Performance: Exploring the performance of network adapters for Linux on IBM Z

With OSA-Express and RoCE Express, we have two networking adapters for Linux on IBM Z users. A new presentation compares the performance of the most recent OSA-Express7S 25 GbE with its predecessor, the OSA-Express6S 10 GbE, and additionally to the 25 GbE RoCE Express2.1 on an IBM z15.
The presentation concludes describing benefits and downsides of configuring receive packet steering (RPS), a Linux networking feature, with OSA-Express7S and RoCE Express2.1.

You can access the slides here.

Webinar: IBM Crypto Express meets RHOCP on IBM Z and LinuxONE

Abstract

Kubernetes (K8s) and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform (RHOCP) misses the capabilities to allow containerized application (in POD) to use cryptographic functions provided by IBM Crypto Express cards on IBM Z & LinuxONE.
The presentation describes a new extension to Kubernetes and RHOCP that allows a container running in a POD to access a domain of a Crypto Express adapter. The presentation describes how to set up the cluster infrastructure, how to configure which crypto resource belongs to which workload, and how software inside the container can access the crypto resource. The enablement requires a new component on the compute nodes which is called the Kubernetes device plug-in for IBM Crypto Express cards which is now available as a certified container image in the Red Hat catalogue.

This presentation is part of the regular technical Linux on IBM Z and LinuxONE webinar session series from the IBM Labs. Find all past sessions here.

Presenter

Hendrick Brueckner, Product Owner - RHOCP on IBM Z and LinuxONE
Reinhard Buendgen, Product Owner Security for Linux on IBM Z

Schedules & Registration

Wednesday, January 26, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST
Register here.

Solution Publications Overview

The linux.mainframe.blog has published a very helpful collection of solution-oriented papers! You might want to review the materials prior to starting you next project (or on how to possibly optimize existing ones!).

The collection is available at https://linux.mainframe.blog/solution-test/. The page will be updated continuously as new materials are published, so it might be well worth checking back periodically!

New Release: Linux Kernel 5.16

Linux kernel 5.16 (available here) has been released. Highlights from a Linux on Z perspective are as follows:

• SMC-Rv2
  Similar to SMC-Dv2, SMC-Rv2 lifts the restriction that limited SMC-Rv1 peers to be in the same IP subnet. Currently requires a pair of RoCE Express and a pair of OSA adapters if combined with link group aka link failover support.
  
  
• Support for EID & SEID Management: Related to SMC-Rv2, we now support definition and removal of user EIDs (enterprise identifier). Furthermore, we can now also display and activate/deactivate the system EIDs.
     root@enterprise:~# smcd ueid add SITE-A
     root@enterprise:~# smcd ueid  
     SITE-A                           
     root@enterprise:~# smcd seid   
     IBM-SYSZ-ISMSEID000000002E488561 [enabled]
  Requires smc-tools v1.7.
  
  

• Transparent PCI Device Recovery: PCI devices experiencing an issue rooted in a hardware or firmware repair action will now automatically restore their previous state, trigger a recovery in Linux, and become usable again (instead of remaining in an offline state requiring intervention by an administrator). In particular, storage devices remain mounted, and network devices resume their connections.