IBM System z10 Enterprise Class: Helping to meet global
24x7 demands for information services with improvements for Internet access
and coupling
IBM United States
Hardware Announcement 108-296
May 06, 2008
 ENUS108-296.PDF (128KB)
|
In today's global economy, businesses have requirements to provide users
with information services that are fast, always available, secure, and dependable.
The cornerstone of your enterprise data center, the System z10 EC, delivers
new technologies that scale, resource management and virtualization capabilities,
along with System
z™ leadership providing availability, security, and reliability.
The OSA-Express3 features are designed to help meet the demands of your
business by offering double the physical connectivity of OSA-Express2 while
reducing latency and improving throughput with the introduction of a hardware
data router (moving functions from firmware to hardware), a new microprocessor,
and a PCI Express bus.
The System z10 and System z9® servers now offer InfiniBand coupling
links for a clustered environment, to facilitate communication and time synchronization
at increased distance within the data center.
Available on System z10 EC:
- OSA-Express3 Gigabit Ethernet SX and LX with four ports per feature
- OSA-Express3 10 Gigabit Ethernet LR, announced February 26, 2008, with
two ports per feature
- InfiniBand coupling links, announced February 26, 2008, supporting:
- Sharing of physical links with multiple CHPIDs per port
- Point-to-point connectivity up to 150 meters (492 feet) using high-bandwidth,
industry-standard, fiber optic cables
- Balanced Power Plan Ahead to help ensure that the configuration will be
in a balanced power environment
Available on System
z9 EC dedicated coupling facilities (CFs) and z9™ BC Model S07 dedicated CFs communicating
with System z10 EC:
- InfiniBand coupling links, announced February 26, 2008, supporting:
- Sharing of physical links with multiple CHPIDs per port
- Point-to-point connectivity up to 150 meters (492 feet) using high-bandwidth,
industry-standard, fiber optic cables
For ordering, contact your IBM representative, an IBM Business
Partner, or IBM Americas Call Centers at 800-IBM-CALL (Reference: YE001).
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Accessing intranets and the Internet with a new generation: OSA-Express3
The OSA-Express3 features (Gigabit Ethernet SX and LX, 10 Gigabit Ethernet
LR) provide connectivity to clients and servers using 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps local
area networks. They are System z10 EC integrated hardware features installed
in an I/O cage, making them integral components of the server I/O subsystem.
With the Open Systems Adapter-Express (OSA-Express) functions delivered since
June 1999, you have the connectivity, bandwidth, availability, reliability,
and recovery that you have come to expect from the mainframe. This new generation
is designed to deliver reduced latency, improved throughput, and double the
port density.
A new technology for Parallel Sysplex® – InfiniBand coupling links
Clustering technology is designed to bring the strengths of parallel processing
to business-critical applications. A Parallel Sysplex cluster can
consist of up to 32 z/OS® images, coupled to one or more coupling facilities,
using specialized channels (coupling links) for communication and exchanging
messages for time synchronization (Server Time Protocol). The coupling facilities,
at the heart of the cluster, enable record-level read/write data sharing among
the images in a cluster. When configured properly, a cluster can provide users
with near-continuous application availability for planned and unplanned outages.
InfiniBand coupling links provide an additional option for your Parallel
Sysplex cluster on System z10 and System z9. When used in the data center,
InfiniBand coupling links are designed to complement but may not replace Integrated
Cluster Bus-4 (ICB-4) and InterSystem Channel-3 (ISC-3) links.
With InfiniBand coupling links, the design allows up to 16 CHPIDs to be
defined across two ports on an HCA-O fanout; physical coupling links can be
shared by multiple sysplexes. For example, this capability allows for one
CHPID to be directed to one coupling facility and a second CHPID to be directed
to a separate coupling facility on the same target server using the same port.
With the MBA fanout, supporting ICB-4, there are two CHPIDs, one per port.
OSA-Express3 10 GbE LR (#3370), HCA2-O fanout for InfiniBand coupling links
on z10 EC (#0163), and HCA1-O fanout for InfiniBand coupling links on z9 EC
and z9 BC
Model S07 (#0167) were announced in Hardware Announcement 108-154, dated February 26, 2008.
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Refer to the Hardware requirements and Software requirements sections
of this announcement.
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May 6, 2008, for:
- z10 EC Site Tool Kit (#9968) on System z10 EC new build models and MES
features
May 30, 2008, for:
- OSA-Express3 features (#3362, #3363, #3370) on System z10 EC
- HCA2-O fanout for InfiniBand coupling links (#0163) on System z10 EC
- HCA1-O fanout for InfiniBand coupling links (#0167) on System z9 EC
dedicated CFs and z9 BC Model S07 dedicated CFs
- Balanced Power Plan Ahead (#3001) on System z10 EC new build models
- Balanced Power Plan Ahead (#3001) on System z10 EC upgrades from z9 EC
- Balanced Power Plan Ahead (#3001) on System z10 EC upgrades from z990
August 29, 2008, for:
- Feature MESs that include Balanced Power Plan Ahead (#3001) on System
z10 EC models
- Feature MES adds to System z10 EC models which have Balanced Power Plan
Ahead (#3001) already installed
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Accessing intranets and the Internet with a new generation:
OSA-Express3
OSA-Express3 is designed for high-speed communication in the enterprise
backbone or between campuses, to connect server farms, or to consolidate file
servers onto z10 EC. The workload can be Internet Protocol-based (IP) or
non-IP-based. OSA-Express3 is an integrated hardware feature optimized for
mainframe local area network (LAN) connectivity.
OSA-Express3: Why a new design? What makes it faster?
New hardware infrastructure
The OSA-Express3 design includes:
- New microprocessor -– The IBM application-specific integrated circuit
(ASIC) has been redesigned and includes a hardware data router.
- New PCI adapter, PCI Express (PCI-E).
With this new hardware infrastructure, the OSA-Express3 features are designed
to deliver reduced latency and improved throughput for standard (1492 byte)
and jumbo frames (8992 byte).
Direct Memory Access (DMA)
OSA-Express3 and the operating systems share a common storage area for
memory-to-memory communication, reducing system overhead and improving performance.
There are no read or write channel programs for data exchange. For write
processing, no I/O interrupts have to be handled. For read processing, the
number of I/O interrupts is minimized.
Hardware data router
With OSA-Express3, much of what was previously done in firmware (packet
construction, inspection, and routing) is now performed in hardware. This
allows packets to flow directly from host memory to the LAN without firmware
intervention.
With the hardware data router, the "store and forward" technique is no
longer used, which enables true direct memory access, a direct host memory-to-LAN
flow, returning CPU cycles for application use.
The family of OSA-Express3 features include:
- Gigabit Ethernet short wavelength (GbE SX) used with multimode fiber optic
cabling
- Gigabit Ethernet long wavelength (GbE LX) used with single mode fiber
optic cabling
- 10 Gigabit Ethernet long reach (10 GbE LR) used with single mode fiber
optic cabling
OSA-Express3 is designed to outperform OSA-Express2
OSA-Express3: Up to a 45% reduction in latency
OSA-Express3 is designed to reduce the minimum round-trip networking time
between z10 EC systems. With OSA-Express3 10 Gigabit Ethernet, the minimum
round-trip time at the TCP/IP application layer is 40% less than with OSA-Express2
10 Gigabit Ethernet. With OSA-Express3 Gigabit Ethernet, it is 45% less than
with OSA-Express2 Gigabit Ethernet.
OSA-Express3 10 GbE throughput: Up to a 4x improvement
OSA-Express3 is also designed to improve throughput. When handling a mix
of inbound and outbound TCP streams traffic, OSA-Express3 10 Gigabit Ethernet
delivers 1 gigabytes per second (1 GBps, or 1,000,000,000 bytes per second)
when the packet maximum transmission unit (MTU) size is 1492 bytes. When the
MTU size is 8992-byte, throughput is 1.1 GBps. These improvements range approximately
from 3x to 4x that of OSA-Express2 10 Gigabit Ethernet measured on a z9 EC system.
In a laboratory environment, with a highly efficient traffic generator,
OSA-Express3 10 Gigabit Ethernet reaches 90% of Ethernet line speed when sending
1506-byte frames outbound to the network. When sending 4048-byte frames outbound,
line speed is effectively reached. The maximum one-way speed of the link is
1.25 GBps.
The above statements are based on OSA-Express3 performance measurements
performed in a test environment on a System z10 EC and do not represent actual
field measurements. Results may vary.
Double the port density on all OSA-Express3 features -– up to 96 ports
The OSA-Express3 features have double the port density of their predecessors,
OSA-Express2.
- OSA-Express3 10 Gigabit Ethernet LR has two ports per feature.
- OSA-Express3 Gigabit Ethernet SX and LX each have four ports per feature.
When all ports are OSA-Express3, there can be up to 96 ports, versus the
maximum of 48 ports when all ports are OSA-Express2. With more ports per feature,
the number of required I/O slots and I/O resources can be reduced.
Note: The maximum of 96 ports can be achieved only when there are
24 OSA-Express3 Gigabit Ethernet features, with 4 ports per feature.
Four-port exploitation on OSA-Express3 GbE SX and LX
For the operating system to recognize all four ports on an OSA-Express3
Gigabit Ethernet feature, a new release and/or PTF is required. If software
updates are not applied, only two of the four ports will be "visible" to the
operating system.
Activating all four ports on an OSA-Express3 feature provides you with
more physical connectivity to service the network and reduces the number of
required resources (I/O slots, I/O cages, fewer CHPIDs to define and manage).
Four-port exploitation is supported by z/OS, z/VM®, z/VSE™, z/TPF, and Linux® on System
z. Refer to the Software requirements section for availability
dates and required operating system levels for this exploitation.
OSA-Express3 10 GbE has a new, small form factor, connector
The OSA-Express3 10 GbE feature continues to be Long Reach (LR) supporting
the 9 micron single mode fiber optic cabling environment. The connector is new;
it is now the small form factor, LC Duplex connector. Previously the SC Duplex
connector was supported. The LC Duplex connector and fiber optic cabling is
common with FICON®,
ISC-3, OSA-Express3, and OSA-Express2 Gigabit Ethernet SX and LX.
QDIO architecture continues to be optimized for high-speed communication
As the capacity of the mainframe has increased and the amount of data that
is processed has grown, it has been necessary to continue to optimize the
architecture to support the demand for reduced overhead and latency and improved
throughput. An enhanced version of the I/O architecture, the Queued Direct
Input/Output Architecture (QDIO), is designed to "handle the data." Since
its introduction in 1999, it too has been enhanced to keep pace with application
bandwidth demands.
QDIO is a highly efficient data transfer mechanism that is designed to
dramatically reduce system overhead and improve throughput by using data queues
in main memory and a signaling protocol (a signal adapter instruction referred
to as a SIGA). The SIGA is processed by the System Assist Processor (SAP)
and passes a pointer to the data, which already resides in main memory. QDIO
is the interface between the operating system and the OSA-Express3 hardware.
QDIO and Layer 3 versus Layer 2 -– two transport modes
- Layer 3 transport is the Internet Protocol (IP) or network layer and is
used for IP traffic.
- Layer 2 transport is the Media Access Control (MAC) or link layer and
is used for IP and non-IP traffic.
Layer 2 transport mode: When would it be used?
If you have an environment with an abundance of Linux images in a guest LAN environment,
or you need to define router guests to provide the connection between these
guest LANs and the OSA-Express3 features, then using the Layer 2 transport
mode may be the solution.
If you have Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX), NetBIOS, and SNA protocols,
in addition to Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) and IPv6, use of Layer 2
could provide "protocol independence."
The OSA-Express3 features have the capability to perform like Layer 2 type
devices, providing the capability of being protocol- or Layer-3-independent
(that is, not IP-only). With the Layer 2 interface, packet forwarding decisions
are based upon Link Layer (Layer 2) information, instead of Network Layer
(Layer 3) information. Each operating system attached to the Layer 2 interface
uses its own MAC address. This means the traffic can be IPX, NetBIOS, SNA,
IPv4, or IPv6.
An OSA-Express3 feature can filter inbound datagrams by Virtual Local Area
Network identification (VLAN ID, IEEE 802.1q), and/or the Ethernet destination
MAC address. Filtering can reduce the amount of inbound traffic being processed
by the operating system, reducing CPU utilization.
Layer 2 transport mode is supported by z/VM and Linux on System z.
Layer 3 Virtual MAC for z/OS
To help simplify configuration definition and management, as well as facilitating
load balancing when an LPAR is sharing the same OSA-Express MAC address with
another LPAR, each operating system instance can have its own unique "logical"
or "virtual" MAC (VMAC) address. All IP addresses associated with a TCP/IP
stack are accessible using their own VMAC address, instead of sharing the
MAC address of an OSA port. This applies to Layer 3 mode and to an OSA-Express3
or OSA-Express2 port shared among Logical Channel Subsystems. This support
is designed to:
- Improve IP workload balancing
- Dedicate a Layer 3 VMAC to a single TCP/IP stack
- Remove the dependency on Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunnels
- Improve outbound routing
- Simplify configuration setup
- Allow WebSphere® Application
Server content-based routing to work with z/OS in an IPv6 network
- Allow z/OS to
use a "standard" interface ID for IPv6 addresses
- Remove the need for PRIROUTER/SECROUTER function in z/OS
VMACs are currently available for Layer 2 mode in the z/VM and Linux on System
z environments. Layer 3 VMAC is applicable to the OSA-Express3 and OSA-Express2
features when configured as CHPID type OSD (QDIO). It is supported by z/OS V1.8
with PTFs and z/VM V5.2
for guest exploitation.
Internet Protocol (IP) assist functions: OSA-Express3 QDIO assists
in IP processing and offloads TCP/IP stack functions. This is a "highlights"
list and may not include all IP assist functions.
- Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) processing -– mapping of IP addresses
to Media Access Control (MAC) addresses
- Multicast support -– for sending data to multiple recipients
- Broadcast support -– simultaneously transmitting data to more than one
destination; messages are transmitted to all stations in a network (for example,
a warning message from a system operator)
- Building MAC and Logical Link Control (LLC) headers
- Packet filtering -– TCP/IP stack sees only IP datagrams
- Checksum offload for IPv4 packets -– calculates the TCP/UDP and IP header
checksums, verifies the correctness of files, and reduces host CPU cycles
- Large send for IPv4 packets -– host sends 64 KB blocks to Open Systems
Adapter for packet processing, returning CPU cycles for application use
OSA-Express3 10 GbE LR (#3370), GbE SX (#3363), and GbE LX (#3362) are
exclusive to z10 EC and support CHPID type OSD. They are supported by z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE,
z/TPF, and Linux on System
z. Refer to the Software requirements section.
Preview – OSA-Express3 support for OSA-Express for
NCP
OSA-Express for Network Control Program (NCP), channel path identifier
(CHPID) type OSN, will be made available for use with the OSA-Express3 GbE
features.
With the introduction of OSA-Express for NCP, supporting the channel data
link control (CDLC) protocol, it became possible to provide connectivity between System
z operating systems and IBM® Communication Controller for Linux (CCL).
CCL allows you to keep your business data and applications on the mainframe
operating systems while moving NCP functions to Linux on System z.
CCL provides a foundation to help enterprises simplify their network infrastructure
while supporting traditional Systems Network Architecture (SNA) functions
such as SNA Network Interconnect (SNI).
Communication Controller for Linux on System z (program number 5724-J38) is
the solution for companies that want to help improve network availability
by replacing token-ring networks and ESCON® channels with an Ethernet network
and integrated LAN adapters on System z, OSA-Express2 or OSA-Express3.
OSA-Express for NCP is currently supported on the OSA-Express2 GbE features
in the z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE,
TPF, z/TPF, and Linux on System z environments.
A new technology for Parallel Sysplex – InfiniBand
coupling links
InfiniBand, a new generation of coupling links, was announced February
26, 2008. InfiniBand coupling links (IFBs) are now being made available for
System z10 EC environments and for System z9 EC and z9 BC Model S07
dedicated coupling facilities (CFs).
InfiniBand coupling links – 150 meters
Coupling facilities can now be separated by up to 150 meters (492 feet).
The fiber optic cable is a high-bandwidth, industry-standard OM3 50 micron
multimode fiber rated at 2000 MHz-km with a Multi-fiber Push-On (MPO) connector
(the same connector that has been used with Fiber Quick Connect – a fiber
optic harness on System
z – for many years). It is a data center "proven" connector.
If ISC-3 links are used within the data center, InfiniBand coupling links
may be an alternative.
Now 12 "lanes" for Parallel Sysplex traffic
InfiniBand coupling links use fiber optic cabling containing 12 pairs (12x)
of fiber compared to one pair (1x) of fiber used with ISC-3 fiber optic cabling.
- InfiniBand coupling links support double data rate (DDR) when a z10 EC
is communicating with another z10 EC.
- InfiniBand coupling links support single data rate (SDR) when a z10 EC
is communicating with a z9 EC dedicated CF or z9 BC Model S07 dedicated CF.
- There are 12 "lanes" (12x) with 12 fibers for sending traffic and 12 fibers
for receiving traffic (24 fibers).
- When a link negotiates to 12x DDR, each "lane" supports a data rate of
5 Gbps (0.5 GBps) for a total link data rate of 6 GBps.
- When a link negotiates to 12x SDR, each "lane" supports a data rate of
2.5 Gbps (0.25 GBps) for a total link data rate of 3 GBps.
When the InfiniBand coupling link is z10 EC-to-z10 EC, the link auto-negotiates
to 6 GBps. A z10 EC system auto-negotiates to 3 GBps when connected to a z9 EC
or z9 BC
dedicated coupling facility.
Note: The InfiniBand link data rate of 6 GBps or 3 GBps does not
represent the performance of the link. The actual performance is dependent
upon many factors including latency through the adapters, cable lengths, and
the type of workload. With InfiniBand coupling links, while the link data
rate may be higher than that of ICB, the service times of coupling operations
are greater, and the actual throughput may be less than with ICB links.
Refer to the Coupling Facility Configuration Options whitepaper
for a more specific explanation of when to continue using the current ICB
technology versus migrating to InfiniBand coupling links.
The whitepaper is available at
-
http://www.ibm.com/systems/z/advantages/pso/whitepaper.html
New hardware in support of InfiniBand coupling links
A new infrastructure was created to support an InfiniBand coupling link
environment. Host channel adapter optical (HCA-O) fanouts are being introduced
for z10 EC and for z9 EC and z9 BC dedicated coupling facilities. The
HCA-O fanouts, with two ports per fanout, reside on the front of each processor
book. The fiber optic cables are plugged directly into the front of the HCA-O
fanouts.
- HCA2-O fanout for z10 EC
- HCA1-O fanout for z9 EC and z9 BC Model S07 dedicated coupling facilities
New definitions for InfiniBand coupling links
There is a new physical definition to associate with a channel path identifier,
an adapter identification. Unlike channels installed in an I/O cage, which
are identified by a physical channel path identifier (PCHID) number related
to their physical location, HCA-O fanouts and ports are identified by an adapter
identification (AID) value which is determined by its physical location. The
AID must be used to assign a CHPID to the fanout in the hardware configuration
definition. The CHPID assignment is done by associating the CHPID to an AID
and port.
The AID assigned to a fanout can be found in the PCHID report provided
for each new server or for upgrades on z10 EC, z9 EC, and z9 BC.
There is also a new CHPID type CIB (coupling using InfiniBand). CHPID type
CIB is common for z10 EC, z9 EC, and z9 BC.
On z10 EC, z9 EC,
and z9 BC
the design allows up to 16 CHPIDs to be defined across the two ports on each
HCA-O fanout. This can reduce the number of coupling links; physical coupling
links to be shared by multiple sysplexes. For example, this capability allows
for one CHPID to be directed to one coupling facility and a second CHPID to
be directed to a separate coupling facility on the same target server, using
the same port. With the MBA fanout, supporting ICB-4, there are two CHPIDs,
one per port.
The 16 CHPIDs can be defined in any combination across the two ports. There
is no specific limit per port, as long as 16 CHPIDs per HCA-O fanout is not
exceeded.
An increased number of CHPIDs per physical link can help to facilitate
consolidation of ISC-3 links onto InfiniBand coupling links.
Additional coupling link options
- Internal coupling channel (IC) for internal communication between CFs
defined in LPARs, and z/OS images on the same server. ICs operate at memory
speed.
- Integrated Cluster Bus-4 (ICB-4) for coupling facility communication over
short distances, using 10 meter (33 feet) copper cables. ICB-4 supports a
link data rate of 2 GBps.
- InterSystem Channel-3 (ISC-3) for coupling facility communication at unrepeated
distances up to 10 km (6.2 miles) using single mode fiber optic cables. ISC-3
supports a link data rate of 2 gigabits per second (2 Gbps).
InfiniBand coupling links can also be used to exchange timekeeping messages
for Server Time Protocol (STP).
Refer to the online Sales Manual on the Web for minimums and maximums
for IC, ICB-4, IFB, and ISC-3
-
http://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/index.wss
You can choose the coupling links that best suit your business needs: IC,
ICB, IFB, or ISC-3.
InfiniBand coupling links are supported on z10 EC as well as z9 EC dedicated
coupling facilities and z9 BC Model S07 dedicated coupling facilities. Operating
system support is provided by z/OS and z/VM for dynamic I/O. Refer to the Software requirements section.
Balanced Power Plan Ahead
Phase currents are minimized when they are balanced among the three input
phases. Balanced Power Plan Ahead (#3001) is designed to allow you to order
the full complement of bulk power regulators (BPRs) on any configuration,
to help ensure that the configuration will be in a balanced power environment.
The addition of BPRs on an already installed System z10 EC will be disruptive.
The configuration tool will determine if additional internal battery features
(#3211) are required.
Accessibility by people with disabilities
A U.S. Section 508 Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) containing
details on accessibility compliance can be requested at
-
http://www.ibm.com/able/product_accessibility/index.html
Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act
System z10 Enterprise Class servers are capable on delivery, when used
in accordance with IBM's associated documentation, of satisfying the applicable
requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. Section
794d, as implemented by 36 C.F.R. Part 1194, provided that any Assistive Technology
used with the product properly interoperates with it.
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Today we are announcing:
- A new generation of Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) features, with double the port
density of the OSA-Express2 GbE features. These features provide connectivity
to multimode and single mode fiber optic networks at a link data rate of 1
gigabit per second (1 Gbps). Better yet, the new GbE features are designed
to help reduce latency and to improve throughput for standard frames (1492
byte) and jumbo frames (8992 byte).
- The availability date for the OSA-Express3 10 Gigabit Ethernet long reach
(10 GbE LR) feature, which has double the port density of the OSA-Express2
10 GbE LR feature, along with reduced latency and improved throughout.
- The availability date for InfiniBand coupling links (IFBs) on z10 EC as
well as z9 EC
dedicated coupling facilities (CFs) and z9 BC Model S07 dedicated CFs.
OSA-Express3
OSA-Express3 10 GbE LR (single mode fiber), GbE LX (single mode fiber),
and GbE SX (multimode fiber) are designed for use in high-speed enterprise
backbones, for local area network connectivity between campuses, to connect
server farms to z10 EC, and to consolidate file servers onto z10 EC. With
reduced latency, improved throughput, and up to 96 ports of LAN connectivity,
you can "do more with less."
For the operating system to recognize all four ports on an OSA-Express3
Gigabit Ethernet feature, a new release and/or PTF is required. If software
updates are not applied, only two of the four ports will be "visible" to the
operating system.
The key benefits of OSA-Express3 compared to OSA-Express2 are:
- Reduced latency (up to 45% reduction) and increased throughput (up to
4x) for applications (software changes are not required to exploit the two
ports on OSA-Express3 10 GbE or to exploit two of the four ports on OSA-Express3
GbE SX or LX)
- More physical connectivity to service the network and less resources:
- Fewer CHPIDs to define and manage
- Reduction in the number of required I/O slots
- May reduce the number of I/O cages
- Double the port density of OSA-Express2
- Satisfies requirement for more than 48 LAN ports (now up to 96 ports)
OSA-Express2 GbE continues to be available for ordering, for a limited
time, if you are not yet in a position to migrate to the latest release of
the operating system for exploitation of four ports per feature and if you
are not resource-constrained.
Note: OSA-Express for NCP supporting the channel data link control
(CDLC) protocol and providing connectivity between System z operating systems and IBM Communication
Controller for Linux (CCL), is currently only supported on OSA-Express2.
Refer to the Preview in the Description section.
When to select InfiniBand coupling links
InfiniBand coupling links may be an ideal choice for consolidating multiple
ISC-3 links within a data center at distances up to 150 meters. In addition,
you now have the capability to define multiple CHPIDs on the ports of an HCA-O
fanout.
While InfiniBand coupling links have flexible sharing capability and provide
increased distance using industry-standard fiber optic cabling, compared to
Integrated Cluster Bus (ICB), InfiniBand coupling links may not be appropriate
for all workloads. ICB-3 (available on z9 EC, z9 BC, z990, z890) and ICB-4 (available on
z10 EC, z9 EC, z9 BC,
z990, z890) may still be the preferred choice for workloads that drive a high
rate of synchronous coupling facility operations.
Refer to the Coupling Facility Configuration Options whitepaper
for a more specific explanation of when to continue using the current ICB
technology versus migrating to InfiniBand coupling links.
The Coupling Facility Configuration Options whitepaper is available
at
-
http://www.ibm.com/systems/z/advantages/pso/whitepaper.html
Refer also to Getting Started with InfiniBand on System z10 and System
z9 (SG24-7539) at
-
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/
Balanced Power Plan Ahead
Phase currents are minimized when they are balanced among the three input
phases. Balanced Power Plan Ahead (#3001) allows you to order the full complement
of bulk power regulators on any configuration, to help ensure that the configuration
will be in a balanced power environment.
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Machine
Description type Model Feature
System z10 EC 2097 E12
E26
E40
E56
E64
OSA-Express3 GbE LX 3362
OSA-Express3 GbE SX 3363
z10 EC Site Tool Kit 9968
Balanced Power Plan Ahead 3001
Business Partner information
If you are a Direct Reseller - System Reseller acquiring products from
IBM, you may link directly to Business Partner information for this announcement.
A PartnerWorld ID and password are required (use IBM ID).
-
https://www.ibm.com/partnerworld/mem/sla.jsp?num=108-296
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Visit the following Web site for additional information
-
http://www.ibm.com/training/us
Call IBM IT Education Services at 800-IBM-TEACH (426-8322)
for catalogs, schedules, and enrollments.
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The following publications are available in the Library section
of Resource
Link™:
Title Order number
z10 EC System Overview SA22-1084
z10 EC Installation Manual - Physical Planning GC28-6865
z9 EC System Overview SA22-6833
z9 BC System Overview SA22-1083
z9 EC Installation Manual - Physical Planning GC28-6844
z9 BC Installation Manual - Physical Planning GC28-6855
System z9 PR/SM™ Planning Guide SB10-7041
Open Systems Adapter-Express Customer Guide SA22-7935
and Reference
The following publications are shipped with the product and will be available
in the Library section of Resource Link at planned availability:
Title Order number
z10 EC Installation Manual GC28-6864
z10 EC Service Guide GC28-6866
z9 EC Installation Manual GC28-6840
z9 BC Installation Manual GC28-6852
z9 EC Service Guide GC28-6841
z9 BC Service Guide GC28-6853
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Global Technology Services
IBM services
include business consulting, outsourcing, hosting services, applications,
and other technology management.
Developed in partnership with Systems and Technology Group, GTS Integrated
Communications Services has made available Network Integration Services
for data center networks - private optical networking to help provide
design and implementation services for implementing private optical networking
connectivity between data centers. This service is a key component of an
end-to-end solution and is a holistic approach to enabling the availability
of business data and applications across mirrored and backup data centers
-– bringing together System z using GDPS®, other server platforms, and System Storage™ using
their respective protocols -– all over an optical networking transport.
System
z has announced OSA-Express3, the newest generation of integrated LAN
adapters, exclusively available on System z10. When LAN connectivity is extended
beyond the borders of a single data center, it is often incorporated into
the connectivity design of Parallel Sysplex and GDPS installations. The design of optical
networking fabrics, both within and between data centers, may be impacted
with the introduction of OSA-Express3 10 Gigabit Ethernet.
To help alleviate potential problems associated with improper planning
of the data center infrastructure, and to offer IBM customers a qualified end-to-end solution,
GTS is also jointly announcing enhancements to its private optical networking
service offerings. These include providing technical focal points for the
entire network solution, not just a subset, improving the design of linkages
between servers, storage, switches, and WDM fabric connections, and offering
additional preinstallation connectivity planning support. Combined with enhanced
connectivity from System z, this offering enables customers to fully
exploit the potential of the new enterprise data center.
For details on the Network Integration Services for data center networks
- private optical networking, refer to Services Announcement 608-029, dated May 06, 2008.
These services help you learn about, plan, install, manage, or optimize
your IT infrastructure to be an On Demand Business. They can help you integrate
your high-speed networks, storage systems, application servers, wireless protocols,
and an array of platforms, middleware, and communications software for IBM and
many non-IBM offerings. IBM is your one-stop shop for IT support needs.
For details on available services, contact your IBM representative or visit
-
http://www.ibm.com/services/
For details on available IBM Business Continuity and Recovery Services, contact
your IBM representative
or visit
-
http://www.ibm.com/services/continuity
For details on GDPS, contact your IBM representative or visit
-
http://www.ibm.com/systems/z/advantages/gdps/index.html
For details on education offerings related to specific products, visit
-
http://www.ibm.com/services/learning/index.html
Select your country, and then select the product as the category.
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Specified operating environment
Standards
The OSA-Express3 Gigabit Ethernet SX and LX features are designed to conform
to the following standards:
- Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX)
- IEEE 802.3ac
- IEEE 802.1q
- IEEE 802.3x
- IEEE 802.3z
- DIX Version 2
The OSA-Express3 10 Gigabit Ethernet Long Reach feature is designed to
conform to the following standards:
- 10 Gigabit Ethernet LR (10GBASE-LR)
- IEEE 802.3ae
- IEEE 802.1q
- IEEE 802.3x - flow control
- DIX Version 2
The OSA-Express3 features have the following characteristics:
OSA-Express3 Gigabit Ethernet LX (long wavelength) (#3362)
- Data rate: 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps)
- Operating mode: Full duplex
- Defined as: CHPID type OSD, two CHPIDs, one CHPID for each PCI-E adapter
(one CHPID shared by the two ports on a PCI-E adapter)
- Frame size: DIX V2: 1492 bytes; for jumbo frame 8992 bytes
- Connector type: LC Duplex
- Port count: Four LX ports per feature
- Cable type: Single mode fiber optic cabling (9 micron); accommodates reuse
of existing multimode fiber (50 or 62.5 micron) when used with a pair of mode
conditioning patch (MCP) cables
- Unrepeated distance: 5 km (3.1 miles)
- Unrepeated distance if using MCP cables: 550 meters (1804 feet)
OSA-Express3 Gigabit Ethernet SX (short wavelength) (#3363)
- Data rate: 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps)
- Operating mode: Full duplex
- Defined as: CHPID type OSD, two CHPIDs, one CHPID for each PCI-E adapter
(one CHPID shared by the two ports on a PCI-E adapter)
- Frame size: DIX V2: 1492 bytes; for jumbo frame 8992 bytes
- Connector type: LC Duplex
- Port count: Four SX ports per feature
- Cable type: Multimode fiber optic cabling (50 or 62.5 micron)
- Unrepeated distance:
- With 50 micron fiber at 500 MHz-km: 550 meters (1804 feet)
- With 62.5 micron fiber at 200 MHz-km: 275 meters (902 feet)
- With 62.5 micron fiber at 160 MHz-km: 220 meters (722 feet)
OSA-Express3 10 Gigabit Ethernet LR (long reach) (#3370)
- Data rate: 10 Gigabits per second (10 Gbps)
- Operating mode: Full duplex
- Defined as: CHPID type OSD
- Frame size: DIX V2: 1492 bytes; for jumbo frame 8992 bytes
- Connector type: LC Duplex
- Port count: Two LR ports per feature
- Cable type: Single mode fiber optic cabling (9 micron)
- Unrepeated distance: 10 km (6.2 miles)
Operating environment
Hardware requirements
Machine Change Levels (MCLs) are required. Descriptions of the MCLs
are available now through Resource Link. Access Resource Link at
-
http://www.ibm.com/servers/resourcelink
Software requirements
Listed are the operating systems and the minimum versions and releases
supported by System z10 EC, z9 EC, and z9 BC. Select the releases appropriate to
your operating system environments.
Note: Refer to the z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE subsets of the 2097DEVICE Preventive Service
Planning (PSP) bucket prior to installing a z10 EC or adding InfiniBand coupling
links or OSA-Express3 features to a previously installed z10 EC.
Note: Refer to the z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE subsets of the 2094DEVICE and 2096DEVICE
Preventive Service Planning (PSP) bucket prior to installing a z9 EC or z9 BC, or adding
InfiniBand coupling links or OSA-Express3 features to a previously installed z9 EC
or z9 BC.
There may be a minimum Machine Change Level (MCL) required by operating
systems. It is critical that all bucket information is reviewed and adhered
to prior to IPLing the operating system.
HCA2-O fanouts (z10 EC) and HCA1-O fanouts (z9 EC, z9 BC Model S07) supporting InfiniBand coupling
links require at a minimum:
- z/OS V1.7
with PTFs.
- z/VM V5.3
to define, modify, and delete an InfiniBand coupling link, CHPID type CIB,
when z/VM is
the controlling LPAR for dynamic I/O.
OSA-Express3 Gigabit Ethernet LX (#3362) and SX (#3363) on the z10
EC require at a minimum:
Supporting CHPID type OSD and exploitation of four ports per feature:
- z/OS V1.9
with PTFs (planned to be available third quarter 2008).
- z/VM V5.2
with PTFs (planned to be available July 2008).
- z/VSE V4.1
with PTFs (planned to be available July 2008).
- z/TPF 1.1 PUT 4 with APARs (planned to be available June 2008).
- Linux on System
z – IBM is
working with its Linux distribution partners to include support in future Linux on System
z distribution releases.
Supporting CHPID type OSD and two of the four ports per feature:
- z/OS V1.7.
- z/VM V5.2.
- z/VSE V3.1
with PTF.
- TPF V4.1 at PUT 13 with PTF.
- z/TPF 1.1.
- Linux on System
z distributions:
- Novell SUSE SLES 9 and SLES 10.
- Red Hat RHEL 4 and RHEL 5.
OSA-Express3 10 Gigabit Ethernet LR (#3370) on the z10 EC requires
at a minimum:
Supporting CHPID type OSD and two ports per feature:
- z/OS V1.7.
- z/VM V5.2.
- z/VSE V3.1
with PTF.
- TPF 4.1 at PUT 13 with PTFs.
- z/TPF 1.1.
- Linux on System
z distributions:
- Novell SUSE SLES 9 and SLES 10.
- Red Hat RHEL 4 and RHEL 5.
Planning information
Customer responsibilities
Information on customer responsibilities for site preparation can be found
in the Library section of Resource Link at
-
http://www.ibm.com/servers/resourcelink
Fiber optic
cable orders
Fiber optic cables for the z10 EC, z9 EC, z9 BC, z990, and
z890 are available from IBM Site and Facilities Services.
IBM Site and Facilities Services has
a comprehensive set of scalable solutions to address IBM cabling requirements, from product-level
to enterprise-level. The IBM Facilities Cabling Services - fiber transport system
and the IBM IT
Facilities Assessment, Design, and Construction Services - optimized airflow
assessment for cabling, offered by IBM Site and Facilities Services provides
services for small, medium, and large enterprises:
- Assessment and planning for IBM Fiber Transport System (FTS) trunking
components
- Planning and installation services for individual fiber optic connections
IBM Global Technology Services has the expertise
and personnel available to effectively plan and deploy the appropriate cabling
with the future in mind. These services may include assessment, planning,
consultation, cable selection, installation, and documentation, depending
upon the services selected.
These services are designed to be right-sized
for your products or the end-to-end enterprise, and to take into consideration
the requirements for all of the protocols and media types supported on the
System z10 EC, System
z9, and zSeries® (for
example, ESCON, FICON,
ISC-3, OSA-Express) whether the focus is the data center, the Storage Area
Network (SAN), the Local Area Network (LAN), or the end-to-end enterprise.
IBM Site and Facilities Services are
designed to deliver convenient, packaged services to help reduce the complexity
of planning, ordering, and installing fiber optic cables. The appropriate
fiber cabling is selected based upon the product requirements and the installed
fiber plant.
The services are packaged as follows:
Under IBM Facilities Cabling Services there
is the option to provide IBM Fiber Transport System (FTS) trunking commodities
(fiber optic trunk cables, fiber harnesses, panel-mount boxes) for connecting
to the z10 EC, z9 EC, z9 BC,
z990, and z890. IBM can
reduce the cable clutter and cable bulk under the floor. An analysis of the
channel configuration and any existing fiber optic cabling is performed to
determine the required FTS trunking commodities. IBM can also help organize the entire enterprise.
This option includes enterprise planning, new cables, fiber optic trunking
commodities, installation, and documentation.
Under IBM IT Facilities Assessment, Design, and
Construction Services there is the option to provide the Optimized Airflow
Assessment for Cabling to provide you with a comprehensive review of your
existing data center cabling infrastructure. This service provides an expert
analysis of the overall cabling design required to help improve data center
airflow for optimized cooling, and to facilitate operational efficiency through
simplified change management.
See the Cabling responsibilities section
of this announcement for more information or contact IBM Global Technology Services for details.
Refer to the services section of Resource Link for
further details. Access Resource Link at
-
http://www.ibm.com/servers/resourcelink
Cabling responsibilities
Fiber optic cables, cable planning, labeling, and placement are all customer
responsibilities for new installations and upgrades. Fiber optic conversion
kits and Mode Conditioning Patch (MCP) cables are not orderable as features
on a z10 EC. Installation Planning Representatives (IPRs) and System Service
Representatives (SSRs) will not perform the fiber optic cabling tasks without
a services contract.
The following tasks are required to be performed by the customer prior
to machine installation:
- All fiber optic cable planning.
- All purchasing of correct fiber optic cables.
- All installation of any required Mode Conditioning Patch (MCP) cables.
- All installation of any required Conversion Kits.
- All routing of fiber optic cables to correct floor cutouts for proper
installation to server.
- Use the Physical Channel Identifier (PCHID) report or the report from
the Channel Path Identifier (CHPID) Mapping Tool to accurately route all cables.
- All labeling of fiber optic cables with PCHID numbers for proper installation
to server.
- Use the PCHID report or the report from the CHPID Mapping Tool to accurately
label all cables.
Additional service charges may be incurred during the server installation
if the above cabling tasks are not accomplished as required.
-
http://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/OIX.wss
For further details also refer to the Installation Manual for Physical
Planning (IMPP), available on Resource Link.
Note: IBM Site and Facilities Services can satisfy your fiber
optic as well as your copper cabling requirements.
Security, auditability, and control
The z10 EC uses the security and auditability features and functions of
host hardware, host software, and application software.
The customer is responsible for evaluation, selection, and implementation
of security features, administrative procedures, and appropriate controls
in application systems and communications facilities.
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IBM has
transformed its delivery of hardware and software support services to help
you achieve higher system availability. Electronic Services is a Web-enabled
solution that offers an exclusive, no-additional-charge enhancement to the
service and support available for IBM servers. These services are designed
to provide the opportunity for greater system availability with faster problem
resolution and preemptive monitoring. Electronic Services comprises two separate,
but complementary, elements: Electronic Services news page and Electronic
Services Agent.
The Electronic Services news page is a single Internet entry point that
replaces the multiple entry points traditionally used to access IBM Internet services
and support. The news page enables you to gain easier access to IBM resources
for assistance in resolving technical problems.
The Electronic
Service Agent™ is no-additional-charge software that resides on your server.
It monitors events and transmits system inventory information to IBM on a periodic,
client-defined timetable. The Electronic Service Agent automatically
reports hardware problems to IBM. Early knowledge about potential problems enables IBM to
deliver proactive service that may result in higher system availability and
performance. In addition, information collected through the Service Agent
is made available to IBM service support representatives when they help answer
your questions or diagnose problems. Installation and use of IBM Electronic
Service Agent for problem reporting enables IBM to provide better support and service
for your IBM server.
To learn how Electronic Services can work for you, visit
-
http://www.ibm.com/support/electronic
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MES discount applicable
No
Field installable feature
Yes
Warranty period
One year.
Features assume the same warranty or maintenance terms as the machine in
which they are installed for the full warranty or maintenance period announced
for such machine.
Customer setup
No
Machine code
Same license terms and conditions as base machine
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Prices are available upon request.
Mach Init/
Description type Mod Feat MES
System z10 EC 2097 E12
E26
E40
E56
E64
OSA-Express3 GbE LX* 3362 Both
OSA-Express3 GbE SX* 3363 Both
z10 EC Site Tool Kit* 9968 Both
Balanced Power Plan Ahead* 3001 Both
* If field installed on a purchased machine, parts removed or replaced
become the property of IBM and must be returned.
Trademarks
System z, z9, eServer, IBMLink, System i, System p, Resource Link, z/VSE, PR/SM, System Storage and Electronic Service Agent are trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
System z9, Parallel Sysplex, z/OS, IBM, ESCON, FICON, PartnerWorld, OpenPower, zSeries, z/VM, WebSphere, GDPS, ibm.com and System/390 are registered trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
Terms of use
IBM products
and services which are announced and available in your country can be ordered
under the applicable standard agreements, terms, conditions, and prices in
effect at the time. IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this announcement
at any time without notice. This announcement is provided for your information
only. Additional terms of use are located
at
-
http://www.ibm.com/legal/us/en/
For the most current information regarding IBM products, consult your IBM representative
or reseller, or visit the IBM worldwide contacts page
-
http://www.ibm.com/planetwide/us/
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