Understand IBM’s positioning of the new zHyperLink technology for the z14 processor

With the z14 processor, IBM introduced zHyperLink™, a new way to connect processors and storage, providing very low latency I/O operations.

This new technology comes with a set of promises and restrictions that will cause you to rethink the design of your storage and replication infrastructure. The days of distance limitations are back, which has big implications for synchronous replication, in particular.

zHyperLink I/O is synchronous I/O, which means that the processor will wait (spin) until the I/O operation is complete. This can be more efficient than a POST and SRB, but overall little change is expected. It means that your MLC invoice will not be impacted, it might even be reduced a tiny bit. It will, however, likely impact what is reported as TCB and SRB time, which in turn may have an impact on your chargeback systems.

This paper will also discuss the instrumentation that IBM provides in RMF and SMF records.

 

(This white paper was last updated November, 2017. For additional research and current information, please refer to the recorded webinar: zHyperLink Read Performance & Lessons Learned

 

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