System z Application Assist Processor (zAAP)

Not enough zAAP-eligible capacity to justify the purchase of a zAAP?

z/OS V1.11 is enhanced with a new function that can enable System z Application Assist Processor (zAAP) eligible workloads to run on System z Integrated Information Processors (zIIPs). This function can enable you to run zIIP- and zAAP-eligible workloads on the zIIP.

This new capability is ideal for customers without enough zAAP- or zIIP-eligible workload to justify a specialty engine today; the combined eligible workloads may make the acquisition of a zIIP cost effective. This new capability is also intended to provide more value for customers having only zIIP processors by making Java and XML-based workloads eligible to run on existing zIIPs.

Customers who have already invested in zAAP, or have invested in both zAAP and zIIP processors, should continue to use these as this maximizes the new workload potential for the platform.

This capability is available with z/OS V1.11 (and z/OS V1.9 and V1.10 with PTF for APAR OA27495) and all IBM System z9® , System z10, and zEnterprise servers; some additional restrictions apply. This capability does not provide an overflow so additional zAAP eligible workload can run on the zIIP, it enables the zAAP eligible work to run on zIIP when no zAAP is defined. Therefore, this new capability is not available for z/OS LPARS if zAAPs are installed on the server.

This new capability does not remove the requirement to purchase and maintain one or more general purpose processors for every zIIP processor on the server. This part of the IBM terms and conditions surrounding the IBM System z specialty engines is unchanged.

Additional terms and conditions apply, see the FAQ for more information.

Prerequisites for Java zAAP exploitation
The System z Application Assist Processors (zAAPs) may be purchased and installed on zEnerprise, System z10, System z9, z990 and z890 servers and future follow-on models only. In addition you need z/OS 1.7 the IBM Solution Developers Kit (SDK) for z/OS, Java 2 Technology Edition, V1.4 with PTF (or later) for APAR PQ86689 and for WebSphere-based Java workloads, WebSphere Version 5.1 or above is required.

Here is a table outlining the subsystems and minimum Java levels dependencies for determining zAAP Java execution and exploitation potential. The items in bold identify some of the products levels that will exploit zAAPs. The items in normal font, while not able to exploit the benefits of zAAPs, show where the zAAP Projection Tool for Java 2 Technology Edition, SDK1.3.1 can be used to assist in zAAP capacity planning. For instance, WebSphere V5.0.2 cannot exploit zAAP, however the zAAP Projection Tool can be used to determine zAAP Java execution potential if the WebSphere workloads were migrated to the required level for zAAP exploitation.

Prerequisites for z/OS XML System Services exploitation

The System z Application Assist Processors (zAAPs) may be purchased and installed on zEnterprise, System z10, System z9, z990 and z890 servers and future follow-on models only. z/OS XML System Services support of zIIP and zAAP specialty engines is being rolled out over time.

Many IBM applications use z/OS XML System Services and, as a result, can have portions of their workloads eligible for the zAAP or zIIP processor. In order to exploit z/OS XML System Services with a zAAP, the following prerequisites are required:

View table (113.5KB)