New Release: smc-tools v1.5

smc-tools v1.5 is now available for download here. 

Highlights in this release:

smcd/smcr: New info Command

Provides a summary of both, the SMC levels supported in the Linux kernel, and also the hardware's capabilities:

  root@tux> smcd info
  Kernel Capabilities
  SMC Version:      2.0
  SMC Hostname:     tux
  SMC-D Features:   v1 v2
  SMC-R Features:   v1

  Hardware Capabilities
  SEID:             IBM-SYSZ-ISMSEID00000000XYZ
  ISM:              v1 v2
  RoCE:             n/a

In this example output, we would be all set for SMC-Dv1 and SMC-Dv2, as we have support in the kernel and in ISM. However, SMC-R would not be available: While we have support in the kernel, we are lacking respective hardware.

New Utility smc_chk

This utility provides a couple of useful tools to check on correct SMC setup:

Verify SMC setup using an arbitrary local or remote service. E.g. start a local service with smc_chk -S and run

  root@tux> smc_chk -C 127.0.0.1 -p 37374
  Test with target IP 127.0.0.1 and port 37374
    Live test (SMC-D and SMC-R)
       Success, using SMC-D

to confirm that the host's SMC setup works, and we can connect using SMC-D as expected.

Or use smc_chk to connect to e.g. a z/OS server's 3270 port to verify SMC setup on both ends:

  root@tux> smc_chk -C 192.168.2.95 -p 23
  Test with target IP 192.168.2.95 and port 23
    Live test (SMC-D and SMC-R)
       Failed  (TCP fallback), reasons:
           Client:        0x03010000   Peer does not support SMC

Looks like the peer does not have SMC enabled in this case!

Finally, use smc_chk to display PNET IDs of arbitrary interfaces:

  root@tux> smc_chk -i enc8000
  PNET5

For more information, see the README.

New Release: Linux Kernel 5.10

Linux kernel 5.10 (available here) has been released. Here are the highlights from a Linux on Z perspective:

• Crypto 
• Added ability to transform secure private EP11 and CCA EC keys into protected EC private keys.
  
• Networking
  
• HiperSockets Converged Interface (HSCI): This feature allows to converge a HiperSockets device with a networking adapter (OSA-Express or RoCE Express) into a single logical interface. HiperSockets will be preferred whenever a peer has an HSCI using the same HiperSockets device. Otherwise, the external networking adapter will be used. This way, users can take advantage of the benefits of HiperSockets while retaining external connectivity through a single interface.
  
• SMC-Dv2: Version 2 of SMC-D requires an IBM z15 and provides two major improvements:
  
1. Removal of the same-subnet restriction: Peers that intend to communicate using SMC-D no longer need to be within the same IP subnet. I.e. any peer that is hosted on the same IBM Z machine can be reached using SMC-Dv2.
2. No PNET ID configuration required: PNET IDs are no longer required to indicate ISM devices to be used with a certain IP interface. Any ISM device attached to the respective Linux instance with the PNET ID either not set or matching any other network device, and in use by both peers will be used for SMC-Dv2.
• NVMe Devices 
• IPL Load Normal Support: If a Linux instance is defined with a large memory size and booted from an NVMe device, time required for a reboot is reduced significantly by omitting memory clearing.
• Stand-Alone Dump Support: It is now possible to trigger a dump by booting from a respectively prepared NVMe device.
• Server Time Protocol leap seconds scheduling support, see this blog entry.