Single host configuration - NovaLink managed hosts

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This is the simplest IBM® Power® Virtualization Center configuration. In this configuration, you have a single host that acts as the management server and the managed host. This configuration is useful if you want to try PowerVC in your environment with a minimum amount of resources. These components are required, but PowerVC does not manage the networks, router, or workstation.

These examples show a host managed by PowerVM® NovaLink. In your PowerVC environment, there can be hosts that are managed by NovaLink and hosts that are managed by HMC.

Single host configuration with NPIV attached storage

This figure shows a single Power Systems host being used as the management server in a PowerVC environment. It is connected to SAN storage through a single SAN switch. There are two network switches: one for data and one for the management network.
Table 1. Components of this single host configuration
Component Description
Host The IBM Power host is managed by NovaLink and is running several virtual machines. The host has a Virtual I/O Server, a virtual machine acting as the NovaLink management partition, and a Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® virtual machine where the PowerVC management server is installed and running.
Network It is best practice to have separate management and data networks, each with their own switches to isolate and secure the traffic, so that is what is shown here. For trial purposes, you could use a single network switch for both networks. The data network is backed by a Shared Ethernet Adapter on the Virtual I/O Server.
Storage There is a single storage provider that uses a single NPIV-capable SAN switch. The Virtual I/O Server on the host has access to the SAN using a Fibre Channel connection. The Linux virtual machine on the host has access to the SAN storage through the Virtual I/O Server using virtual Fibre Channel.
Virtual assets In this example, there are multiple virtual machines on the host apart from the Virtual I/O Server, the NovaLink virtual machine, and the virtual machine that is hosting the PowerVC management server. There are three image volumes in the shared storage pool. Virtual machines A, B, and C were the result of deploying those images.

Refer to Planning for hosts, Planning for networks, and Planning for storage and the rest of the planning information for guidance on how to make the decisions you need to make to plan your own environment.

Single host configuration with vSCSI attached storage

This figure shows a single Power Systems host being used as the management server in a PowerVC environment. It is connected to SAN storage through a single SAN switch. There are two network switches: one for data and one for the management network.
Table 2. Components of this single host configuration
Component Description
Host The IBM Power host is managed by NovaLink and is running several virtual machines. The host has a Virtual I/O Server, a virtual machine acting as the NovaLink management partition, and a Red Hat Enterprise Linux virtual machine where the PowerVC management server is installed and running.
Network It is best practice to have separate management and data networks, each with their own switches to isolate and secure the traffic, so that is what is shown here. For trial purposes, you could use a single network switch for both networks. The data network is backed by a Shared Ethernet Adapter on the Virtual I/O Server.
Storage There is a single storage provider that uses a single SAN switch. The Virtual I/O Server on the host has access to the SAN by using a Fibre Channel connection. The Linux virtual machine on the host has access to the SAN storage volumes through the Virtual I/O Server over a vSCSI connection.
Important: Before using vSCSI on a host, you must set up zoning between all of the switches and that host. For information, see Planning for vSCSI storage.
Virtual assets In this example, there are multiple virtual machines on the host apart from the Virtual I/O Server, the NovaLink virtual machine, and the virtual machine that is hosting the PowerVC management server. There are three image volumes in the shared storage pool. Virtual machines A, B, and C were the result of deploying those images.

Refer to Planning for hosts, Planning for networks, and Planning for storage and the rest of the planning information for guidance on how to make the decisions you need to make to plan your own environment.

Single host configuration with shared storage pool attached storage

This figure shows a single Power Systems host being used as the management server in a PowerVC environment. It is connected to SAN storage through a single SAN switch. There are two network switches: one for data and one for the management network. There is an HMC in this environment as well.
Table 3. Components of this single host configuration
Component Description
Host The IBM Power host is managed by NovaLink and is running several virtual machines. The host has a Virtual I/O Server, a virtual machine acting as the NovaLink management partition, and a Red Hat Enterprise Linux virtual machine where the PowerVC management server is installed and running.
Network It is best practice to have separate management and data networks, each with their own switches to isolate and secure the traffic, so that is what is shown here. For trial purposes, you could use a single network switch for both networks. The data network is backed by a Shared Ethernet Adapter on the Virtual I/O Server.
Storage There is a single SAN storage provider on the Fibre Channel fabric that provides the volumes for the shared storage pool.
There is a single shared storage pool across all of the Virtual I/O Servers that use SAN storage. Volumes are created within the shared storage pool. The virtual machines on the host have access to the volumes in the shared storage pool through the Virtual I/O Server by using a vSCSI connection.
Important: The shared storage pool must be created before bringing the volume under PowerVC management. For information, see Planning for shared storage pools.
Virtual assets In this example, there are multiple virtual machines on the host apart from the Virtual I/O Server, the NovaLink virtual machine, and the virtual machine that is hosting the PowerVC management server. There are three image volumes in the shared storage pool. Virtual machines A, B, and C were the result of deploying those images. The NovaLink virtual machine is not managed by PowerVC as a virtual machine. It is the manager of the other virtual machines and PowerVC communicates with it to perform its management.

Refer to Planning for hosts, Planning for networks, and Planning for storage and the rest of the planning information for guidance on how to make the decisions you need to make to plan your own environment.