Planning Volume 2, Control Workstation and Software Environment

Using SP books for planning

To help you plan either a new or changed SP system or a system of clustered enterprise servers for running the PSSP and related software, there are two volumes in the library. Work closely with your hardware planner and these two planning volumes because choices of hardware can lead to requirements on software, and choices of software can lead to requirements on hardware. This section briefly describes the content for your convenience. See Bibliography for how to access the books.

Planning books are available in the IBM RS/6000 SP library:

• Use the book Planning Volume 1, Hardware and Physical Environment to plan and check that you have the correct physical configuration and environment for your SP system.
• Use this book, Planning Volume 2, Control Workstation and Software Environment, to help you plan and make your decisions about which components to install, which nodes to use for what purposes, and how to plan system expansions and software upgrades using migration, coexistence, and system partitioning. This book is organized in the following manner:
  • Chapter 1, as you might have already seen, is a high level overview of the SP system, introducing the hardware, software, and services that are available to you.
  • Chapters 2 through 9 address subjects you need to attend to when planning a new SP system or when planning to use a PSSP function or PSSP-related licensed program for the first time on an SP system you already have.
    • Chapter 2 leads you through a list of questions you need to address. As it does, you are introduced to the PSSP components and PSSP-related licensed programs that warrant your consideration during the planning phase, without yet burdening you with planning details. It also tells you more about some hardware options from which to choose. Make these choices with respect to what you need to support the software you are considering. When you are done with Chapter 2, you should have a good idea of which hardware and software is to comprise your SP system. You will also have prepared some of the information you need to do a software install or migration.
    • Chapter 3 guides you through what you need to consider and what rules to follow in deciding how to configure and layout your SP hardware, software, and network from an operational control workstation and software environment point of view. This chapter helps you prepare more of the information that you need to do a software install or migration.
    • Chapters 4 through 9 cover PSSP components and related licensed programs, some for a second time, this time giving you or directing you to planning details, requirements, and dependencies. Read each chapter to learn more about the respective subject before you make a final choice or proceed to installation or migration.
  • Chapters 10 and 11 are useful for considering growth. They address activities that are primarily for customizing a system you already have:
    • Chapter 10 addresses what to consider if you want to expand your SP system.
    • Chapter 11 discusses what to consider before migrating to the newest version of the PSSP software.

To help you administer and use your SP system, the following are available in the PSSP library:

• Use the book Installation and Migration Guide for new installations or upgrades of the PSSP software. |Use this book for system changes as well.
• Use the book Managing Shared Disks for planning, installing, and using the optional components of PSSP with which you can create, use, monitor, and manage virtual shared disks. The components are IBM Virtual Shared Disk, Hashed Shared Disk and Recoverable Virtual Shared Disk.
• Use the book Administration Guide for the day-to-day operation and management of your system.
• Use the book Command and Technical Reference for PSSP command descriptions and technical reference.
• Use the book Diagnosis Guide to help you diagnose problems.
• Use the book Messages Guide to find information about messages; what might have caused them and how to respond to them.