby Analytics takes a closer look at IBM’s Linux market positioning, and at how Linux is being deployed on IBM’s three server environments (System x, Power Systems, System z)
- Harmonizing the Twin Trends of Open Source and Virtualization: How Kernel Based Virtual Machine (KVM) Drives Enterprise Business Value (200KB)
Cabot Partners explores the evolution of open virtualization, and its importance in enterprise IT environments.
- How the Oracle Acquisition of Sun Has Changed the Competitive Dynamics in the Server Business (609KB)
Clabby Analytics predicts a forthcoming split of the the worldwide server market, and discusses the value of selecting a hardware platform by workload requirements.
- Energizing the Mainframe Mainstream: The Complementary Benefits of IBM’s Software and Linux on System z (150KB)
Charles King of Pund-IT discusses the benefits of running IBM Software on Linux on the IBM System z.
- Linux and Commercial Software: Combining to Support the Cloud Environment (676KB)
An overview of cloud computing including: the economic bene!ts to companies building, managing, storing, and leveraging cloud environments; and the benefit of rich Linux open source technology as the foundation of the cloud.
- Adding Business Value with Cross-Platform Solutions (167KB)
IDC interviews Power and System z mainframe customers and discovers an average payback period of 6.3 months.
- Virtualization & TCO: Linux vs. Microsoft (730KB)
Dan Olds of Gabriel Consulting Group explores the nature of virtualization adoption between Linux and Microsoft Windows shops, and discovers that broader virtualization adoption by Linux users drives lower TCO.
- Linux in the Mainstream: Growing Deployment of Business-Critical Workloads. (191KB)
Al Gillen from IDC explores how and why Linux has continued to accelerate from the edge of the network into the core of the datacenter.
- Linux on the Desktop: Lessons from Mainstream Business Adoption. (425KB)
Freeform Dynamics surveys over a thousand experienced adopters and finds that 70% of enterprise Linux desktop rollouts are driven by cost, and that for the right users the implementations are generally smoother than expected.
- Has IBM Kept Their Linux Promise? (456KB)
Dan Olds of Gabriel Consulting Group asks whether IBM has kept the commitments they made in 1999.
- Why Consolidate Linux on IBM System P? (89KB)
Brad Day of Forrester outlines the primary reasons for consolidating Linux workloads on IBM Power Systems.
Technical Perspectives
The IBM Linux Technology Center strives to provide varied document solutions for all of your environment’s needs. Whether you run Linux on a BladeCenter server, are looking to switch over to using Linux on System z, or have questions about a problem you’ve run into, you can find the information you’re looking for in one of our documentation locations or support forums.
- Getting more out of your IBM PureFlex system with KVM (1.5MB)
This IBM paper showcases the key benefits of KVM on IBM PureFlex with the help of scenarios and use cases. It also describes how customers can derive a very high level of automation and flexibility using KVM on PureFlex environment.
- Tuning for Web Serving on RHEL 6.4 KVM (196KB)
This IBM technical paper discusses best practices for tuning a web server environment on KVM to achieve critical performance necessary for effective web serving while taking advantage of the consolidation benefits that virtualization provides.
- Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Performance on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.3 KVM Hypervisor (240KB)
This IBM paper looks at the performance of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 in a virtualized environment built on top of KVM. The performance characteristics of running Exchange in both single and multiple virtual machines are examined. The results demonstrate that KVM is ideal platform for virtualizing enterprise mail server workloads.
- KVM: Achieving Leadership I/O Rates For Virtualized Storage In A Single Virtual Machine (Guest) (433KB)
This IBM and Red Hat technical paper shows that KVM can deliver the highest storage I/O rates ever reported for a single virtual machine (guest) using the new "virtio-blk-data-plane" technology. These I/O rates are at least 50% higher than other competing hypervisors.
- KVM: Achieving Unprecedented Virtualization Results for Maximum I/O Rates Per Host (346KB)
This IBM and Red Hat technical paper shows that KVM can deliver the best virtualized I/O performance and is ready for enterprise workloads that demand extremely high I/O rates, low latencies, and deterministic storage I/O performance.
- KVM: Hypervisor Security You Can Depend On (275KB)
This IBM Linux Technology Center whitepaper discusses KVM as the trusted open source virtualization technology for the security of your cloud.
- Information Center for Linux
The information center is your source for technical information about Linux on IBM systems. Here you can find product documentation, how-tos, and blueprints to guide you through the processes you need, including installation, configuration, and security, to keep your environment running smoothly.
- developerWorks
This site provides technical resources for Linux programmers and system administrators. Here you can find downloads, articles and podcasts presented by IBM developers, information about open source projects, and a “New to Linux” page that provides answers to some basic questions about Linux for newer users.
- Linux Blueprints
Linux Blueprints are short technical how-tos created by IBM's Linux developers. These practical documents span a range of technologies and topics, including power consumption, security, virtualization, and performance across System x, Power, and System z.
- Discussion forums
The Linux discussion forums are the place for you to ask questions, get answers, or share your ideas and knowledge with other users, system administrators, and developers. You can find support forums for technical issues, discussion forums about blueprints, and community forums that encourage you to share and build relationships with other users.
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