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Chapter 9. Reliability, availability, and

serviceability

This chapter describes the reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) features of z13s

servers.

The z13s design is focused on providing higher availability by reducing planned and

unplanned outages. RAS can be accomplished with improved concurrent replace, repair, and

upgrade functions for processors, memory, drawers, and I/O. RAS also extends to the

nondisruptive capability for installing Licensed Internal Code (LIC) updates. In most cases, a

capacity upgrade can be concurrent without a system outage. As an extension to the RAS

capabilities, environmental controls are implemented in the system to help reduce power

consumption and meet cooling requirements.

The design of the memory on z13s servers is based on the fully redundant memory

infrastructure, redundant array of independent memory (RAIM). RAIM was first introduced

with the z196. The z Systems servers are the only systems in the industry that offer this

memory design.

RAS also provides digitally signed delivery and transmission of LIC, fixes, and

restoration/backup files. Any data that is transmitted to IBM Support is encrypted. The design

goal for z13s servers is to remove all sources of planned outages.

This chapter includes the following sections:

򐂰 The RAS strategy

򐂰 Availability characteristics

򐂰 RAS functions

򐂰 Enhanced Driver Maintenance

򐂰 RAS capability for the HMC and SE

򐂰 RAS capability for zBX Model 004

򐂰 Considerations for PowerHA in zBX environment

򐂰 IBM z Advanced Workload Analysis Reporter

򐂰 RAS capability for Flash Express

IBM z13s User Manual

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