IBM Mainframe Forum

Hello Everyone,

Is it possible to virtualize z/OS, as a guest OS on top of a hypervisor running on an x86 server architecture? Perhaps, running the virtual instance using system Z. Please advise. I do greatly appreciate your feedback.

-Dale

z/OS can run as a guest OS on top of z/VM, but I don't know that the combination can be run on an x86 architecture. It is probably possible to do so, if you work for an IBM Partner company and get a PC with z/OS installed -- although don't quote me on that! Since IBM places extremely tight restrictions and controls on z/OS and does not allow, in general, x86 machines to use z/OS (except internally and Partner companies), you would be breaking contracts and the law if you were to attempt such without authorization from IBM.

There's an emulator that will run on x86: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_(emulator)

Hercules emulates CPU instructions and I/O devices only, so you have to provide the OS. Technically, you CAN run z/OS on it... but don't get caught. IBM does not license z/OS to run on anything other than their own hardware.

Also, this doesn't quite run it as a guest OS. In this case, you'd be running it on top of an existing OS, and you'd have a number of options to choose from.