IBM zEnterprise EC12 Technical Introduction

IBM zEnterprise EC12 Technical Introduction

Released December 2012
Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
ISBN: 9780738437453

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Book description

In a smarter planet, information-centric processes are exploding in growth. The mainframe has always been the IT industry's leading platform for transaction processing, consolidated and secure data serving, and support for available enterprise-wide applications. IBM® has extended the mainframe platform to help large enterprises reshape their client experiences through information-centric computing and to deliver on key business initiatives.

IBM zEnterprise® is recognized as the most reliable and trusted system, and the most secure environment for core business operations. The new zEnterprise System consists of the IBM zEnterprise EC12 (zEC12), an updated IBM zEnterprise Unified Resource Manager, and the IBM zEnterprise BladeCenter® Extension (zBX) Model 003.

This IBM Redbooks® publication describes the zEC12, with its improved scalability, performance, security, resiliency, availability, and virtualization. The zEC12 has no peer as a trusted platform that also provides the most efficient transaction processing and database management. With efficiency at scale delivering significant cost savings on core processes, resources can be freed up to focus on developing new services to drive growth.

This book provides a technical overview of the zEC12, zBX Model 003, and Unified Resource Manager. This publication is intended for IT managers, architects, consultants, and anyone else who wants to understand the elements of the zEnterprise System. For this introduction to the zEC12, readers are not expected to be familiar with current IBM System z® technology and terminology.

Table of contents

  1. Front cover
  2. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  3. Preface
    1. The team who wrote this book
    2. Now you can become a published author, too!
    3. Comments welcome
    4. Stay connected to IBM Redbooks
  4. Chapter 1. Smartly essential
    1. 1.1 Of technology, information, architectures, and success
    2. 1.2 zEC12 technical description
      1. 1.2.1 Processor cage
      2. 1.2.2 I/O subsystem
      3. 1.2.3 Hardware Management Console and Support Element
      4. 1.2.4 Capacity on demand and performance
    3. 1.3 IBM zEnterprise BladeCenter Extension
    4. 1.4 Unified Resource Manager
    5. 1.5 Ensembles
    6. 1.6 Reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS)
    7. 1.7 Software
  5. Chapter 2. Hardware overview
    1. 2.1 zEC12 highlights
    2. 2.2 zEC12 models
    3. 2.3 The frames
    4. 2.4 zEC12 processor cage, books, and multiple chip modules
    5. 2.5 Processor chip
    6. 2.6 Processor unit
    7. 2.7 Memory
      1. 2.7.1 Concurrent memory upgrade
      2. 2.7.2 Redundant array of independent memory
      3. 2.7.3 Hardware system area
    8. 2.8 I/O system structure
    9. 2.9 I/O features
      1. 2.9.1 FICON Express8S
      2. 2.9.2 FICON Express8
      3. 2.9.3 FICON Express4
      4. 2.9.4 OSA-Express4S
      5. 2.9.5 OSA-Express3
      6. 2.9.6 Coupling links
      7. 2.9.7 Cryptographic features
    10. 2.10 Coupling and clustering
      1. 2.10.1 InterSystem Channel-3 (ISC-3)
      2. 2.10.2 Internal Coupling (IC)
      3. 2.10.3 InfiniBand coupling links
      4. 2.10.4 Coupling Facility Control Code (CFCC) Level 18
    11. 2.11 Time functions
      1. 2.11.1 Server Time Protocol (STP)
      2. 2.11.2 Network Time Protocol support
      3. 2.11.3 Pulse Per Second
      4. 2.11.4 Time coordination for zBX components
    12. 2.12 Hardware Management Console and Support Element
    13. 2.13 Power and cooling
    14. 2.14 zEnterprise BladeCenter Extension
  6. Chapter 3. Key functions and capabilities of IBM zEnterprise EC12
    1. 3.1 Virtualization
      1. 3.1.1 zEC12 hardware virtualization
      2. 3.1.2 zEC12 software virtualization
      3. 3.1.3 zBX virtualized environments
    2. 3.2 zEC12 technology improvements
      1. 3.2.1 Microprocessor
      2. 3.2.2 Capacity settings
      3. 3.2.3 Memory
      4. 3.2.4 Flash Express
      5. 3.2.5 I/O capabilities
      6. 3.2.6 Cryptography
    3. 3.3 Hardware Management Console functions
      1. 3.3.1 Hardware Management Console key enhancements for zEC12
      2. 3.3.2 Considerations for multiple Hardware Management Consoles
    4. 3.4 zEC12 common time functions
      1. 3.4.1 Server Time Protocol (STP)
      2. 3.4.2 Network Time Protocol (NTP) client support
    5. 3.5 zEC12 power functions
      1. 3.5.1 High voltage DC power
      2. 3.5.2 Integrated battery feature (IBF)
      3. 3.5.3 Power capping and power saving
      4. 3.5.4 Power estimation tool
      5. 3.5.5 zEC12 radiator cooling system
      6. 3.5.6 zEC12 water cooling
      7. 3.5.7 IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager
      8. 3.5.8 zEC12 Top Exit Power
    6. 3.6 zEC12 capacity on demand (CoD)
      1. 3.6.1 Permanent upgrades
      2. 3.6.2 Temporary upgrades
      3. 3.6.3 z/OS capacity provisioning
    7. 3.7 Throughput optimization with zEC12
    8. 3.8 zEC12 performance
    9. 3.9 zEnterprise BladeCenter Extension Model 003
      1. 3.9.1 IBM blades
    10. 3.10 Reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS)
      1. 3.10.1 IBM System z Advanced Workload Analysis Reporter (IBM zAware)
      2. 3.10.2 RAS capability for the HMC
      3. 3.10.3 RAS capability for zBX
    11. 3.11 High availability technology for zEC12
      1. 3.11.1 High availability for zEC12 with Parallel Sysplex
      2. 3.11.2 PowerHA in zBX environment
  7. Chapter 4. Operating system support and considerations
    1. 4.1 Software support summary
    2. 4.2 Support by operating system
      1. 4.2.1 z/OS
      2. 4.2.2 z/VM
      3. 4.2.3 z/VSE
      4. 4.2.4 z/TPF
      5. 4.2.5 Linux on System z
    3. 4.3 Software support for zBX
    4. 4.4 References
    5. 4.5 z/OS considerations
    6. 4.6 Coupling Facility and CFCC considerations
    7. 4.7 Input/output configuration program (IOCP) considerations
    8. 4.8 IBM Device Support Facilities (ICKDSF) considerations
  8. Chapter 5. A smarter infrastructure
    1. 5.1 Integrated hybrid infrastructures
      1. 5.1.1 A cornerstone of a smart IT infrastructure
    2. 5.2 Benefiting from a smart infrastructure
    3. 5.3 Cloud computing
  9. Appendix A. Software licensing
    1. Software licensing considerations
  10. Appendix B. Channel options
  11. Related publications
    1. IBM Redbooks
    2. Other publications
    3. Online resources
    4. Help from IBM
  12. Back cover

Product information

  • Title: IBM zEnterprise EC12 Technical Introduction
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: December 2012
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: 9780738437453