How is the IBM Z architecture different from that of other servers?

IBM Z has its own architecture which is designed to work with huge caches, and it has instruction sets to handle enterprise workloads by using IBM’s own S/390x chip architecture. The S/390x architecture is supported by several popular Linux operating systems including SUSE, Red Hat, and Ubuntu, as well as a large number of open source applications.

The “Z” stands for “zero downtime,” which reflects the reliability of the system. IBM Z uses the IBM S/390 chip architecture. 

Data that’s handled by IBM Z is encrypted by dedicated encryption processors over the complete ecosystem, and encryption keys are handled with the most secure hardware security module (HSM) in the industry — which means it is highly secured.

What are the various OS options for Z?

IBM Z runs operating systems including  z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE, z/TPF, and Linux. In fact, it is common for multiple operating systems to run on a single mainframe. 

LinuxONE is an IBM Z system that’s specifically dedicated to running Linux; this combines the benefits of the Linux OS with the capabilities and strengths of the mainframe like outstanding data security, availability, performance, efficiency, and cost savings.