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Status Not under consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Storage
Created by Guest
Created on Dec 11, 2017

Small Independent Disk Pools

The idea is to enable the configuration of small independent auxiliary storage pools from partial disk units on a single IBM i server.

This idea appears to be similar to the ability to create micro partitions and host many IBM i instances on a single server. Except rather than running many IBM i instances on a single server, the idea would facilitate the configuration of many small disk pools on a single IBM i instance.

The IBM i Navigator wizard that creates disk pools currently requires a full disk unit in order to create a new disk pool. Would it be possible to create a disk pool from a partial disk unit?

Say a physical disk unit has 300 GB capacity. Would it be possible to create say 100 disk pools of 30 GB each?


Use Case:

A number of use cases come to mind.

1. Reduce IPL time by separating application IASPs from SYSBAS.

2. Reduce SAVSYS time by separating application IASPs from SYSBAS.

3. Host multiple versions of applications by dividing them between IASPs.

4. Host open-source projects and external developers on an IASP (easy to secure).

5. Use an IASP version of your application to create an installation package.


Idea priority High
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Dec 13, 2017

    We have to certify our software to run with IASP support. For us to do this requires allocating 1 whole disk to an IASP where it will be < 5% used typically. When you only have 8 disks to start with that is a 12.5% loss of available storage! Current disks are 280Gb and we would only need ~ 15Gb at most in an IASP.

    I fully support this request!

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Dec 12, 2017

    While I agree with your use cases for IASPs, the architectural change to make this possible is significant to provide a benefit which there are already some solutions out there. If you have external storage you can create LUNs of almost any size to create your IASPs. If you have direct attached SAS storage, you can use an IBM i lpar to own the physical drives and then create virtual drives of small sizes to present to other IBM i lpars.