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Overview and Frequently asked questions

Overview

The IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE Partner Network (ZLPN) is a destination for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to enable software on or integrate with IBM Z/LinuxONE technology. ISVs gain access to exceptional technical resources that make it easier to develop powerful solutions which enterprise clients can deploy anywhere with speed and agility. The mission of the program is to provide a streamlined, self-service single-point-of-access for ISVs to interact with the IBM Z and LinuxONE Ecosystem to achieve seamless integration, faster time to market, and go-to-market resources to accelerate revenue.

FAQ

Partner Network (ZLPN)

Education and Certification

IBM LinuxONE

IBM Z and z/OS

Partner Network (ZLPN)

What are the benefits of being in the IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE Partner Network?

Members of the IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE Partner Network will receive the following benefits:

Who is the target audience for ZLPN?

The ZLPN targets IBM Business Partners who are ISVs, and application technology companies looking to build or integrate, go-to-market and sell their solutions on the IBM Z/LinuxONE platform with aspirations of working with IBM to access enterprise customers globally.

What makes the IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE Partner Network (ZLPN) different?

The IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE Partner Network (ZLPN) provides seamless collaboration for ISV partners to gain access to the industry leading IBM Z/LinuxONE platform. ISVs get an array of benefits and resources that help them build smarter, innovate faster and accelerate time to market. The ZLPN provides resources to enable ISVs to build solutions on IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE that enterprise clients can deploy anywhere with speed.

Where can I request an environment to develop my application?

The IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE Partner Network offers multiple programs that provide remote access to hosted environments for development and test purposes. Environments can be requested through the individual program pages depending on the desired environment type/use case:

Where do I go if I’m having issues enrolling in the ZLPN?

To submit an application, or for questions about enrollment status, please contact zlpn@ibm.com.

Am I a member of the ZLPN indefinitely?

As long as your account is in good standing with IBM Partner Plus™, your account is considered in good standing with ZLPN.

What support can I expect to receive as a member of ZLPN?

All ISV partners are offered end-to-end support across ZLPN to innovate faster on the IBM Z/LinuxONE platform and go-to-market quicker. For more information or to request support across a variety of topic areas go to this page.

If I decide to run my application solution on IBM Z/LinuxONE, do I need to obtain any competency or accreditation?

There are no competency or accreditation requirements. For ISV partners who want to differentiate their capabilities by building their competency, expanding their skills and demonstrating their IBM Z/LinuxONE expertise, explore our IBM LinuxONE Learning Journey, or Gain hands-on z/OS experience to fast-track IBM Z skills .

Are there any IBM Z/LinuxONE systems provided through the program, if so how can I access them?

The IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE Partner Network provides remote access to IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE systems hosted in the IBM Z ISV data center. Software discounts and loaned hardware capacity are also available through an On-premises Development Program. For more information about available systems and offerings, visit the program pages from the System access menu in the ZLPN portal at https://zlpn.ibm.com/.

What are the maintenance intervals in IBM ISV datacenter?

Environment maintenance is usually done every 2 weeks on a Sunday starting at 9AM US Central Standard Time. ISVs can join IBM Z Community portal to see the announcements and receive email notifications. Sign up to be a part of IBM Z and LinuxONE Community and join “IBM Z Dallas ISV Center” group here: https://ibm.biz/DallasISVCommunity.

Education and Certification

Where can I learn more about IBM LinuxONE and IBM Z?

To learn more about IBM LinuxONE, check out the materials available here. For IBM Z and z/OS check the information here.

How can I certify (validate) my application on IBM LinuxONE?

You can self-validate your application on the platform and then complete the validation request form to the IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE Partner Network team here. Upon review, we will acknowledge the results in an email.

How can I certify (validate) my application on IBM z/OS?

You can self-validate your application on the platform and then complete the validation request form to the IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE Partner Network team here. Upon review, we will acknowledge the results in an email.

IBM LinuxONE

What is IBM LinuxONE?

IBM LinuxONE is an enterprise grade server hardware platform designed to support business-critical Linux applications. IBM LinuxONE is designed to take Linux in the enterprise to the next level, by bringing together the benefits of Linux – its flexibility, agility and collaborative environment – with the industry’s most advanced high-performance, highly secured processing platform that underpins today’s enterprise IT.

Why would I use IBM LinuxONE instead of other servers running Linux?

IBM LinuxONE runs enterprise Linux distributions like many other servers. There are several unique features that differentiate it from other servers.

For more information on the unique advantages of IBM LinuxONE visit this link: https://community.ibm.com/zsystems/l1cc/

What are the advantages of running open-source software on IBM LinuxONE systems?

Running open-source software on IBM LinuxONE takes the software to a new level. IBM LinuxONE system’s speed, memory and flexibility can dramatically improve the performance. IBM tests show impressive results on IBM LinuxONE IV compared to comparable server solutions.

Why must I port my software to IBM LinuxONE?

IBM LinuxONE uses IBM Z® architecture also known as the s390/s390x architecture. Applications build on other architectures must be re-compiled on IBM LinuxONE in order to execute. Applications build using Java or interpreted language may not need any additional porting effort

What operating systems run on IBM LinuxONE?

IBM LinuxONE supports RHEL, SLES and Ubuntu Linux distributions and z/VM (IBM’s virtualization software). For a complete list of supported operating systems and versions, please visit the following link: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6191619

Are there user groups or forums for people who work on IBM LinuxONE?

Yes, there is an IBM Z and LinuxONE community that you can join which has a forum for posting questions and talking with fellow users. Visit the link: IBM Z and LinuxONE Community

There is also an IBM Z (s390) list serv that you can use to post or answer questions visit: IBM s390 List Serv

IBM Z and z/OS

What is IBM Z?

IBM Z is a family of computers designed for enterprise computing, focusing on three core principles: reliability, availability, and security and data privacy. The platform, including hardware, firmware, and operating systems such as z/OS and popular Linux distros, is designed with self-checking and self-recovery capabilities to ensure smooth operation.

Why would I use IBM Z instead of other servers running Linux?

IBM Z can run the following operating systems:

For a complete list of supported operating systems and versions, please visit the following link: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6191619

What is the difference between IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE?

IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE are both IBM server platforms, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics.

IBM Z is a family of mainframe computers that run a variety of operating systems, including z/OS, z/VM, and Linux. It is designed to provide high-performance, secure, and reliable computing for large-scale enterprise applications.

IBM LinuxONE, on the other hand, is a specific type of IBM Z server that is optimized to run Linux workloads. It is designed to provide a scalable, secure, and reliable platform for Linux applications, and is often used for cloud, analytics, and other modern workloads.

In other words, IBM Z is a broader platform that can run multiple operating systems, while IBM LinuxONE is a specialized platform within the IBM Z family that is specifically designed for Linux workloads.

Why must I port my software to IBM Z?

IBM Z® architecture is also known as the s390/s390x architecture. Applications build on other architectures must be re-compiled on IBM Z or IBM LinuxONE in order to execute. Applications build using Java or interpreted language may not need any additional porting effort

z/OS Overview

Relationship with IBM Z

In other words, IBM Z refers to the hardware platform, while z/OS is the operating system that runs on that hardware, managing and executing applications and workloads.

Is IBM Z a mainframe platform?

IBM Z is a modern mainframe platform. It is the latest generation in IBM’s family of mainframe offerings, with a long track of popularity in enterprise computing dating back over 50 years.

Are there user groups or forums for people who work on IBM Z?

Yes, there is an IBM Z and LinuxONE community that you can join which has a forum for posting questions and talking with fellow users. Visit the link: IBM Z and LinuxONE Community

There is also an IBM Z (s390) list serv that you can use to post or answer questions visit: IBM s390 List Serv

Building Applications (Technical)

Can any x86 software work on IBM LinuxONE?

IBM LinuxONE uses IBM Z architecture also known as the s390/s390x architecture. Applications built on other architectures must be re-compiled on IBM LinuxONE in order to execute. Applications build using Java or interpreted language may not need any additional porting effort.

A various open source software has been validated to run on s390/s390x architecture. There are instructions and code examples including both compiled and interpretive languages available and can serve as an example.

https://community.ibm.com/zsystems/oss/

Is there a list of open source technologies supported on IBM LinuxONE?

Yes. Although this list is not exhaustive, it includes a list of IBM ported open source software. Many other open source applications have been known to work without modification on IBM LinuxONE.

https://community.ibm.com/zsystems/oss/

I have a Java application do I need to make changes and re-build it in order to run on IBM LinuxONE?

No, Java applications will run without being “re-compiled”. Considerations must be made for code that makes platform specific calls. Not all JVMs are optimized to run on the platform. For Java 8, the recommended JVM is OpenJ9 available in AdoptOpenJDK, Semeru or IBM Java 8.

For Java 11 and later, choices expand to distro built OpenJDK 11 with HotSpot JVM, Adoptium Eclipse Temurin with both options HotSpot and OpenJ9 JVM, and IBM Semeru Runtimes offering both Open and Certified (JCKed) versions of OpenJDK + OpenJ9 images.

**** Needs work ****

How do I migrate an application from x86 to IBM LinuxONE?

Refer to the Practical Migration guide which will help you to migrate an application from x86 to IBM LinuxONE. Refer to the migration guide.

Where can I get information about product documentation, tools, references, and installation support.

IBM offers all of their product documentation, tools and other information online through IBM Knowledge Center. To learn more about how to work with IBM LinuxONE, access the IBM LinuxONE Knowledge Center.

I need help with my IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE Partner Network environment! What should I do?

How to add repositories locally for RHEL instances?

To add the repository locally, run these commands on RHEL instance as sudo. Replace the X.X with 7.9, 8.X, or 9.X

sudo su
curl -o /etc/yum.repos.d/tat-local.repo http://172.29.150.85/s390x/RHEL-X.X/media.repo
echo "baseurl=http://172.29.150.85/s390x/RHEL-X.X/BaseOS/" >>/etc/yum.repos.d/tat-local.repo

Then run yum update to test the repo and proceed with installation of the required packages

yum update

For example, let assume you are working on RHEL 7.9.

sudo su
curl -o /etc/yum.repos.d/tat-local.repo http://172.29.150.85/s390x/RHEL-7.9/media.repo
echo "baseurl=http://172.29.150.85/s390x/RHEL-7.9/BaseOS/" >>/etc/yum.repos.d/tat-local.repo
yum update

How to get complementary and simplified no-cost Red Hat subscriptions?

As an ISV, you can signup as Red Hat partner and get complementary and simplified no-cost Red Hat subscriptions. Visit Red Hat partner portal at https://connect.redhat.com/en/partner-with-us/partner-benefits/partner-subscriptions

Once on the Red Hat site, create an account and select “Software Development and Testing”. The subscription will become accessible at https://access.redhat.com/management/subscriptions.

To register the subscription-manager run on your RHEL VM systems:

sudo subscription-manager register

Which container registry can be used to store multi-arch container images?

Most of public registries today support manifest lists (aka multi-arch container images). e.g. icr.io from IBM or quay.io by Red Hat or docker.io.

There is also an option to enable private image registry available in Red Hat OpenShift. Then containers can be built on a Linux instance on the same VPN network or on the OpenShift cluster itself and pushed into that registry over local network.

Check if container registry is enabled on your OpenShift cluster and then use the below steps to authenticate and push container images to it. Replace xxxx with your cluster ID from the Dashboard.

oc get pods -n openshift-image-registry

  1. Get a token for “oc login” command (in OpenShift Web Console. Go to the top-right menu. Then “Copy login command”)

    https://oauth-openshift.apps.ocp1-xxxx.private.dal-ebis.ihost.com/oauth/token/display

    It’d be something like this:

    oc login --token=sha256~... --server=https://api.ocp1- xxxx.private.dal-ebis.ihost.com:6443

  2. Confirm the token is set

    oc whoami -t

  3. Get and add certificate to your trusted CA

    openssl s_client -showcerts -servername default-route-openshift-image-registry.apps.ocp1-xxxx.private.dal-ebis.ihost.com -connect default-route-openshift-image-registry.apps.ocp1-xxxx.private.dal-ebis.ihost.com:443 </dev/null

  4. Login to the registry with docker/podman

    podman login -u kubeadmin -p $(oc whoami -t) default-route-openshift-image-registry.apps.ocp1-xxxx.private.dal-ebis.ihost.com:443

  5. Now can push and pull images

    podman push default-route-openshift-image-registry.apps.ocp1-xxxx.private.dal-ebis.ihost.com:443/myorg/myimage:latest

What are the maintenance intervals on ZLPN systems in IBM Datacenter?

Environment maintenance is usually done every 2 weeks on a Sunday starting at 9AM Central Standard Time. The duration of the window is usually 3 hours, but the announcement will have better timings as the team works to plan a cycle.

Maintenance schedules are announced in the IBM Z Community portal. ISV needs to join “IBM Z Dallas ISV Center” group and can check for the announcements there.

I cannot access my Linux system via SSH in ZLPN. What should I do?

Upon provisioning, virtual machines (VMs) are initialized with a temporary password for SSH access, which will be sent to you via email. You are required to change this password immediately upon first login.

As a best practice, it is strongly recommended to register your SSH public key on the VM and disable password-based authentication to enhance security.

Please ensure that all access credentials (passwords and SSH keys) are securely stored. In most cases, the ZLPN Infrastructure team does not have access to the operating system of your VM. Therefore, if access credentials are lost, recovery may not be possible, and you may permanently lose access to your VM.

Here are the steps to troubleshoot SSH connection issues:

  1. Ensure you’re connected to ZLPN network via VPN and the system is reachable over network:

    ping [ip of the system]

  2. Restart the VM in ZLPN Dashboard

  3. Consider deleting and recreating the system in ZLPN Dashboard

Are you not sure where to go or what to do?

Try using the IBM s390 List Serv or ask in the IBM LinuxONE Community.

Contact the ZLPN team for technical assistance using the request for support form.