IBM z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP)

The z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP), is the latest customer-inspired specialty engine for the z17. It provides a cost-effective workload reduction environment that is used by DB2® and other software products, some from ISVs. The zIIP is designed to help improve resource optimization and lower the cost of eligible workloads, enhancing the role of the mainframe as the data hub of the enterprise.

The execution environment of the zIIP accepts eligible work from z/OS® 1.8 or higher, which manages and directs the work between the general-purpose processor and the zIIP. DB2 for z/OS V8 uses the zIIP capability for eligible workloads. The zIIPs are designed to free up general-purpose capacity which might be used by other workloads. Java workload can also utilize zIIPs.

In addition to improving the utilization of existing resources, the zIIP might help you to use the z/OS and DB2 for z/OS qualities of service for data access and information management across your enterprise. It does this by making direct access to DB2 more cost effective and potentially reducing the need for many local copies of the data and the complexity that brings.

On the z17, you can purchase and install one or more zIIP features with no effect on the model designation. Consequently, no additional operating system or middleware charges are incurred with the addition of this capacity unless that software is actually running in that additional capacity. The zIIP feature is ordered separately and is distinguished at the hardware level from any general-purpose Central Processors (CPs), Internal Coupling Facility (ICF) processors, or Integrated Features for Linux® (IFLs).

z/VM® 7.1 and later can run in a logical partition that includes zIIPs and can dispatch z/OS guest virtual zIIPs on the zIIP logical processors. z/VM 7.1 and later can also simulate zIIPs for z/OS guests, dispatching virtual zIIPs on general-purpose logical processors (CPs).