CFV: New Project: s390x Port

[Volker Simonis]

I hereby propose the creation of the "s390x Port" Project with me,
Volker Simonis as the Lead and the Porters Group as the sponsoring
Group.

The goal of the project will be to provide a full-featured and
certifiable version of the OpenJDK on the Linux/s390x platform which
can be integrated into the main OpenJDK development branch.

The port will run on IBM System z models z10 or newer (64-bit) [3].

We (SAP) already have a complete (i.e. template interpreter, C1 and C2
JIT) and certified (Java 4-8) s390x port which is used in production
for many years.

Our plan is to integrate the s390x port into a branch of the actual
OpenJDK development code line (currently jdk9). Once the port is
complete, we plan to integrate it into the then active OpenJDK
development branch and potentially downport it to older releases.

Based on the experience we gained with our PowerPC/AIX Port, we expect
the s390x port to be much easier and less intrusive because s390x is
a CISC processor with a strong memory model (comparable to x86). It
only requires very few shared code changes and no OS changes at all
because the port will only run on Linux.

The project will initially be driven by SAP and supported by IBM both
of whom have a long-standing experience in developing and porting
JDKs to various platforms including Linux/s390x, Linux/PowerPC and
AIX/PowerPC. But as this is an open source project of course anybody
interested is highly welcome to join the porting effort. The complete
development process and discussions will happen in the open on the
project mailing list.

I will lead the project. I work for SAP in the SAP JVM Technology
group since more than 10 years. I'm the project lead of the
PowerPC/AIX Port Project [4], a member of the Build, HotSpot and
OpenJDK Members Group [5] and an active jdk9 committer and reviewer.

The initial committers will be:
Lutz Schmidt (SAP)
Martin Doerr (SAP)
Goetz Lindenmaier (SAP)
Volker Simonis (SAP)

Votes are due by May 28, 2016, 18:00 CET [6].

Only current OpenJDK Members [1] are eligible to vote on this
motion. Votes must be case in the open by replying to to this
mailing list.

For Lazy Consensus voting instructions, see [2].

Volker Simonis

PS: it's a funny coincidence and hopefully lucky omen that I post this
CFV exactly four years to the day I posted the CFV for the PowerPC/AIX
port :) [7]

[1] http://openjdk.java.net/census#members
[2] http://openjdk.java.net/projects/#new-project-vote
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_System_z
[4] http://openjdk.java.net/projects/ppc-aix-port/
[5] http://openjdk.java.net/census#simonis
[6] http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=CFV%3A+New+Project%3A+s390x+Port&iso=20160528T18&p1=991
[7] http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/announce/2012-May/000125.html