Wessels+Müller AG: New opportunities with z/VSE, DB2 and Linux on the IBM System z9

The task at hand

To modernize existing warehouse management systems in order for IT to be able to respond to business fluctuations with maximum flexibility.

The solution
IBM System z9® with z/VSE™ – via TCP/IP and connectors linked to the DB2® for Linux on system z™ – functions as the most modern DataHub® and allows Wessels + Müller AG to adapt to new business conditions based on demand.

The benefits
Installing DB2 for Linux on system z achieves maximum flexibility, the best data serving, the highest ever availability of applications and the dynamic rearrangement of resources. The simplified infrastructure reduces operating costs.

Technical Data
IBM System z9® Business Class (BC), IFL-z/VSE™ V3.1.2, z/VM® V5.2, DB2®, LPAR

The company
Wessels+Müller AG supplies its customers with original parts from brand name manufacturers. In doing so, it ensures punctual deliveries and a service that makes it possible for customers to concentrate more on the success of their businesses.

Johannes Schlentzek, IT Manager at Wessels+Müller: “Together with our employees, we intend to be one of the most high-performing companies in the field of parts supply and delivery and will do all we can to maintain this position. We are pursuing this goal by applying our company’s greatest strengths and competencies. These include a comprehensive product assortment, powerful logistics, area-wide delivery capacity and, last but not least, the know-how, skills and the friendliness of our employees.”

Advancement thanks to the flexibility of the new solution
The company’s main focus is on maximum flexibility in order to shape ongoing operations optimally at all times. The idea is not only to obtain the highest performance during peak demand, rather, above all, to benefit from reduced operating costs during the quieter times. Once the previously installed IBM zSeries® z890 had already reached about 80 percent capacity just handling daily operations, Wessels+Müller decided to opt for migration in order to have more capacity available in the future.

The IBM System z9® platform primarily functions as a pure data serving environment. By using highly scalable services, Wessels+Müller is able to consolidate and manage very large data volumes on one system. The flexible platform offers comprehensive support for open as well as industry standards. Numerous security functions, such as protected access, technologies for network-based and local encryption contribute to the first-class technology of the main frame. The operating system provides a special service. Johannes Schlentzek: “Over the course of the years, as the requirements became higher and higher, the z/VSE™ on the main frame proved itself as an absolutely reliable operating system that was both stable and secure and became easier and easier to administrate.“

In close cooperation between Wessels+Müller, the IBM business partner Becom and IBM, migration to the z9 Business Class (BC) IBM System took place in just one weekend.

After migration, the applications as well as the databases (DB2/VM) were noticeably faster, which not only resulted in accelerated processing, but also optimal handling of the data load, even during transaction-intense phases. The team even installed Linux on a separate Linux processor (IFL) and z/VM® V5.2 and also installed the DB2® . The first applications have been in production at Wessels+Müller since May 2007. All data and applications are gradually being migrated to DB2 .

With the additional options, Wessels+Müller is able to maintain its competitive edge and to further build on it. The improved service is not only available to the company’s 1,950 employees,
but also to customers and partners. As an application and data server, the z/VSE functions as the company-wide information and ordering
system on the Internet.

Under z/VM V5.2, five z/VSE systems operate in a logical partition (LPAR). In a second LPAR, which is assigned to a dedicated Linux processor, numerous Linux guests are installed under z/VM, which, in turn, serves as the carrier system for DB2.

Time is money
Wessels+Müller currently relies on z/VSE V3.1.2, but is preparing to upgrade to z/VSE V4.1. With the help of tools, pre-testing is being performed to see which additional options will be offered
with the new functions such as workload pricing. In the second quarter of 2008, the 64-bit version of the operating system will be ready for use at Wessels+Müller.