Advancing reliability, availability, and serviceability with the IBM z13

Mechanical packaging, power, and cooling design for the IBM z13

“…The optimized frequency compensation of each voltage regulation feedback loop is also specific to each voltage rail, as is the customized and programmable load line, and the coordinated ON/OFF sequencing, slew rate rise time, and timing skew between the multiple output levels. Since the POL card is packaged within the drawer, additional reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) features were required [10]. These features included power and communication multiplexer redundancy, which eliminates the need for single-fault repairs.…”

Innovations in infrastructure firmware for the IBM z13

“…While there are great benefits for the separation [2], all FoD processing was previously provided within the CPC firmware for security reasons. This included record validation, merging into an overall account record, and the query of FoD functions.…”

“…The architecture change also included a move away from processor books using multichip modules (MCMs) to multiple single-chip modules (SCMs) per CPC drawer. While similar concepts were known for the Business Class (BC) line since the IBM System z10 * (see [1, sections 1.4.1 and 2.2]), these concepts now became default for the entire z13 system family [2]. Furthermore, the redesign of the power control domain introduced a central System Control Hub (SCH).…”

“…Before, the zBX feature required to be connected to a z System CPC, and both the CPC and the zBX were managed by the same SE. Both the new SE hardware platform and the separately managed CPC and zBX nodes provide improved reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) features [2]. All of these structural changes required adaptations in the infrastructure firmware.…”