Each guest can get it's own set of addresses on the OSA. It is certainly not uncommon. Another approach is to set up the VSwitch on z/VM 4.4 or 5.1 and use two OSA Express cards for failover. Each guest will connect to the VSwitch, which will then handle the network traffic to the 'real' network. This is not like the Guest LAN, which required a router. The guests on the Vswitch sit on the same subnet.
Tom Duerbusch wrote:
We are looking at new hardware, and most likely it will include OSA adapter(s).
Now, before I spec things out wrong, I would like to understand how they are used and their limitations.
Currently, we have IBM 3172(s). 1 Ethernet card = 1 IP address. In this type of environment, I dedicate the Ethernet card to VM's TCP/IP and have it act as a router to my 9 VSE and 17 Linux images, each having their own IP address.
My understanding is the OSA card has a dual port card. Can both ports be used for standard, generic Ethernet IP stuff? Not talking SNA over IP or anything else, just standard IP (LPR, TN3270, FTP, Database, Web, etc).
Each card has lots of IP addresses associated with them. That translates to bunches of CUA (mainframe addresses).
I could see, giving each of the guests their own address, directly to the card, instead of being routed through VM's stack. Is that normal? Or is that mostly for "special" guests, such as those that may operate outside of the firewall?
If two images need to talk to each other, the traffic would end up going out on the wire...right? Doesn't seem to be a "performance" option.
I could also see connecting the images, with Guest LAN support (not all my VSE images support Guest LANs), which would solve the 'going out on the wire' problem' for those that can use it.
Is the recomendation to mix and match? Route everything though a central stack for routing? Give each image their own access? Other?
Just what does all of you that use OSA cards do with all those IP addresses?
Is the OSA cards, sharable across LPARs? What I'm looking for is IFL and S390 LPARs.
From the mainframe side, I'm pushing for redundent access. If thenetwork doesn't support it, it's not my area, but it will be upgraded in time. Points will also be given for items (good or bad) concerning redundency.
There are 2 gb OSA 2 Express cards. If cost isn't an issue, I don't see why we wouldn't go with the best. But in other shops, is the network side ready for 2 gb Ethernet?
I have all these manuals, Redbooks and other documentation. They tell me all sorts of things (some are z/OS only, I think), but I'm having a hard time understanding how they work in the real world (VM, VSE and Linux).
Thanks
Tom Duerbusch THD Consulting
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