The z/VSE Connector Client itself (and documentation) is a no charge download, available here:
http://www.ibm.com/systems/z/os/zvse/products/connectors.html#conn As far as I can tell, you can start coding right away. As far as testing goes (with z/VSE's Connector Server), I see three basic options: 1. Arrange for access to your customer's/partner's development environment, configured with the z/VSE Connector Server, and consistent with IBM authorizations. That might be free. 2. If you're an IBM PartnerWorld member (or become one) then you should be able to sign up for the Remote Development Program (zRDP). Details here: http://dtsc.dfw.ibm.com/MVSDS/%27HTTPD2.ENROL.PUBLIC.SHTML%28ZOSRDP%29%27 The zRDP charge is US$550 per month (with the potential for a higher charge for fairly unusual resource demands), and the minimum term is one month. I see the signup forms are marked "z/VSE 5.1" since the terms haven't changed since then, but you should actually get z/VSE 6.1, the current release. Double check that before you sign up, of course. 3. Or, with the same qualifications, you could obtain a zPDT (or even a real IBM z System machine) with the IBM maintained/packaged ADCD z/VSE distribution and run your own z/VSE Connector Server. Details are available here: https://www.ibm.com/partnerworld/page/pw_com_zpdt The zPDT itself, with one virtual engine, has a first year total charge of US$4049. Thereafter the annual renewal fee is currently US$3750. The ADCD subscription is $900 per year, including z/VSE, z/OS, and z/VM. If you do the zPDT math that all works out to about $412/month for the first year and about $388/month thereafter. Note that you can have either the zPDT or an IBM z System machine to run the software you obtain with your $900/year (=$75/month) ADCD subscription -- either is acceptable. For example, if you have a z114 (or a LPAR on one), and if you qualify for an ADCD subscription and use that machine (or LPAR) only for licensed, authorized Partnerworld and ADCD purposes, that should be fine. IBM has the final word, of course. You have to keep "reasonably current" in your machine model whenever you start or renew an ADCD subscription since the software requirements sometimes change, and IBM (understandably) expects software developers to keep up so they can always support the latest releases. At the moment, as I write this, IBM says that the oldest equipment for ADCD signups is z196/z114. z/VSE 6.1 requires a z10 or higher; you can ask IBM for a machine exception if you're developing only for z/VSE. Of course it's up to IBM to decide. To my knowledge the ADCD license is not based on capacity, it's based on authorized use. Hypothetically, if you legally obtain a zEC12 machine at auction (a not well advertised one!) for $628.13 that happens to have 42 CPs and 1.5 TB of memory, that's fine. Some factors to consider: (a) Who provides basic management of the environment (backup, some security, etc.): IBM or you. (b) Running on a genuine z System versus a zPDT. Although the zPDT is well tested, you might still want to run some final tests on a target machine depending on your customers' expectations. (c) How much computing resources you get (processor, memory, storage, etc.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timothy Sipples IT Architect Executive, Industry Solutions, IBM z Systems, AP/GCG/MEA E-Mail: [email protected] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
