IBM eServer zSeries 900 Technical Guide

10 IBM eServer zSeries 900 Technical Guide

FICON support of cascaded switches have the added value of ensuring high integrity

connectivity. Transmission data checking, link incidence reporting, and error checking are

integral to the FICON architecture, providing a true enterprise fabric.

Open Systems Adapter 2 (OSA-2)

The S/390 Open Systems Adapter 2 (OSA-2) Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) and

Token Ring (TR) features are supported on z900. The OSA-2 FDDI feature is available for

new builds and for upgrades, and the OSA-2 TR feature is only available for upgrades. The

OSA-2 features can only be used in an FC 2022 I/O cage.

The OSA-2 features continue to require the S/390 Open Systems Adapter Support Facility

(OSA/SF) when configuring and customizing the features, and updating the supported

software.

OSA-Express Gigabit Ethernet, ATM 155, Fast EN, Token Ring

The S/390 Open Systems Adapter-Express (OSA-Express) features—Gigabit Ethernet, Fast

Ethernet, 155 ATM and Token Ring—have been redesigned in support of the I/O

infrastructure for the z900. The redesigned OSA-Express features require the zSeries I/O

cage (FC 2023). The OSA-Express feature codes currently available on the S/390 Parallel

Enterprise G5 and G6 servers are different on the z900.

A new, higher performing Gigabit Ethernet feature is implemented in the z900. It has a 64-bit

PCI/66 MHz infrastructure capable of achieving a line speed of 1 Gb/sec. This new design

incorporates two ports in a single I/O slot. Each port uses one CHPID.

Channel CHPID assignment

The z900 provides customers with the option of remapping the CHPID-to-channel number

assignment. This enables customers to map physical channels on the z900 to any CHPID

numbers. CHPID number reassignment helps customers design and maintain existing I/O

definitions during system upgrades to a z900 or within the z900.

1.3.4 Cryptographic coprocessors

IBM leads the industry in bringing greater security to e-business with its high availability

CMOS Cryptographic Coprocessors. This feature has earned Federal Information Processing

Standard (FIPS) 140-1 Level 4, the highest certification for commercial security ever awarded

by the U.S. Government. For the z900, the two Cryptographic Coprocessors Single Chip

Modules (SCMs) have been moved from the MCM to the CPC Cage. The SCMs are plugged

directly into the rear of the CPC backplane. The SCMs are individually serviceable,

minimizing system outages.

The z900 servers can also support a combination of up to eight optional Peripheral

Component Interconnect Cryptographic Coprocessor (PCICC) or up to six PCI Cryptographic

Accelerator (PCICA) features. Each PCICC or PCICA feature contains two cryptographic

coprocessors. This provides the capability to support the high-performance Secure Sockets

Layer (SSL) needs of e-business applications, reaching up to 7000 SSL handshakes per

second.

The combination of the coprocessor types enables applications to invoke industry-standard

cryptographic capabilities—such as DES, Triple DES, or RSA—for scalable e-transaction

security and the flexibility to adopt new standards quickly.