z/OS V2.5: IBM’s new hybrid cloud and AI operating system
V2.5 brings AI capabilities to IBM Z and strengthens security as well as introduces new capabilities for application modernisation.
IBM has announced IBM z/OS V2.5, the next-generation operating system (OS) for IBM Z, designed to accelerate client adoption of hybrid cloud and AI and drive application modernisation projects.
According to an IBM Institute for Business Value study “Application modernisation on the mainframe” released today, 71% of executives surveyed say mainframe-based applications are central to their business strategy; and in three years, the percentage of organisations leveraging mainframe assets in a hybrid cloud environment is expected to increase by more than 2x.
IBM z/OS V2.5 helps drive value for our clients by delivering new capabilities across AI enablement, application modernisation, resiliency, enhanced security and an improved developer experience.
AI capabilities on IBM Z
According to the “Global AI Adoption Index 2021,” conducted by Morning Consult commissioned by IBM, 87% of global IT professionals surveyed report it is very or somewhat important to their company that they can build and run their AI projects wherever the data resides[1]. With z/OS V2.5, IBM is introducing new high performance AI capabilities that are tightly integrated with z/OS workloads, designed to give clients business insights for more informed decision making.
“IBM is all-in on hybrid cloud and AI, and we are deeply focused on delivering new innovations like AI and new security capabilities on IBM Z to help our clients move forward, more quickly with their modernisation journeys,” said Ross Mauri, GM, IBM Z. “For our clients, IBM z/OS V2.5 brings new security and resiliency capabilities to the platform, and enables clients to infuse AI in real-time into every business transaction – imperatives that became more urgent during the pandemic.”
Enhanced security to make client data future-ready
Amid recent threats like SolarWinds and the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack against critical infrastructure, there is a continued need for clients to strengthen their overall cybersecurity and resiliency posture further. IBM z/OS V2.5 is helping to address these challenges by unveiling a broad spectrum of enhancements across authentication, authorisation, logging, system integrity, system and data availability, encryption for data in flight and at rest, and overall data privacy, including:
- Expanding pervasive encryption to new types of data sets: sequential basic format and large format SMS-managed data sets are now included, providing users with the capability to encrypt data without application changes and to simplify compliance
- Anomaly Mitigation capabilities that leverage Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA), Runtime Diagnostics, Workload Manager (WLM), and JES2 to help further detect anomalous behaviour in near real-time, letting clients proactively address potential problems
A secured, scalable environment for hybrid cloud
As clients accelerate their journey to the hybrid cloud, having a secured, scalable environment is critical for the underlying transformation process. IBM z/OS V2.5 introduces new capabilities that support application modernisation and provide a cloud-native experience on z/OS:
- New Java/COBOL Interoperability extends existing application programming models with support for parallel 31-bit and 64-bit addressing, simplifying enterprise application modernisation.
- Enhanced performance and ease of use for z/OS Container Extensions (zCX) to integrate Linux applications and utilities into z/OS.
- Additional capabilities to integrate cloud storage through transparent cloud tiering (TCT) and the Object Access Method (OAM) cloud tier support to help reduce capital and operating expenses with data transfer to hybrid cloud storage environments for simplified data archiving and data protection on IBM Z.
IBM z/OS V2.5 is expected to be faster and easier to install and upgrade, with one client trial demonstrating the ability to install z/OS more than 30% faster than compared with IBM z/OS 2.3 and 2.4.[2] With a simplified management experience supplied by streamlined and automated tasks, speciality skills may not be required. IBM z/OS V2.5 is expected to be generally available on September 30, 2021.
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About IBM
IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI and business services provider, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalise on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain a competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure such as financial services, telecommunications, and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to quickly, efficiently and securely affect their digital transformations. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.
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