Table of Contents
Advertisement
Ethernet features. The virtual Ethernet network is extendable outside the server to a
physical Ethernet network.
Note: Virtual Ethernet is based on the IEEE 802.1Q VLAN standard. No physical I/O
adapter is required when creating a VLAN connection between partitions, and no access to
an outside network is required.
Virtual (TTY) console
Each partition needs to have access to a system console. Tasks such as operating system
install, network setup, and some problem analysis activities require a dedicated system
console. The POWER Hypervisor, when enabled, provides virtual console using a virtual TTY
or serial adapter and a set of Hypervisor calls to operate on them. Virtual TTY does not
require the Virtual I/O Server to be running on the system.
Depending on the system configuration, the operating system console can be provided by the
Hardware Management Console, virtual TTY, or from a terminal emulator connected to
physical serial ports on the system's service processor.
The virtual TTY console support should not be confused with the virtual serial available with
the service processor, as described in "Service processor communication ports" on page 23.
The virtual TTY support discussed here is configured using the HMC.
Note: When enabled, the POWER Hypervisor is active when the server is running in
partition and non-partition mode, and also when not connected to the HMC. The
Hypervisor memory requirements should be considered when planning the system
memory specifications. Use the LPAR Validation Tool for calculating the Hypervisor
memory requirements.
Virtual I/O Server
The OpenPower 710 POWER Hypervisor and Virtual I/O Server technologies also include the
VIOS software. The VIOS software is not required for static or dynamic LPAR,
Micro-Partitioning, virtual Ethernet, or virtual TTY. The Virtual I/O Server is a special purpose
partition that provides virtual I/O resources to client partitions. The Virtual I/O Server will own
the real resources that will be shared with the other LPARs. The Virtual I/O technology allows
a physical adapter assigned to a partition to be shared by one or more partitions, enabling
clients to minimize the number of physical adapters. The Virtual I/O Server eliminates the
requirement that each partition own a dedicated network adapter, disk adapter, and disk
drive. The Virtual I/O Server software is only supported in Virtual I/O Server partitions.
Figure 2-6 shows a view of Linux virtual partitions including the Virtual I/O Server. The figure
also includes virtual SCSI and Ethernet connections and mixed operating system partitions.
28
IBM eServer OpenPower 710 Technical Overview and Introduction
Advertisement
Table of Contents
