TECH_135: Planning Your Mainframe Processor Upgrade in 2026

Project and Program: Performance and Capacity Management

Tags: Proceedings, SHARE Orlando 2026, 2026

Many customers only replace their mainframe every 3-5 years, so properly planning for what machine to go to next is not something they have a lot of practice at. Many simply rely on their vendor to make a good suggestion. But the wise customer will consider multiple factors before making a final decision. In this session Scott Chapman will share the insight he has garnered from years of planning processor upgrades. He’ll talk about some of the high-level differences between the z17 and recent processor generations. He’ll explain why moving to slower CPs may benefit both performance and finances and how zPCR can be used to examine that scenario. Finally, some thoughts will be provided about understanding the performance changes after the upgrade.

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