Get to Know IBM Cloud Manager with OpenStack for z System

February 5th, 2016
Andy Hartman
Senior Systems Engineer

There are many ways to deploy and virtualize Linux servers on z Systems. They range from very basic cloning techniques, and simple Linux distribution built in scripting, all the way up to full featured Cloud deployment services. IBM Cloud Manager with OpenStack for z Systems is one of these more full featured options. ICM with OpenStack for z Systems provides the ability to not only deploy Linux virtual servers to z/VM and KVM Hypervisors on z Systems, but can also be used to deploy Linux virtual servers on x86 and Power systems.

ICM with OpenStack takes you far beyond just deploying Linux virtual servers. It allow you to use a self-service model, along with the ability to use patterns, to create a full featured application environment. You are able to implement billing with charge back and metering to give your users a comprehensive view of their usage and costs for the service. ICM has many of these capabilities built in and can be used with other IBM offerings and middleware to enhance these capabilities. Using ICM with OpenStack does not exclude you from using other products, such as IBM Wave for z/VM Linux virtual guest management, which can be used in combination to help manage your cloud environment.

IBM Custom Patterns for Linux on z Systems provides the ability to deploy complex mixes of middleware, along with the operating systems and other components, allowing you to deploy a complete solution quickly with less manual configuration and less chance of errors. These patterns include IBM middleware, such as WebSphere, DB2 and MobilFirst among others. IBM UrbanCode Deploy with Patterns allows you to design your own patterns of applications, and can be used with ICM with OpenStack to deploy these patterns in your cloud environment.

ICM with OpenStack can be used to manage these deployed Linux servers from a single modern user interface. You can start and stop servers, modify server characteristics, such as disk and network settings, as well as remove the server when it is no longer needed. ICM with OpenStack has the ability to manage many aspects of the deployment life cycle, such as request, project, user and capacity management for your cloud environment.

ICM with OpenStack abstracts the underlying infrastructure and allows users to create and manage their own environments, with less interaction required by administrators. The administration staff manages the overall environment by managing pools of various resources, such as storage space, etc., instead of having to deploy each individual server with all of its software and configurations. Using ICM with OpenStack and patterns, these activities can be performed by users. Users can be set up to only allow certain amounts of capacity and project limits, such as server life cycle, etc. One of the other major benefits to ICM with OpenStack is that a lot of users and administrators are familiar with this type of model and user interface. This allows for quick adoption and a low learning curve to get your users up and running on your cloud environment.

IBM is continually enhancing and adding to its cloud offerings for z Systems. There are many different aspects of a cloud environment that need to be worked out and planned for.   Mainline is here to help you build a successful cloud environment on z Systems. Please contact your Mainline Account Executive to answer any questions you may have, or to set up a more in-depth discussion about what you can do with IBM Cloud Manager with OpenStack, as well as any of the other cloud offerings from IBM for z Systems.

 

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