Additional Enhancements to z/VM 6.2

The following enhancements to z/VM 6.2 are being delivered via the service stream:

Virtual switch HiperSockets bridge

The z/VM virtual switch is enhanced to transparently bridge a guest virtual machine network connection on a HiperSockets LAN segment. This bridge allows a single HiperSockets guest virtual machine network connection to also directly communicate with the following:
  • Other guest virtual machines on the virtual switch
  • External network hosts through the virtual switch OSA UPLINK port

On the z196 and z114 at driver level D93 (see below for the minimum MCL level), an IQD (HiperSockets) CHPID can now be configured for the bridge function (External_Bridged). Alternatively, for use in the Unified Resource Manager environment, an IQD CHPID can be configured as managed (IEDN_Access), which also includes bridge capability. Using the new z/VM virtual switch Bridge Port will allow a managed IQD CHPID to bridge to a physical intraensemble data network (IEDN) via an OSX adapter, or allow a conventional (not managed) IQD CHPID to bridge to a network connected by an OSA (OSD) adapter.

The z/VM V6.2 Performance Toolkit feature has been updated to recognize updated monitor record data for the virtual switch HiperSockets bridge.

Requirements
  • Hardware
    • zEnterprise 114 system, driver 93, with bundle 22z (or higher) applied.
    • zEnterprise 196 system, driver 93, with bundle 22z (or higher) applied.
      • Except when upgrading from driver 86 to driver 93 via the Concurrent Driver Upgrade process, then bundle 33 (or higher) is required.
  • APARs/PTFs
  • Guest Operating Systems
    • Linux RHEL 5.8 (GA-level)
    • Linux RHEL 6.2 (GA-level)
    • Linux SLES 10 SP4 update (kernel 2.6.16.60-0.95.1)
    • Linux SLES 11 SP2 (GA-level)
    • Linux SLES 11 SP1 update (kernel update 2.6.32.59-0.3.1)

Guest support for High Performance FICON for System z

High Performance FICON for System z (zHPF) is a performance and reliability, availability, serviceability (RAS) enhancement of the z/Architecture and the FICON channel architecture implemented in the zEnterprise 196, zEnterprise 114 and System z10 servers, and the System Storage DS8000 series.

The z/VM V6.2 Performance Toolkit feature has been updated to recognize updated monitor record data for High Performance FICON. See below for the associated APAR/PTF.

Requirements
  • Hardware - System z10 or higher
  • APARs/PTFs
  • Guest Operating Systems
    • z/OS R1.7 or higher
    • Linux Rhel 6
    • Linux SLES 11

VM Systems Management APIs/Unified Resource Manager

The Systems Management APIs (SMAPI) have been updated to allow the Unified Resource Manager to collect improved performance monitoring and network metric statistics from the z/VM hypervisor for Layer 2 networking resources associated with virtual server usage of the intraensemble data network (IEDN).
Requirements
  • Hardware - zEnterprise 196 or 114 system, driver 93, with bundle 28z (or higher) applied.
  • APARs/PTFs - VM APAR VM65139/PTF UM33697