Hypervisor support

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You can use network adapter PCI functions with Linux in LPAR or DPM partition mode or as a KVM or z/VM® guest.

Working with PCI functions is similar regardless of how Linux is hosted. For example, you can configure for high availability through bonded interfaces on Linux in all environments.

Access methods for KVM or z/VM guests

For KVM or z/VM guests, you can connect to a PCI network adapter in two ways:
  1. Pass-through: The hypervisor assigns a PCI function directly to a guest. The PCI function is then used exclusively by that guest and appears similarly to how it is used by Linux in LPAR or DPM partition mode.
  2. The host accesses the network adapter and provides virtualized interfaces to the guests. For example:
    • z/VM VSWITCH: Provides virtual OSD channel devices to the z/VM guests.
    • KVM virtual networking:
      • Linux bridge, MacVTap, or Open vSwitch can use PCI network adapter interfaces on the KVM host as uplinks and provide virtual network interfaces, such as virtio-net interfaces, to KVM guests.
      • MacVTap and Linux bridge can be attached to a bonded interface.
      • For Linux bridge and Open vSwitch, the PCI functions that are used to create the bonded interface need to be in promiscuous mode.
Notes:
  • Other than OSA Express and OSH of Network Express® in hybrid mode, RoCE Express does not support z/VM VSWITCH technology.
  • Open vSwitch requires promiscuous mode and therefor can not be used with RoCE Express.