Create volume — Define volume properties

Introduction

The system automatically calculates the number and size of your volumes based on the designations that you made in the Define volume characteristics panel. These values are displayed in the quantity and size fields of the Define volume properties panel when you initially display this panel.

You can change these numbers to meet your needs such as either the number of volumes that you want or the size of your volumes. The calculation buttons supply the missing component. For instance if you want 20 volumes, you insert this number in the quantity field, click the calculation button, and the size of those 20 volumes is automatically supplied in the size field. Or, you can designate the size that you want for your volumes, click the calculation button, and the quantity field is automatically filled in with the number of volumes.

You can designate up to 255 LSSs in a storage unit. LSSs are either CKD or fixed block. Even numbered LSSs have an association with storage unit server 0. Odd numbered LSSs have an association with storage unit server 1. LSS number FF is reserved for internal system usage.

Menu path

Fields

Quantity

Specifies the number of volumes that can be contained within the available storage for the particular RAID type in the selected extent pool and the volume size. If no value is displayed when you initially open this panel, you can select the Calculate max quantity button and this field is automatically populated with a value based from the values that you designated in the define volume characteristics panel. The volume size field is also automatically populated when you select the Calculate max quantity button.

You can change the value that is displayed in this field. You can enter a lesser quantity or a quantity up to the allowed maximum. If you enter an invalid quantity, an error message is displayed when you click the Next button.

Calculate max size

If you change the quantity from what is originally supplied, clicking this button provides a calculation that is based on the available storage for the particular RAID type in the selected extent pool and the volume quantity. The resulting value is displayed in the volume Size field. For volumes that are created in decimal gigabytes (D), the maximum allowed size is 982.2 decimal gigabytes.

Size (unit)

Specifies the size of your volumes. The initial value that is viewed in this field is based on values that you supplied in the define volume characteristics panel. You can, however, enter a smaller size or a size that is up to the allowed maximum. The maximum volume size is based on the available storage for the particular RAID type in the selected extent pool. If you enter an invalid size, an error message is displayed when you click the Next button.

Note: You can enter a decimal value to one tenth in size (for example, 8.4) for both Binary and Decimal units. For Binary capacities, however, the entered value is always updated to a supported value (for example, if you enter 68.5 GB, it is updated to 72 GB). If you selected one of the iSeries volume types on the Define volume characteristics page, and selected Decimal GB (10⁹ bytes) for the Capacity units, the values here include 8.56, 17.54, 35.16, 36.00, 70.56, 141.12, and 282.25. If you selected one of the iSeries volume types on the Define volume characteristics page, and selected Binary GB (2³⁰ bytes) for the Capacity units, the values here include 8.00, 16.34, 32.75, 33.53, 65.72, 131.44, and 243.80.

Calculate max quantity

Click this button when you specify a different value for the size of your volumes. A calculation is made to determine the number of volumes that can be accommodated by the size value and this value is automatically entered in the Quantity field.

Select LSSs for volumes

Select this check box to be allowed to select LSSs from the Select n LSSs for volumes list of available LSSs for these open systems volumes. The LSSs that are displayed are the odd or even numbered LSSs that correspond to the extent pool where the volumes are created.

Select n LSSs

Specifies the list of LSSs that are available for selection. You can select only the n (appropriate number) of LSSs. The number n of LSSs that you must select, is the quantity of volumes that are divided by 256 and rounded up to the nearest integer.