Originally posted by: cp_

Guys,

I've been going through the interesting redbooks about GPFS, they all provide useful information. However I've got a couple of questions and would love to have a hindsight of someone who has already gone through this type of setup.

Summary:

My Setup consists of a couple of JS23 Blades within a BCH Chassis, connected to an IBM N-Series storage - I've already installed rootvg and a couple of other LUNs. Now i would like to setup a GPFS partition for a particular application.

1: Do I have to download files or the GPFS files are bundled with the OS (AIX v6.1)?
2: Any pionts i should watch out?
3: Any License requirements?

Regards!
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Originally posted by: gcorneau

1: Do I have to download files or the GPFS files are bundled with the OS (AIX v6.1)?

You need to purchase GPFS for AIX, it is not included with the OS. There are places to get it internally, but for official use, you need to purchase it.

2: Any points i should watch out?

Spend some time reading the GPFS Installation Guide as well as some time in the GPFS wiki and FAQ:
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/wikis/display/hpccentral/General+Parallel+File+System+%28GPFS%29
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/clresctr/vxrx/topic/com.ibm.cluster.gpfs.doc/gpfs_faqs/gpfs_faqs.html

3: Any License requirements?

GPFS is not node-locked, or require any Tivoli Licensing software if that's what you're thinking. If you have the code, it will work. If you are creating a 2 or 3 node cluster, you probably want all nodes to be "Server" licensed nodes.

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Glen Corneau
IBM Power Systems Advanced Technical Skills
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Originally posted by: cp_

Thanks gcorneau for your feedback,

Any path i'd have to follow to buy GPFS?

Regards
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Originally posted by: cp_

If I'm utilizing JS23 blades and a VIOS on each blade - I'd have to use pass through disks for GPFS?
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Originally posted by: gcorneau

Talk to your traditional IBM STG (i.e. hardware/storage/systems software) sales representative or business partner for purchasing information on GPFS. I have no idea if we have web sales for stuff like that.

If you are sharing the SAN LUNs with multiple partitions (on the same node or different nodes), you'll have to use full disk (not LV-backed) pass through (vSCSI via VIOS/IVM) or NPIV. There can be no SCSI reserves on the shared LUNs.

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Glen Corneau
IBM Power Systems Advanced Technical Skills
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Originally posted by: ColombianJoker

Everything said.

GPFS is a commercially licensed product. You must buy licenses for all your servers that "locally" mount filesystems. GPFS is core-licensed. GPFS is not node-locked, won't ask you for a license number or file at installation time.

GPFS is available for AIX, Linux, Linux on Power, Windows and Solaris.
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Originally posted by: cp_

Thanks for the info guys, it was very helpful.

After playing around with the system, I've presented the LUN to the VIOS and mapped it to the LPAR. Changed the attribute of the disk from single_path to no_reserve.... and hopefully now i can setup this GPFS filesystem.

Hope that I'm within the right path :)
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Originally posted by: gcorneau

Clarification:

You must buy licenses for all your servers that mount a GPFS file system using GPFS methods (as compared to NFS, CIFS, etc), doesn't matter if those systems have "local" (SAN) visibility to the shared disks or not (network).

GPFS is available for AIX, Linux on x86, Linux on Power, Windows and BlueGene.

It is NOT available for Solaris, that Statement of Direction was withdrawn:

http://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?subtype=ca&infotype=an&appname=iSource&supplier=897&letternum=ENUS308-035

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Glen Corneau
IBM Power Systems Advanced Technical Skills
#AIX-Forum