Middleware comprises all the software in a modern server that, in conjunction with the operating system, enables developers to focus on the objective of an application rather than routine operations such as input-output, data management and telecommunications. Making all the parts of the software and hardware stack work together intelligently and efficiently is the function of middleware optimization, with a Middleware Optimized System being the end product of that work.

You can also read Bob Blainey’s post on the Smarter Computing Blog to get his expert opinion.

Every IT manager wants to exploit his or her installed systems to the fullest, and gain the maximum return from existing IT investments. By ensuring that all components that drive performance are tightly integrated and fine tuned to interoperate as efficiently as possible, middleware optimization is a smart, cost effective way to do just that. It can yield significant applications performance increases. It’s how to engineer a major increase in system performance, availability and scalability without instigating a corresponding increase in system cost.

Middleware optimization is an ongoing process that encompasses every IBM server platform. At every level, IBM hardware and software developers work in close coordination to optimize components for better data handling and higher throughput. The results are noteworthy. The latest example: IBM analytics solutions. Power Systems enhanced Solution Editions for Cognos and SPSS deliver fast time to value and offer you a simplified way to deliver new business insight. On POWER7 Systems, the ILOG CPLEX analytic solution benefits from a 32 percent performance improvement. DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows is the database of choice for robust, enterprise-wide solutions handling high-volume workloads. Optimized to deliver industry-leading performance, DB2 adheres to tenets of low operational costs, ease of use and reliability to power today’s data applications-and beyond. InfoSphere Warehouse is powered by DB2. InfoSphere Warehouse provides additional capabilities like cubing services, text analytics, data mining, and so on that work with DB2 to implement departmental and enterprise data warehouses.
Middleware optimization is central to IBM's approach to server platforms. It can take months to acquire, integrate and deploy all the servers, storage, networking, monitoring, middleware, virtualization technology and management software needed to build a solution to run your applications. That equates to months that you are focused on just about everything except the functionality your business users need. The IBM PureApplication System is a cloud application platform which combines the flexibility of a general purpose system, the elasticity of cloud and the simplicity of an appliance tuned to a workload. PureApplication System can consolidate hundreds of enterprise applications into a simple, easy-to-manage system. With PureApplication System, your primary focus is your application, not the application infrastructure it depends on.
With its rich history of innovation, IBM has developed software solutions that empower enterprises to combine leading-edge technologies with the unparalleled capabilities of the System z enterprise mainframes. System z software enables an optimized infrastructure, cloud delivery, and integration of operational data with analytics – empowering enterprises to deploy and manage both internal and external IT services, create new software to drive those services, secure the entire environment from end to end, and continually track and enhance operational efficiency through smart analytics. As a software development platform, for instance, IBM System z helps you develop, update, and deploy modern applications for improved performance and productivity using solutions like Rational Developer for System z, Rational Team Concert, Portals, and others. System z is also an ideal production environment in which to deploy applications; CICS, WebSphere Application Server, MQ, and other offerings enable dynamic, interconnected business processes and deliver highly effective application infrastructures for all business contexts. For example, if you’re interested in mainframe-based business analytics and data warehousing, you’ll get fast, reliable, and scalable business insight and optimized business performance through offerings like IBM Cognos, SPSS, InfoSphere, and others. If you’re focusing on mainframe data management, our mainframe data management solutions (DB2, IMS, ECM, and others) transform data from diverse sources into reliable, integrated information and actionable business intelligence. Mainframe security and privacy solutions like InfoSphere Guardium and IBM Security zSecure suite, meanwhile, reduce risks and costs by proactively protecting both information and infrastructure. And System z can also help you optimize service management for all business operations running on the mainframe by empowering you to see, manage, integrate, and automate diverse resources and systems across your infrastructure using IBM Tivoli solutions like OMEGAMON, ITCAM, and others.

Explore all middleware optimized systems resources to discover how IBM can supply the solutions for your specific needs.