Re-Hosting Mainframe Applications on Intel Xeon Processor-based Servers

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1 SOLUTION BRIEF Intel Xeon Processor-based Servers Mainframe Migration Re-Hosting Mainframe Applications on Intel Xeon Processor-based Servers A Proven Methodology for Mainframe Migration The mainframe has been around for decades and is considered by many to be the ultimate legacy platform for scale-up computing. These monolithic systems have proven their ability to deliver the performance, scalability, security, manageability, and high availability large businesses demand for their core transactional and database applications. Yet the high costs associated with scaling and adapting mainframe environments have many companies looking for ways to extend or replace their mainframes with alternative platforms that improve agility and reduce costs without sacrificing quality of service (QoS). Since moving workloads off a mainframe often represents a fundamental shift in IT strategy, a comprehensive and systematic approach is needed to minimize cost and risk. This paper describes a methodology (Figure 1) that has been used successfully for mainframe migrations. It offers a useful starting point for business and IT decision makers looking for ways to improve IT capability and agility, without sacrificing QoS and without incurring the high cost of expanding an existing mainframe environment. Getting Started To ensure business and technical issues are thoroughly explored, an interdisciplinary approach is necessary. The initial project team should include business managers, business analysts, system and application architects, and IT operational staff. Support from executives is also imperative because a mainframe migration will impact multiple business units. Workshop Assessment Methodology Approach Evaluate & Analyze Solutions Overview Plan Definition Business & Financial Overview Solution Design 1 2 Unless the team has experience with mainframe migrations, engaging with a consultant is highly recommended. Many system integrators, independent software vendors (ISVs), and hardware suppliers have proven sets of tools and extensive experience with mainframe migrations. Migration Deployment Proof of Concept Infrastructure Deployment Solution Test Application Roll-Out System Optimization Operations & Monitoring 3 4 A technical and planning workshop from suppliers should be a first step. It will provide a solid foundation for an efficient and effective migration. Outsourcing some or all of the migration may also be a good choice, depending on time constraints and the availability of internal resources. Figure 1. Following a proven migration methodology helps to reduce cost and risk and accelerate time to benefits.

2 Mainframe Migration in the Real World HSBC One of the World s Largest Banks When heavy workloads from a new suite of loan applications created performance and reliability issues for an HSBC mainframe in Mexico City, the company had a choice to make: either upgrade the mainframe or migrate existing workloads onto an alternative platform. After a thorough review of alternatives and consultation with Intel, HSBC Mexico used the methodology outlined in this paper to re-host the applications on Intel Xeon processorbased servers running Linux*. The resulting migration met or exceeded all of HSBC s goals. Performance and uptime were improved, delivering a better experience to customers and branch office personnel. Mainframe workloads were reduced by 2,000 MIPS and monthly service charges by 70 percent. 1, Business flexibility was increased because the new solutions made it easier to scale and adapt applications. Establishing Goals Establishing clear goals is important to keep the project on track and aligned with business priorities and needs. Goals should be specific and, when possible, quantitative to provide a framework for weighing alternatives throughout the planning process. Issues to consider include business growth, cost reduction, IT efficiency and agility, and governance, including risk management. A mainframe migration of modern applications, such as Java-based solutions, can deliver significant value across all these areas. Understanding business and IT priorities is critical to ensure that projects remain aligned with the needs of the business. Assessing the Current Environment Once goals are established, a comprehensive assessment of the current business, technical, and operational infrastructure environments must be performed (Figure 2). This assessment should be comprehensive and thorough because it provides the foundation for understanding end-to-end solution requirements. It should include physical, logical, and Integrated Assessment solution architectures across all systems. It should also include production, staging, disaster recovery, quality assurance, and development environments, as well as key mainframe interfaces, system interdependencies, and performance bottlenecks. Future requirements should also be evaluated with respect to the current solution. The IT industry has developed a number of infrastructure assessment and inventory tools to help with hardware and application migrations. These tools range from simple spreadsheets to advanced programs that may include automated data center discovery. Depending on the selected tool, it may measure system workloads, resource utilization, and dependency mapping. It may also discover physical and virtual IT assets, applications, and the relationships between them. The resulting assessment typically includes detailed reports and graphs, and can be useful for system design and for identifying opportunities to virtualize infrastructure and reduce overall costs. For a detailed technical discussion of the HSBC mainframe migration, read the Intel white paper at en/mission-critical/mission-criticalmeeting-todays-it-challenges.html Integrated System Assessment Business Solutions & Applications Staging & Development Systems Backup Systems Storage Devices Network I/O Database Application Services Commercial and Custom Applications Operating System Enterprise Infrastructure Software Utilities, IT Operational Tools Hardware Devices, Software Drivers IT Operations & Management System Performance Infrastructure Performance IT Management Framework Integrated Solution and Infrastructure Assessment Figure 2. A comprehensive and integrated assessment of the existing infrastructure provides a foundation for planning an efficient, low-risk migration. 2

3 Creating the Proposal Creating a proposal will typically require evaluating multiple options for meeting current and future needs. Should custom applications be rewritten, re-factored, or replaced? Should new infrastructure be scaled up, scaled out, or virtualized? Should a private cloud architecture be considered? Technical feasibility should be evaluated for each option, including the challenges associated with transitioning to the new solution. If some applications will remain on the mainframe, it will be necessary to explore options for integration, including hardware, software, and operational issues. Once technical feasibility is confirmed, return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses should be performed for the solutions that are most feasible and have the highest business migration priorities. This will help quantify the decision-making process. Technical and financial assessments should include sufficient detail to identify significant risks that could potentially impact the success of the project. 120,000 90,000 60,000 30,000 0 Score (Higher is better) SPECweb* Intel Xeon processor 3.80 GHz (2 MB L2, 800 MHz FSB, single core) Intel Xeon processor 5160 (3.0 GHz, 4 MB L2, 1333 MHz FSB, dual core) Intel Xeon processor X5460 (3.16 GHz, 2x6 MB L2, 1333 MHz FSB, quad core) Intel Xeon processor X5570 (2.93 GHz, 8 MB L3, 6.4 GT/s, quad core) Intel Xeon processor X5680 (3.33 GHz, 12 MB L3 cache, 6.4 GT/s, six core) Figure 3. Web server performance has increased substantially for two-socket Intel Xeon processor-based servers. The latest systems based on the Intel Xeon processor 5600 series are ideal for processing large numbers of concurrent user requests, as demonstrated by published results on the SPECWeb*2005 benchmark. 2, Developing the Solution Architecture An interdisciplinary approach is required to develop a detailed solution architecture and migration plan. The team should include system architects, application architects, data center IT operations personnel, database administrators, and quality assurance staff. It should also include business unit representatives to ensure the proposed architecture is well aligned with current and projected business needs. IBM and other mainframe vendors offer detailed and proven design options for deploying both horizontally and vertically scaled solutions. In many cases, a twotier or three-tier architecture will be optimal. Selecting best-fit Intel Xeon processor-based servers for the new solution will depend on specific workloads, performance requirements, and solution architectures. The following guidelines will be helpful in many scenarios. Web Servers. Web requests can be distributed efficiently across multiple two-socket Intel Xeon processor 5600 series-based servers. Performance has increased substantially in the two-socket server space in recent years, and today s systems are well suited for processing large numbers of concurrent user requests (Figure 3). Application and Database Servers. Four-socket, eight-socket, and larger servers based on the Intel Xeon processor E7 family provide scalable performance per system to support heavy application and database workloads. With up to two terabytes of memory and a high-speed, point-topoint interconnect system, these servers support exceptionally fast processing for high-volume transaction workloads (Figure 4). The tightly-integrated interconnect system also provides reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) for mission-critical environments through features such as advanced error correction and automated link recovery. 3

4 Unless the mainframe is being decommissioned, it may be necessary to access mainframe data and manage transactions across the new systems and solutions and the mainframe environment. Many options are available, such as IBM CICS* Transaction Gateway and IBM MQ* Series message-oriented middleware. These and other options are easily deployed on Intel Xeon processor-based servers. They provide flexible, scalable, and secure options for accessing information and managing transactions and applications on distributed systems. 24,000 (Higher is better) ,000,000 3,500,000 BOPS (Higher is better) ,000,000 16, ,500,000 2,000, , Socket SPECjAppServer* Socket 1,500,000 1,000, , Socket SPECjbb* Socket Intel Xeon processor X7350 (8 M cache, 2.9 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) Intel Xeon processor X7460 (16 M cache, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB Intel QPI - Intel QuickPath Interconnect Intel Xeon processor X714OM (16 M cache, 3.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB) Intel Xeon processor X7350 (8 M cache, 2.93 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) Intel Xeon processor X7460 (16 M cache, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) Figure 4. Four-socket, eight-socket, and larger Intel Xeon processor-based servers deliver scalable performance for demanding Java applications, as demonstrated by published results on the SPECjAppServer2004 and SPECjbb2005 benchmarks. 4

5 Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Testing When migrating custom applications, PoC testing will help technical teams identify and address potential design and operational issues early in the design and migration processes. For example, targeted PoCs may be appropriate to validate performance, scalability, transaction management, and data access for the new solution. However, extensive PoCs may not be necessary when migrating commercial applications. ISVs can often provide reference designs and sizing guides, as well as best practice recommendations that have been proven worldwide across numerous customer implementations. Moving to Production In moving to production, a staged and phased transition is generally preferable. A pilot deployment using a subset of applications can allow IT to identify and address problems before they affect the broader business environment. It can also provide IT with a good opportunity to integrate the new solution into the broader development and quality assurance environments and to integrate and test new operational tools, scripts, utilities, and processes. A successful pilot may require considerable collaboration among multiple groups and teams, and time and dedicated resources should be allocated accordingly. Conclusion Migrating modern workloads from a mainframe to Intel Xeon processorbased servers can deliver fundamental advantages, including better performance and scalability, improved business and IT agility, and lower capital and operating costs. Businesses have been migrating mainframe applications onto distributed, horizontally scalable solutions for years. Newer eight-socket and larger servers based on the Intel Xeon processor E7 family deliver high-end scalability and advanced reliability for both vertically and horizontally scalable solutions, and are well suited for a broad range of workloads currently running in many mainframe environments. A successful migration requires detailed planning, commitment, a team effort by multiple business and technical teams, and direct support from senior management. Applying a comprehensive, step-bystep approach using a proven migration methodology is essential for coordinating business and IT efforts to deliver desired benefits, while managing costs and risks. Professional services and support are available from leading system integrators, ISVs, and hardware suppliers around the world, many of whom have extensive experience in mainframe migration. 5

6 Sample Mainframe Migration Checklist ASSESSING THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT Perform a comprehensive evaluation and documentation of: Backup for one Windows Small Busi Physical, logical, and solution architectures Performance and functionality across operational, development, staging, disaster recovery, and quality assurance infrastructure System interfaces, interdependencies, networking, and storage Software solution compatibility, business applications and solutions, OS, middleware, Java* Virtual Machine (JVM), database, and database connections Application, database, and transaction performance, including current bottlenecks Future performance requirements with projected growth, workloads, transactions, and new services Security, compliance, and IT management and operational framework DESIGNING THE NEW SOLUTION AND SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE Develop the solution architecture, including physical and logical systems that account for: Software stack, including business applications and solutions, Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), application server and JVM, database systems, and OS Compute, network, and storage systems, including topology for load balancing and for horizontal and vertical scaling Performance and scalability for current and projected workloads System availability and maintainability Security, compliance, and integration with IT management framework Establish solutions for connecting to the mainframe environment, including: Java database connectivity (JDBC) between the application server (IBM WebSphere* Application Server, JBOSS, Oracle WebLogic* Server, and so on) and mainframe databases Transaction management (CICS Client Gateway, and so on) Message passing connectivity (IBM WebSphere MQ Client, IBM WebSphere MQ Server, and so on) PLANNING FOR MIGRATION, DEPLOYMENT, AND IT OPERATIONS Develop detailed plans for migration, including: A comprehensive functional design Systems and solutions for production, development, test, and staging environments Detailed migration timelines, schedules, and resources Disaster recovery and failover solutions Proof-of-concept testing Application migration, including tools and utilities Final deployment and go-live Developing thorough and detailed cut-over plans 6

7 Sample Mainframe Migration Checklist Selecting testing tools and procedures for: Performance testing and infrastructure validation Stress and end-to-end system functionality testing Create plans for deployment and operations, including: On-going support and maintenance Integration with IT management, operational tools, and procedures On-going security and governance ASSESSING AND MITIGATING RISK Identify essential resources and potential risks to the success of the project, including: Key stakeholders, collaborators, and resources Internal and external team dependencies and requirements Developing contingency plans, including roll-back plan QUANTIFYING COSTS AND BENEFITS Create detailed reports of benefits, costs, and risks, including: Business and cost benefits, including license, systems, maintenance, and operational costs TCO, ROI, CAPEX, and OPEX analyses, including projected cost savings 7

8 Learn More HSBC, one of the world s largest banks, used the methodology described in this paper to re-host a suite of mission-critical Java* loan applications on Intel Xeon processor-based servers. Read a detailed technical overview at mission-critical/mission-critical-meeting-todays-it-challenges.html. For more details on the Intel Xeon processor family, visit Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel microprocessors. Performance tests, such as SYSmark and MobileMark, are measured using specific computer systems, components, software, operations and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information and performance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product when combined with other products. For more information go to 1 Source: HSBC 2 Server configurations for application server performance on the SPECjAppServer*2004 benchmark. SPECjAppServer is a trademark of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corp. (SPEC). Competitive numbers shown reflect results published on as of September 21, The comparison presented is based on the best single-node four-socket results. For the latest SPECjAppServer2004 results, visit Four-socket Intel Xeon processor X7350 (8 M cache, 2.93 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB): HP ProLiant* DL580 G5 platform with four Intel Xeon processors X7350 (8 M cache, 2.93 GHz,1066 MHz FSB), 65,536 MB memory, Red Hat Enterprise Linux* 5 Update 1 IA32 PAE, Oracle WebLogic* Server Standard Edition Release Referenced as published at 3, SPECjAppServer2004 JOPS@Standard. Source: Four-socket Intel Xeon processor X7460 (16 M cache, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB): HP ProLiant DL580 G5 platform with four Intel Xeon processors X7460 (16 M cache, 2.66 GHz,1066 MHz FSB), 65,536 MB memory, Oracle Enterprise Linux 5 Update 2 x86_64, Oracle WebLogic Server Standard Edition Release Referenced as published at 4, SPECjAppServer2004 JOPS@Standard. Source: Four-socket Intel Xeon processor X7560 (24 M cache, 2.26 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel QuickPath Interconnect (Intel QPI)). Dell PowerEdge* R910 server platform with four Intel Xeon processors X7560 (24 M cache, 2.26 GHz, 6.4GT/s Intel QPI), Intel Hyper-Threading Technology enabled, Intel Turbo Boost Technology enabled, 131,072 MB memory, 2-disk SAS 72 GB 15K RAID-0 array, Oracle Enterprise Linux* 5 Update 4 x86_64. Oracle WebLogic Server Standard Edition Release Referenced as published at 11,057 SPECjAppServer2004 JOPS@standard. Source: Four-socket Intel Xeon processor X7560 (24 M cache, 2.26 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel QPI). Hewlett-Packard ProLiant DL980 G7 server platform with eight Intel Xeon processors X7560 (24 M cache, 2.26 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel QPI), Oracle Web- Logic Server Standard Edition Release Referenced as published at 20,092 SPECjAppServer2004 JOPS@standard. Source: 3 Server configurations for Java* performance on the SPECjbb*2005 benchmark. SPECjbb is a trademark of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corp. (SPEC). Comparison based on best published/submitted results on as of September 21, Four-socket Intel Xeon processor 7140M (16 M cache, 3.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB): HP ProLiant ML570 G4 platform with four Intel Xeon processors 7140M (16 M cache, 3.40 GHz,1066 MHz FSB), 32 GB memory PC2-3200, Microsoft Windows Server* 2003 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition with SP1, Oracle JRockit* 5 P Referenced as published at 217,334 BOPS. Source: Four-socket Intel Xeon processor X7350 (8 M cache, 2.93 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB): Dell PowerEdge* R900 server platform with four Intel Xeon processor X7350 (8 M cache, 2.93 GHz,1066 MHz FSB), 64 GB memory, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition SP1, Oracle JRockit 6 P Referenced as published at 537,116 BOPS. Source: Four-socket Intel Xeon processor X7460 (16 M cache, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB): Fujitsu PRIMERGY* RX600 S4 server platform with four Intel Xeon processors X7460 (16 M cache, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB), 64 GB memory, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition, Oracle JRockit 6 P Referenced as published at 633,897 BOPS. Source: Four-socket Intel Xeon processor X7560 (24 M cache, 2.26 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel QPI): Cisco UCS* C460 M1 server platform with four Intel Xeon processors X7560 (24 M cache, 2.26 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel QPI), Intel Hyper-Threading Technology enabled, Intel Turbo Boost Technology enabled, 256 GB memory, 1x 73 GB disk drive, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition, IBM J9* JVM (build 2.4, JRE 1.6.0, SR5). Referenced as published at 2,021,535 SPECjbb2005 bops and 126,345 SPECjbb2005 bops/jvm. Source: Eight-socket Intel Xeon processor X7560 (24 M cache, 2.26 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel QPI): Hewlett-Packard ProLiant DL980 G7 server platform with eight Intel Xeon processors X7560 (24 M cache, 2.26 GHz, 6.40GT/s Intel QPI), IBM J9 VM, Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1. Referenced as published score of 3,816,799 SPECjbb2005 bops and 119,275 bops/jvm. Source: 32-socket Intel Xeon processor X7560 (24 M cache, 2.26 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel QPI): SGI Altix UV* 1000 server platform with 32x Intel Xeon processors X7560 (24 M cache, 2.26 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel QPI), 1,048,576MB memory, SUSE* Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP1, Oracle JRockit P Referenced as published score of 12,665,917 SPECjbb2005 bops and 98,952 bops/jvm. Source: INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH INTEL PRODUCTS. NO LICENSE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, BY ESTOPPEL OR OTHERWISE, TO ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IS GRANTED BY THIS DOCUMENT. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN INTEL S TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE FOR SUCH PRODUCTS, INTEL ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER, AND INTEL DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, RELATING TO SALE AND/OR USE OF INTEL PRODUCTS INCLUDING LIABILITY OR WARRANTIES RELATING TO FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR INFRINGEMENT OF ANY PATENT, COPYRIGHT OR OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT. 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