IBM High IOPS Adapter, Hardware Installation Manual

IBM High IOPS Adapter Hardware Installation Guide for ioMemory VSL 3.1.1

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Adequate System Cooling

300 LFM

:To maximize the longevity and performance of IBM High IOPS Adapters, we recommend at least

300 Linear Feet per Minute (LFM) of airflow across the devices.

55°C Maximum

: The ambient air temperature around the device should not exceed 55°C.

Thermal throttling

: In order to protect against thermal damage, the IBM High IOPS Adapter monitors the

temperature of its onboard controller chip (This is reported by the 

 command-line utility as

fio-status

"Internal temperature").

In an attempt to contain temperatures within an optimal range, the ioMemory VSL will start throttling
write performance once the controller temperature reaches a set temperature.

NOTE

: The throttling temperature depends on the device:

Throttling Temperature

Legacy IBM High IOPS Duo Adapters have a throttling temperature of 78°C

Second Generation IBM High IOPS Adapters have a throttling temperature of 93°C

If the controller temperature continues to rise, the software will shut down the device once the
controller temperature reaches the maximum operating temperature.

NOTE

: The shutdown temperature depends on the device:

Shutdown Temperature

Legacy IBM High IOPS Duo Adapters have a shutdown temperature of 85°C

Second Generation IBM High IOPS Adapters have a shutdown temperature of 100°C

If the device is shut down due to insufficient cooling, reboot the system to re-enable the device.

NOTE

If your system logs indicate write-performance throttling due to high temperatures, consult
your server's documentation for details on increasing airflow within your system (for example,
by increasing the fans to 

 speed within the system via a BIOS setting).

maximum

Attention

: If your BIOS has a High Performance/Power Mode,

High Performance/Power Mode

enable it when using IBM High IOPS Adapters. Also disable any power-saving modes. This
improves performance in two ways:

Prevents operating systems and the BIOS from suspending PCIe devices (using ASPM),
including IBM High IOPS Adapters. IBM High IOPS Adapters do not support ASPM.

Maintains higher fan speeds to prevent thermal throttling.

Sufficient System Memory (RAM)

The ioMemory VSL software requires enough RAM to accelerate your IBM High IOPS Adapter. The RAM
requirements depend on how your operating system tracks I/O's (average written block sizes), the capacity of your
IBM High IOPS Adapters, and the version of the ioMemory VSL.

For more information, including a chart on RAM required per 100GB of IBM High IOPS Adapter capacity, consult
the 

 for the version of ioMemory VSL that you will install with the device(s).

ioMemory VSL Release Notes