IBM High IOPS Driver and Utilities version 3.2.14 for VMware ESXI 5.x (C) Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 1999, 2011. All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication, or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the general information in "Notices and trademarks" in this document. CONTENTS ________ 1.0 Overview 2.0 Installation and setup instructions 3.0 Usage information 4.0 Unattended mode 5.0 Web site and support phone number 6.0 Notices and trademarks 7.0 Disclaimer 1.0 Overview _____________ 1.1 This package contains the IBM High IOPS SSD PCIe Adapter driver, and other associated utilities, for VMware ESX(i) 4 and 5. 1.2 Limitations: - Version 3.2.4 and later of the driver software, including ioMemory VSL, are not backward-compatible with any driver version earlier than 3.2.4. When you install version 3.2.4 or later, you cannot revert to any driver version before 3.2.4. 1.3 Problems fixed: - See change history 1.4 Level of Recommendations and Prerequisites for the update: - The server must have at least the recommended amount of memory for the adapter used. See the IBM HIGH IOPS ESX(i) User Guide for more details. 1.5 Dependencies: - None 1.6 Update Contents o ibm_dd_highiop_ssd-3.2.14_vmware_x86-64.zip - Installation packages o ibm_dd_highiop_ssd-3.2.14_vmware_x86-64.txt - Readme file o ibm_dd_highiop_ssd-3.2.14_vmware_x86-64.chg - Change history 2.0 Installation and setup instructions ________________________________________ Important Considerations when Upgrading Software, or Adding a New High IOPS Adapter to an existing server --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Legacy hardware can be upgraded to the latest generation of software and it's very important to understand the impact and long term implications these updates may have on the operating environment. Upgrading Legacy Adapters (REQUIRED) Multiple High IOPS adapters are installed in a single system: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- When multiple High IOPS Adapters are installed in the same server, all devices must operate with the same version of software. High IOPS adapters require matching firmware, drivers and utilities. This is a very important consideration when adding a new Second Generation High IOPS Adapter in a server where Legacy Adapters are deployed. When Upgrading Legacy Adapters operating with a previous generation of software (1.2.x or 2.x), you must back up the data on the adapter before upgrading to prevent data loss. After upgrading the ioMemory VSL (drivers) to version 3.x, the legacy adapters will not logically attach to the system until the firmware is also updated. Detailed instructions for upgrading software is provided in the Upgrading Firmware section of the ESX(i) User Guide. Upgrading from version 1.2.x or 2.x software to 3.x: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upgrading Legacy adapters from 1.2.x software to version 3.2.3 offers a number of significant changes and improvements, however there are some important considerations. When performing an upgrade from 1.2.x to 3.x, you must perform a staged upgrade (upgrade to the 2.x software and firmware before upgrading to 3.x). The device driver name has also changed from fio-driver (version 1.2.x) to iomemory-vsl (2.x and above). The upgrade process from 2.x to 3.x will require the adapter to be formatted. Formatting will remove all existing data from the card and the data must be restored after the update completes. Users must back up their data before proceeding with the upgrade process to version 3.x. The firmware upgrade process updates and modifies important hardware settings that are not compatible with 1.2.x or 2.2.3 versions of software. Once updated, the card cannot be black-leveled to the previous versions of software. Please see the "change history" documentation for a complete list of new features, enhancements, and fixes. Replacing a failed legacy High IOPS card and "mandatory" update requirements: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the supply of legacy adapters diminishes from inventory, it becomes more likely that warranty replacement cards will transition to the newer versions of the High IOPS adapters. Replacement High IOPS cards and may require firmware updates to support the new or existing cards in the server. Any situation when mixing the flash NAND technology occurs, the minimum version of software supported by the latest generation of hardware prevails. A mandatory upgrade of software is required to support the latest generation of hardware with backward compatibility to legacy cards in the server. Over-formatting removed in v3.1.1 is now available in v3.2.3 software --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The capability to over-format IBM High IOPS adapters to larger than advertised capacities was removed in version 3.1.1, but was reintroduced in 3.2.3 VSL software. 3.2.3 fully support over-formatting. The larger capacity gains will be offset by lower write performance in this configuration. Similarly, you can increase sustained write performance when low-level formatting the device to smaller capacities. Please see the user guide for more information. Change History's Update Recommendations: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Change histories files provide an ongoing list of changes to a series of software compatible with a family of hardware. Please review the change histories using the following guidelines as to how IBM recommends or suggests updates to code levels at the website below: http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?brand=5000008&lndocid=HELP-FIX Installation (Please see the ESX(i) User Guide for detailed instructions): ========================================================================== 1. If needed, uninstall previous versions of the ioMemory VSL and the utilities. Please refer to the Common Maintenance Tasks section of the ESX(i) User Guide for the uninstall procedures for your version of VMware. 2. Install the latest version of the ioMemory VSL driver and the command- line utilities. 3. Reboot the ESX(i) system; this will load the driver and attach the IBM High IOPS Adapter(s). 4. Optional: Install and setup an SMI-S remote management solution. See Installing the Optional SMI-S Provider in the User Guide for details. 5. Upgrade the Firmware to the latest version. 6. Configure the Device to Support VM Disks. Attention: The IBM High IOPS Adapter is meant to be used as a data storage disk or caching device. Installing an ESX(i) operating system and booting from the IBM High IOPS Adapter is not supported. ESX(i) installers may label an IBM High IOPS Adapters as a "VMware Block Device," and it will permit you to install the ESX(i) OS on an IBM High IOPS Adapter. This is not supported, and the installation will fail on reboot. Loading the Driver ------------------ After completing the installation of the iomemory-vsl device driver, reboot the ESX(i) system. This will load the driver and attach the IBM High IOPS Adapter(s). Upgrading High IOPS adapter Firmware ------------------------------------ Please refer to "Upgrading the Firmware" section of the ESX(i) user guide for complete instructions. IMPORTANT NOTE: Upgrading legacy adapters to 3.2.3 will require a low level format of the device to become operational. The format will remove all data on the device. Please backup any data before proceeding. Uninstallation -------------- Please refer to the Common Maintenance Tasks section of the ESX(i) User Guide for the uninstall procedures for your version of VMware. SNMP Agent Configuration ------------------------ Please refer to the Installing the Optional SMI-S Provider section of the ESX(i) User Guide for the procedures to add SNMP support for your version of VMware. 3.0 Usage information ______________________ For server configurations information for High IOPS adapters to include minimum system firmware requirements, maximum numbers of cards, cabling requirements, slot preferences and restrictions, shipping considerations, thermal and accoustical considerations, see the following URL: http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=SERV-IOPS To open the IBM High IOPS Management graphical application, open the installed browser to the following URL: http://localhost:9051/ Detailed usage information can be found in the following guides: - IBM_ioMemory_VSL_3.2.8_User_Guide_for_VMware_ESX_and_ESXi_2013-10-07.pdf - IBM_ioMemory_VSL_3.2.8_Release_Notes_2014-05-16.pdf - IBM_High_IOPS_Hardware_Installation_Guide_for_ioMemory_VSL_3.2.8_2014-05-16.pdf 4.0 Unattended Mode ____________________ Not supported. 5.0 Web Sites and Support Phone Number ______________________________________ o You can find support and downloads for IBM products from the IBM Support Web site: Main Support Site: http://www.ibm.com/support/ IBM High IOPS Downloads: http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=MIGR-65723 You can find up to date support information and downloads specific to the High IOPS adapters by searching for "High IOPS" from the main support page. o For the latest compatibility information, see the IBM ServerProven Web site: http://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/serverproven/compat/us/ o With the original purchase of an IBM hardware product, you have access to extensive support coverage. During the IBM hardware product warranty period, you may call the IBM HelpCenter (1-800-IBM-SERV in the U.S.) for hardware product assistance covered under the terms of the IBM hardware warranty. 6.0 Trademarks and Notices __________________________ This product may contain program code or packages ("code") licensed by third parties, as well as code licensed by IBM. For non-IBM Code, the third parties, not IBM, are the licensors. Your use of the non-IBM code is governed by the terms of the license accompanying that code, as identified in the attached files. You acknowledge that you have read and agree to the license agreements contained in these files. If you do not agree to the terms of these third party license agreements, you may not use the accompanying code. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and other countries. Fusion-io is a registered trademark of Fusion-io, in the United States. VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. 7.0 Disclaimer ______________ THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. IBM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, IBM GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS. Note to U.S. Government Users -- Documentation related to restricted rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure is subject to restrictions set forth in GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corporation.