Load source placement rules for IBM i logical partitions

You must properly place a disk unit within a system unit or expansion unit before you use the disk unit as the load source for an IBM® i logical partition. The placement rules depend upon the server unit or expansion unit in which the load source is located and the I/O adapter (IOA) that controls the load source.

Note: The information provided does not replace the System Planning Tool (SPT). Use this information as a resource with the SPT output. Its purpose is to assist you in the load source placement for your IBM i logical partitions.

The load source disk for an IBM i logical partition must be placed as follows.

Table 1. Load source placement rules
Server or expansion unit	IOA	Disk slot
8203-E4A 8261-E4S 9407-M15 9408-M25	Embedded controller	P3-D2, P3-D3, P3-D4
8203-E4A 8261-E4S 9407-M15 9408-M25	SCSI bus port 0 of Optional PCI storage IOA controlling P2 disk slots	P2-D2, P2-D3, P2-D4
8204-E8A 9409-M50	Embedded controller	P2-D2, P2-D3, P2-D4
8204-E8A 9409-M50	SCSI bus port 0 of Optional PCI storage IOA controlling P3 disk slots	P3-D2, P3-D3, P3-D4
9117-MMA	Embedded controller	P3-D1, P3-D2, P3-D3, P3-D4, P3-D5, P3-D6
5074 or 5079	IOA controlling device board slot 3	D31, D32, D33, D34
	IOA controlling device board slot 1	D01, D02
	IOA controlling device board slot 2	D06, D07
5094 or 5294	SCSI bus port 0 of any storage IOA to which a load source disk unit is connected.	D01, D02, D11, D12, D21, D22, D06, D07, D16, D17, D26, D27, D31, D32, D33, D34
5095	IOA controlling device board slot 1	D01, D02, D03, D04
5095	IOA controlling device board slot 2	D07, D08, D09, D10
5786 or 5787	SCSI bus port 0 of any storage IOA to which a load source disk unit is connected	P1-D1, P1-D2, P1-D3 can contain the load source only if slot C3 contains a single SCSI (506E) repeater card that is connected to port 0 on a SCSI I/O Adapter (IOA) in the system unit but is not connected to slot C2. P1-D7, P1-D8, P1-D9 can contain the load source only if the SCSI repeater card in slot C2 is connected to port 0 on a SCSI IOA in the system unit. P2-D1, P2-D2, P2-D3 can contain the load source only if slot C4 contains a single SCSI (506E) repeater card that is connected to port 0 on a SCSI IOA in the system unit but is not connected to slot C5. P2-D7, P2-D8, P2-D9 can contain the load source only if the SCSI repeater card in slot C4 is connected to port 0 on a SCSI IOA in the system unit.
5790 or 5796	SCSI bus port 0 of any storage IOA to which a load source disk unit in a 5786 or 5787 expansion unit is connected	P1-D1, P1-D2, P1-D3 can contain the load source only if slot C3 contains a single SCSI (506E) repeater card that is connected to port 0 on a SCSI I/O Adapter (IOA) in the 5790 expansion unit but is not connected to slot C2. P1-D7, P1-D8, P1-D9 can contain the load source only if the SCSI repeater card in slot C2 is connected to port 0 on a SCSI IOA in the 5790 expansion unit. P2-D1, P2-D2, P2-D3 can contain the load source only if slot C4 contains a single SCSI (506E) repeater card that is connected to port 0 on a SCSI IOA in the 5790 expansion unit but is not connected to slot C5. P2-D7, P2-D8, P2-D9 can contain the load source only if the SCSI repeater card in slot C5 is connected to port 0 on a SCSI IOA in the 5790 expansion unit.

Read the following rules about load source placement for IBM i logical partitions:

There is no specific slot requirement for serial-attached SCSI (SAS) disk units. Any slot can contain the load source.
The load-source IOP or IOA must be specified when you create your logical partition.
Disk compression must be disabled for the load source disk.
Disk units must have at least 17 GB of usable capacity for IBM i V5R4M5 or later.
Disk mirroring is the only method possible to protect SAS disk units internal to 570 system units.
Disk mirroring requires two load source disk devices in valid load-source positions.
External disk units cannot be used (except for those located in a SAN or in an expansion unit).
Any disk IOP or IOAs that can attach to a system capable of having logical partitions can be used for additional storage capacity after the special requirements for the load-source disk are met.
Each logical partition has its own single-level storage and hence its own ASP configuration. The ASP configuration rules that apply to systems without logical partitions also apply to logical partitions.
Disk protection can be defined for a logical partition in the same way as for a nonpartitioned system: parity protection (RAID), mirroring, or mixed. Bus-level mirroring requires two buses in the logical partition. IOP-level partitioning requires two disk IOPs in the logical partition.
Disk units that are already in use by a logical partition cannot be easily added to a different logical partition. You must first remove them from the configuration of the logical partition that is using the disk units before you add them to a different logical partition. In doing this, the system automatically moves any user or system data to other disk units in the same ASP.
For a 5094 or 5294, you can attach load source disk units to a maximum of six storage IOAs. Also, a 5094 or 5294 can have load source disk units for up to six IBM i logical partitions.