z/VM service required for the IBM z17 family servers

Last Updated: 20 June 2025

PLEASE READ ALL NOTES PRIOR TO UPGRADING:

May 6, 2025 - z/VM support for the IBM z17 Family defined as the IBM z17 model ME1, and the IBM LinuxONE Emperor 5 model ML1. z/VM support will be available by the hardware GA.

z/VM 7.2 achieved end of service on March 31, 2025 and does not support the IBM z17 family of servers.

There is separate service required for both z/VM 7.3 and z/VM 7.4.

The information below is divided into the following topics:


 

Source Recompile Requirements

There are source code recompile requirements specific to users of the HCPVINOP MACRO and vendor products that use the macro:

  • For z/VM 7.3, any users of the HCPVINOP MACRO are required to recompile their local updates before using this service if the PTF for APAR VM66823 is installed.
  • For z/VM 7.4, any users of the HCPVINOP MACRO are required to recompile their local updates before using this service if the PTF for APAR VM66824 is installed, which is included in z/VM 7.4 CP Feature Pack 02 Fix Pack 00 or higher.
  • For users of vendor products, please contact the vendor to inquire whether they use the HCPVINOP macro. If so, obtain recompiled source from the vendor.


Performance Toolkit Support

The Performance Toolkit Data Pump dashboards have been updated to provide information specific to the new architectures delivered with the IBM z17 family of servers. The 3270 and web interfaces of the Performance Toolkit are stabilized at the IBM z16 architecture level and will not reflect new hardware and facilities delivered with the IBM z17 or any future families of servers.


Configuring the VSwitch and TCP/IP stack for EQDIO devices

  • VSwitch: Define and attach the EQDIO device to the VSwitch when configuring for an EQDIO uplink port. This takes the place of the triplet required for a QDIO uplink port.
  • TCP/IP stack: Please see information on using the DEVICE statement to specify the name and address of the device that will use the Enhanced Queued DirectI/O (eQDIO) Hardware Facility, and TCP/IP LINK configuration statement which includes the EQDIOETHERNET parameter.

Note: The following special considerations apply to a CHPID that is defined with the LINK_AGGREGATION parameter for Network Express (OSH) devices:

The LINK_AGGREGATION parameter on the DEFINE CHPID command, or the corresponding CHPARM in the IOCP (x02), indicates that the specified CHPID is to be used only for link aggregation. When the CHPID is defined in link aggregation mode, the device can be used only as part of a port group for z/VM virtual switch link aggregation. When the CHPID is not defined in link aggregation mode, attempts to bring up a z/VM virtual switch that is configured to use the device as part of a link aggregation port group will fail if either of the following conditions are true:

  • A NETH device is also configured on the port.
  • The system is managed by IBM Dynamic Partition Manager.


Pre-requisite z/VM service for Single System Image (SSI) environments

  • For z/VM 7.2 and 7.3: The PTF for APAR VM66832 provides infrastructure support for the IBM z17 family, and must be installed on all the members of an SSI cluster before any member is IPLed on an IBM z17 family server.
  • For z/VM 7.4: The PTF for APAR VM66839 provides infrastructure support for the IBM z17 family, and must be installed on all the members of an SSI cluster before any member is IPLed on an IBM z17 family server. This support is in CP Feature Pack 01 Fix Pack 01 or higher.

 

Required z/VM service

With the applicable PTFs and all required pre-requisite service applied z/VM will provide support for the following IBM z17 family server hardware facilities:

  • Guest enablement to exploit the following facilities:
    • Vector-Enhancements Facility 3 - New instructions intended to provide performance improvements.
    • Vector-Packed-Decimal-Enhancement 3 - Intended to provide performance improvements of COBOL programs when compiled using the NUMCHECK option to detect and convert data.
    • Workload-Instrumentation - Provides a means of classifying and sampling workloads to enhance the z/OS pricing model.
    • Message-Security-Assist Extensions - Enhancements that allow the use of XTS and HMAC algorithms and allow for generation of XTS and HMAC encryption keys while using AES algorithms.
    • Perform Lock Operation (PLO) - Provides operations for managing locks in storage to replace capabilities provided previously by the constrained transactional execution (CTX) facility.
    • Concurrent-Functions - Provides new instructions intended to replace the use of TX for software serialization.
  • Host support for the following new facilities:
    • CPU Measurement Facility (CPU-MF) enhancements - Provide CPU-MF-specific support for IBM z17 family server.
    • Data Processing Unit (DPU) Next Generation I/O accelerator instrumentation provided within the z/VM monitor - Collects FCP, FICON, and OSA instrumentation data within the z/VM monitor for the IBM z17 family server DPUs.
  • Real device support - Allows the following to be attached for guest exploitation:
    • Enhanced QDIO (OSH) devices
    • Network Express Hybrid (NETH) devices
  • Dynamic I/O and HCD support added for:
    • Enhanced QDIO (OSH) CHPIDs and subchannels
    • CL6 coupling adapter CHPIDs
    • Network Express Hybrid (NETH) PCIe Functions
  • Guest exploitation support for EQDIO devices - Allows guests to directly exploit the OSH functionality of the Network Express Adapter.
  • Extension of CP VSWITCH logic for Network Express Adapter EQDIO support within the z/VM VSwitch - Allows customers to configure the VSwitch to take advantage of lower latency and higher bandwidths provided by networking EQDIO devices within their data center. The VSwitch EQDIO exploitation includes QDIO-to-EQDIO translation, allowing guests that do not support EQDIO to directly take advantage of this networking support.

    Alert - Currently z/OS Guests Cannot Attach to a VSwitch Configured with an EQDIO Uplink Port

    A z/VM VSwitch supporting Network Express OSH does not currently support z/OS guests exploiting an EQDIO uplink port. In the interim, clients will be required to use either a guest-attached OSH device or existing functionality available with OSA-Express7S adapters.

  • Reduced support for transactional execution (TX) - Non-constrained transactions will result in unconditionally aborting with condition code 1 (CC1) and no TDB stored.
  • Power Consumption metrics provided within z/VM monitor - enhancements to the z/VM monitor to include entire CPC and LPAR specific level power consumption information. This information includes power metrics for CPU, I/O, and Memory usage. Consumers of z/VM monitor, such as the z/VM performance datapump, can be enhanced to calculate/approximate guest level apportionment. APAR VM66825 provides support for a Performance Datapump Power Metric Dashboard.

Service notes:

  • For z/VM 7.4, you can check which service is missing on your IBM z17 family server:
    • Upload the minimal service required to IPL VM740D61 SERVICE, and then issue this command:
      SERVICE ALL STATUS LIST VM740D61 SERVICE
  • For z/VM 7.3, you can check which service is missing on your IBM z17 family server:
    • Upload the minimal service required to IPL VM730D61 SERVICE, and then issue this command:
      SERVICE ALL STATUS LIST VM730D61 SERVICE

 

Additional z/VM information


Installing z/VM on IBM z17 family server:

  • z/VM 7.3 and 7.4 can be installed directly on an IBM z17 family server. Installation from the IBM z17 USB flash drive is supported. Information on receiving z/VM product deliverables electronically can be found at https://www.vm.ibm.com/install/prodinst.html

 

APARs in the tables below will be marked available when the service can be downloaded and installed.

z/VM 7.3 APAR Table

z/VM 7.3 APAR Available Description
VM66823

GA1 processor compatibility, EQDIO, and new IBM z17 device support
VM66825

Power Metric Performance Datapump Dashboard
VM66822

Provides support to allow users to develop or enhance system management tools related to EQDIO devices.
PH65377

Provides a native device driver for the z/VM TCP/IP stack that exploits EQDIO adapters for network traffic.
VM66857

Several RACF parts have been recompiled to ensure compatibility with the z17 CP support. RACF users must install together with the z17 CP APAR.
VM66788

ME1 VMHCD support for z/VM 7.3 (HCD Requires z/CMS and z/XC support)
VM66789

ML1 VMHCD support for z/VM 7.3 (HCD Requires z/CMS and z/XC support)
VM66836

ME1 / ML1 VMHCM support
PH62834

HLASM support
VM66741

IOCP support; requires z/CMS support

 

z/VM 7.4 APAR Table

Service Level 7.4 APAR Available Description
CP 0200 VM66824

GA1 processor compatibility, EQDIO, and new IBM z17 device support, and ME1 / ML1 VMHCD and VMHCM support for z/VM 7.4 (HCD Requires z/CMS and z/XC support)
Perfkit 0100 VM66826

Power Metric Performance Datapump Dashboard
CMS 0200 VM66827

IOCP support; requires z/CMS support
CMS 0300 VM66828

Provides support to allow users to develop or enhance system management tools related to EQDIO devices.
TCPIP 0100 PH65378

Provides a native device driver for the z/VM TCP/IP stack that exploits EQDIO adapters for network traffic.
RACF 0100 VM66858

Several RACF parts have been recompiled to ensure compatibility with the z17 CP support. RACF users must install together with the z17 CP APAR.
N/A PH62834

HLASM support (HLASM does not follow z/VM Linear Service)

 

Tested platforms for Linux shows IBM tested and supported Linux environments on IBM servers. A supported Linux distribution is also supported as a guest of z/VM if the z/VM release supports that server.