Guest access to z9 DVD drive
Robert Nix wrote: Access to the DVD drive on the HMC is incredibly slow. I think it was meant as a means of bootstraping up a bare system when you first get it, rather than being intended for long-term use as a mainframe device. It's faster and easier to create the ISO on your laptop and FTP/NFS/SCP it up to one of you Linux guests. Remember that, while the HMC is "part of" the mainframe, it isn't directly attached; it's networked to the mainframe on a private network, and probably a slower one than you have attached to your OSA cards. Thanks Robert... I knew the drive was part of the HMC, but didn't realize it was network attached didn't think aout it really. I appreciate your explanation. Thanks again to all who replied to my question. susan
Re: Guest access to z9 DVD drive
Access to the DVD drive on the HMC is incredibly slow. I think it was meant as a means of bootstraping up a bare system when you first get it, rather than being intended for long-term use as a mainframe device. It's faster and easier to create the ISO on your laptop and FTP/NFS/SCP it up to one of you Linux guests. Remember that, while the HMC is "part of" the mainframe, it isn't directly attached; it's networked to the mainframe on a private network, and probably a slower one than you have attached to your OSA cards. -- .~.Robert P. Nix Mayo Foundation /V\RO-OE-5-55200 First Street SW /( )\ 507-284-0844 Rochester, MN 55905 ^^-^^ - "In theory, theory and practice are the same, but in practice, theory and practice are different." On 11/20/07 1:43 PM, "Susan Zimmerman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I just thought that if we could provide the guest access to the DVD drive > we could build the ISO images directly to a file system on zLinux. (Not > sure if I'm adequately describing this.) > > Admittedly, we don't need to do this often, but when we do, it seems that > it would be a big time-saver. I'm presuming the DVD in the HMC would be > able to read the SUSE SLES Installation CDs. > > Thanks... > > susan
Re: Guest access to z9 DVD drive
>>> On Tue, Nov 20, 2007 at 2:43 PM, in message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Susan Zimmerman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: -snip- > Today we mount the Linux installation CDs on a Fedora NFS and build the ISO > images that are then FTPed across the intranet to a zLinux guest. The I'm not at all sure what you mean by "build the ISO images." Are you taking physical media, and copying from the raw device, say /dev/hdc, and outputting it to a file as something.iso? Why not just mount the CDs in the NFS server, and then copy the individual files? You don't really need .iso images to set up an install server. > install tree is then built on the linux guest. Creating Linux images from > the install tree on a linux guest (on a vswitch) is so much faster than > when the install tree is built on an NFS in the network. Absolutely, hence the SLES10 starter system concept. > I just thought that if we could provide the guest access to the DVD drive > we could build the ISO images directly to a file system on zLinux. (Not > sure if I'm adequately describing this.) Are you saying you don't have http access from your Linux guests to do the download directly? (Not uncommon, but I want to make sure.) > Admittedly, we don't need to do this often, but when we do, it seems that > it would be a big time-saver. I'm presuming the DVD in the HMC would be > able to read the SUSE SLES Installation CDs. I certainly think you can save time, but only if you have access to the internet from your Linux guests (or even your z/VM host). The other option would have a DVD reader attached to your local SAN, and access it over FCP. :) (Don't laugh, it's been done.) Mark Post
Guest access to z9 DVD drive
Mark Post wrote: If you could explain what you would have been doing with this ability, = perhaps we could show you a different way to accomplish it. Hi Mark, Today we mount the Linux installation CDs on a Fedora NFS and build the ISO images that are then FTPed across the intranet to a zLinux guest. The install tree is then built on the linux guest. Creating Linux images from the install tree on a linux guest (on a vswitch) is so much faster than when the install tree is built on an NFS in the network. I just thought that if we could provide the guest access to the DVD drive we could build the ISO images directly to a file system on zLinux. (Not sure if I'm adequately describing this.) Admittedly, we don't need to do this often, but when we do, it seems that it would be a big time-saver. I'm presuming the DVD in the HMC would be able to read the SUSE SLES Installation CDs. Thanks... susan
Re: Guest access to z9 DVD drive
>>> On Mon, Nov 19, 2007 at 8:01 AM, in message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Susan Zimmerman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: -snip- > I was afraid the answer would be "No", but hoped someone had stumbled > across a way to access it. Susan, If you could explain what you would have been doing with this ability, perhaps we could show you a different way to accomplish it. Mark Post
Guest access to z9 DVD drive
Susan Zimmerman wrote: -- Date:Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:47:27 -0500 From:Susan Zimmerman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Guest access to z9 DVD drive Hi all, new with 5.3 is guest access to the HMC ASCII console. Does anyone know if z/VM provides guest access to the DVD drive? Thanks in advance. susan -- I was afraid the answer would be "No", but hoped someone had stumbled across a way to access it. Thanks to all who replied. susan
Re: Guest access to z9 DVD drive
If you're using SLES, use the DDR starter system install server. The throughput of an internal VSWITCH or GLAN is a vast improvement over FTP to the HMC.
Re: Guest access to z9 DVD drive
On Friday, 11/16/2007 at 08:51 EST, Dave Jones <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > No, I don't believe z/VM 5.3 provides any way for a guest to access the > DVD drive in the HMC. Sorry. Correct. I know the DVD drive in the HMC is a tantalizing morsel, but it is a device that belongs to the HMC, not the CEC. All interactions with the DVD are via the HMC. It would be nice to have a hardware Feature for dual-mode (3422 / FCP) DVD drive in the I/O cage, but my guess is that no one would be willing to pay that much for a DVD drive. It's much cheaper to set up a PC in the machine room to be an FTP server. Alan Altmark z/VM Development IBM Endicott
Re: Guest access to z9 DVD drive
What we have done is to create an ISO of the DVD. Load the ISO on a linux server, and then mount that ISO as a loopback device. Finally allow FTP access to the mountpoint of the ISO, and you have the ability to FTP install from your DVD. -- Mark Pace Mainline Information Systems
Re: Guest access to z9 DVD drive
Hi, Susan. No, I don't believe z/VM 5.3 provides any way for a guest to access the DVD drive in the HMC. Sorry. Susan Zimmerman wrote: Hi all, new with 5.3 is guest access to the HMC ASCII console. Does anyone know if z/VM provides guest access to the DVD drive? Thanks in advance. susan -- DJ V/Soft
Guest access to z9 DVD drive
Hi all, new with 5.3 is guest access to the HMC ASCII console. Does anyone know if z/VM provides guest access to the DVD drive? Thanks in advance. susan
