EFS Systems on a Linux Base: Getting Started

2 EFS Systems on a Linux Base: Getting Started

speed) that can be used for S/390 emulation. A FLEX-ES license for Linux is keyed to a

specific serial number in a hardware dongle that is connected to the USB port of the PC and

runs only in a system that has this dongle connected.

An EFS system is an S/390.

S/390 software licenses must be obtained as appropriate, both

for IBM software and other vendor software.

These software licenses are arranged through

IBM, Business Partners, or other vendors. This document does not further address these

license requirements and assumes that any EFS user has all the appropriate S/390 software

licenses.

In this document we use the term

S/390 emulation when the term S/390 and/or IBM

Eserver

zSeries® and/or S/370™ and/or other emulations based on S/360 designs

might be

more accurate. FLEX-ES can emulate zSeries architecture at the Architecture Level Set 3

(ALS 3) level. It can also emulate S/390 and older architectures. For the purposes of

readability we refer to all of these, collectively, as S/390 emulation and the resulting EFS

system as a S/390.

EFS systems can serve many purposes. These include application development,

demonstrations, education, and production work. While IBM discourages the use of MIPS

measurements and comparisons, it may be helpful to note that typical EFS systems are

roughly in the 12 to 25 MIPS range. The actual performance is directly related to the speed of

the underlying PC, and the number of processors on the PC. A FLEX-ES license can limit the

S/390 MIPS produced (assuming the PC is capable of faster operation) in order to meet

S/390 software license limitations.

1.1 Purpose of this redbook

This IBM Redbook describes only Linux-based EFS systems and describes the installation

and initial startup process for these systems. The specific combination described in much of

this document, that is, EFS systems running z/OS AD CD-ROM software, is available to

members of the IBM PartnerWorld for Developers (PWD) organization

2

who have obtained

their systems through the PWD program.

EFS systems for PWD members are available only through IBM Business Partners and are

not available directly from IBM. In normal situations, the Business Partner performs the initial

machine setup—including hardware installation, basic Linux operating system installation,

initial disk configuration, and FLEX-ES installation. This redbook describes these same steps,

and, in a sense, describes steps that an owner may not need to perform.

However, we believe this material will be useful for several reasons:

򐂰 Understanding how a system is set up, even though someone else may have done it for

you, leads to a better understanding of the system.

򐂰 The system owner may accidently (or intentionally) delete or destroy part of the underlying

elements of his system. If this happens, he might ask his IBM Business Partner for

assistance, or he might prefer to rebuild the system himself.

򐂰 Significant upgrades to the underlying elements (hardware, Linux, FLEX-ES) may require

a partial or complete rebuilding of the system. Again, the system owner has the option of

asking his Business Partner to perform the upgrade, or of doing it himself.

This redbook updates and replaces an earlier version, EFS Systems on a Linux Base,

SG24-6834.

1

You can go to http://www.funsoft.com to contact FSI or locate an FSI Business Partner.

2

This organization was previously known as S/390 Partners in Development (PID).