Datasheet

1 IBM i virtualization solutions

IBM i 6.1 introduced three significant virtualization capabilities that allow faster deployment of IBM

i workloads within a larger heterogeneous IT environment. This section introduces and

differentiates these new technologies.

Note: The Oct. 2012 IBM i announcements stated for POWER7+ models: Native IBM i I/O

support using IBM i 7.1 is supported, but no native IBM i 6.1 support of I/O. IBM i 6.1 can be a

client partition and be provided I/O linkages through either IBM i 7.1 or VIOS.

The Feb. 2013 POWER7+ announcements now provide a way native IBM i 6.1 support of I/O

with feature code #EB34 for POWER7+ 710, 720, 730, 740, 770, and 780. There is no native i

6.1 support available at all for POWER7+ 750 and 760.

1.1 IBM i logical partition (LPAR) hosting another IBM i

partition

An IBM i 6.1/7.1 LPAR can host one or more additional IBM i LPARs, known as virtual client

LPARs. Virtual client partitions typically 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, tape, 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 Microsoft® 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 paper.

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 with the purpose to provide virtual storage, optical, tape and networking

resources to one or more client partitions. The most immediate benefit that 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 through a FC or a

Serial-attached SCSI (SAS) connection and then made available to IBM i. While IBM i does not

directly attach to the storage area network (SAN) in this case, as soon as 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. Running IBM i on a Power blade is beyond the scope of

this paper. Refer to 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.