F.1 Why Kvm For Ibm Z Systems - IBM z13s Technical Manual

F.1 Why KVM for IBM z Systems

Organizations are challenged to drive new business opportunities while reducing budgets,
managing increased IT complexity, and improving staff productivity. Although cost
considerations are important, businesses are looking at other benefits of open source
solutions, such as interoperability, flexibility, and access to the underlying code in their
systems to address their challenges.
With KVM for IBM z Systems (KVM for IBM z), IT organizations can unleash the power of
kernel-based virtual machine (KVM) open virtualization to improve productivity, and to
simplify administration and management for a quick start on their journey to a highly
virtualized environment on IBM z Systems servers.
KVM for IBM z Systems is an open source virtualization option for running Linux-centric
workloads, using common Linux-based tools and interfaces, while taking advantage of the
robust scalability, reliability, and security that is inherent to the IBM z Systems platform. The
strengths of the z Systems platform have been developed and refined over several decades
to provide more value to any type of IT-based services.
KVM-based virtualization on z Systems servers allows businesses to deploy fewer systems to
run more workloads, sharing resources, and improving service levels to meet demand. KVM
for IBM z has these advantages:
Uses Linux administrative skills to allow for simplicity and familiarity for non-z Systems
users, leading to greater operational efficiencies.
Enables x86 workload consolidation and deployment on z Systems servers using KVM.
Uses standard interfaces to enable single cross-platform virtualization and help simplify
systems management.
Integrates into existing cloud environments and enables cloud deployments by seamlessly
working with OpenStack.
Runs your Linux workloads on the z Systems platform, one of the most trusted, scalable,
available, reliable, and highly secure platforms.
Enhances performance, utilization, and delivery of service by allowing business
applications to remain active while the workload is relocated for either load balancing or
scheduled downtime.
Provides flexibility and automatic provisioning of computing resources, as needed, to meet
changing server demands, and to maintain service at a constant, high utilization rate.
Provides flexibility and automatic provisioning of computing resources, as needed, to meet
changing server demands, and to maintain service at a constant, high utilization rate.
Note: Both KVM for IBM z Systems and Linux on z Systems are the same KVM and
Linux that run on other hardware platforms with the same look and feel.
F.1.1 Advantages of using KVM for IBM z Systems
KVM for IBM z Systems offers enterprises a cost-effective alternative to other hypervisors. It
has simple and familiar standard user interfaces, offering easy integration of the z Systems
platform into any IT infrastructure.
KVM for IBM z Systems can be managed to allow for over-commitment of system resources
to optimize the virtualized environment. In addition, KVM for IBM z Systems can help make
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IBM z13s Technical Guide