IBM Power 520 Technical Overview

1 CoverIBM Power 520 Technical OverviewGiuliano AnselmiYoungHoon ChoJim CookGregor LinzmeierMarcos QuezadaJohn T SchmidtGuido SomersCovering the 8203-E4A supporting the AIX, i, and Linux operating systemsPOWER6 processor-based PowerVM virtualization technologyDelivers IBM POWER6 efficiencyInternational Technical Support OrganizationIBM Power 520 Technical OverviewMay 2009 REDP-4403-00 Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2009. All rights to Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP ScheduleContract with IBM Edition (May 2009)This edition applies to the IBM Power 520 8203-E4A server. The following IBM operating systems are included: AIX (product number 5765-G53), AIX (product number 5765-G62), IBM i operating system releases (5722-SS1) and (5761-SS1).

2 Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in Notices on page vii. Copyright IBM Corp. 2009. All rights .. viiTrademarks .. viiiPreface .. xiThe team that wrote this paper .. xiiBecome a published author .. xiiiComments welcome.. xiiiChapter 1. General description .. System unit specifications .. Physical package .. Deskside model .. Rack-mount model .. Minimum and optional system unit features .. Processor card features .. Memory features .. System unit disk and media features .. AIX, IBM i, Linux I/O considerations .. I/O enclosures attachment using 12x or RIO-2 I/O loop adapters .. External disk subsystems .. IBM System Storage N3000, N5000, N6000, N7000, and N Series Gateway.

3 IBM TotalStorage Storage DS3000 Series .. IBM TotalStorage Storage DS4000 Series .. IBM TotalStorage Storage DS5000 Series .. IBM TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server .. IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller (SVC) .. IBM XIV Storage System .. Hardware Management Console models .. Build-to-order .. IBM Power Systems Express Editions for AIX / Linux.. 1-core GHz offering.. 2-core GHz offering.. 2-core GHz offering.. 4-core GHz offering.. IBM Power Systems Solution Editions for AIX / Linux .. IBM Power Systems Solution Edition for Oracle .. IBM Power Systems Solution Edition for SAP .. IBM Power Systems Express Editions for IBM i .. IBM Power Systems Solution Editions for IBM i.

4 Upgrades.. System racks.. AC Power distribution unit and rack content .. Power Distribution Unit Plus (PDU+) .. Rack-mounting rules .. Useful rack additions .. OEM rack .. Operating system support .. IBM AIX .. IBM AIX .. 53iv IBM Power 520 Technical IBM i (formerly IBM i5/OS V5R4) .. IBM i .. Linux systems summary .. Supported virtualization features with Linux .. 56 Chapter 2. Architecture and Technical Overview .. The POWER6 processor.. Decimal floating point .. AltiVec and Single Instruction, Multiple Data .. IBM EnergyScale technology .. Thermal Power management device (TPMD) .. Hardware and software requirements .. Processor cards.

5 The Power 520 single-core module .. The Power 520 dual-core module .. Processor clock rate .. Memory subsystem .. Memory placement rules.. OEM memory .. Memory throughput .. I/O capabilities.. Internal I/O subsystem .. System ports .. Integrated Virtual Ethernet adapter .. IVE physical ports and system integration .. Feature code port and cable support .. IVE subsystem .. PCI adapters supported in the system unit .. LAN adapters .. WAN adapters.. SCSI and SAS adapters .. iSCSI adapters .. Fibre Channel adapters .. Graphic accelerators .. Cryptographic adapters.. Asynchronous adapters .. Special purpose adapters/coprocessors, IOPs, and associated features.

6 System unit storage .. Embedded SAS disk controller .. Disk and disk controller protection rules .. Internal optical devices .. Internal tape devices .. Split backplane support.. Drawer and tower attachment .. IBM TotalStorage Expansion 24 Disk Drawer Overview .. EXP24 Disk Drawer front and rear views .. Adapter cards for connecting EXP24 Disk Drawer .. 5741 and 5742 Disk Slot Enabler placement and cabling recommendations .. Load source drive considerations in #5786 for logical partitions with 8203-E4A and 8204-E8A .. Load source rules for #5786 .. #5741 and #5742 SCSI repeater card placement recommendations .. IBM i large write/read cache adapters that support the EXP24.

7 95 Contents SCSI disk drives on 12X and RIO-2 loops .. 5886 EXP 12S SAS DASD Expansion Drawer .. 5886 EXP 12S SAS DASD Expansion Drawer physical description.. 5886 EXP 12S SAS DASD Expansion Drawer operating environment .. 5886 front and rear views .. Host system specific information.. Multi-initiator and high availability .. HA single system configuration.. 5802 PCIe 12X I/O drawer .. 5802 PCIe 12X I/O drawer physical description .. 5802 PCIe 12X I/O drawer operating environment .. #802 front and rear views .. Dividing SFF drive bays in PCIe 12X I/O drawer .. Host system specific information.. Hardware Management Console .. High availability using the HMC .. Service information.

8 Touch point colors.. Control (operator) panel .. Securing a rack-mounted system in a rack .. Servicing a rack-mounted system into a rack .. Cable-management arm .. System firmware .. Service processor .. Hardware management user interfaces .. 131 Chapter 3. Virtualization.. Power Hypervisor .. Logical partitioning .. Dynamic logical partitioning .. Micro-Partitioning .. Processing mode .. PowerVM.. PowerVM editions .. Virtual I/O Server .. Integrated Virtualization Manager .. PowerVM Lx86 .. PowerVM Live Partition Mobility .. PowerVM AIX 6 workload partitions .. PowerVM AIX 6 Workload Partition Manager .. Operating system support for PowerVM.

9 Active Memory Sharing .. System Planning Tool .. 154 Chapter 4. Continuous availability and manageability .. Reliability .. Designed for reliability.. Placement of components .. Redundant components and concurrent repair.. Hardware availability .. Partition availability priority .. General detection and deallocation of failing components .. Processor instruction retry .. 164vi IBM Power 520 Technical Processor checkstop.. Alternate processor retry.. Memory protection .. Special uncorrectable error handling .. Cache protection mechanisms .. PCI error recovery.. Serviceability .. Detecting errors .. Diagnosing problems .. Reporting problems.. Notifying the appropriate contacts.

10 Locating and repairing the problem .. Operating system support for RAS features .. Manageability .. Service processor .. System diagnostics .. Electronic Service Agent .. Manage serviceable events with the HMC .. Hardware user interfaces .. IBM Power Systems firmware maintenance .. Management Edition for AIX .. IBM Director .. Cluster-based availability solutions .. AIX and Linux availability solutions .. IBM i availability solutions .. 195 Related publications .. 197 IBM Redbooks publications .. 197 Other publications .. 197 Online resources .. 198 How to get Redbooks publications .. 199 Help from IBM .. 200 Copyright IBM Corp. 2009. All rights information was developed for products and services offered in the IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries.