Scott,

Firstly the rules have changed. The case was that if you had a P/390 you
were allowed to run the software on the physical PC with the P/390 card in
it. You didn't have to use the P/390 card, you could use Hercules, so you
could run any software licensed to a P/390 on hercules running in the box
with P/390 card in it.However P/390 cards are now rare, won't run and can't
be licensed for the latest zOS so this loop hole is closed.

Secondly it is rumored that some IBM employees have run zOS on Hercules. I
believe they are supposed to use an internal use only emulator, but thats as
much as I know.

I also understand that some sites have negotiated with IBM to be able to use
Hercules as part of their disaster recovery scenarios. I don't know what the
disaster recovery clauses in the license state, so I don't know how
practical this is. However it would allow you to have a "warm standby"
mainframe for critical tasks where you otherwise might have to use some kind
of geographically split Linux or Windows cluster to get the required assured
levels of availability in the event of building damage.

I would have thought this route might be open to you and your company...

Dave Wade G4UGM
Illegitimi Non Carborundum



-----Original Message-----
From: hercules-advocacy@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:hercules-advocacy@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of sccosel
Sent: 27 February 2009 18:12
To: hercules-advocacy@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [hercules-advocacy] Re: Legally Running z/OS on Hercules




Based upon the answers I have been receiving, I am not encouraged. On
the surface, this question seems fairly straight-forward.

The designers of Hercules made it capable of running z/OS, at some
point. Perhaps from the beginning. But, no one seems to be able to
definitely say that under certain, specific conditions, z/OS would be
able to legally be run, and under what specific conditions. Up to this
point, it seems to all be conjecture and individual opinion.

So, I guess Hercules may be is in the same category as a "bong" (water
pipe). In most states in the U.S., it is not necessarily a violation to
be in possession of it, just what you put in it and/or how it is used!
I had a good friend from high school that abused the "bong". Never got
caught by the law for doing it in his own home, but is now deceased at
the ripe old age of 41.

Are those that choose to use z/OS under Hercules in a similar
predicament? (Minus being at risk of dying an early death!)

For the record, we are an IBM customer running an IBM licensed copy of
z/OS 1.9 on genuine IBM hardware. To my knowledge, we have not sought
IBM's permission to run z/OS under Hercules and until the licensing
issue is clarified, I guess by IBM, we do not plan to run z/OS under
Hercules, professionally or personally.

An email inquiry to an individual purportedly running z/OS under
Hercules regarding how he went about legally running z/OS under
Hercules, went unanswered.

Best Regards, Scott

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