Ibm OPEN STORAGE READ ME FIRST 7-9-2010, I VIRTUALIZATION READ ME FIRST 7-9-2010 User Manual
IBM i Virtualization and Open Storage Read-me First
Vess Natchev
Cloud | Virtualization | Power Systems
IBM Rochester, MN
vess@us.ibm.com
July 9th, 2010
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This “read-me first” document provides detailed instructions on using IBM i 6.1 virtualization and
connecting open storage to IBM i. It covers prerequisites, supported hardware and software,
planning considerations, install and post-install tasks such as backups. The document also
contains links to many additional information sources.
Table of Contents
1. IBM i virtualization solutions
1.1. IBM i logical partition (LPAR) hosting another IBM i partition
1.2. IBM i using open storage as a client of the Virtual I/O Server (VIOS)
1.3. IBM i on a Power blade
2. IBM i hosting IBM i supported configurations
2.1. Hardware
2.2. Software and firmware
3. IBM i hosting IBM i concepts
3.1. Virtual SCSI and Ethernet adapters
3.2. Storage virtualization
3.3. Optical virtualization
3.4. Network virtualization
4. Prerequisites for implementing IBM i hosted LPARs
4.1. Storage planning
4.2. Performance
4.3. Dual hosting
5. Implementing IBM i client LPARs with an IBM i host
6. Post-install tasks and considerations
6.1. Configure IBM i networking
6.2. How to perform IBM i operator panel functions
6.3. How to display the IBM i partition System Reference Code (SRC) history
6.4. Client IBM i LPARs considerations and limitations
6.5. Configuring Electronic Customer Support (ECS) over LAN
6.6. Copying storage spaces
6.7. Backups
7. IBM i using open storage supported configurations
7.1. Hardware
7.2. Software and firmware
8. IBM i using open storage through VIOS concepts
8.1. Virtual SCSI and Ethernet adapters
8.2. Storage virtualization
8.3. Optical virtualization
8.4. Network virtualization
9. Prerequisites for attaching open storage to IBM i through VIOS
9.1. Storage planning
9.2. Performance
9.3. Dual hosting and multi-path I/O (MPIO)
9.3.1. Dual VIOS LPARs with IBM i mirroring
9.3.2. Path redundancy to a single set of LUNs
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9.3.2.1. Path redundancy with a single VIOS
9.3.2.2. Redundant VIOS LPARs with client-side MPIO
9.3.3 Subsystem Device Driver – Path Control Module (SDDPCM)
10. Attaching open storage to IBM i through VIOS
10.1. Open storage configuration
10.2. VIOS installation and configuration
10.3. IBM i installation and configuration
10.4. HMC provisioning of open storage in VIOS
10.5. End-to-end LUN device mapping
11. Post-install tasks and considerations
11.1. Configure IBM i networking
11.2. How to perform IBM i operator panel functions
11.3. How to display the IBM i partition System Reference Code (SRC) history
11.4. Client IBM i LPARs considerations and limitations
11.5. Configuring Electronic Customer Support (ECS) over LAN
11.6. Backups
12. DS4000 and DS5000 Copy Services and IBM i
12.1. FlashCopy and VolumeCopy
12.2. Enhanced Remote Mirroring (ERM)
13. IBM i using SAN Volume Controller (SVC) storage through VIOS
13.1. IBM i and SVC concepts
13.2. Attaching SVC storage to IBM i
14. SVC Copy Services and IBM i
14.1. FlashCopy
14.1.1. Test scenario
14.1.2. FlashCopy statements
14.2. Metro and Global Mirror
14.2.1. Test scenario
14.2.2. Metro and Global Mirror support statements
15. XIV Copy Services and IBM i
16. DS5000 direct attachment to IBM i
16.1. Overview
16.2. Supported hardware and software
16.3. Best practices, limitations and performance
16.4. Sizing and configuration
16.5. Copy Services support
17. N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) for IBM i
17.1. Overview
17.2. Supported hardware and software
17.3. Configuration
17.4. Copy Services support
18. Additional resources
19. Trademarks and disclaimers
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1. IBM i virtualization solutions
IBM i 6.1 introduces three significant virtualization capabilities that allow faster deployment of IBM
i workloads within a larger heterogeneous IT environment. This section will introduce and
differentiate these new technologies.
1.1. IBM i logical partition (LPAR) hosting another IBM i partition
An IBM i 6.1 LPAR can host one or more additional IBM i LPARs, known as virtual client LPARs.
Virtual client partitions can have no physical I/O hardware assigned and instead leverage virtual
I/O resources from the host IBM i partition. The types of hardware resources that can be
virtualized by the host LPAR are disk, optical and networking. The capability of IBM i to provide
virtual I/O resources has been used successfully for several years to integrate AIX®, Linux® and
Windows® workloads on the same platform. The same virtualization technology, which is part of
the IBM i operating system, can now be used to host IBM i LPARs. IBM i hosting IBM i is the
focus of the first half of this document.
1.2. IBM i using open storage as a client of the Virtual I/O Server (VIOS)
IBM i virtual client partitions can also be hosted by VIOS. VIOS is virtualization software that runs
in a separate partition whose purpose is to provide virtual storage, optical, tape and networking
resources to one or more client partitions. The most immediate benefit VIOS brings to an IBM i
client partition is the ability to expand its storage portfolio to use 512-byte/sector open storage.
Open storage volumes (or logical units, LUNs) are physically attached to VIOS via a Fibre
Channel or Serial-attached SCSI (SAS) connection and then made available to IBM i. While IBM
i does not directly attach to the SAN in this case, once open storage LUNs become available
through VIOS, they are managed the same way as integrated disks or LUNs from a directly
attached storage system. IBM i using open storage through VIOS is the focus of the second half
of this read-me first guide.
1.3. IBM i on a Power blade
The third major virtualization enhancement with IBM i 6.1 is the ability to run an IBM i LPAR and
its applications on a Power blade server, such as IBM BladeCenter JS12 or JS22. Running IBM i
on a Power blade is beyond the scope of this document. See the IBM i on a Power Blade Read-
me First for a complete technical overview and implementation instructions:
http://www.ibm.com/systems/power/hardware/blades/ibmi.html
2. IBM i hosting IBM i supported configurations
2.1. Hardware
One of the most significant benefits of this solution is the broad hardware support. Any storage,
network and optical adapters and devices supported by the host IBM i partition on a POWER6
processor-based server can be virtualized to the client IBM i partition. Virtualization of tape
devices from an IBM i host to an IBM i client is not supported. The following table lists the
supported hardware:
.
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Hardware type Supported for
IBM i hosting
IBM i
IBM Power servers Yes Includes IBM Power 520 Express, IBM
Power 550 Express, IBM Power 560
Express, IBM Power 570 and IBM Power 595
Does not include IBM POWER6 processorbased blade servers, such as IBM
BladeCenter JS12 and JS22
IBM Power 575 No
POWER5-based systems or
earlier
Storage adapters (Fibre
Channel, SAS, SCSI)
Storage devices and
subsystems
Network adapters Yes Must be supported by IBM i 6.1 or later and
Optical devices Yes Must be supported by IBM i 6.1 or later and
Tape devices No
To determine the storage, network and optical devices supported on each IBM Power server
model, refer to the Sales Manual for each model: http://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/index.wss
To determine the storage, network and optical devices supported only by IBM i 6.1, refer to the
upgrade planning Web site: https://www-
304.ibm.com/systems/support/i/planning/upgrade/futurehdwr.html.
2.2. Software and firmware
Software or firmware type Supported for
IBM i 6.1 or later Yes Required on both host and client IBM i
IBM i 5.4 or earlier No Not supported on host or client partition
IBM Power server system
firmware 320_040_031 or later
HMC firmware HMC V7 R3.2.0
or later
3. IBM i hosting IBM i concepts
The capability of an IBM i partition to host another IBM i partition involves hardware and
virtualization components. The hardware components are the storage, optical and network
adapters and devices physically assigned to the host IBM i LPAR. The virtualization components
No
Yes Must be supported by IBM i 6.1 or later and
supported on POWER6-based IBM Power
server
Yes Must be supported by IBM i 6.1 or later and
supported on POWER6-based IBM Power
server
supported on POWER6-based IBM Power
server
supported on POWER6-based IBM Power
server
IBM i hosting
IBM i
partition
Yes This is the minimum system firmware level
required
Yes This is the minimum HMC firmware level
required
Notes
.
Notes
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are the system firmware and IBM i operating system objects necessary to virtualize the physical
I/O resources to client partitions. The following diagram shows the full solution and its
components:
3.1. Virtual SCSI and Ethernet adapters
IBM i hosting IBM i uses an existing function of the system firmware, or Power Hypervisor: the
capability to create virtual SCSI and Ethernet adapters in a partition. Virtual adapters are created
for each LPAR in the Hardware Management Console (HMC). Virtual SCSI adapters are used for
storage and optical virtualization; virtual Ethernet adapters are used for network virtualization.
Note that using virtual I/O resources from a host partition does not preclude an IBM i client
partition from owning physical hardware. A mix of virtual and physical hardware in the same
partition is supported for IBM i in this environment, by assigning both types of adapters to the
partition in the HMC.
3.2. Storage virtualization
To virtualize integrated disk (SCSI, SAS or SSD) or LUNs from a SAN system to an IBM i client
partition, both HMC and IBM i objects must be created. In the HMC, the minimum required
configuration is:
• One virtual SCSI server adapter in the host partition
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• One virtual SCSI client adapter in the client partition
This virtual SCSI adapter pair allows the client partition to send read and write I/O operations to
the host partition. More than one virtual SCSI pair can exist for the same client partition in this
environment. To minimize performance overhead on the host partition, the virtual SCSI
connection is used to send I/O requests, but not for the actual transfer of data. Using the
capability of the Power Hypervisor for Logical Remote Direct Memory Access (LRDMA), data are
transferred directly from the physical adapter assigned to the host partition to a buffer in memory
of the client partition.
There is no additional configuration required in IBM i in the virtual client partition. In the host
partition, the minimum required IBM i setup consists of the following:
• One Network Server Description (NWSD) object
• One Network Server Storage Space (NWSSTG) object
The NWSD object associates a virtual SCSI server adapter in IBM i (which in turn is connected to
a virtual SCSI client adapter in the HMC) with one or more NWSSTG objects. At least one
NWSD object must be created in the host for each client, though more are supported.
The NWSSTG objects are the virtual disks provided to the client IBM i partition. They are created
from available physical storage in the host partition. In the client, they are recognized and
managed as standard DDxx disk devices (with a different type and model). The following
screenshot shows several storage spaces for a client partition in an IBM i 6.1 host partition:
The next screenshot shows several storage spaces in an IBM i 6.1 client partition:
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Storage spaces for an IBM i client partition do not have to match physical disk sizes; they can be
created from 160 MB to 1 TB in size, as long as there is available storage in the host. The 160
MB minimum size is a requirement from the storage management Licensed Internal Code (LIC)
on the client partition. For an IBM i client partition, up to 16 NWSSTGs can be linked to a single
NWSD, and therefore, to a single virtual SCSI connection. Up to 32 outstanding I/O operations
from the client to each storage space are supported for IBM i clients. Storage spaces can be
created in any existing Auxiliary Storage Pool (ASP) on the host, including Independent ASPs.
Through the use of NWSSTGs, any physical storage supported in the IBM i host partition on a
POWER6-based system can be virtualized to a client partition.
3.3. Optical virtualization
Any optical drive supported in the host IBM i LPAR can be virtualized to an IBM i client LPAR. An
existing virtual SCSI connection can be used, or a new connection can be created explicitly for
optical I/O traffic. By default, if a virtual SCSI connection exists between host and client, all
physical OPTxx optical drives in the host will be available to the client, where they will also be
recognized as OPTxx devices. The NWSD parameter Restricted device resources can be
used to specify which optical devices in the host a client partition cannot access.
A virtualized optical drive in the host partition can be used for a D-mode Initial Program Load
(IPL) and install of the client partition, as well as for installing Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs) or
applications later. If the optical drive is writeable, the client partition will be able to write to the
physical media in the drive.
3.4. Network virtualization
Virtualizing a network adapter and using a virtual LAN (VLAN) for partition-to-partition
communication within a system are existing IBM i capabilities. In order for a client to use a host’s
physical network adapter, a virtual Ethernet adapter must be created in the HMC in both partitions.
To be on the same VLAN, the two virtual Ethernet adapters must have the same Port Virtual LAN
ID (PVID). This type of adapter is recognized by IBM i as a communications port (CMNxx) with a
different type. In the host partition, the virtual Ethernet adapter is then associated with the
physical network adapter via a routing configuration – either Proxy ARP or Network Address
Translation (NAT). This allows the client partition to send network packets via the VLAN and
through the physical adapter to the outside LAN. The physical adapter can be any network
adapter supported by IBM i 6.1, including Integrated Virtual Ethernet (IVE) ports, also known as
Host Ethernet Adapter (HEA) ports.
4. Prerequisites for implementing IBM i hosted LPARs
4.1. Storage planning
Because virtual disks for the IBM i client LPAR are NWSSTG objects in the host LPAR, the main
prerequisite to installing a new client LPAR is having sufficient capacity in the host to create those
objects. Note that the host partition is not capable of detecting what percent of the virtual storage
is used in the client. For example, if a 500-GB storage space is created, it will occupy that
amount of physical storage in the host IBM i LPAR, even if the disk capacity is only 50% utilized
in the client LPAR.
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It is recommended to closely match the total size of the storage spaces for each client partition to
its initial disk requirements. As the storage needs of the client partition grow, additional storage
spaces can be dynamically created and linked to it on the host partition. On the client, the new
virtual disk will automatically be recognized as a non-configured drive and can be added to any
existing ASP. The only restriction to consider in this case is the maximum number of storage
spaces allowed per virtual SCSI connection for an IBM i client partition, which is 16. If more than
16 NWSSTGs are needed for a client LPAR, additional virtual SCSI connections can be created
dynamically in the HMC.
4.2. Performance
As described in section 2.2, disk I/O operations in an IBM i virtual client partition result in I/O
requests to the physical disk adapter(s) and drives assigned to the host partition. Therefore, the
best way to ensure good disk performance in the client LPAR is to create a well-performing disk
configuration in the host LPAR. Because the host partition is a standard IBM i partition, all the
recommendations in the Performance Capabilities Reference manual
(http://www.ibm.com/systems/i/solutions/perfmgmt/resource.html
manual’s suggestions for maximizing IBM i disk performance for the type of physical storage used
in the host, whether it is integrated disk or SAN.
Note that if only the System ASP exists on the host partition, NWSSTG objects are created on the
same physical disk units as all other objects. If the host partition is running production
applications in addition to providing virtual storage to client partitions, there will be disk I/O
contention as both client partitions and IBM i workloads in the host send I/O requests to those
disk units. To minimize disk I/O contention, create storage space objects in a separate ASP on
the host (Independent ASPs are supported). Performance on the client(s) would then depend on
the disk adapter and disk configuration used for that ASP. If the host partition is providing virtual
storage to more than one client partition, consider using separate ASPs for the storag e space
objects for each client. This recommendation should be weighed against the concern of ending
up with too few physical disk arms in each ASP to provide good performance.
Disk contention from IBM i workloads in the host LPAR and virtual client LPARs can be
eliminated if a separate IBM i LPAR is used just for hosting client LPARs. An additional benefit of
this configuration is the fact that an application or OS problem stemming from a different workload
on the host cannot negatively affect client partitions. These benefits should be weighed against:
• The license cost associated with a separate IBM i partition
• The maintenance time required for another partition, such as applying Program
Temporary Fixes (PTFs)
• The ability to create well-performing physical disk configurations in both partitions that
meet the requirements of their workloads
If the host partition runs a heavy-I/O workload and the client partitions also have high disk
response requirements, it is strongly recommended to consider using a separate hosting partition,
unless separate ASPs on the host are used for storage space objects. If the host partition’s
workload is light to moderate with respect to disk requirements and the client partitions are used
mostly for development, test or quality assurance (QA), it is acceptable to use one IBM i partition
for both tasks.
4.3. Dual hosting
An IBM i client partition has a dependency on its host: if the host partition fails, IBM i on the client
will lose contact with its disk units. The virtual disks would also become unavailable if the host
partition is brought down to restricted state or shut down for scheduled maintenance or to apply
) will apply to it. Use the
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PTFs. To remove this dependency, two host partitions can be used to simultaneously provide
virtual storage to one or more client partitions.
The configuration for two hosts for the same client partition uses the same conc epts as that for a
single host described in section 2.2. In addition, a second virtual SCSI client adapter exists in the
client LPAR, connected to a virtual SCSI server adapter in the second host LPAR. The IBM i
configuration of the second host mimics that of the first host, with the same number of NWSD and
NWSSTG objects, and NWSSG objects of the same size. As a result, the client partition
recognizes a second set of virtual disks of the same number and size. To achie v e redundancy,
adapter-level mirroring is used between the two sets of storage spaces from the two hosts. Thus,
if a host partition fails or is taken down for maintenance, mirroring will be suspended, but the
client partition will continue to operate. When the inactive host is either recovered or restarted,
mirroring can be resumed.
5. Implementing IBM i client LPARs with an IBM i host
Installing IBM i in a client LPAR with an IBM i host consists of two main phases:
• Creating the virtual SCSI configuration in the HMC
• Creating the NWSSTG and NWSD objects in the IBM i host partition, and activating the
new client partition
The implementation steps are described in detail in the topic Creating an IBM i logical partition
that uses IBM i virtual I/O resources using the HMC in the Power Systems Logical Partitioning
Guide: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/scope/hw/topic/iphat/iphat.pdf
sufficient available capacity is required in the IBM i host partition to create the storage space
objects. When following the detailed implementation instructions, keep in mind the performance
recommendations in section 4.2 of this document.
6. Post-install tasks and considerations
6.1. Configure IBM i networking
Once the IBM i client partition is installed and running, the first system management step is to
configure networking. There are three types of network adapters that can be assigned to an IBM
i client partition:
• A standard physical network adapter in a PCI slot
• A logical port on a Host Ethernet Adapter (HEA)
• A virtual Ethernet adapter
Note that both physical and virtual I/O resources can be assigned to an IBM i virtual client
partition. If a physical network adapter was not assigned to the IBM i client partition when it was
first created, see the topic Managing physical I/O devices and slots dynamically using the
HMC in the Power Systems Logical Partitioning Guide
(http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/scope/hw/topic/iphat/iphat.pdf
available adapter.
An IBM i client partition can also use the new HEA capability of POWER6 processor-based
servers. To assign a logical port (LHEA) on an HEA to an IBM i client partition, see the topic
Creating a Logical Host Ethernet Adapter for a running logical partition using the HMC in
. Note that
) to assign an
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the Power Systems Logical Partitioning Guide:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/scope/hw/topic/iphat/iphat.pdf.
Lastly, a virtual Ethernet adapter can also provide network connectivity to an IBM i client partition.
To create one, consult the topic Configuring a virtual Ethernet adapter using the HMC in the
Power Systems Logical Partitioning Guide:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/scope/hw/topic/iphat/iphat.pdf
In all three cases, the assigned network adapter will be recognized as a communication s port
(CMNxx) in IBM i. The type of communications port will depend on the network adapter: for
example, 5706 for a Gigabit Ethernet adapter, 5623 for an LHEA and 268C for a virtual Ethernet
adapter. In the case of a standard PCI network adapter or an LHEA, networking can be
configured following the process described in the IBM i networking topic in the Information
Center: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/scope/i5os/topic/rzajy/rzajyoverview.htm
If the IBM i client partition is using a virtual Ethernet adapter for networking, additional
configuration on the IBM i host is required. The virtual Ethernet adapter allows the client partition
to communicate only with other partitions whose virtual Ethernet adapters have the same Port
Virtual LAN ID (PVID); in other words, partitions on the same virtual LAN within the system. A
routing configuration can be created in the IBM i host partition to allow forwarding of network
packets from the outside LAN to the client partition on the virtual LAN. That type of virtual
network configuration has been used successfully for several years to provide networking to
Linux client partitions with an IBM i host. The two methods for routing traffic from the physical
LAN to a client partition on a virtual LAN are Proxy ARP and Network Address Translation (NAT).
To configure Proxy ARP or NAT in the IBM i host partition, follow the instructions in section 5.2 of
the Redbook Implementing POWER Linux on IBM System i Platform
(http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/pdfs/sg246388.pdf
6.2. How to perform IBM i operator panel functions
Operator panel functions in an IBM i client partitions are performed in the HMC:
• Sign onto the HMC with a profile with sufficient authority to manage the IBM i client
partition
• Select the partition
• Use the open-in-context arrow to select Serviceability Æ Control Panel Functions, then
the desired function.
6.3. How to display the IBM i partition System Reference Code (SRC) history
• Sign onto the HMC with a profile with sufficient authority to manage the IBM i client
partition
• Select the partition
• Use the open-in-context arrow to select Serviceability Æ Reference Code History
• To display words 2 through 9 of a reference code, click the radio button for that code.
6.4. Client IBM i LPARs considerations and limitations
Consult the topic Considerations and limitations for i5/OS client partitions on systems
managed by the Integrated Virtualization Manager (IVM) in the Information Center:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/scope/i5os/topic/rzahc/rzahcbladei5limits.htm
).
.
.
.
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While in this case the IBM i client partition is not being managed by IVM, it does virtual I/O
resources and the limitations outlined in the topic above apply to it.
6.5. Configuring Electronic Customer Support (ECS) over LAN
A supported WAN adapter can be assigned to the IBM i client partition for ECS. Alternatively,
ECS over LAN can be configured. Consult the topic Setting up a connection to IBM in the
Information Center:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/scope/i5os/topic/rzaji/rzaji_setup.htm
6.6. Copying storage spaces
Because an IBM i client partition is installed into one or more storage space objects in the IBM i
host partition, new client partitions can be deployed rapidly by copying the storage space(s).
Note that each IBM i partition, client or host, must have valid OS and Licensed Product Program
licenses for the number of processors it uses.
To copy one or more storage spaces that contain an installed IBM i client partition, first shut down
the partition during an available period of downtime. Next, log into the host IBM i partition with a
security officer-level profile and perform the following steps:
• Enter WRKNWSSTG
• Enter 3 next to the storage space you are going to copy, then press Enter
• Enter a name of up to 10 characters for the new storage space
• The size of the original storage space will be entered automatically. The new storage
space can be as large or larger (up to 1 TB), but not smaller
• Enter the correct ASP ID. The ASP where the original storage space exists is the default
• Optionally, enter a text description
• Press Enter
To deploy the new client partition, follow the instructions in section 5 to create the necessary
virtual SCSI configuration in the HMC and the NWSD object in the host IBM i partition.
6.7. Backups
As mentioned above, an IBM i client partition with an IBM i host can use a mix of virtual and
physical I/O resources. Therefore, the simplest backup and restore approach is to assign an
available tape adapter on the system to it and treat it as a standard IBM i partition. The tape
adapter can be any adapter supported by IBM i on IBM Power servers and can be shared with
other partitions. To assign an available tape adapter to the IBM i client partition, consult the topic
Managing physical I/O devices and slots dynamically using the HMC in the Logical
Partitioning Guide
(http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/scope/hw/topic/iphat/iphat.pdf
Once a tape adapter connected to a tape drive or library is available to the client partition, use the
Backup and Recovery topic in the Information Center to manage backups:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/scope/i5os/index.jsp?topic=/rzahg/rzahgbackup.
htm&tocNode=int_215989.
The IBM i host partition can also be used for system-level backups of the client partition. See
the topic Saving IBM i server objects in IBM i in the Logical Partitioning Guide
(http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/systems/scope/hw/topic/iphat/iphat.pdf
.
).
).
12
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7. IBM i using open storage supported configurations
There are three general methods by which IBM i connects to open storage:
• Directly through the SAN fabric without VIOS
• As a client of VIOS, with VIOS connecting to a storage subsystem through the SAN fabric
• As a client of VIOS, with VIOS using storage from a SAN Volume Controller (SVC). SVC
in turn connects to one or more storage subsystems through the SAN fabric
The first set of support tables in the hardware and software sections below applies to the first
connection method above (IBM i direct attachment), while the second set of tables in both
sections applies to the second method (IBM i Æ VIOS Æ storage subsystem). Furthermore, the
support statements in the second set of tables below apply to the end-to-end solution of
IBM i using open storage as a client of VIOS. This document will not attempt to list the full
device support of VIOS, nor of any other clients of VIOS, such as AIX and Linux. For the general
VIOS support statements, including other clients, see the VIOS Datasheet at:
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/vios/documentation/datasheet.html
When the second connection method to open storage is used (IBM i Æ VIOS Æ SVC Æ storage
subsystem), the support statement for IBM i follows that of SVC. For a list of environments
supported by SVC, see the data sheet on the SVC overview Web site:
http://www.ibm.com/systems/storage/software/virtualization/svc
directly to SVC; it must do so as a client of VIOS.
IBM i as a client of VIOS is also supported on POWER6 or later processor-based blade servers.
IBM i cannot attach directly to open storage when running on Power blades. For the full
supported configurations statement for the IBM i on Power blade solution, see the
Supported Environments document at:
http://www.ibm.com/systems/power/hardware/blades/ibmi.html
7.1. Hardware
Hardware type Supported by
IBM i for direct
attachment
IBM Power servers Yes Includes IBM Power 520 Express, IBM
Power 550 Express, IBM Power 560
Express, IBM Power 570 and IBM Power 595
IBM Power 575 No
POWER5-based systems or
earlier
DS5100 using Fibre Channel
or SATA drives
DS5300 using Fibre Channel
or SATA drives
EXP810 expansion unit with
Fibre Channel or SATA drives
EXP5000 expansion unit with
Fibre Channel or SATA drives
No
Yes It is strongly recommended that SATA
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
Yes It is strongly recommended that SATA
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
Yes It is strongly recommended that SATA
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
Yes It is strongly recommended that SATA
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
. Note that IBM i cannot connect
.
Notes
.
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EXP5060 expansion unit with
Fibre Channel or SATA drives
DS6800 Yes
DS8100 using Fibre Channel
or FATA drives
DS8300 using Fibre Channel
or FATA drives
DS8700 using Fibre Channel
or FATA drives
Hardware type Supported by
IBM Power servers Yes Includes IBM Power 520 Express, IBM
IBM Power 575 No
POWER5-based systems or
earlier
DS3950 using Fibre Channel
or SATA drives
DS4800 using Fibre Channel
drives
DS4800 using SATA drives Yes It is strongly recommended that SATA
DS4700 using Fibre Channel
drives
DS4700 using SATA drives Yes It is strongly recommended that SATA
DS3400 using SAS or SATA
drives
DS4200 and earlier DS4000
and FAStT models
EXP810 expansion unit
attached to DS4800 or
DS47000
EXP710 expansion unit
attached to DS4800 or
DS4700
SAN Volume Controller (SVC) Yes SVC is not supported for direct connection to
SVC Entry Edition (SVC EE) Yes SVC EE is not supported for direct
Yes It is strongly recommended that SATA
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
Yes It is strongly recommended that FATA
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
Yes It is strongly recommended that FATA
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
Yes It is strongly recommended that FATA
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
Notes
IBM i as a
client of VIOS
Power 550 Express, IBM Power 560
Express, IBM Power 570 and IBM Power 595
No
Yes It is strongly recommended that SATA
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
Yes Supported by IBM i as a client of VIOS on
both IBM Power servers and IBM Power
blade servers
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
Yes Supported by IBM i as a client of VIOS on
both IBM Power servers and IBM Power
blade servers
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
Yes It is strongly recommended that SATA
drives are used only for test or archival IBM i
applications for performance reasons
No
Yes See supported drives comments above
Yes See supported drives comments above
IBM i
connection to IBM i
15
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