Front cover Implementing POWER Linux on IBM System i Platform Planning and configuring Linux servers on IBM System i platform Linux distribution on IBM System i Platform installation guide Tips to run Linux servers on IBM System i platform Yessong Johng Erwin Earley Rico Franke Vlatko Kosturjak ibm.com/redbooks International Technical Support Organization Implementing POWER Linux on IBM System i Platform February 2007 SG24-6388-01 Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page vii. Second Edition (February 2007) This edition applies to i5/OS V5R4, SLES10 and RHEL4. © Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2005, 2007. All rights reserved. Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. Contents Notices . vii Trademarks . viii Preface . ix The team that wrote this redbook. ix Become a published author . xi Comments welcome. xi Chapter 1. Introduction to Linux on System i platform . 1 1.1 Concepts and terminology . 2 1.1.1 System i platform . 2 1.1.2 Hardware management console . 4 1.1.3 Virtual Partition Manager (VPM) . 10 1.2 Brief introduction to Linux and Linux on System i platform . 12 1.2.1 Linux on System i platform . 12 1.3 Differences between existing Power5-based System i and previous System i models 13 1.3.1 Linux enhancements on Power5 / Power5+ . 14 1.4 Where to go for more information . 15 Chapter 2. Configuration planning . 17 2.1 Concepts and terminology . 18 2.1.1 Processor concepts . 18 2.2 Virtual I/O versus direct I/O . 20 2.2.1 Virtualization and the virtualization engine . 20 2.2.2 Virtualization engine (VE) platform technologies . 20 2.2.3 Virtualization engine platform services . 24 2.2.4 Direct I/O. 24 2.2.5 Virtual I/O versus direct I/O. 24 2.2.6 Typical implementation scenarios. 25 2.2.7 Virtual I/O server . 26 2.3 Planning for resource allocation . 26 2.3.1 Processor . 26 2.3.2 Memory . 31 2.3.3 I/O adapter . 32 2.3.4 Network configuration . 41 2.4 Planning for virtual I/O. 42 2.4.1 Considerations for virtual I/O scenarios . 42 2.4.2 Hardware requirements for a Linux logical partition . 43 2.5 Planning for direct I/O . 44 2.5.1 Considerations for direct I/O scenarios. 44 2.5.2 Hardware requirements for a Linux logical partition . 44 2.6 Planning for hybrid scenarios . 48 2.6.1 Considerations for hybrid scenarios . 48 2.6.2 Hardware requirements for a Linux logical partition . 48 2.7 Planning for VPM . 49 2.8 Power control and console options . 49 2.8.1 Power control . 50 2.8.2 Linux console options . 51 © Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2007. All rights reserved. iii Chapter 3. Creating logical partitions . 53 3.1 Concepts and terminology . 54 3.1.1 Logical partitions . 54 3.2 Linux partition with all virtual resources via HMC . 55 3.2.1 Creating the logical partition . 56 3.3 Linux partition with all virtual resources via Virtual Partition Manager . 86 3.3.1 Removing resources from i5/OS. 87 3.3.2 Defining new Linux partitions . 95 3.3.3 Recovering configuration data . 99 3.4 Linux partition with virtual disk and native network via HMC. 99 3.5 Linux partition with all physical resources via HMC . 101 3.5.1 Creating the logical partition . 102 Chapter 4. Creating the storage environment . 117 4.1 Supporting virtual I/O . 118 4.1.1 Network server description (NWSD) . 118 4.1.2 Network Storage Space . 123 4.2 Native storage . 126 4.2.1 Starting Rescue Mode . 132 4.2.2 Formatting the disks . 134 4.2.3 Building the RAID Set . 137 Chapter 5. Creating the network support . 143 5.1 Networking with physical interfaces . 144 5.2 Networking with virtual interfaces . 144 5.2.1 Adding virtual Ethernet adapter to i5/OS partition. 144 5.2.2 Creating the Ethernet Line Description in i5/OS . 151 5.2.3 Enabling datagram forwarding . 155 5.2.4 Proxy ARP . 155 5.2.5 Network Address Translation . 164 5.2.6 Other approaches . ..