Dwight wrote, in part..
> The new IBM Z series processors are being pushed as consolidation
> servers.
>         rum VM with a whole bunch of virtual LINUX servers...
>
> The only TSM server for VM is functionally at 3.1.2
> VM LINUX client is at 4.2  ( I don't know if 4.2 clients would talk to
> 3.1.2 server ?)

They can, but at 3.1.2 server capability.  That is, no backupsets, no
image backups, no adaptive differencing, no system objects, no respect.

> I do see there is an OS/390 TSM 4.2 server
>
> Would a person have to run MVS under VM in order to have a TSM 4.2
> server running in this sort of environment ????????

A foolish IBM salesman, if there were one, would salivate over this
one.

> maybe I need to get with my Tivoli sales folks to find out what is to be
> available down the road
>         maybe I just haven't looked in the right place yet...

Maybe Tivoli has yet to find or accept the existence a market for S/390
and zSeries.  Without exception, Tivoli personnel (I've listened to)
have either avoided the subject or said the direction is to have no
S/390 wrt TSM.

> anyone have any thoughts on any of this ?????? :-)

Next to not playing, the worst thing an athlete can have is indecision.

I think that Tivoli has had indecision wrt S/390 servers for a long
time. They (or IBM) drove customers away with indecision when customers
were using ADSM V1 (few had migrated to a "weak" ADSM V2).  Customers
were unable to get long-term commitment for a VM backup server, but a
"Tivoli ADSM" V3 server was produced.  Unfortunately, it was late ...
very late ... and many customers chose other solutions. The V3 product
was a very good upgrade, but the indecision on providing the V3 product
and continuing reluctance of Tivoli wrt S/390 sent more customers away.

In a financial climate where earnings of 20% per year were expected,
one might "understand" (what I believe was shortsighted).  Now a new
market is opening for S/390s and zSeries, but the critical backup piece
is not available (there is now a Linux client, but not yet a server).

Whereas a Linux server might be provided one day, will it be treated as
the VM backup server was?

Just as Dwight (perhaps) suggested it would be foolhardy to obtain zOS
for a TSM server, I think over the years Tivoli may have wondered if
people would obtain VM systems to license their VM server (customers
won't do that).  But are there existing and new VM systems to make a
TSM VM server a viable product?   I used to think so, but I'm no
product manager and know neither the economics nor the company politics
of the venture.

It seems so long ago that IBM/Tivoli were bragging about how easy it
was to port the mostly platform-independent *SM server. :-(

cheers, wayne