This section provides the information that you need to attach fibre-channel adapters on zSeries hosts running Linux.
Linux solutions are available for the 31- and 64-bit environments. The availability of this option depends on the zSeries® model and the Linux distribution. Fibre-channel support is available for both direct and switched attachment.
Linux for S/390 is a 31-bit version of Linux. It is currently available for S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server™ G5 and G6 and the Multiprise® 3000 processors. It also runs on zSeries models in 31-bit mode. The 31-bit limitation limits the addressable main storage to 2 GB.
Linux on zSeries supports the 64-bit architecture on zSeries processors. This includes all zSeries models. The 64-bit support eliminates the 31-bit storage limitation of 2 GB.
Linux for zSeries can access FCP and FICON controllers and devices with the appropriate I/O driver support. Linux can run using the operating system that came with the system, in a logical partition or as a guest operating system under z/VM® Version 4 Release 4 or later. For the most current list of supported operating system releases see the Interoperability Matrix at http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/disk/ds6000/.
To attach storage through a fibre channel, you must have a zSeries FCP channel. An FCP channel requires the same FICON™ channel hardware that is used for FICON channel. You can define FICON channel hardware as either a FICON or FCP channel by specifying the correct channel path type (FC or FCP) in the IOCP channel path ID (CHPID) statement. Thus, defining FCP type channels in the IOCP reduces accordingly the total number of FICON type channels that you can configure.