6.6 Summary

It is clear that the cost versus benefit equation for investment in server infrastructures extends well beyond initial acquisition. TCO deals with fundamental variables of IT effectiveness and business performance. Linux on the mainframe offers a highly reliable hardware platform. A large number of low-utilized Linux images can be consolidated with little effort. You can manage them flexibly using the resource-sharing techniques of the mainframe.

Linux on the mainframe is one alternative for implementing your project. You could also choose to implement an application using, for example, z/OS. The decision comes down to the alternatives available and the cost of each. Not only may a project have value in and of itself, but additional value may be realized when using Linux on the mainframe:

• Using Linux as a development platform may give you a considerably shorter development time than other solutions and may offer revenue from a project sooner.

• z/VM and Linux make it possible, for example, to create new Linux images in a matter of minutes instead of days.

What factors you include in a TCO for a Linux-on-the-mainframe project will depend on your model of IT value.