=Comment: #0================================================= Emily J. Ratliff <ratliff.com> - 1. Feature Overview: Feature Id: [200787] a. Name of Feature: snIPL SCSI LOAD for LPAR b. Feature Description extend the snIPL tool to allow IPLing (booting) an LPAR from a SCSI/FCP attached disk. 2. Feature Details: Sponsor: zSeries Architectures: s390x Arch Specificity: Purely Arch Specific Code Delivery Mechanism: Backport Category: zSeries Request Type: Package - Feature from IBM d. Upstream Acceptance: Accepted Sponsor Priority 1 f. Severity: High IBM Confidential: no Code Contribution: IBM code g. Component Version Target: snipl http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/linux390/useful_add-ons_snipl.html 3. Business Case This feature is required by customers who need to remotely manage (start/stop) Linux images in LPARs using SCSI disks. In particular this ie required in High Availability setups where automated image starts are needed. 4. Primary contact at Red Hat: John Jarvis jjarvis 5. Primary contacts at Partner: Project Management Contact: Hans-Georg Markgraf, mgrf.com, Boeblingen 49-7031-16-3978 Technical contact(s): Reinhard Buendgen, buendgen.com IBM Manager: Thomas Schwarz, t.schwarz.com
This request is too vague. What are the precise work items that need to be implemented to satisfy this request?
Hello Red Hat, this request is about delivering snIPL with RHEL on System z, for which: + The latest source code has to be downloaded from DeveloperWorks (new page: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/linux390/snipl.html ) + The z/VM HW Interface Library is provided by z/VM and the LPAR HW Interface Library can be downloaded from IBM Resource Link ( http://www.ibm.com/servers/resourcelink/ only accessable to IBM Customers), but we could provide it to you under our NDA. + With snIPL source code and the HW Interface Libraries, it should be compiled dynamically and delivered with RHEL (only Binary and snIPL source code, but not the HW Interface Libraries!, since they are not distributable). snIPL can be used for different management tasks, and within this tasks could be used as fencing mechanism for GFS/2 for RHEL on System z, for which I understood one of the stoppers was not having such a fencing mechanism. More information can be found under: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/linux390/snipl.html http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/linux390/useful_add-ons_snipl-0213-stonith.html Please let us know if you are interested on this feature. Thank you!
Correction to the last link, the latest version is 2.1.4: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/linux390/snipl-0214.html
From http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/linux390/snipl.html -------------- snIPL for VM serves as remote control of basic z/VM system management functions. It can be used to reset, activate or deactivate a Linux/VM image for I/O fencing purposes. -------------- This would allow us to start/stop RHEL VMs through Spacewalk/Satellite -- it's something we want. It looks like we'd need to assign a package manager for this though, as IBM only provides source code (not RPMs). Is there a process for that?
Source for snipl and library attached before. (In reply to comment #11) > Source for snipl and library attached before. > Means link to source referenced before
This would be a new package for RHEL so it would need to go into Fedora first.
I took a closer look at this utility and here are my observations: - cannot live in Fedora, because it is useless without the IBM shipped pieces - needs IBM bits (noticed in #2) to be fully buildable - to be installable the IBM bits should be packaged and available in a repository, but some hacks can probably workaround the installability (and repo consistency) issue (ask RH rel-eng?) - hearbeat is not included in RHEL so the stonith module cannot be built - shared library called "libconfig.so" for parsing the config file (snipl specific) is installed and such generic name can easily conflict with another library, there already exists a library with same name in Fedora
switching component to Distribution since this would be a new package for RHEL.
Update as discussed in the eSDT call: ??? Latest source code has to be downloaded from DeveloperWorks http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/linux390/snipl.html ??? LPAR: Management library ???hwmcaapi??? to be provided by IBM to Red Hat, but without an agreement, not to be delivered by Red Hat to customers; IBM System z customers should download it themselves. If Red Hat would like to provide this library, it could be possible to sign an agreement where IBM allows Red Hat to distribute the library with a separate license to forbid customers to redistribute it. ??? z/VM: ???DMSVSMA.X??? has to be copied from z/VM to the Linux system, but without an agreement, not to be delivered by Red Hat to customers; IBM z/VM customers should copy it themselves. If Red Hat would like to provide this library, it could be possible to sign an agreement where IBM allows Red Hat to distribute the library with a separate license to forbid customers to redistribute it. Please let us know if you are interested on these feature to work on the agreement between IBM and Red Hat to deliver the IBM licensed libraries to make it easier for the customer and avoid extra downloads. Thank you!
Hello Red Hat, There are two options regarding the distribution of snIPL The IBM preferred option requires a re-distribution agreement between IBM and Red Hat. Therefore feedback is required on what option Red Hat want to agree to distribute snIPL Option A.) Deliver snIPL rpm binary including two binary libraries (LPAR & zVM interfaces) required to work with snIPL. Possibility to deliver src.rpm including all binary libs for compilation. Preferred by IBM because its simple for the customer Note: Need to sign re-distribution agreement of the binary libraries with IBM Option B.) Compile snIPL with the libraries IBM provides but to package only the compiled snIPL binary into the rpm without the needed libraries for snIPL to work. The customer would have to download the libraries from IBM resource link (LPAR) and zVM (zVM) to work with snIPL in the desired environment. Not possible to deliver src.rpm also since libs for compile are not delivered. Note: No need for a re-distribution agreement for the binary libraries (LPAR & zVM interfaces) with IBM
RHEL consists of open source code only - we cannot ship closed source code, or code with library dependnecies on closed-source code, in the base operating system image.
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for inclusion, but this component is not scheduled to be updated in the current Red Hat Enterprise Linux release. If you would like this request to be reviewed for the next minor release, ask your support representative to set the next rhel-x.y flag to "?".
------- Comment From gmuelas.com 2009-03-30 06:01 EDT------- Hello Red Hat Product Management, what is the concrete reason to reject this feature for RHEL 5.4? what would be Red Hat's impact of accepting this feature for RHEL 5.4? Thank you! Gonzalo Muelas Serrano.
Please read comment #13; this feature is unacceptable by design.
------- Comment From gmuelas.com 2009-03-31 09:18 EDT------- Hello Red Hat, thank you for your concrete answer. I thought that maybe you would be interested on making an exception to your policy to satisfy customer requests and even attract more new customers needing a fencing mechanism for a cluster file system on RHEL on System z. If that is not the case, and choose not to make an exception, I guess there is nothing to do with this feature. Kind Regards, Gonzalo Muelas Serrano.
------- Comment From gmuelas.com 2009-04-01 04:04 EDT------- Hello Red Hat, I've been thinking about your policy, and if such a policy is only restricted to the base operating system image, IBM would also accept if you could ship it in the Supplementary CD where binary only is shipped. https://rhn.redhat.com/network/software/channels/details.pxt?cid=6977 Summary: Red Hat Enterprise Linux Supplementary Software (v. 5 for 64-bit IBM System z Server) Description: Red Hat Enterprise Linux - Server supplementary software with non-standard SLAs and/or licenses (v. 5 for 64-bit IBM System z) What do you think about this approach? Thank you! Gonzalo Muelas Serrano.
Gonzalo, please feel free to request this for the Supplementary CD for RHEL 5.5. We are out of capacity to do this for 5.4
Since this one is NAK'd for RHEL 5.4 and System z will be pursuing a different approach for 5.5, marking this one CLOSED WONTFIX.
------- Comment From mgrf.com 2009-07-16 10:42 EDT------- This feature is rejected by Red Hat for RHEL 5.4. Closing request "willnotfix" based on the reject. It is not planned to request the feature again for RHEL 5.5