Then we talked to our BP, who said it's not that simple. According to
them,
** the integrated server cards aren't recommended because they're hard
to
upgrade, and we'd be better off with the Integrated xSeries Adapters
(and
some boxes to put them in)
They are no harder, or easier, to upgrade than any windows server. i.e.
you can't just restore the image from one onto another unless the
hardware is absolutely identical, otherwise you have to build a new
server, install the necessary applications, and then migrate the data
some other way.
And the IXS hardware itself isn't upgradable.
** the disk would need to be split between the windows servers and the
iSeries, and we couldn't just dynamically shift it around
Specifically, you create fixed size network storage areas that, when
attached to the IXS device, appear as disk space to the windows server
instance. You can create/destroy/attach/remove these pretty much at
will, and you can even 'resize' them, although that really involved
creating a new object, copying the old one's contents (via the windows
server) and then swapping them. So its likely a lot less dynamic than
you might have hoped. If they were implying that you had to dedicate
entire disks or some such, they were completely wrong.
** we'd need a separate LPAR to handle the windows stuff
Completely untrue.
** we'd be better off with a separate backup system for the window
stuff
This depends. If you can vary off the IXS at backup time, then you can
save it in its entirety along with the rest of the iSeries data. Or you
can do it via QNTC. (I think...) Otherwise it'd have to be done
separately.
I agree with the other comments I read, you should find another BP that
has actually had experience with both IXS and IXA setups, since your
current one has already shown their ignorance on the subject.
Pros: You save floor space, and the equipment is uber reliable. Moving
data between windows and iSeries servers via the 'virtual lan' (i.e.
internally over the PCI bus) is amazingly fast.
Cons: They are still just windows servers, with all the inherent
stability, migration, etc. issues all windows servers have.
midrange.com
