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64 S/390 PID: ThinkPad Enabled for S/390
Q: I understand that a LAN MAC address is used to control FLEX-ES licenses for Netfinity
Servers. Can I use the same method for ThinkPads?
A: No. FLEX-ES licenses for ThinkPad/EFS require the use of a dongle. In general, any
FLEX-ES version that uses Linux as the base operating system will require a dongle.
Q: Can I run a ThinkPad in 24x7 operation? (24 hours/day, 7 days/week)
A: There is no rule against it, and some ThinkPads are left running in docking stations.
However, in our opinion, this is not a reasonable solution for an EFS system. The
fully-loaded ThinkPad used for EFS develops considerable heat (on the bottom) and may
require additional air flow. In addition, a system intended for 24x7 S/390 operation should
have RAID disks.
Q: Will the FLEX-ES code for a Netfinity/EFS system run on a ThinkPad?
A: There are really two questions here. The UnixWare version of FLEX-ES will not run on
Linux. (Netfinity/EFS is currently based on UnixWare and ThinkPad/EFS is based on Linux.)
Can UnixWare be used on a ThinkPad? We assume it can, but have not tried it. If so, then
the Netfinity/EFS FLEX-ES code could be used, although you would require a new FLEX-ES
license that matches a MAC address in the Thinkpad and that matches the MHz speed of the
ThinkPad. This combination is not supported at this time.
Q: Can I use token ring LAN adapters? You mention only Ethernet.
A: Yes, token ring can be used. We usually discuss Ethernet because (1) it is what we used,
and (2) the majority of EFS users will probably have Ethernet LANs. You should obtain the
current status from your business partner.
Q: How many Ethernet adapters should I have for the ThinkPad?
A: One should be sufficient, and will probably be the mini-PCI adapter for the ThinkPad. You
can share this adapter (using multiple IP addresses) between Linux and S/390 operating
systems.
Q: Can I use the FSI channel adapters or ICA adapter with a ThinkPad? I could put them in a
docking station.
A: No. This is not supported.
Q: Can I have “odd size” 3390 drives, such as a 100 cylinder 3390 on a P/390?
A: No. Only standard size drives are emulated.
Q: An emulated 3390-3 was 3339 cylinders on my P/390. Why is it 3343 cylinders under
FLEX-ES?
A: A standard 3390-3 has 3339 cylinders of directly usable space. The additional cylinders
include the “CE cylinder” (for testing) and alternate tracks. P/390 emulation did not include
these additional cylinders, while FLEX-ES emulation does include them. In normal use, you
will not see any difference between the two methods.
Q: Are 4mm tapes compatible between my MP3000 and my Netfinity/EFS system?
A: Yes, they should be, for those EFS systems that support 4mm drives. (ThinkPad/EFS
does not support SCSI tape drives.)
Q: How many emulated S/390 devices can I have?
A: There is a FLEX-ES maximum of 2048 emulated devices per S/390 instance. If you
emulated two S/390s, each will have this maximum number of devices.
Q: I have a fixed amount of real memory in my ThinkPad. You say that I should not
overcommit this for S/390 emulation. Should I make my emulated S/390 central storage as
large as possible (without triggering Linux swapping) or should I define some expanded
storage at the expense of central storage?
A: Provided you do not exceed the maximum 2 GB permitted for central storage, we think