Device peripherals on SU /390

Hardware generation

When hardware generation takes place for the Server Unit using IOGEN, an I/O configuration file (IOCF) is created which defines the entire I/O configuration. The IOCF file created is transferred to the service processor in native mode or in the monitor system by means of /WRITE-IOCF and is available for the next system startup (in native mode or of VM2000). You can find detailed information on generating channel peripherals in the “System Installation” manual [1].

The BS2000 command /WRITE-IOCF can only be used in native operation or in the monitor system.

Redundant configuration

The devices should be configured in such a way as to ensure that their availability is not affected if a channel is (automatically) disconnected by the operating system, i.e. the devices should be made available across multiple channels and by different control systems.

Generating KVP consoles and LAN devices

In addition to the hardware generation, the KVP consoles and LAN devices must be generated with the same mnemonic device names on the MU and HNC using the SE Manager, see the “Operation and Administration” manual [19].

Generating virtual consoles

Devices which are to be assigned to the guest systems as virtual consoles must be generated as consoles with the device type code 02/03 in the ATTACHED state when hardware generation takes place.

The virtual consoles are generated exclusively on a virtual channel type S (CHPID=FE).

We recommend that no virtual consoles should be generated. The guest systems should be operated with KVP consoles or logical consoles, see section "Operating the guest systems using BS2000 consoles".

Detecting the device peripherals

The available device peripherals are detected dynamically by the VM2000 hypervisor, the monitor system and the guest systems from the data of the active I/O configuration file (IOCF).

This ensures that VM2000, the monitor system and all of the guest systems know and manage the same device peripherals.

The configuration states for devices and connections in the monitor system and the BS2000 guest systems are preset or set via the startup parameter service (IOCONF parameter set), see the “Introduction to System Administration” [2].

Changes to the set of devices through a dynamic change to the I/O configuration (see "Dynamic I/O configuration modification") are automatically taken into account by VM2000.

Handling unknown device type codes

If a guest system (successor version) offers new device type codes, these are supported in the monitor system by means of an existing standard device type code. You will find more information in the relevant release notice.

Local and remote communication

For BS2000, ZASLAN and LOCLAN are (communication) devices used for the LAN connection to the physical network or for internal communication of the Server Unit. Each device must be assigned to the appropriate guest system. In addition, the communication paths must be configured in the BCAM of all guest systems.

LOCLAN

This port is emulated by the HNC and, under VM2000, enables a LAN connection to the other VMs that are also connected to LOCLAN, via TCP/IP, see also section "Using the Highspeed Net Connect HNC (SU /390)".

The LOCLAN port can also be emulated by another MU. However, this only establishes a local connection to M2000, with a gateway to the communication components connected there.

The package size can be up to 64 Kbytes with LOCLAN.

ZASLAN

To connect a VM to external hosts, the Ethernet Controller integrated into HNC can be used (TCP/IP and ISO-LAN connections via Ethernet).

The package size can be up to 1,500 bytes for ZASLAN.

An Ethernet Controller is shared by all guest systems connected to it. For this to function, a separate ZASLAN connection must be configured for every VM during the hardware configuration.