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  • 1.  S1022s Dual VIOS

    Posted Thu November 24, 2022 02:18 AM
    Dear all

    Just a quick a question. On the new S1022s , S1022 and S1024 we can have Dual VIOS with single backplane and single NVME JBOF controller assigning two disks to one VIOS and the other two to the other? I understand that the backplane and adapter are single point of failure.

    Regards

    Antonis C

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    Antonis Constantinou
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  • 2.  RE: S1022s Dual VIOS

    Posted Fri November 25, 2022 03:24 AM
    Hi Antonis,
    yes you can have Dual VIOS with only one NVMe Adapter. The NVMe "JBOF" adapter connects the PCI slot with the NVMe device slots and includes only a PCIe4 switch. So yes if you use only one NVME JBOF card you have one more single point of failure. It is allowed to install 2x NVMe JBOF cards to have redundance but then less slots are available for LAN/SAN.

    Look at:

    https://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/redp5675.html

    Chapter 3.5 Internal storage

    Regards, Harald

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    Harald Stürner
    Senior Consultant IBM Power Systems
    PROFI Engineering Systems AG
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: S1022s Dual VIOS

    IBM Champion
    Posted Fri November 25, 2022 03:29 AM
    Dear Antonis

    With the information from this IBM Sales Manual of S1022 :  https://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_sm/1/872/ENUS9105-_h01/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en , you can order two set of FC "EJ1X Storage Backplane with four NVMe U.2 drive slots" and then allocate NVMe unit(s) on each EJ1X to each VIOS if you want to avoid a single point of failure.

    (#EJ1X) - Storage Backplane with four NVMe U.2 drive slots
    • Attributes provided: Storage backplane
    • Minimum required: 0
    • Maximum allowed: 2 (Initial order maximum: 2)
    • OS level required:
      • IBM i supported through VIOS
      • Linux supported
      • AIX supported
    • Initial Order/MES/Both/Supported: Both
    • CSU: No
    • Return parts MES: No
      Note: Assignment to the VIOS supported



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    Right action is better than knowledge; but in order to do what is right, we must know what is right.
    -- Charlemagne

    Satid Singkorapoom
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: S1022s Dual VIOS

    Posted Fri November 25, 2022 08:56 AM
    Hi Antonis,
    you are right. The NVMe drives can be assigned as you described. Of course one backplane would be considered as potential SPOF in your design.
    As far as I know you can decide to add one more backplane and split NVMe modules to each backplane like in this configuration:

    ----eConfig output----
    EJ1X Storage backplane with four NVMe U.2 drive slots = 2 
    EC7T 800GB Mainstream NVMe U.2 SSD 4k for AIX/Linux =4
    --------

    Look at the Redbook: https://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redpapers/pdfs/redp5675.pdf page 126 where you can see Internal storage details and table with information features summary. Hope it is helpful for you.
    PS: I can't remember that we would have any incident on P9 machines with NVMe backplane. I can see that backplanes line "PCIe lines extension and splitter" with some very simple ASIC and few cables/connectors...

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    JAN SUCHÝ
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: S1022s Dual VIOS

    Posted Fri November 25, 2022 08:56 AM
    Hi Antonis,
    yes. It is possible and works with only one controller…

    regards

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    Jens Kurzke
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    Original Message