(ESCON) Director

The IBM 9032 ESCON* Director provides channel connectivity using fiber optics and the Enterprise Systems* Connection Architecture for selected models of ES/3090J, the ES/3090 9000T, ES/9000* processors, and all models of the S/390 CMOS Servers. It provides for connection and switching among ESCON channels and ESCON control units. The ESCON Director provides up to 248 connection ports that may attach to either channels or control units. Optional enhanced availability features are also available. The ESCON Director supports attachment of the ESCON Converter Model 1, which allows attachment of control units with parallel interfaces.

Model Abstract 9032-005
Model 9032-005 includes 24 LED ports standard, upgradable to 248 ports maximum.

Model Highlights 9032-005

• Base configuration includes 24 LED ports standard
• 248-port maximum in 8 port increments
• Improved price performance >124 ports
• Token ring attached console
• Hardware Management Console function
• Optional 9032 Model 002 and Model 003 port configuration
• New Logical Partitioning capability
• Optional spare port card
• Second power supply and line cord is standard
• Systems management is improved with the ability to configure up to a maximum of 248 ports. This further enhances connectivity capability, configuration adaptability, and change-management capability.
• Improved business solutions are afforded by the less disruptive installation and reconfiguration characteristics as well as via the LED and ESCON XDF* link distances that can be achieved. For a discussion on Director-based configuration lengths, please refer to the "Distance" Section of these Sales Pages. Contact your local Marketing representative for a review of all local and extended-distance configuration options and opportunities.
• Business solutions are further improved via the concurrent, nondisruptive upgrades and replacements of hardware and software components during normal operation. These capabilities provide higher up-time and more flexible operations.
• The high performance characteristics of the 9032 Model 005 allow the maximum, 248-port configuration to sustain 124 port pairs simultaneously connected and actively passing data.
• Growth for existing installation is enhanced due to the new 248 port capacity of the Model 005. Additional ports can be added dynamically at any time. Any port can be defined as a spare port for use in the event of failure of any other port. The spare port can be activated from the Director console.
• Investment protection and migration flexibility are provided through attachment support of the 9034-001 (9034 ESCON Converter Model 001), and the 9036 (9036 IBM ESCON Channel Extender).
• User productivity is enhanced through the 9032 Model 005's high-connectivity capability and the less disruptive change-management capabilities, like concurrent hardware maintenance and upgrades, hardware redundancy, and the concurrent LIC (Licensed Internal Code) upgrade capability.
• User productivity is further enhanced by changes in console support. The console is attached via a token ring and can be located at distances up to the limit of the installed token ring. The console application software runs under OS/2 and has a windows-based user interface. A console is required for installation, configuration, and operator control of the 9032 Model 005. Once installed, a console is not required for the 9032 Model 005 to be operational. If a console failure occurs, the 9032 Model 005 continues to operate while the console is being repaired or control is being transferred to a spare console.
• If the customer has an installed S/390 CMOS processor he can elect to use the Hardware Management Console of the processor to manage his installed 9032 Model 003 ESCON, 9032 Model 005 and 9033 Model 004 ESCON Directors as well. The customer simply attaches the Director to the same token ring as the HMC and loads the console software provided with the Director on the HMC. This allows him to avoid a separate PC console and token ring just for the Directors.
• If the customer is replacing an existing 9032 Model 002 or 9032 Model 003 with the 9032 Model 005 and wants the Model 005 to be delivered with port cards configured using the same addresses as the old Model 002, or Model 003, Feature Code 5902 should be ordered for Model 002 and 5903 should be ordered for Model 003 when ordering the new Model 005.
• The 9032 Model 005 has flash memory that retains the current configuration if its power is turned off. This means if a console failure occurs and the 9032 Model 005 is powered down, when it is powered up operations can continue per the current configuration.
• Availability is improved by the redundant hardware features that provide automatic backup if a failure occurs thereby providing fault tolerance. Availability is further enhanced by the concurrent maintenance capabilities. These allow service to be performed while the 9032 Model 005 is in normal operation, without disruption of the customer environment.
• New application on the console which allows multiple discrete levels of authority to create and manage separate sets of connectivity paths, each having a unique password control. This function is known as Logical Partitioning.
• A separate hardware card with 4 ports, to be used for sparing in the event one of the production ports fails.

Technical Description

The 9032 Model 005 is a dynamic switch that accepts data streams through its fiber-optic ports, decodes destination port addresses contained in the data stream, makes internal routing connections, and passes the data streams to the addressed ports. A destination or source may be either a channel or a control unit. Up to 124 port pairs may be simultaneously connected and actively passing data.

The 9032 Model 005 is floor standing and is available in sizes ranging from 24 ports to 248 ports in increments of 8 ports. The 9032 Model 5 comes standard with 24 LED ports. If initially ordered with less than 248 ports it can be field upgraded, in increments of 8 ports.

A console is required and is available as a priced feature, or must otherwise be supplied by the customer. One console can manage up to 16 clustered 9032 Model 005, Model 003 or 9033 Model 004 Directors. Please refer to the "Operator/Service Console" section for a detailed discussion of the console.

Although the 9032 Model 005 allows any port to communicate with any other port, communication among ports may be configured, within device limitations, to satisfy application requirements. This configuration capability can be accomplished using the windows interface at the console, or, to synchronize Director configuration changes with appropriate changes in the host operating system, it is suggested that System Automation for OS/390 (SA OS/390) or ESCON Manager licensed programs at the host be used. SA OS/390 is the successor product to ESCON Manager.

If either of these is to be used, there must be at least one ESCON channel connection between the host and the 9032 Model 005. Prestored configurations at the local console are also allowed, and can be transferred to and from the host.

Logical Partitioning

The Logical Partitioning capability allows an administrator to create port level configuration access control that is unique to each defined operator. The Director can be divided into distinct groups or logical regions of port addresses, each with operator specific management authority. This capability restricts unauthorized operators from changing the port connectivity configuration of any single device or set of devices under control of the Director. The administrator can also define groups of ports whose configuration access can be shared between operators. A logical partition can be:

• As small as one port or as large as 248 contiguous or non-contiguous ports in any increment or physical location of the Director.
• A different size from another logical partition.
• Mutually exclusive to one operator or shared among many operators.
• Include common ports shared by multiple operators
• Easily changed or modified.

Miscellaneous

The 9032 Model 005 cannot share a console with either a 9032 Model 002 or a 9033 Model 001.

The 9032 Model 005 can share its console with either a 9032 Model 003 or 9033 Model 004.

A 9032 Model 005 can be chained, via the ESCON fiber optic interface, with a 9032 Model 002, 9032 Model 003, 9033 Model 001, 9033 Model 004 or another 9032 Model 005, provided the connection ports in one or both are defined as dedicated connections. A maximum of two Directors can be chained.

Point-to-point distances of up to 3 kilometers (km) cable length are supported when LED ports are installed. Using a properly positioned 9032 Model 005, channel-to-control-unit or channel-to-channel distances of up to 6 km can be achieved. A maximum of 9 km can be achieved using two, chained 9032 Model 005s, or with a 9032 Model 005 chained with a 9032 Model 002, 9032 Model 003, 9033 Model 001, or 9033 Model 004.

With ESCON XDF point-to-point distances of up to 20 km cable length are supported. Channel-to-control-unit distances of up to 43 km can be achieved for selected control units. The maximum achievable distances are control unit dependent. Channel-to-channel distances of up to 60 km can be achieved.

The 9032 Model 005 maintains a local audit trail on the console's hard disk. This audit trail records the time, date and password for certain changes made from the Director console; and image ID, time, and date for changes made by ESCON Manager and SA for OS/390.

Optional Features:

5240 LED Ports 8 additional
5245 Spare Ports Feature
5250 XDF Ports 8 additional
5260 FICON Bridge Card
5500 Redundant MXS/MXC Cards
5600 Redundant CTP Card
5800 Redundant Token Ring Card
Power Supply (regular)
Power Supply FICON capable