The VIOS release contains product enhancements, new functions, new hardware support, and fixes.

A release update, also known as a fix pack, updates the VIOS software to the latest version. Release updates contain product enhancements, new functions, new hardware support, and fixes.

A service pack applies to only one VIOS version. A service pack contains critical fixes and base enablement support for new hardware. A service pack does not update the VIOS to a new level. It applies only to a specific VIOS fix pack release.

An interim fix applies to a specific VIOS level and provides a fix for a specific problem. The official fixes are included in the future fix packs or service packs of the VIOS software.

The VIOS software is distributed on two DVDs. When you start the VIOS software setup from DVD 1, you will be prompted to insert DVD 2 after the DVD 1 data is processed.

To install another language fileset after the initial installation is complete, insert the second DVD into the DVD drive and use the chlang command.

The minimum memory requirement for VIOS Version 2.2.3.2 varies based on the configuration.

A general rule for the minimum memory requirement for VIOS Version 2.2.3.2 is 4 GB. A minimum current memory requirement might support a configuration with a minimum number of devices or a small maximum memory configuration. However, to support shared storage pools, the minimum memory requirement is 4 GB.

VIOS Version 2.2.3.2 requires the minimum current memory requirement to increase when either the maximum memory configuration or the number of devices increases or when they both increase. Larger maximum memory configurations or additional devices increase the minimum current memory requirement. If the minimum memory requirement is not increased along with the maximum memory configuration, the partition stops during the initial program load (IPL).

Single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) is a Peripheral Component Interconnect express (PCIe) standard architecture that enables PCI adapters to self virtualize.

SR-IOV capable adapters can be configured as virtual replicas of a PCI function, each of which is then individually assigned to logical partitions. SR-IOV is a key I/O virtualization technology that allows sharing of adapter resources by multiple partitions with little or no runtime involvement of a hypervisor or other virtualization intermediary. SR-IOV capable adapters provide a wide variety of functions and flexibility within the adapters. SR-IOV adapter resources (or some portion of resources) assigned to the VIOS can be used to provide VIOS network I/O with the SEA. The use of SR-IOV adapters on the VIOS with the SEA allows virtual clients to take advantage of the SR-IOV and LPM capabilities.

The maximum values supported for shared storage pools are as follows:

• Maximum of 16 Virtual I/O Server nodes in a single cluster
• Maximum of 1024 disks assigned to a shared storage pool
• Maximum of 512 TB of storage capacity of a shared storage pool
• Maximum of 8192 virtual disk (logical unit) mappings in a shared storage pool

The VIOS Version 2.2.3.2 supports the ability to mirror a shared storage pool. This capability ensures that the shared storage pool can withstand individual disk failures. The VIOS Version 2.2.3.2 also supports shrinking the capacity of a shared storage pool by removing the disks assigned to it. In the VIOS Version 2.2.3.2, the individual disks assigned to the shared storage pool can be expanded on the SAN Controller, and the pool reflects the increased capacity.

In the VIOS Version 2.2.3.2 or later, by default, the shared storage pool cluster is created in a unicast address mode. In earlier VIOS versions, the cluster communication mode gets created in multicast address mode. As the older cluster versions are upgraded to VIOS Version 2.2.3.0, the communication mode changes from multicast to unicast as part of rolling upgrade operation.

VIOS Version 2.2.3.2 is enhanced with the following features:

• Supports 8 GB quad port PCIe generation with 2 Fibre Channels
• Supports IBM Power® 770 with POWER7® IOC I/O hub
• Supports IBM Power 720 Express® with POWER7 IOC I/O hub
• Supports 2.5-inch serial attached SCSI solid-state drives (SAS SSD) in 200 GB and 400 GB capacities
• Supports Live Partition Mobility of client partitions by using the N-Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) without any configured targets.