SCSI initial program loading for zSeries

Abstract

This paper describes a new kind of initial program loading (IPL) for IBM zSeries ᭨ servers. The new IPL protocol expands the set of input/output devices that can be used during IPL to include Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) Fibre Channel protocol (FCP) disk devices (SCSI disks). We begin by describing several new challenges resulting from the use of SCSI disks during IPL, followed by a brief overview of new concepts we have applied to the IPL process to overcome these challenges. We continue with a step-by-step description of the processes executed during SCSI IPL, the tools used, the disk format, the parameters required, and related topics. Since SCSI IPL is supported for virtual machines instantiated by the z/VM ᭨ operating system, some unique features of this capability are described. Finally, we describe a variation of SCSI IPL that enables the contents of memory to be dumped onto a SCSI disk.