|
|
 |
|
|
|
Is the IXS memory different from IBM i memory?
Yes, they are separate. The Integrated xSeries Server (IXS) uses its own memory - the IXS can have up to 4 GB memory, depending on model.
|
|
|
|
|
When 4 GB or more of memory is installed, why does Windows report less memory than is actually installed?
With Windows Server versions that use 32-bit addressing on PC/Intel® (x86) architecture, most PCI devices can't have their address spaces mapped above the 4 GB limit, so PCI address space is allocated below 4 GB. This means that any machine with 4 GB or more of physical memory has some of its physical memory "overlaid" by the PCI address space.
If the memory controller of the machine supports remapping the overlaid physical memory to an address above 4 GB and if the processor is capable of accessing memory above 4 GB and if the operating system supports memory above 4 GB, then all of the physical memory is still usable. If any of the above are not true, then the "overlaid" memory is not accessible and the operating system will report less physical memory than is actually installed. For example a Windows server with 4 GB of physical memory installed might report only 3.5 GB of memory.
In the case of IXS hardware, only type-model 2892-001 and 2892-002 are capable of accessing memory addresses above 4 GB. In the case of iSCSI host bus adapter (iSCSI HBA) attached BladeCenter blade or System x models and Integrated xSeries Adapter (IXA) attached System x models, check your BladeCenter or System x model processor and memory controller specifications to determine if the server can access memory addresses above 4 GB. (Most BladeCenter blade and System x models are capable of accessing memory addresses above 4 GB.)
The 32-bit x86 versions of Windows Server™ that support memory above 4 GB are Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise, Windows Server 2003 Enterprise and Windows 2000 Advanced Server.
If your IXS, BladeCenter blade or System x model can access memory addresses above 4 GB and the Windows version you are using supports over 4 GB of memory, but Windows still reports less physical memory than is actually installed, see Microsoft® web page Large memory support is available in Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 for information on how to configure Windows to address all of the physical memory that is available.
Note: This FAQ does not apply to Windows Server 2008 running on iSCSI attached servers, since 64-bit addressing is used.
|
|
|
|
|
Can I use a graphical interface to manage my integrated servers?
Yes, System i Navigator (included with System i Access for Windows) provides graphical management, including the following:
- Server management: Start, shut down and restart servers. Display server status and properties. Run commands on a Windows server. View Windows event log messages.
- Disk management: Create, delete and display properties of virtual disk drives. Link a virtual disk drive to an integrated server or unlink a virtual disk drive from an integrated server.
- User enrollment for Windows servers: Enroll, unenroll and retry enrollments for users and groups. Display enrollment status and error details.
- iSCSI connections: Create, delete and display properties of iSCSI-related configuration objects. Start and stop iSCSI HBAs, check status of remote systems and synchronize service processor information.
Note: In IBM i 6.1, IBM Systems Director Navigator for i5/OS uses a web browser to provide graphical management capabilities similar to System i Navigator.
|
|
|
|
|
Can I use a web browser to manage my integrated servers?
Yes, in IBM i 6.1, IBM Systems Director Navigator for i5/OS provides graphical management using a web browser, including the following:
- Server management: Start, shut down and restart servers. Display server status and properties. Run commands on a Windows server. View Windows event log messages.
- Disk management: Create, delete and display properties of virtual disk drives. Link a virtual disk drive to an integrated server or unlink a virtual disk drive from an integrated server.
- User enrollment for Windows servers: Enroll, unenroll and retry enrollments for users and groups. Display enrollment status and error details.
- iSCSI connections: Create, delete and display properties of iSCSI-related configuration objects. Start and stop iSCSI HBAs, check status of remote systems and synchronize service processor information.
|
|
|
|
|
Is there Failover Protection?
Yes.
- For Windows servers, Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) can be used to fail over Windows servers and applications that are installed on IXSs or System x models attached via the IXA. MSCS is supported on Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition and Windows 2000 Advanced Server.
- For VMware ESX server: In i 6.1, when using shared storage, advanced VMware functions such as VMware VMotion, VMware HA and VMware DRS can be used to provide failover protection.
In addition to the failover support provided by MSCS and VMware ESX, integrated servers can also use the "hot spare" capability. With a hot spare, you set aside an integrated server to act as a backup for the production server. If the production server hardware has a failure, you can move the failed server to run on the hot spare server. The only action required to do this is to change Network Server Description (NWSD) to point to the hot spare server hardware, then vary on. See the Hot spare support page for more information.
|
|
|
|
|
What performance should I expect?
Equal to or slightly better than a similarly configured external server.
|
|
|
|
|
What is QNTC?
This is IBM i client support for Windows - i.e. it enables IBM i applications to access data on the servers that support the SMB file sharing protocol. Windows servers support SMB file sharing natively. Linux servers require an add-on product such as Samba to provide SMB file sharing. QNTC allows access to data on Windows or Linux running on an integrated server or an external server in the same domain.
IBM i enables saving of individual files through QNTC for:
- A Windows server running on an IXS, a System x model attached via the IXA or a BladeCenter or System x model attached via iSCSI.
- With IBM i 6.1, a Linux server running on a BladeCenter or System x model attached via iSCSI.
- With IBM i 6.1, a Linux server running in a Power server logical partition.
This further integrates incremental backup of Windows and Linux files with existing IBM i backup procedures.
|
|
|
|
|
What is the Logo status of integrated server hardware on the Microsoft HCL?
See the Logo'd by Microsoft page.
|
|
|
|
|
Is VMware® ESX supported on iSCSI attached servers?
Yes. VMware ESX Server is supported on iSCSI attached servers. See the VMware ESX on integrated servers page for details.
|
|
|
|
|
Is VMware® ESX supported on IXA attached servers?
No. VMware ESX Server is not supported on IXA attached servers.
Note: VMware GSX Server is a Windows application that can run on System x models that are attached to the IBM i platform with Integrated xSeries Adapters. See  VMware GSX Server on IBM eServer™ iSeries Integrated Servers (883 KB).
|
|
|
|
|
Is VMware VMotion supported on integrated servers?
Yes, with IBM i 6.1, shared storage is supported for iSCSI attached VMware ESX servers. Shared storage enables VMware VMotion and other advanced VMware functions such as VMware HA and VMware DRS.
|
|
|
|
|
Can I run Linux on an integrated server?
Yes. IBM has enabled installing Linux on selected integrated servers. See the Linux on integrated servers page for details.
|
|
|
|
|
How does the addition of IXA attached System x models affect how may I/O Towers I can have on a RIO/HSL loop?
The number of I/O Towers in a RIO/HSL loop is independent of the number of IXA attached System x models in that loop. However, each IXA attached System x model counts as an I/O tower in the RIO/HSL loop, so adding IXAs to a loop will decrease the number of non-IXA I/O towers that can exist in the RIO/HSL loop. See Integrated xSeries Adapter(IXA) for details.
|
|
|
|
|
Can I monitor the Windows Server event log from IBM i?
Yes. Windows event logs can be recorded in the IBM i job log or a message queue you specify. In case of problems with the Windows Server, service personnel can then consult that record by way of a remote link to IBM i.
To enable event log monitoring, or to change which messages you want to record follow these steps:
- At the IBM i command line enter the command CHGNWSD to change the network server description and press F4.
- In the Network server description field, enter the name of your NWSD and press Enter.
- Page Down to Server message queue and enter the name of the message queue and library where you want the messages stored. If you do not specify a message queue, messages will go to the IBM i Monitor job log. You can also specify *NONE.
- Page down to Event log.
- In the blank to the right, specify which event log messages you want recorded in the IBM i message queue.
- *ALL sends all event messages to the message queue.
- *NONE disables event messages.
- *SYS sends system event messages to the message queue.
-
*SEC sends security event messages to the message queue.
Note: If you propagate the security log, (by specifying *ALL or *SEC), be sure to set up the message queue with the proper security. You need to do this because the status of user logons and password changes might appear in the log.
- *APP sends application event messages to the message queue.
- Press Enter to enable event log monitoring from IBM i.
|
|
|
|
|
Can an integrated server communicate via IBM Power server virtual Ethernets?
Windows servers running on IXS or BladeCenter or System x models that are attached via iSCSI HBAs or IXAs can communicate over Power server virtual Ethernets.
Linux servers running on System x models that are attached via IXAs can communicate over Power server virtual Ethernets. This support requires IBM i 5.4 and either SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server 9 or Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® 4.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
The iSCSI solution is Ethernet based. How can this be better than the HSL that IXA uses?
An IXA can only use a portion of the bandwidth provided by HSL. All of the devices in the HSL loop, including other IXAs or I/O Towers, share the bandwidth available. In addition, the IXA uses hardware to attach to the HSL loop that has bandwidth constraints smaller than the total bandwidth available in the HSL loop. In contrast, iSCSI provides 1 Gbps full duplex connections that are used only by integrated servers.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Can the iSCSI set of IP addresses and the LAN set of IP addresses be in a different subnet?
Yes. For a single or multiple servers this is not a problem or restriction.
If more than one server is installed, it is recommended that the different subnets defined for the iSCSI set of IP addresses and the LAN set of IP addresses be used across all of the different servers so that all servers configured can be used in a Hot Spare scenario. Please note that Hot Sparing servers requires that the servers be of the same machine type and model as well as hardware installed on those servers.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Can the virtual Ethernet subnet be the same as the iSCSI and NIC functions in an iSCSI HBA?
No. The virtual Ethernet network and the iSCSI network are not one in the same and must be treated as a separate network by assigning a different subnet.
Since the NIC in the iSCSI HBA is visible in a Windows environment and the virtual Ethernet is also visible to Windows, this would represent a conflict. The NIC function in the iSCSI HBA is used exclusively in this solution to transport virtual Ethernet data across the network to connect to the Power server virtual switch. This NIC interface should be used exclusively for this purpose and should not be used as another NIC available for general use under Windows.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Since iSCSI is Ethernet based, should we be worried about collisions in the switch?
Generally no, but be aware that sharing a target iSCSI HBA among too many initiators can affect initiator system performance (if they all try to run heavy storage workloads at the same time).
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Does the iSCSI solution support direct connect (no switches) between iSCSI HBAs?
Yes, with IBM i 6.1, a switch is not required between the iSCSI HBAs for simple one-to-one configurations. For more complex configurations and for prior releases, a switch is required between the iSCSI HBAs. See the Ethernet switches for iSCSI page for details.
|
|
|
|
| |
