SMC-R VLAN configuration issues

The SMC-R VLAN configuration checklist is provided for you to verify that your VLAN environment for RoCE, and therefore for SMC-R, is correctly configured.

Verify the consistency of the VLAN mode settings for your Ethernet switch port.
The VLAN mode setting for an Ethernet switch port can be access mode or trunk mode. The VLAN mode for the Ethernet switch port for an OSA Express® port must be the same VLAN mode for the Ethernet switch port for the associated IBM® 10 GbE RoCE Express ports. For example, if the Ethernet switch ports for the OSA Express are configured in access mode, the Ethernet switch ports for their associated 10 GbE RoCE Express ports must also be configured in access mode.
Verify the consistency of the VLAN access that is available to Ethernet switch ports that 10 GbE RoCE Express features use.
All ports for a specific physical network ID (PNetID) must have access to the same VLANID value:
- If you use access mode, only a single VLANID can be used, and all Ethernet switch ports that serve the ports for a specific PNetID must be configured with this single VLANID. This VLANID is not required to match any of the VLANIDs that are configured for the Ethernet switch ports that serve the associated OSA Express features.
- If you use trunk mode, all Ethernet switch ports that serve the 10 GbE RoCE Express ports for a specific PNetID must be configured with the same set of VLANID values as the Ethernet switch ports that serve the associated OSA Express features.
Verify VLAN mode consistency across all z/OS® hosts that use SMC-R for a specific PNetID.
All z/OS hosts that connect to the same PNetID for SMC-R communication must use the same VLAN mode, either access mode or trunk mode. You cannot mix access mode and trunk mode among the z/OS hosts for the same PNetID.

Guideline: The 10 GbE RoCE Express feature inherits the VLANID from the OSA interfaces within the same physical network. You do not specifically configure a VLANID for the 10 GbE RoCE Express feature.

For more information about configuring VLANs with SMC-R, see SMC-R VLAN configuration considerations in Shared Memory Communications over RDMA Reference Information.

For more information about VLAN support with SMC, see VLANID considerations in z/OS Communications Server: IP Configuration Guide.