Neon zPrime Reduces Mainframe TCO

OK, I admit, I'm interested, no, I'm actually curious : zPrime (I talked about earlier) is now officially available from Neon Enterprise Software. What is it ? Well I'm not really sure how it technically works and I can't find any specific details on it, butI'll give you some appetizers. Here's a quote from the press release :

"NEON zPrime can save companies with System z mainframes 20 percent or more of their annual mainframe hardware and software costs under conventional use-pricing structures. Unlike any approach to date that attempts to offload processing from a System z central processor, or CP, to IBM specialty processors such as System z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP) or System z Application Assist Processors (zAAP), zPrime easily enables the shift of huge amounts of routine workloads running on CPs to these equally-fast but lower-cost specialty processors.

zPrime can facilitate the transfer of as much as 50 percent or more of a company’s IMS, DB2, CICS, TSO/ISPF, and batch workloads from System z CPs to zIIP and zAAP processors, and consequently reduce mainframe costs significantly."

So, if I understand this correctly, Neon has come up with a technique to offload much more workload to the specialty engines including e.g. a lot more DB2 workload than before but also traditonal batch workload. To good to be true ? Not according to Neon :

"NEON zPrime is 100 percent compliant with IBM specifications, rules and conditions for System z processor access to assure a seamless environment that makes IMS, CICS, TSO/ISPF, DB2, batch jobs and NEON IMS utilities workloads eligible for processing on zIIPs or zAAPs."

If you want to read more about it, you can find additonal information at the Neon Website with some more details, a data sheet and a short presentation.

There's also a Webcast on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 5:30 pm Brussels Time with Tony Lubrano, NEON product author who will explain the solution and with Al Sherkow. Now I'm really curious :

"Al Sherkow describes the dramatic early test results that NEON zPrime has shown in real-world environments. Mr. Sherkow is a capacity planning and performance consultant for IBM's mainframe computers. He is also recognized as the leading industry expert on the crucial subject of IBM’s new software pricing model Workload License Charges (WLC)."

Do check this one out !