Use this topic to help gain an understanding of what to consider
when planning for the Virtual I/O Server.
In this section, you will find information about planning for the Virtual I/O Server.
Planning for Virtual I/O Server and client logical partitions using system plans
You can use the System Planning Tool (SPT) to create
a system plan that includes configuration specifications for a Virtual I/O Serverand client logical
partitions. You can also use the Hardware Management Console (HMC) to create a system
plan based on an existing system configuration.
Specifications
This topic defines the range of configuration possibilities,
including the minimum number of resources needed and the maximum number
of resources allowed.
Capacity planning
This topic includes capacity-planning considerations for the Virtual I/O Server, including information
about hardware resources and limitations.
Configuration requirements for shared memory
Review the requirements for the system, Virtual I/O Server (VIOS), logical
partitions, and paging space devices so that you can successfully
configure shared memory.
Redundancy considerations
Redundancy options are available at several levels in the
virtual I/O environment. Multipathing, mirroring, and RAID redundancy
options exist for the Virtual I/O Server and some client
logical partitions. Ethernet Link Aggregation (also
called EtherChannel) is also an option for the client logical
partitions, and the Virtual I/O Server provides Shared Ethernet Adapter failover.
There is also support for node failover (HACMP™) for nodes using virtual I/O resources.
Security considerations
Review the security considerations for virtual SCSI, virtual
Ethernet, and Shared Ethernet Adapter and
the additional security options available.
Limitations and restrictions for IBM i client logical partitions
With Virtual I/O Server version
1.5 and later, you can install IBM® i in a client logical
partition. IBM i client
logical partitions have unique system and storage requirements and
considerations.
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