New IBM z13s Brings Built-in Encrypted Security to Entry Level

Earlier this week IBM introduced the z13s, what it calls World’s most secure server, built for hybrid cloud, and sized for mid-sized organizations.  The z13s promises better business outcomes, faster decision making, less regulatory exposure, greater scale, and better fraud protection. And at the low end it is accessible to smaller enterprises, maybe those who have never tried a z before.

z13s features embedded cryptography that brings the benefits of the mainframe to mid-sized organizations . Courtesy IBM

A machine like the low end z13s used to be referred to as a business class (BC) mainframe.  IBM declined to quote a price, except to say z13s will go “for about the same price as previous generations for the equivalent capacity.”  OK, back in July 2013 IBM published the base price of the zEC12 BC machine at $75,000. IBM made a big deal of that pricing at the time.

The key weasel phrase in IBM’s statement is: “for the equivalent capacity.”  Two and a half years ago the $75k zEC12 BC offered significantly more power than its predecessor. Figuring out equivalent capacity today given all the goodies IBM is packing into the new machine, like built-in chip-based cryptography and more, is anybody’s guess. However, given the plummeting costs of IT components over the past two years, you should get it at a base price of $100k or less. If not, call Intel. Adds IBM: The infrastructure costs of z13s are comparable to the Public Cloud infrastructure costs with enterprise support; significant software savings result from core consolidation on the z13s.

But the z13s is not just about price. As digital business becomes a standard practice and transaction volumes increase, especially mobile transaction volumes, the need for increased security becomes paramount. Cybercrime today has shifted. Rather than stealing data criminals are compromising data accuracy and reliability. This is where the z13s’ bolstered built-in security and access to APIs and microservices in a hybrid cloud setting can pay off by keeping data integrity intact.

IBM’s z13s, described as the new entry point to the z Systems portfolio for enterprises of all sizes, is packed with a number of security innovations. (DancingDinosaur considered the IBM LinuxONE Rockhopper as the current z entry point but it is a Linux-only machine.) For zOS the z13s will be the entry point. The security innovations include:

• Ability to encrypt sensitive data without compromising transactional throughput and response time through its updated cryptographic and tamper-resistant hardware-accelerated cryptographic coprocessor cards with faster processors and more memory. In short: encryption at twice the speed equates to processing twice as many online or mobile device purchases in the same time, effectively helping to lower the cost per transaction.
• Leverage the z Systems Cyber Security Analytics offering, which delivers an advanced level of threat monitoring based on behavior analytics. Also part of the package, IBM® Security QRadar® security software correlates data from more than 500 sources to help organizations determine if security-related events are simply anomalies or potential threats, This z Systems Cyber Security Analytics service will be available at no-charge, as a beta offering for z13 and z13s customers.
• IBM Multi-factor Authentication for z/OS (MFA) is now available on z/OS. The solution adds another layer of security by requiring privileged users to enter a second form of identification, such as a PIN or randomly generated token, to gain access to the system. This is the first time MFA has been tightly integrated in the operating system, rather than through an add-on software solution. This level of integration is expected to deliver more streamlined configuration and better stability and performance.

Hybrid computing and hybrid cloud also play a big part in IBM’s thinking latest around z Systems. As IBM explains, hybrid cloud infrastructure offers advantages in flexibility but can also present new vulnerabilities. When paired with z Systems, IBM’s new security solutions can allow clients to establish end-to-end security in their hybrid cloud environment.

Specifically, IBM Security Identity Governance and Intelligence can help prevent inadvertent or malicious internal data loss by governing and auditing access based on known policies while granting access to those who have been cleared as need-to-know users. IBM Security Guardium uses analytics to help ensure data integrity by providing intelligent data monitoring, which tracks users as they access specific data and help to identify threat sources quickly in the event of a breach. IBM Security zSecure and QRadar use real-time alerts to focus on the identified critical security threats that matter the most.

Conventional z System data centers should have no difficulty migrating to the z13 or even the z13s.  IBM told DancingDinosaur it will continue to protect a client’s investment in technology with serial number preservation on the IBM z13s.  The company also is offering upgrades from the zEnterprise BC12 (zBC12) and from the zEnterprise 114 (z114) to the z13s.   Of course, it supports upgradeability within the IBM z13 family; a z13s N20 model can be upgraded to the z13 N30 model. And once the z13s is installed it allows on demand offerings to access temporary or permanent capacity as needed.

DancingDinosaur is Alan Radding, a veteran information technology analyst and writer. Please follow DancingDinosaur on Twitter, @mainframeblog. See more of his IT writing at technologywriter.com and here.

IBM Edge2014: It’s All About the Storage

When your blogger as a newbie programmer published his first desktop application in the pre-historic desktop computing era it had to be distributed on consumer tape cassette. When buyers complained that it didn’t work the problem was quickly traced to imprecise and inconsistent consumer cassette storage. Since the dawn of the computer era, it has always been about storage.

It still is. Almost every session at IBM Edge2014 seemed to touch on storage in one way or another.  Kicking it all off was Tom Rosamilia, Senior Vice President,  IBM Systems & Technology Group, who elaborated on IBM’s main theme not just for Edge2014 but for IBM at large: Infrastructure Matters Because Business Outcomes Matter. And by infrastructure IBM mainly is referring to storage. Almost every session, whether on cloud or analytics or mobile, touched on storage in one way or another.

To reinforce his infrastructure matters point Rosamilia cited a recent IBM study showing that 70% of top executives now recognize infrastructure as an enabler. However, just 10% reported their infrastructure was ready for the challenge.  As an interesting aside, the study found 91% of the respondents’ customer facing applications were using the System z, which only emphasizes another theme at IBM Edge2014—that companies need to connect systems of record with systems of engagement if they want to be successful.

In fact, IBM wants to speed up computing overall, starting with flash and storage. A study by the Aberdeen Group found that a 1 sec. delay in page load resulted in a 77% loss in conversions, 11% fewer page views, and a 16% decrease in customer satisfaction.  IBM’s conclusion: In dollar terms, this means that if your site typically earns $100,000 a day, this year you could lose $2.5 million in sales.  Expect all IBM storage to be enabled for some form of flash going forward.

First announced at IBM Edge2014 were the FlashSystem 840 and the IBM FlashSystem V840, which includes integrated data virtualization through IBM’s SVC and its various components. It also boasts a more powerful controller capable of rich capabilities like compression, replication, tiering, thin provisioning, and more. Check out the details here.

Also at Edge2014 there was considerable talk about Elastic Storage. This is the storage you have always imagined. You can manage mixed storage pools of any device. Integrate with any OS. Write policies to it. It seems infinitely scalable. Acts as a universal cloud gateway. And even works with tape.

Sounds magical doesn’t it?  According to IBM, Elastic Storage provides automated tiering to move data from different storage media types. Infrequently accessed files can be migrated to tape and automatically recalled back to disk when required—sounds like EasyTier built in. Unlike traditional storage, it allows you to smoothly grow or shrink your storage infrastructure without application disruption or outages. And it can run on a cluster of x86 and POWER-based servers and can be used with internal disk, commodity storage, or advanced storage systems from IBM or other vendors. Half the speakers at the conference glowed about Elastic Storage.  Obviously it exists, but it is not an actually named product yet. Watch for it, but it is going to have a different name when finally released, probably later this year. No hint at what that name will be.

IBM, at the conference, identified the enhanced XIV as the ideal cloud infrastructure. XIV eliminates complexity. It enables high levels of resiliency and ensures service levels. As one speaker said: “It populates LUNs and spreads the workload evenly. You don’t even have to load balance it.” Basically, it is grid storage that is ideal for the cloud.

LTFS (Linear Tape File System) was another storage technology that came up surprisingly frequently. Don’t assume that that tape has no future, not judging from IBM Edge2014. LTFS provides a GUI that enables you to automatically move infrequently accessed data from disk to tape without the need for proprietary tape applications. Implementing LTFS Enterprise Edition allows you to replace disk with tape for tiered storage and lower your storage TCO by over 50%. Jon Toigo, a leading storage analyst, has some good numbers on tape economics that may surprise you.

Another sometimes overlooked technology is EasyTier, IBM’s storage tiering tool.  EasyTier has evolved into a main way for IBM storage users to capitalize on the benefits of Flash. EasyTier already has emerged as an effective tool for both the DS8000 and the Storwize V7000.  With EasyTier small amounts of Flash can deliver big performance improvements.

In the coming weeks DancingDinosaur will look at other IBM Edge 2014 topics.  It also is time to start thinking about IBM Enterprise 2014, which combines the System z and Power platforms. It will be at the Venetian in Las Vegas, Oct 6-10. IBM Enterprise 2014 is being billed as the premier enterprise infrastructure event.

BTW, we never effectively solved the challenge of distributing desktop programs until the industry came out with 5.5” floppy disks. Years later my children used the unsold floppies as little Frisbees.

Follow Alan Radding and DancingDinosaur on Twitter, @mainframeblog

IBM Edge2014 Executive Track Hits Critical Issues

Until now this blog has looked at the technology issues being addressed at the upcoming IBM Edge2014 conference starting in Las Vegas on Monday. There also, however, is a business focus through the Edge2014 Executive Track. You can find Executive Track session details here.

DancingDinosaur, a mediocre programmer in a previous life, still gravitates toward technical sessions in the hopes of understanding this amazing new technology. But for the sake of some balance your blogger will hit a few Executive Track sessions. The following look particularly interesting:

Infrastructure Matters Because Business Outcomes Matter—to be given by Tom Rosamilia, Senior Vice President, IBM Systems & Technology Group and IBM Integrated Supply Chain. Your blogger has heard Rosamilia talk on this topic before and he is spot on. He explains why the right IT infrastructure choices are critical for business success and how the demands created by cloud, big data and analytics, mobile, and social are fueling an explosion of data, and spawning new workloads and business models. This has drastically changed expectations for IT infrastructures, which now is expected to be software defined, open, and more secure than ever before. The result is what IBM calls Composable Business, which optimizes technology by building a robust, highly agile infrastructure that can adjust quickly and efficiently to change for better business outcomes.

Along the same lines is Rethinking Your Business Model with Cloud. Here Robert LeBlanc, Senior Vice President, Software and Cloud Solutions, IBM Software Group, describes how new disruptive technologies are pushing companies to rethink how they do business. As a result, a wide range of companies, both new and well established, ranging from Tangerine (formerly ING Direct), OnFarm (farm management) and Kiwi (wearable technology) to Pitney Bowes (reinventing the postage meter business) are redefining themselves and their industries. Not surprisingly business leaders, IT executives, and developers are embracing cloud technology across their organizations to promote innovation, drive business growth, and gain a competitive advantage.  Enterprises are tapping into IBM cloud technologies, such as the IBM Cloud Marketplace and BlueMix, to quickly build applications that transform their businesses.

Improved Economics with Data Virtualization—Jeff Barber, Vice President, Mid-Range/Low End Disk Business Line Executive, IBM Systems & Technology Group discusses how data is the next natural resource; the new currency of business. In today’s mobile and social environment, users expect data to be available anytime, anywhere, and on any device. This has placed great financial pressure on enterprise data fabrics. With budgets under constant scrutiny, companies need to manage storage costs while delivering faster business insights. IBM Storage provides data virtualization that helps enable business agility while reducing both infrastructure and operational costs. Data virtualization also provides the foundation for software defined storage and cloud storage.

Big Data Insights in a Flash–Michael Kuhn, Vice President and Business Line Executive, Flash

Systems, IBM Systems & Technology Group explains how the massive amounts of data being generated each day are making it difficult to capture insights from the data. Through this data explosion businesses can achieve their competitive edge by making data-driven decisions in real time. However, the velocity at which data is growing has made it increasingly difficult for businesses to manage and extract value from their data. Kuhn shows how adding flash storage to a data fabric offers a fast, low cost way to create business value and extract greater insights from data. Flash also enables data analytics in near real time so workers can take appropriate actions even as customers are making buying decisions.

Much of IBM Edge2014 will touch on storage in various ways, which makes sense since data lies at the heart of technology’s value, and storage is how organizations capture, preserve, protect, and leverage data for its maximum impact.

Flexible Storage for Data in the Cloud by Vincent Hsu, IBM Fellow and Chief Technical Officer, Storage Systems and Sidney Chow, Vice President and Business Line Executive, High End Disk, IBM Systems & Technology Group. Hsu and Chow start with the unpredictability of workloads in cloud environments that is driving an ever increasing need for a flexible and scalable infrastructure. Your cloud services, whether provided on-premises or off-site, are only as good as the elasticity and control they can provide. The right data infrastructure matters when creating cloud environments that can optimize data for faster business performance and lower total costs. Software Defined Storage take elasticity to the next level by simplifying interfaces and automating tasks.

Not sure which of these sessions your blogger will attend—all look good. In fact, there is so much at IBM Edge2014 that this blogger would need another week to catch all he likes. And, still need to make time for the Sheryl Crow concert.  Decisions, decisions, decisions…

Look for this blogger 5/19 through 5/22 at Edge2014. You’ll find me in the social media lounge when not attending a session. And follow me on Twitter, @mainframeblog or @IBMEdge.