System z End-to-End Extended Distance Guide

System z End-to-End Extended Distance Guide

by Ulrich Schlegel, Giancarlo Rodolfi, Fabio Pereira, Mauricio Nogueira, Iain Neville, Gary Fisher, Richard Davey, Jack Consoli, Frank Kyne
Released March 2014
Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
ISBN: 0738439045

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Book Description

This IBM® Redbooks® publication will help you design and manage an end-to-end, extended distance connectivity architecture for IBM System z®. This solution addresses your requirements now, and positions you to make effective use of new technologies in the future.

Many enterprises implement extended distance connectivity in a silo manner. However, effective extended distance solutions require the involvement of different teams within an organization. Typically there is a network group, a storage group, a systems group, and possibly other teams.

The intent of this publication is to help you design and manage a solution that will provide for all of your System z extended distance needs in the most effective and flexible way possible. This book introduces an approach to help plan, optimize, and maintain all of the moving parts of the solution together.

Table of Contents

  1. Front cover
  2. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  3. Preface
    1. Authors
    2. Now you can become a published author, too!
    3. Comments welcome
    4. Stay connected to IBM Redbooks
  4. Chapter 1. Introduction
    1. 1.1 Why we wrote this book
      1. 1.1.1 The scope of this book
    2. 1.2 Why you would have multiple data centers
    3. 1.3 Common data center models
      1. 1.3.1 Distances
      2. 1.3.2 Connectivity solutions
    4. 1.4 The importance of an end-to-end architecture
      1. 1.4.1 End-to-end support structure
      2. 1.4.2 Support models
    5. 1.5 Role of the connectivity architecture group
      1. 1.5.1 Scope of responsibility
      2. 1.5.2 Configuration planning
      3. 1.5.3 Problem determination
      4. 1.5.4 Performance and capacity planning
      5. 1.5.5 Documentation
    6. 1.6 What needs to be connected
    7. 1.7 Connectivity options
      1. 1.7.1 Connecting devices over an extended distance
    8. 1.8 System z qualification and testing programs
      1. 1.8.1 IBM System z connectivity testing
      2. 1.8.2 System Storage Interoperation Center
      3. 1.8.3 Non-IBM storage vendors qualification
      4. 1.8.4 Other platforms
      5. 1.8.5 Standards for cables and connectors
    9. 1.9 Planning for the future
      1. 1.9.1 The evolution of data center networking
      2. 1.9.2 Traditional data center network architecture
      3. 1.9.3 The future of data center networking
      4. 1.9.4 System z and ODIN
    10. 1.10 Where to go for help
    11. 1.11 Layout of this book
      1. 1.11.1 Relationship to other documentation
  5. Chapter 2. Storage area network
    1. 2.1 SAN overview
    2. 2.2 Channel extension
      1. 2.2.1 FCIP extension switches
      2. 2.2.2 Switch port types
    3. 2.3 SAN support for System z channel protocols
      1. 2.3.1 Uses of SAN switches in a System z environment
      2. 2.3.2 FC addresses and SAN ports
      3. 2.3.3 FICON link addresses and FC addresses
    4. 2.4 Extending the SAN
      1. 2.4.1 Direct fiber ISLs
      2. 2.4.2 ISLs through DWDMs
      3. 2.4.3 Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP)
    5. 2.5 Considerations for inter-switch link (ISL)-extended SANs
      1. 2.5.1 When ISLs are appropriate
      2. 2.5.2 Buffer credits
      3. 2.5.3 Identifying the correct number of ISLs
      4. 2.5.4 Configuring for availability
      5. 2.5.5 Optics
      6. 2.5.6 Managing and prioritizing traffic on ISLs
      7. 2.5.7 Using DWDMs with ISL links
      8. 2.5.8 Using DWDMs with ISL trunks
    6. 2.6 Considerations for FCIP-extended SANs
      1. 2.6.1 QoS and propagation delay
      2. 2.6.2 FCIP circuits, tunnels, and trunks
      3. 2.6.3 IP planning and design
      4. 2.6.4 Adaptive rate limiting
      5. 2.6.5 FICON Acceleration
      6. 2.6.6 FC Fast Write
      7. 2.6.7 Monitoring and managing FCIP ports
    7. 2.7 Switch features
      1. 2.7.1 Compression
      2. 2.7.2 Encryption
      3. 2.7.3 Extended Distance FICON
    8. 2.8 Redundant network and switch topologies
      1. 2.8.1 Effect of a network failure
      2. 2.8.2 Calculating paths for FCIP
      3. 2.8.3 FCIP routed network
      4. 2.8.4 FCIP with DWDM
    9. 2.9 Practical considerations
      1. 2.9.1 Mixing FICON and FCP in the same fabric
      2. 2.9.2 Sharing ISLs
      3. 2.9.3 Routing considerations
      4. 2.9.4 Plan ahead
      5. 2.9.5 Plan for firmware upgrades
      6. 2.9.6 Miscellaneous
    10. 2.10 Further information
  6. Chapter 3. Wavelength division multiplexing
    1. 3.1 WDM description and functionality
    2. 3.2 Benefits of WDM technology
    3. 3.3 Terminology used with WDMs
    4. 3.4 Types of WDM
    5. 3.5 WDM systems
      1. 3.5.1 Dark fiber
      2. 3.5.2 The control unit
      3. 3.5.3 The optical multiplexer/demultiplexer
      4. 3.5.4 The transponder and muxponder modules
    6. 3.6 Signal quality degradation
      1. 3.6.1 Optical amplifiers
      2. 3.6.2 Dispersion compensation units
    7. 3.7 WDM topologies and protection schemes
      1. 3.7.1 Topologies
      2. 3.7.2 Protection schemes
    8. 3.8 Connecting WDM into the end-to-end architecture
    9. 3.9 Additional WDM capabilities
    10. 3.10 Selecting a WDM
    11. 3.11 WDM connectivity preferred practices
  7. Chapter 4. Common multisite models
    1. 4.1 Considerations for extended distance models
      1. 4.1.1 Difference between continuous availability and disaster recovery
      2. 4.1.2 Relationship between distance and continuous availability
      3. 4.1.3 Industry terms for site roles
      4. 4.1.4 Considerations for distributed systems
      5. 4.1.5 Performance considerations
    2. 4.2 Consider your objective
    3. 4.3 Metro distance active/active configuration
      1. 4.3.1 Connectivity considerations
    4. 4.4 Metro distance active/standby configuration
      1. 4.4.1 Active/standby connectivity considerations
    5. 4.5 Extended distance disaster recovery configuration
    6. 4.6 Three-site configuration
    7. 4.7 GDPS/Active-Active
    8. 4.8 Selecting the model that is appropriate for you
  8. Chapter 5. Planning
    1. 5.1 Creating your connectivity architecture group
    2. 5.2 Identifying your objectives
    3. 5.3 Documenting your System z configuration
      1. 5.3.1 Creating your device inventory
      2. 5.3.2 Supported distances by device type
      3. 5.3.3 Existing data center considerations
      4. 5.3.4 Available connectivity options
      5. 5.3.5 Time limitations
      6. 5.3.6 Financial considerations
    4. 5.4 Creating a balanced end-to-end configuration
    5. 5.5 Security considerations
    6. 5.6 IBM qualification for extended distance devices
      1. 5.6.1 System z CEC
      2. 5.6.2 WDM
      3. 5.6.3 SAN switches and directors
      4. 5.6.4 IBM storage
    7. 5.7 Physical connectivity considerations
      1. 5.7.1 Optical data flow
      2. 5.7.2 Physical layer switching
      3. 5.7.3 Link specifications and considerations
      4. 5.7.4 Considerations for fiber routes with different lengths
      5. 5.7.5 Connectivity infrastructure preferred practices
    8. 5.8 Selecting your extended distance equipment
    9. 5.9 Benchmarking your proposed configuration
      1. 5.9.1 Benchmark planning
      2. 5.9.2 Benchmark options
      3. 5.9.3 Obtaining the equipment
      4. 5.9.4 Interpreting the results
    10. 5.10 Service provider requirements
      1. 5.10.1 Service provider environments
      2. 5.10.2 Client and network service provider responsibilities
      3. 5.10.3 Service provider monitoring
      4. 5.10.4 Client and service provider partnership
  9. Appendix A. Performance considerations
    1. Performance and distance
    2. Relationship between the sites
    3. Physical and logical connectivity
    4. General considerations
    5. Coupling facility-related considerations
    6. Disk-related considerations
  10. Appendix B. Sample qualification letters
    1. Sample WDM qualification letter
    2. Sample switch qualification letter
    3. System Storage Interoperation Center
  11. Appendix C. Physical layer information
    1. About physical layer switches
  12. Appendix D. Fiber cabling services
    1. Fiber cabling services options
    2. Summary
    3. References
  13. Appendix E. Fiber optic cables
    1. Description
    2. Connector types for fiber cables
      1. References
  14. Related publications
    1. IBM Redbooks
    2. Other publications
    3. Online resources
    4. Help from IBM
  15. Back cover

Product Information

  • Title: System z End-to-End Extended Distance Guide
  • Author(s): Ulrich Schlegel, Giancarlo Rodolfi, Fabio Pereira, Mauricio Nogueira, Iain Neville, Gary Fisher, Richard Davey, Jack Consoli, Frank Kyne
  • Release date: March 2014
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: 0738439045