Scsi Disk Support; Overall Technology Impact - IBM ZVSE ROADMAP Manual

Impact: As the reliance on the Internet and network-enabled applications continues to increase it
is important that any platform providing such applications can be confidently secured. The
features of z9 and their exploitation by z/VSE provides this confidence.

3.2.6 SCSI Disk Support

z/VSE 3.1 introduced support of SCSI-based devices through an FBA-emulation layer that
provides transparent access to these devices by existing, unmodified, applications. Facilities such
as N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) allows secure access to SCSI end-points.
z/VSE 4.1 has introduced support of directly connected SCSI devices instead of mandating the
presence of a switched fabric environment.
Impact: z/VSE may now participate in a SAN environment which may improve the management
of the storage environment of the site. Direct connection allows a site to "put their toe in the
water" when it comes to SCSI without the expense of a complete switched fabric.

3.3 Overall Technology Impact

The impact of the technologies described in the previous sections is two-fold:
1. More effective integration with other mainframe and non-mainframe systems.
2. Provides the building blocks which positions z/VSE to fully participate in enterprise-wide
SOA strategies.
IBM-2007-04569-E-01 ©2007 Sine Nomine Associates 7