The IBM z/VM Operating System <[email protected]> wrote on 
12/17/2009 09:17:11 PM:

> "O'Brien, Dennis L" <dennis.l.o'[email protected]> 
> Sent by: The IBM z/VM Operating System <[email protected]>
> 
> 12/17/2009 09:17 PM
> 
> Please respond to
> The IBM z/VM Operating System <[email protected]>
> 
> To
> 
> [email protected]
> 
> cc
> 
> Subject
> 
> FCP Redbooks
> 
> Our storage architect asked me about using FCP channels for Linux on
> z/VM.  Are there any good Redbooks or other documentation that's 
> recent?  He couldn't find anything that mentioned z10.  He's 
> particularly interested in limits (guests/LUN's/device addresses per
> channel, etc).  CP Planning and Administration discusses 
> configuration, but doesn't mention limits.  I did find a discussion 
> of limits in the Introducing N_Port Identifier Virtualization for 
> IBM System z9 Redbook paper.  That paper is from 2006.  Has anything
> changed since then?  I also found Steve Wilkins' presentation Using 
> z/VM in a SCSI Environment.  It has some good recommendations.
>                                   
>                       Dennis
> 
> What's the difference between an Escalade and a golf ball?  Tiger 
> Woods can drive a golf ball 400 yards.


Dennis,

I can only speak for the channel.  z/VM, and Linux may have their own 
limits that conflict with ours.

Fred's Intro. Redpaper is still accurate.  The number of guests, and 
number of device addresses per channel is really the same question.  The 
absolute max is 480.  If you are using NPIV, then our recommendation is 
32.  The number of target ports per channel that we recommend is no more 
than 128, though I think the real max is 510.  The number of luns per 
channel is 4096 max.

If you navigate from this hints webpage:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/linux390/distribution_hints.html

You can find "How to use FC-attached SCSI devices with Linux on System z", 
and "Device Drivers, Features, and Commands" for the distro that you're 
interested.  Both have a lot of information on how to use FCP.

I hope this helps!

Ray Higgs
System z FCP Development
Bld. 706, B24
2455 South Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
(845) 435-8666,  T/L 295-8666
[email protected]

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