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Hot spare support
IBM i integration with BladeCenter® and System x™ storage virtualization provides innovative options that can enable customers to enhance the reliability and recoverability of their Windows®, VMware® ESX or Linux® server environment. If a Windows, VMware ESX or Linux server fails, you can quickly and easily switch the server's storage spaces to another "hot spare" server without restarting your IBM i. This may easily reduce the overall number of Intel®-compatible servers needed to provide increased availability. It also adds flexibility by enabling one "spare" server to be used to protect multiple production servers.
Hot spare hardware compatibility: Switching a Windows, VMware ESX or Linux server from one set of server hardware to another is like migrating the Windows, VMware ESX or Linux system drive from one PC to a second PC. Differences in the required hardware abstraction layer (HAL), the basic input/output system (BIOS) level, or the devices that are installed on the two PCs can cause problems with the migration. During the initial boot of Windows, VMware ESX or Linux on the second PC, hardware differences are detected and are handled in one of several ways:
- Some can be automatically handled via plug and play.
- Others may require manual intervention. For example a new device driver may need to be installed.
- If the hardware differences are great enough, they could prevent the second PC from booting. For example, the two PCs may require incompatible versions of the HAL.
These same hardware compatibility considerations apply when hot sparing between IXS servers, between IXA attached System x models and between iSCSI attached BladeCenter and System x models. In order for the hot spare migration to work successfully, the hardware configurations of the two servers should be closely matched.
iSCSI host bus addapter (iSCSI HBA) and BladeCenter/System x model hot spare: In order to use hot spare between iSCSI attached BladeCenter blade or System x models, it is strongly recommended that the two BladeCenter blade or System x models be the same type. For example, an HS20 8843 blade can be a hot spare for another HS20 8843 blade. In addition, the BladeCenter blade or System x models should have a similar configuration of PCI adapters, etc.
Note 1 : It may be possible to hot spare between two BladeCenter blade or System x models that are not the same type. However, there are often significant hardware differences between BladeCenter blade or System x models. Therefore, you should test the specific combination of BladeCenter blade or System x models you plan to use for hot spare in this case. You should test to verify that the BladeCenter blade or System x models have compatible hardware configurations and can be migrated seamlessly between each other before you use them for hot spare server backup in a production environment.
Note 2 : Different operating system types may require that different initiator iSCSI HBA BIOS and firmware versions are installed on the hot spare server. For example, the initiator iSCSI HBA BIOS and firmware that is required for a Windows server may not work properly with a VMware ESX server. The required versions of initiator iSCSI HBA BIOS and firmware for each operating system type are listed at: ibm.com/systems/support/supportsite.wss/docdisplay?lndocid=MIGR-64054&brandind=5000008 When switching an operating system’s network server description (NWSD) from a failed server to the hot spare server, ensure that the proper initiator iSCSI HBA BIOS and firmware is installed on the hot spare server prior to varying on the NWSD. Note that if different initiator iSCSI HBA BIOS and firmware needs to be loaded, this may introduce an unacceptable delay in the hot spare process. To avoid this delay, it may be necessary to set up separate hot spare servers for each unique set of initiator iSCSI HBA BIOS and firmware that are required by the operating systems that are in your environment. Then if a server fails, a hot spare server with the correct initiator iSCSI HBA BIOS and firmware will be ready to use to get the operating system and its applications up and running quickly.
Integrated xSeries Adapter (IXA) and System x model hot spare: In order to use hot spare between IXA attached System x models, it is strongly recommended that the two System x models be the same type. For example, an x236 can be a hot spare for another x236. In addition, the System x models should have a similar configuration of PCI adapters, etc.
Integrated xSeries Server(IXS) hot spare: In order to use hot spare between IXS servers, they should be compatible types and they should have a comparable configuration of LAN adapters, etc. The Integrated xSeries server configurations table gives the specific IXS hot spare configurations that are supported.
Windows Server™ 2008 activation: Each time a Windows Server 2008 server's storage spaces are switched to another hot spare server, Windows Activation is likely to be triggered, requiring either a phone or on-line activation. Volume Activation 2.0 allows for volume licensing and transparent activation using either the Multiple Activation Key (MAK) or the Key Management Service (KMS) key.
Windows Server™ 2003 activation: Each time a Windows Server 2003 server's storage spaces are switched to another hot spare server, Windows Activation may be triggered. There are a limited number of free activations per license key. If activation is triggered enough times, this may require a phone call to Microsoft® in order to re-activate. This can limit the speed that a server can be re-activated. Volume licenses of Windows Server 2003 can help in this case, since there is no activation.
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