Z Application Assist Processor

Assist Processors (including specialty processors ) are additional CPUs that are used in IBM System z mainframes to relieve regular processors of certain tasks. Moreover Assist Processors are not included in the calculation of license fees for software that is dependent on the processor speed. With the exception of a (model dependent) higher speed, the Assist processors differ technically from the normal CPUs. The use of the processor is limited only by the firmware and operating system specific applications in the system.

Types of Assist Processors

Integrated Facility for Linux ( IFL )

The IFL is a special-purpose processor for the execution of the operating systems z / VM, Linux and OpenSolaris on System z

Internal Coupling Facility ( ICF)

Internal Coupling Facility processors are designed to provide the Coupling Facility functionality in an LPAR.

Application Assist Processors zAAP

System z Application Assist Processors allow to run Java applications. This work on the zAAP can be performed when the Java Virtual Machine ( JVM) that tells the dispatcher that a JVM code is being executed. The run on the zAAP is retained until the Java program is executed, or a call to a system service to return to the regular processor causes. With the introduction of zAAPs the execution of Java -based applications on Websphere, CICS, IMS and DB2 on z / OS will be more attractive. Also, certain system functions to process data in XML format can be used zAAPs.

System z Integrated Information Processor ( zIIP )

ZIIPs be used to outsource a particular type of work from the regular processors. The proportion of the work to be outsourced depends on the system or middleware component, which makes use of this technique. First zIIPs were used by DB2 to outsource certain portions of DRDA requirements, star schema table accesses, LOAD, REORG and REBUILD traversals. Meanwhile, a growing number of applications to be executed zIIPs.