Exploring MicroStack: A Lightweight Private Cloud Solution

3 July, 2024/in News/by albamart

LEVERAGING MICROSTACK AS A LIGHTWEIGHT PRIVATE CLOUD SOLUTION

As organizations continue to embrace cloud computing, choosing the right cloud infrastructure becomes a critical decision. Moreover, MicroStack: Lightweight Private Cloud Solution, a lightweight, easy to install, open-source tool based on the Openstack Platform, has emerged as a compelling choice for many businesses. This blog post will explore the advantages of using MicroStack, highlight the growing market share of the Openstack Platform, and discuss the rising prices of public cloud competitors, as well as a hands-on direct look at the intuitive Openstack Dashboard, so as to explore its capabilities and ease of use.

Ilsutración de una mujer usando un ordenador en la nube

WHY CHOOSE MICROSTACK?

MicroStack provides the flexibility of open-source software over traditional public cloud deployments, as well as providing a more lightweight, and easy to deploy version of the Openstack platform . This flavor of Openstack is greatly suited both for startups or small cloud deployments within great organizations.

Open source flexibility🌐

MicroStack provides the flexibility of open-source software without the burden of licensing fees or vendor lock-in. This allows organizations to implement cloud infrastructure at a lower cost and with the freedom to modify and extend the platform according to their specific needs. The community-driven development model ensures continuous improvements and innovations, fostering a robust ecosystem around MicroStack.

Customizability🛠️

Additionaly, with MicroStack, organizations have full access to the source code and can tailor the platform to fit their unique requirements. This includes integrating a wide range of plug-ins and extensions, enabling businesses to build a cloud environment that aligns precisely with their operational goals. This flexibility is crucial for adapting to evolving business demands and optimizing resource utilization.

Simplified deployment 🚀

MicroStack is designed for ease of deployment, offering a streamlined installation process that minimizes complexity and setup time, being able to bootstrap a cloud deployment into a compute node in less than 6 commands, with an average deployment time of 30 minutes. This makes it particularly suitable for organizations looking to quickly establish or expand their cloud footprint without extensive technical expertise. The straightforward deployment also lowers initial barriers to adoption, enabling faster time-to-value for cloud initiatives.

Vendor neutrality🛡️

Unlike proprietary cloud solutions that lock users into specific vendors, MicroStack supports a diverse range of hardware and software configurations. Canonical’s firm belief in open-source and vendor neutrality reduces dependency risks and allows organizations to select the best components for their infrastructure. It also aligns with industry trends towards open standards and interoperability, enhancing long-term scalability and operational efficiency. Consequently, MicroStack supports a diverse range of hardware and software configurations.

Lightweight footprint🌱

Unlike full-scale OpenStack deployments that require substantial hardware resources, MicroStack operates efficiently on smaller-scale environments. This makes it an ideal choice for edge computing scenarios or organizations with limited infrastructure budgets. By optimizing resource usage and minimizing overhead, MicroStack enhances operational efficiency while reducing total cost of ownership.

TECHNICAL AND PERFORMANCE BENEFITS

Furthermore, MicroStack provides robust technical capabilities that support diverse workload requirements such as:

Scalability📈

MicroStack is designed to scale horizontally, accommodating growing workloads and evolving business needs. Whether deploying a few nodes or scaling up to thousands, MicroStack ensures seamless expansion without compromising performance or stability. This scalability is essential for organizations experiencing rapid growth or fluctuating demand patterns in their cloud operations.

Advanced networking🛰️

The networking capabilities of MicroStack, powered by components like Neutron, offer advanced features such as Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV). These capabilities enable organizations to create complex network topologies, optimize traffic management, and enhance overall network performance. MicroStack’s focus on modern networking paradigms supports emerging technologies like containers and edge computing, aligning with industry trends towards agile and adaptive IT infrastructures.

Efficient storage solutions📦

MicroStack supports a variety of storage backends through components like Cinder (block storage) and Swift (object storage). This versatility allows organizations to implement highly performant and scalable storage solutions tailored to specific application requirements.

Cost efficiency💰

MicroStack’s efficient resource management tools optimize resource utilization, minimize waste, and enhance operational efficiency. By maximizing the use of existing infrastructure resources and reducing the need for costly proprietary solutions, MicroStack enables organizations to allocate resources more strategically and focus on innovation rather than infrastructure management.

Ilustración con tonos verdes de una pasarela de pago

COST ADVANTAGES

MicroStack’s efficient resource management tools optimize resource utilization traditional cloud solutions:

Lower total cost of ownership (TCO)

By eliminating licensing fees and leveraging commodity hardware, MicroStack significantly reduces both upfront CapEx and ongoing OpEx as the Organization and the Cloud deployment scale.

Organizations can achieve substantial cost savings while maintaining the flexibility and scalability of an open-source cloud platform. This cost-effectiveness makes the Openstack Platform accessible to organizations of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises, seeking to optimize their IT investments and maximize their return on investment.

Cost efficiency

MicroStack’s efficient resource management tools optimize resource utilization, minimize waste, and enhance operational efficiency. By maximizing the use of existing infrastructure resources and reducing the need for costly proprietary solutions, MicroStack enables organizations to allocate resources more strategically and focus on innovation rather than infrastructure management.

MARKET TRENDS AND PRICE INCREASES IN PUBLIC CLOUD SERVICES

The Rise of OpenStack: A Growing Market

MicroStack offers a viable alternative by providing cost-effective cloud solutions, is projected to experience significant market growth from $5.46 billion in 2024 to a staggering $29.5 billion in 2031 . This growth underscores the increasing adoption and recognition of OpenStack’s benefits among organizations worldwide. Its flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and robust community support make it a preferred choice for businesses aiming to deploy scalable and efficient cloud infrastructures.

Cost Challenges in Public Cloud Services

In contrast, the cost of public cloud services has been on the rise. While these platforms offer extensive features and global reach, their escalating prices present challenges for organizations seeking to manage cloud costs effectively. MicroStack offers a viable alternative by providing cost-effective cloud solutions without compromising performance or scalability.

The Shift from Serverless to Monolithic Deployments

Paradoxically, even public cloud giants like Amazon are refraining from using their own public cloud, AWS as a micro service / serverless platform , moving away from serverless and choosing instead to opt for a monolithic deployment, which has decreased their OPEX by 90% . This type of architecture, if beneficial, can be quickly and seamlessly integrated into your environment with Microstack, fully leveraging the Openstack platform in a few simple steps, having all your pertinent architecture under a single private network, with simple and intuitive management of network topology in case of a future upscale scenario. For smaller enterprises, Microstack will even further simplify the migration or deployment of such an infrastructure.

OpenStack’s Adoption Among Leading Enterprises

For instance, over 50% of the Fortune 100 companies have embraced Openstack , highlighting their trust and reliance on these technologies to support mission-critical operations and strategic initiatives.
Businesses like Comcast, Allstate, Bosch, and Capital One are leveraging Openstack to drive innovation and achieve competitive advantages.

OpenStack’s Global Impact

Furthermore, in regions like APAC, organizations such as UnionPay, China Mobile, and China Railway are leveraging OpenStack to scale and transform their IT operations, further driving the adoption and growth of open-source cloud solutions globally.

MicroStack offers compelling cost advantages compared to traditional cloud solutions:

Gráfica que presenta la posición de Openstack en el mercado

OUR EXPERIENCE WITH MICROSTACK AT SIXE

Overall, our experience with MicroStack at SIXE from an operational perspective can be described as the pinnacle of practicality and efficiency. Installing, working with, and deploying MicroStack was straightforward and intuitive, allowing us to fully bootstrap a private cloud in under 30 minutes.

To summarize, navigating the complexities of cloud infrastructure management is a crucial aspect of modern IT operations. In this final section, we delve into our user experience with the MicroStack dashboard.

The MicroStack dashboard exemplifies how our partner Canonical’s commitment to ease of use and accessibility. Leveraging the dashboard, users can easily deploy and manage virtual machines, configure networking, and monitor resource utilization, all from a centralized hub, thus flattening the learning curve required to deploy and operate critical cloud-based infrastructures.

✨How to launch and configure a virtual instance?

It only takes a few clicks to launch and configure a virtual instance via the dashboard.

We launch an instance from the button found at the top right corner, a pop-up menu appears where we can define the server configuration.

We provide the name and project of our instance.

Next, we choose the image for our VM, we can use a standard OS-ISO image, or import our custom-built snapshots from a previous set-up VM for a quick, yet customized deployment of our specific enterprise needs.

Next, we select the flavor of the instance, flavors are Openstack’s way of configuring virtual hardware specifications, you may use one of the preset flavors or make one to suit your specific infrastructure and application needs.

We will be using the medium flavor specification, Openstack even preemptively warns us of the hardware constraints that every snapshot or image is subject to.

Assuming your network is already configured, the final (and optional) step is to add a security group so we can access the instance via SSH and operate within it.

Now our customized instance is set up and running! :)

Under the actions menu found at the right, we can associate a floating ip in order to directly SSH into the instance from within our internal network.

Now we can use that ip to directly access the instance via SSH!

Exploring MicroStack: A Lightweight Private Cloud Solution

3 July, 2024/in News/by albamart

New IBM Power systems automation course with Ansible!

11 June, 2024/in education, News/by sixe

We are pleased to announce the launch of the
official IBM and SIXE course on automating IBM Power systems with Ansible.
. This training program is designed to provide advanced, hands-on skills in the automation of various IBM Power Systems platforms, including AIX, Linux and IBM i, as well as VIOS and PowerHA servers.

🏆 Things you will learn during the course:

AIX Automation: Master the automation of repetitive and complex tasks in AIX.
Linux Automation in Power: Learn how to manage and automate operations on Linux servers in Power Systems environments and how to deploy complex environments such as SAP HANA.
IBM i Automation: Discover how to simplify IBM i systems administration using Ansible.
VIOS Management: Improve Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) efficiency with advanced automation techniques.
PowerHA Implementation: Learn best practices for automating high availability in Power Systems using PowerHA.

🎓 Who is it intended for?

This course is intended for system administrators, IT engineers, solution architects and any professional interested in improving their automation skills in IBM Power Systems environments. No previous Ansible experience is required, although basic knowledge of system administration is beneficial. If you wish, you can previously take our Ansible and AWX course.

💼 Course benefits:

Official certification: Obtain an internationally recognized certification by IBM and SIXE.
Practical skills: Participate in practical exercises and real-world projects that will prepare you for real-world challenges.
Exclusive materials: Access exclusive and updated training resources.

📍 Modality:

The course will be offered in a hybrid format, with both classroom and online options to suit your needs.

📝 Registration:

Don’t miss this opportunity to advance your career and transform the way you work with IBM Power Systems!
Register today
and secure your place in the next edition.

Join us and take your critical environment automation skills to the next level. We look forward to seeing you at the official IBM and SIXE course on automating IBM Power systems with Ansible!

Can we run (nested) KVM VMs on the top of IBM PowerVM Linux LPARs?

29 May, 2024/in Data Center, News/by sixe

Updated! No longer a rumor but officially supported as of July 19, 2024 (see annoucement)

A brief history of nested virtualization on IBM Hardware

Nested virtualization enables a virtual machine (VM) to host other VMs, creating a layered virtualization environment. This capability is particularly beneficial in enterprise scenarios where flexibility, scalability, and efficient resource management (if we save on CPU we do on $$$ licenses) are critical.

While it can be used for testing purposes with KVM on x86 or VMware, the performance is often suboptimal due to multiple translations and modifications of hardware instructions before they reach the CPU or I/O subsystem. This issue is not unique to these platforms and can affect other virtualization technologies as well.

On platforms like Z, although the performance impact of nested virtualization exists, improvements and optimisations in the hypervisor can mitigate these effects, making it 100% viable for enterprise use.

Virtualization layers on IBM Mainframe

Before delving into nested KVM on PowerVM, it’s essential to understand similar technologies. If the mainframe is the grandfather of current server technology, then logical partitioning (LPARs) and virtualization technologies (zVM) are the grandmothers of hypervisor solutions.

In this picture (taken from this GREAT article from Anbarasan Sekar) you can see up to 4 layers

Level 1 Virtualization: Shows an LPAR running Linux natively

Level 2 Virtualization: Shows VMs running on z/VM or KVM Hypervisor

Level 3 Virtualization: Shows nesting of z/VM Virtual Machines

Level 4 Virtualization: Shows Linux containers that can either run as stand-alone containers or can be orchestrated with kubernetes

Now have a look to this old (2010) image from the IBM Power platform architecture. Can you see anything similar? :) Let’s move on!

Deploying VMs on the top of a PowerVM Linux LPAR

If we have LPARs on Power where we can run AIX, Linux, and IBM i, and in Linux, we can install KVM, can we run VMs inside an LPAR?

Not quite; it will fail at some point. Why? Because KVM is not zVM (for now), and we need some tweaks in the Linux kernel code to support nested virtualization not just with IBM Power9 or Power10 processors, but also with the Power memory subsystem and I/O.

By examining the kernel.org mailing lists, we can see promising developments. Successfully running multiple VMs with KVM on a PowerVM LPAR means porting some fantastic mainframe virtualization technology to IBM Power, allowing us to run VMs and Kubernetes/OpenShift Virtualization on ppc64le for production purposes. This would make a significant difference if the performance penalty is minimal.CPU virtualization on Power and Mainframe systems simply allocates processor time without mapping a full thread as KVM or VMware do. Therefore, it is technically possible to add a hypervisor on top without significantly affecting performance as IBM does with LinuxOne.

Latest news for KVM on IBM PowerVM LPARs (May 2024)

At Sixe, we have been closely monitoring developments in ppc64 and ppc64le for years. Recently, we’ve found some intriguing messages on the Linux kernel mailing lists. These messages provide insights into the immediate roadmap for this highly anticipated and demanded technology.

1) Add a VM capability to enable nested virtualization
Summary: This message discusses the implementation of nested virtualization capabilities in KVM for PowerPC, including module configurations and support on POWER9 CPUs.

2) Nested PAPR API (KVM on PowerVM)
Summary: It details the extension of register state for the nested PAPR API, the management of multiple VCPUs, and the implementation of specific hypercalls.

3) KVM: PPC: Book3S HV: Nested HV virtualization
Summary: A series of patches improving nested virtualization in KVM for PowerPC, including the handling of hypercalls, page faults, and mapping tables in debugfs.

For more detailed information, you can consult the following links:

Will we be able to install Windows on Power Systems (for fun)?

CAKE – Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Official Audio)

Stay tuned!!

SIXE announces a Strategic Alliance with Canonical / Ubuntu as part of its commitment to free software

8 May, 2024/in News/by sixe

Madrid, Spain – May 8, 2024 – SIXEa leader in IT infrastructure solutions for critical environments with more than 15 years of experience, has announced its strategic partnership with Canonicala world leader in the development of open source software based on Ubuntuthe world’s most popular Linux distribution.

SIXE brings extensive experience in implementing and supporting solutions for large customers in Europe and the Americas. Throughout his career, he has worked with leading companies in sectors such as banking, telecommunications, energy, public administration and manufacturing. We are very excited to join Canonical as a strategic partner. We share a passion for open source, an open DNA in code and also in business, putting our customers at the center. This partnership will allow us to offer even more innovative and efficient solutions to our customers in Europe and America.

Proven experience and shared values

SIXE has a highly qualified team, certified in the main free and open source software technologies such as Ubuntu, Red Hat and SUSE. In addition, the company has agreements with other technology leaders, enabling it to offer comprehensive solutions that include hardware, software, implementation services and advanced technical support.

Commitment to freedom and transparency

Free software is based on the freedom of users to run, modify and distribute the software without restrictions. Canonical stands out for its commitment to licenses such as GPLv3, guaranteeing these fundamental freedoms. In addition, its commitment to accessibility and transparency is reflected in the open development of Ubuntu, whose source code is publicly available for review and modification, fostering collaboration and trust in the developer community.

Long-term support

Canonical differentiates itself by its long-term support with Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support), which offers security and maintenance updates for 5 years, extendable to 10 years for small environments. This provides stability and predictability for business users, which SIXE appreciates. Canonical’s commitment to customer freedom to decide when and how to upgrade without losing access to security patches is one of the many reasons we chose to partner.

Solutions for companies and organizations of all sizes and industries

Canonical has developed novel ways to implement not only Linux environments with Ubuntu, but complete public and private cloud solutions with OpenStack, container platforms with Kubernetes and virtualization environments with KVM, that work in both small and large data centers, across desktops and edge computing environments.

A strategic alliance for an open future

The strategic alliance between SIXE and Canonical will allow us to offer an even wider range of free and open source software solutions, along with enhanced support. With this collaboration, the companies will help their customers leverage the potential of open source software to transform their businesses, bringing value and efficiency.

New IBM Power10 S1012 server for Edge Computing, HA, DR and Small Environments

7 May, 2024/in Data Center, News/by sixe

The most compact Power10 for your remote environment, disaster recovery, edge computing and AI inferencing

IBM has just announced a new IBM Power server model, the S1012. A true BEAUTY that SIXE will soon have in the office, and depending on the noise it makes, maybe even under the table :) It can be obtained in tower or rackmount format, either by joining two servers together, as each one occupies half the width of a conventional rack, as shown in this image, or by leaving a “gap” to fill the entire 2U. It can be configured as you wish. The serviodr comes with 1 socket up to 8 cores and 256GB of RAM and at SIXE we will start offering it from June 2024.

What can we run on the new S1012?

Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Rocky, Alma, RHEL and SUSE, as well as AIX and IBM i, can be installed directly or virtualized with PowerVM. IBM Power S1012 is designed to enhance remote management capabilities for customers looking to expand applications such as AI inference, OpenShift nodes, critical applications under “Edge Computing” architectures, i.e. bringing these servers physically to where they are needed to directly process data without the need to transfer them first, achieving significant cost savings, speed and efficiency. In addition, thanks to the tower format, we can install these servers wherever we want without the need for rack cabinets.

Reduce your carbon footprint

With Power10 servers you can do much more with less. Thanks to its 8 threads per physical core, you can consolidate many, many x86 or ARM environments on a single Power, saving power and space in your data centers.

Use cases

It is designed and optimized for distributed computing such as photovoltaic plants, industries, ships, airplanes, vehicles, military environments, spacecraft and many more. It is also ideal for running major workloads in small organizations, for example ERPs or industrial management applications on IBMi and RPG, or as a very low-cost solution for backup environments (Remote Office / Back Office – ROBO). It is also easy to connect directly to cloud services such as IBM® Power® Virtual Server for backup and disaster recovery. In addition for critical databases, with GLVM we can create clusters between sites hundreds of miles apart for Oracle, Informix or DB2 without the need for dedicated fiber connections.

Technical detailsAccess the redbook that IBM has prepared with all the details of these systems.

Price

The S1012 offers the lowest entry price of all Power servers and up to 3 times the performance of an equivalent x86 system. If you are an IBM i customer you can license a single core and use the rest for other workloads on AIX or Linux. If you want to know more, call us!

Updated our docker, podman and kubernetes course

4 May, 2024/in education, News/by sixe

At SIXE, we are committed to excellence in technical training, and that is why we are pleased to announce the update of our Docker, Podman and Kubernetes course. This update includes an update to make the exercises work with the latest versions of each of these products, as well as new and more fun exercises based on Ubuntu (Canonical) nodes instead of Red Hat.

Course news:

Compatibility: The course now covers the latest versions of Kubernetes (1.29) but also Docker and Podman. Ensuring that students learn with the most current and relevant tools on the market.
Practices with microk8s: We have introduced specific practices with microk8s, the Kubernetes system developed by Ubuntu. This allows students to experiment with a lightweight and efficient version of Kubernetes in their own environments.
Cloud environment with Scaleway: Thanks to our new partnership with Scaleway, students will have the opportunity to work in a cloud environment. This provides invaluable hands-on experience for those who want to learn how to manage and deploy applications in the cloud.

At SIXE, we understand that the technology sector is constantly evolving. Therefore, our priority is to provide our students with the most relevant skills and knowledge. This update is just one example of our ongoing commitment to educational excellence because all of our courses are delivered directly and without intermediaries.

Who is the target audience for this course?

This course is ideal for developers, system engineers and system administrators who wish to improve their skills and knowledge in containers and orchestration. It is also perfect for those looking to keep up with the latest trends in container technologies from the ground up.

How to register?

Registrations are now open and more information can be obtained through our contact form or by writing us through the chat on our website.

logos LXD, IBM PowerVM, Proxmox y Red Hat OpenShift vs. VMware ESXi

Comparing hypervisors: LXD, IBM PowerVM, Proxmox and Red Hat OpenShift as alternatives to VMWare ESXi

3 April, 2024/in Data Center, News/by sixe

Virtualization is a vital tool in the IT world, enabling companies to optimize their hardware resources and improve the efficiency and management of their systems. VMware ESXi has been an undisputed leader in this space, but with its purchase by Broadcom and the very important changes in pricing, and above all, the elimination of its free version, thousands of customers are evaluating the existing alternatives.

Here is our small contribution, as IBM PowerVM experts but also enthusiasts of the other KVM-based options. All of them (except VMWare) work in our labs and depending on the projects we choose one or the other for our customers. If you would like us to discuss it in detail
please contact us without obligation.

While it is difficult to provide a comprehensive comparison with all ESXi features, as they vary between versions and specific combinations with other VMware tools, the following table provides a summary of what we consider to be the most important ESXi features and how they are supported in LXD, PowerVM, Proxmox and Red Hat OpenShift. We hope you find it useful.

Feature	LXD	VMware ESXi	PowerVM	Proxmox	Red Hat OpenShift (OCP)*
Type of software	Open source.	Owner	Proprietary (IBM specific)	Open source (KVM and container-based)	Proprietary (based on Kubernetes and containers)
It is based on	KVM. Just as OCP supports containers and also VMs.	VMkernel	Based on IBM technology inherited from Mainframe environments, with advanced processor micro-partitioning technologies and HW isolation of VMs.	KVM and LXC	KVM (for virtual machines *if installed in bare-metal mode and not on top of other hypervisors) and Kubernetes for containers
Web UI	Yes	Yes, but limited. vSphere is required for many functionalities.	Yes HMC (equivalent to vSphere) or PowerVC (based on OpenStack)	Yes	Yes
Clustering	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (through Kubernetes)
High Availability	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (with advanced Kubernetes features)
VM live migration	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (via Kubernetes and OpenShift Virtualization)
Shared storage	Ceph	vSAN	Supports various file systems and storage	Ceph, ZFS and others	GlusterFS, Ceph and others
Networking	Bridge, OVN	NSX	Compatible with almost all network technologies	Bridge, VLAN, VXLAN and others	SDN, OVN and others
Snapshots	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Backup	Yes	Yes	Yes (with IBM and third-party management tools)	Yes	Yes
Free trial	N/A (unlimited free use)	30 days	Not applicable (included free with IBM hardware)	N/A (unlimited free use)	Free trial available
Cost	Free of charge, with enterprise support available per physical host	Full functionality requires a paid license.	Included with IBM Power hardware	Free of charge, with enterprise support by subscription	Core-based underwriting; varies by environment.
Number of yarns	Limited to 2 threads per core (x86)	Limited to 2 threads per core (x86)	Up to 1,920 threads (Power10 E1080)	Limited to 2 threads per core (x86)	Limited to 2 threads per core (x86)
Type of hypervisor	Level 1 (over KVM)	Level 1	Level 0 (separate VMs at firmware level with CPU mapping)	Level 1 (KVM) and Level 2 (LXC)	Level 2 (on RHEL)
Technology maturity (years)	> 10 years	> 20 years	> 30 years (coming from Z environments / LPARs)	> 10 years	> 10 years
Maximum RAM capacity per VM	Up to 2TB	Up to 2 TB	Up to 32 TB	Up to 2TB	Up to 2TB

How much can I save by migrating to IBM Power? Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator

3 April, 2024/in Data Center, News/by sixe

Quickly evaluate potential cost reductions by migrating from x86 to IBM Power. Explore the available solutions and compare them with x86 alternatives. This tool is capable of analyzing different workloads such as Oracle, Red Hat OpenShift or SAP HANA following independent benchmarks and reference architectures verified by SIXE.

How to get out of Oracle ULA and save up to 60% by migrating to IBM Power

15 March, 2024/in Data Center, News/by sixe

Exiting an Oracle Unlimited License Agreement (ULA) contract and migrating to IBM Power systems can be a complex process, but executed well, it can offer significant savings and long-term benefits. In this article, we will explore how to make this transition effectively and without penalties, based on real examples.

Understanding Oracle ULA

First, it is essential to understand what an Oracle ULA entails. It’s a contract that Oracle bought from a third-party company and continues to scare and delight in equal parts. Allows unlimited use of certain Oracle software products for a specified period of time, usually between 3 and 5 years. At the end of the ULA contract, the company must declare the use of these products and this becomes their “certification” for future license audits. There is a famous saying that it is better to know the bad than to know the good. And another that the devil is in the details. In the case of Oracle, no two ULAs are the same. They are all based on the same premise “when Oracle believes it can get money from its customer”. But beyond that, there are rules of the game that, once understood, allow us to help our clients.

Steps to Exit the Oracle ULA

Initial audit: Prior to the completion of the ULA, we conduct an internal audit to fully understand your current usage of Oracle products. This includes identifying which products are essential and which can be replaced or discarded.
Future needs analysis: We evaluate the future needs of your company in terms of software and databases. This step is crucial to determine whether the transition to IBM Power is feasible and what the potential savings are.
Third-party licensing contract review: Since Oracle contracts can be complex, it is advisable to work with specialized Oracle licensing consultants. They can help you understand the implications of your ULA and how to get out of it without incurring penalties.
We negotiate with Oracle: We help you negotiate a new agreement that best suits your current and future needs.
Migration planning: Develop a detailed plan to migrate from Oracle to IBM Power.

Migration to IBM Power

Migrating to IBM Power involves moving Oracle database and application workloads to an IBM environment. This may include the use of IBM Db2, which is known for its high performance and security.

Compatibility assessment: We ensure that your current applications are compatible with IBM Power. Oracle is Oracle in all its current and future versions, but there can always be an application that requires some modification to change architecture (we do it every day and without problems).
Design of the new environment: Based on the previous audit, we design a new secure, simple, powerful and stable environment adapted to your needs and budget.
IBM Power Implementation: We help you acquire and deploy IBM Power. We configure the necessary databases and applications.
Data Migration: We move data from Oracle to IBM Power, ensuring that data integrity is maintained during the process.
Performance, HA and DR testing: Perform extensive testing to ensure that all applications and databases function correctly in the new environment.
Training and technical support: We train your team in the use of the new platform and if you need it, you can use our preventive maintenance and technical support services to help them.

More things to like about Oracle in Power

We have official and supported Ansible playbooks to automate all deployments and day 2 operations:

Lots of documentation:

And at SIXE, as an official IBM training provider, we ensure that your technical teams master the platform within weeks. As technicians ourselves, we guarantee that they will be very grateful for the change.

How much budget can I save by migrating Oracle to IBM Power?

In terms of costs, migrating from Oracle to IBM Power can result in significant savings, although these vary from customer to customer. Real-world examples have shown savings of 20% to 60% in total cost of ownership (TCO) by migrating from Oracle to alternative solutions such as IBM. These savings come from lower licensing costs, reduced need for high-performance hardware due to the efficiency of IBM Power, and lower maintenance and support costs.

But Oracle licenses for Power are more expensive!

True, but we have customers where we can do with 25 Power10 cores the same as with 100 in an Exadata, but IBM Power is not restricted to Oracle (although there are more than 80,000 installations worldwide). You can deploy OpenShift, SAP HANA or any other workload running on SUSE, Red Hat, AIX and IBMi. In reality, the most common use case is the consolidation of all Exadata and most x86 servers into one Power10 in each data center. Running everything on a hypervisor that is at another level, where instead of “mapping cpus” as KVM or VMWare does, the capacity of each one is shared in real time, gaining in overall system utilization as well as performance. Exadatas have been a great marketing achievement, but they are neither cheaper, nor do they deliver better performance or provide the security of IBM Power.

Conclusion

Exiting an Oracle ULA contract and migrating to IBM Power is perfectly feasible. By doing this correctly, not only can penalties be avoided but also considerable cost savings can be achieved, while improving the efficiency and technological adaptability of the company. It is essential to have the support of licensing experts and conduct a thorough analysis to ensure a successful transition.

We do not expect to have convinced you, but perhaps we could talk without obligation, discuss any questions and, if you find it interesting, perform a feasibility analysis free of charge . In the worst case, you renew the ULA as is. Just kidding (or not) :)