IBM i 7.2 on Power6 does not support IOPs or IOP based adapters

IOPless (Smart IOA) options are available for all I/O attachments (except Twinax and IXS) and provide more efficient attachment of I/O. Customers using IOP based I/O must move off IOPs to enable upgrading to IBM i 7.2.

IOP feature codes are:
  • #2843
  • #2844
  • #2847 (SAN Boot)
  • #3705
Note that there can be differences in the specific devices supported with or without an IOP by IBM i. For example some older tape libraries such as the 3590 require an IOP-based adapter. Or there may be a functional difference without an IOP, for example SDLC or X.25 on WAN/LAN adapters require an IOP. A partial list of adapters supported on POWER6 servers which require an IOP includes:
  • #4746 Twinax Workstation Controller (which means no twinax displays/printers unless an OEM conversion device is used)
  • #4812/4813 Integrated xSeries Server (IXS) (use iSCSI alternative)
  • #2757/2780/5580/5778 Disk Controllers (use newer disk controllers)
  • #2787/5761/5760 Fiber Channel Adapters (use newer Fibre Channel Adapters)
  • #2749 HVD SCSI Adapter or Ultra Media