(This was a few days ago and got lost in the mess until now, sorry)
Eric Rossman wrote, in part:
>While it usually implies "hardware" when we leave out the slash, that
>is not always the case. zPLX is classified as software ("PL/X on
>System z" is my best take). "IBM z Systems Advanced Workload Analysis
>Reporter" (IBM zAware) is definitely classified as software. I don't
>see anywhere IBM is classifying either otherwise.
I can't speak to zPLX, but IBM describes zAware thus:
"IBM zAware is a self-contained firmware IT analytics solution that helps
systems and operations professionals rapidly identify problematic messages and
unusual system behavior in near real time."
(https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/4D69ZNOV, PDF)
And, while this might have shifted, or, quoting Rick in Casablanca, "I was
misinformed", it was a well-placed IBMer who explained the slash-for-software
to me a while ago. In fact, he used "z/Architecture" as an example of something
that might be thought of as hardware, but which had the slash because IBM
considers it software.
Clearly this stuff in the middle--z/Architecture, zAware--could be argued
either way: z/Arch seems like firmware at least as much as zAware. One might
argue that since zPLX isn't for customer use and is used to build PR/SM and
friends, it's in the firmware realm, even though it's obviously software.
It's also quite possible that someone released something with the "wrong" name
and got a pass, because it was too late to make all the changes...
...phsiii
P.S. re:
>("PL/X on System z" is my best take)
That'd be "PL/X on IBM zSystems" now, yes?
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