IBM DS6000 Series manual Enterprise-class dual cluster design for the DS6800, 227

With two sets of HA chip sets the DS6000 series can configure up to eight FICON or FCP ports.

To host servers
				2 Gbps Fibre Channel ports
Adapter		Adapter			Controller
				Host adapter
					Card 1
				chipset
Processor	Memory	Processor	server	Power PC
					Processor
				chipset	memory
			Storage
Adapter		Adapter			Volatile
				Device adapter
					Persistent
				chipset
				2 Gbps Fibre Channel ports

Figure 11-5 Host adapter with 4 Fibre Channel ports

With eight 2 Gbps ports the DS6000 series provides a theoretical aggregated host I/O bandwidth of 8 times 2 Gbps. Note that besides the adapter used and port technology, throughput depends also on the firmware efficiency and how the channel protocol is implemented.

11.3.4 Enterprise-class dual cluster design for the DS6800

The DS6000 series provides a dual cluster or rather a dual server design, which is also found in the ESS and DS8000 series. This offers an enterprise-class level of availability and functionality in a space efficient, modular design at a low price.

The DS6000 series incorporates the latest PowerPC processor technology. A simplified view is in Figure 11-6 on page 228. The dual-processor complex approach allows for concurrent microcode loads, transparent I/O failover and failback support, and redundant, hot-swapable components.

Chapter 11. Performance considerations 227