IBM eServer zSeries 990 Technical Guide

162 IBM ^ zSeries 990 Technical Guide

7.2.2 Coupling Facility and CFCC considerations

The z990 can participate in a Parallel Sysplex when the Coupling Facility resides in a G5 or

G6 or any zSeries Server. When system images in the sysplex reside across z990 and

non-z990 Servers, consideration must be given for compatibility support; see 6.2.1,

“Compatibility Support for z/OS” on page 134. When any system image in a Parallel Sysplex

resides on a z990 server, all other system images and Coupling Facilities must be on 9672

G5 or G6 or zSeries hardware.

The location of the Coupling Facility and the level of the Coupling Facility Control Code

(CFCC) must also be considered. See Table 7-1 for Coupling Facility Control Code

requirements when the Coupling Facility resides on a non-z990 server and is connected to a

z/OS image on a z990, or when CF duplexing is used and one Coupling Facility resides on

the z990 server.

Table 7-1 z990 CF code level considerations

The initial support of the CFCC on the z990 Server is level 12. Typically each new level of

CFCC introduces additional functionality. Coupling Facilities within a Parallel Sysplex should

be at equivalent levels, and the precise CFCC level supported can depend on server type.

CFFC level 13 is current as of May 28, 2004. CFCC level 13 introduces some availability and

performance enhancements.

To support migration from one Coupling Facility level to the next, you can run different levels

of the Coupling Facility concurrently as long as the Coupling Facility logical partitions are

running on different servers.

CF logical partitions running on the same server share the same Coupling Facility Control

Code EC level. A single server cannot support multiple Coupling Facility levels. Table 7-2 on

page 163 summarizes the CFCC CFLEVELs supported on the z990 servers.

7.2.3 CFCC enhanced patch apply

Patch application to CFCC level 13 code is designed to eliminate the need for a Power-on

Reset of the z990 when a ‘disruptive’ patch must be applied.

This method of patch application enables you to:

򐂰 Apply the patch on one of the available Coupling Facilities. A good place would be the test

Coupling Facility of a test sysplex if one is available. If the test of the CFCC code is

successful, it can be applied to production Coupling Facility on the same z990. To use the

updated CFCC code to a CF logical partition, simply deactivate and reactivate the

CF with connections to z990

z/OS image or z990 (CF

duplexing)

Connected to a z990 with 15

or less LPARs defined

Connected to a z990 with

more than 15 LPARs defined

Pre-G5 CPC Not supported Not supported

G5/G6 CPC CFCC level 11 CFCC level 11

z800 or z900 CPC CFCC level 12

(not recommended

a

b

)

a. It is recommended that the Compatibility patch be installed prior to the z990 installation. Not

installing the patch opens up the possibility that a z990 will have more than 15 partitions defined

later without the Compatibility patch being installed.

b. Installation of the Compatibility patch is disruptive.

CFCC level 12

b

with

Compatibility patch

z990 or z890 CPC CFCC level 13 CFCC level 13