• Define the FICON channel and the reason why FICON is necessary
• Identify the benefits of the FICON channel over other channel types
• Identify the Fibre channel relationship in the SAN environment
• Define FICON terminology and relationships in the enterprise environment
• List the Fibre standard architecture components
• Identify FICON SB-2 / SB-3 architecture and its use
• Identify frame layout and data packaging within the architecture
• Compare, identify and determine valid and invalid configurations with FICON native and bridge
• Define and list FICON CTC configuration and requirements
• Identify FICON cascaded director configurations and requirements
• Define the FICON bridge card and requirements
• Identify requirements of the ESCON director Mod-5 for the FICON bridge card
• Describe and identify available native FICON directors / switches, terminology, operational details and configurations
• Determine channel configuration impacts when FICON or OSA-E channel cards are added to zSeries and 9672 G5/G6 CPCs
• Identify FICON cabling requirements
• Define mode conditioning cables and use on G5/G6 and zSeries CPCs
• Define where and how existing cable infrastructure can be reused for FICON
• Identify how multiple ESCON channels can be consolidated onto one FICON channel
• Identify performance considerations and characteristics of FICON and other channels
• Compare performance characteristics such as: I/O System Queue (IOSQ), Pending (PEND), Connect (CONN), and Disconnect (DISC) time between ESCON and FICON  channels
• Identify potential performance problem areas (IOSQ, PEND, CONN, DISC) of an I/O operation and potential corrective actions
• Identify functions in HCD to support FICON
• Define FICON fibre channel protocol - FCP
• Identify FCP HCD coding and usage
• Identify the various mapping elements required when using FICON FCP for Linux on zSeries
• Define the various functions, LUN masking, zoning, channel sharing, multipathing and how they apply in a LINUX on zSeries SAN configuration
• Identify optional FCP (SCSI) IPL feature on zSeries
• Identify functions in HCD/IOCP to support FICON FCP
• Identify FICON to ESC migration scenario
• Identify zSeries multiple logical channel subsystem support
• Define zSeries spanned channel concept and how FICON channels participate
• Use HCD to code a FICON director
• Use HCD to code FICON native CTC support for a Spanned FICON channel
• Use HCD to code a cascaded switch configuration
• Identify problem determination approaches for ESCON and FICON channels
• Use z/OS commands to identify problems in FICON configurations
• Use Central Processing Complex (CPC) H/W panels to identify FICON configuration problems
• Use FICON director panels to identify FICON configuration problems

• Introduction to FICON and SAN
• Fibre Channel architecture (supporting FICON SB-2 / SB-3 protocols)
• FICON operation and planning
• FICON processor and control unit support
• FICON definition and configuration design
• FICON FCP for Linux on zSeries, planning and implementation
• z990/z890 new channel support, spanned channels, and FICON problem determination
• FICON performance characteristics

Introduction to FICON and SAN

This unit describes the reasons why a new FICON channel was necessary in the large system environment, introduces the SAN environment, and describes how FICON enables the participation in SAN.

• describe the FICON channel
• describe FICON channel operating modes (native, bridge, and FCP)
• identify FICON native configurations
• identify FICON bridge configurations
• list current FICON implementation limits
• introduce SAN
• describe the emerging relationship between FICON and SAN

Fibre Channel architecture (supporting FICON SB-2 / SB-3 protocols)

The purpose of this unit is to provide an overview of the Fibre Channel and introduce where the FICON SB-2 / SB-3 architecture is mapped, describe its concepts, and most important, define the numerous Fibre Channel terms used in the vocabulary of architecture.

• define the following terms: nodes, links, ports, fabric, switches, hubs, Gigabit Interface Converters (GBIC), node World Wide Name (WWN), port WWN and port addresses
• list distance and speed options associated with copper and fiber optics media
• define non-cascaded and cascaded switch configurations and how they relate to ESCON
• describe data framing and classes of service for data delivery
• identify characteristics unique to the fiber channel point to point and switched point-to-point topologies

FICON operation and planning

This unit describes the FICON architecture, how it is implemented for a FICON I/O request and design considerations for a FICON I/O configuration.

• compare and explain the major differences between parallel, ESCON, and FICON architecture for an I/O operation
• identify frame structure, addressing, and usage between ESCON and FICON
• describe the two approaches for port addressing z/Architecture definition approach (and why it is necessary) FCP host bus adapter (HBA) discovery approach
• list FICON (LX and SX) cabling requirements
• identify FICON (FC and FCV) Channel Path Identifier (CHPID) to CU valid and invalid configurations
• identify FICON Cascaded Switch configurations
• define what is a High integrity fabric and why it is necessary for cascaded switch configurations
• identify valid FICON (FC and FCV) Channel-To-Channel (CTC) configurations

FICON Processor and Control Unit Support

This unit describes the FICON processor and control unit support. It identifies the available FICON director and native control units that are currently available and the definition support for HCD and IOCP.

• describe FICON implementation on the 9672 G5/G6 CPC
• describe FICON implementation on the zSeries CPCs
• list the three functions available via Intelligent Resource director
• describe dynamic CHPID management and how it applies to FICON
• identify FICON bridge ESCON director support
• list bridge plugging rules and recommendation
• Identify FICON native switches
• describe FICON director configuration and support
• identify FICON native control units and comparison to ESCON where applicable

FICON definition and configuration design

This unit describes the IOCP/HCD definition process to support FICON configurations, the architectural rules, I/O concurrency, and configuration guidelines needed when designing a FICON configuration.

• identify new keyword or entries added to IOCP/HCD to support new FICON channels and FICON configurations
• be able to use IOCP/HCD to define a FICON cascaded switch configuration
• identify basic architectural rules and how they are used when planning and designing I/O configurations
• compare and identify the differences between ESCON and FICON architecture and actual implementation numbers
• identify I/O concurrency between ESCON and FICON and how they apply when designing a configuration
• identify a planning approach when designing a FICON configuration

FICON FCP for Linux on zSeries, planning, and implementation

This unit provides the necessary information that is needed in planning and implementing zSeries FICON FCP channels in a SAN FC fabric with SCSI-FC attached storage.

• define FICON FCP
• identify HCD/IOCP FCP coding and usage
• list the various mapping elements that are required for zSeries Linux FCP usage
• identify the following components and how they apply in a zSeries FCP SAN environment
• multipathing
• channel sharing
• zoning
• LUN masking
• define how FCP LUN access control applies in a SAN and what zSeries servers support it
• identify the optional load and dump SCSI feature on zSeries servers

z990/z890 new channel support, spanned channels, and FICON problem determination

This unit describes several new features on the z990/z890 servers and the new channel subsystem support introduced on the z990 and continued with the z890 server. It identifies spanned FICON channels and uses problem determination examples to show FICON path related problems.

• identify features new and unique to the z890 and z990 CPCs
• describe new channel subsystem support for z890 and z990
• multiple logical channel subsystem support
• channel operation support (spanned)
• Physical Channel Identifiers (PCHID) and Input/Output Configuration Data Set (IOCDS) support
• CHPID mapping tool
• identify new HCD requirements and support for z890 and z990
• Hardware System Area (HSA) percent expansion factor
• maximum number of devices and subchannels as compared to z900
• Logical Partition (LP) numbers, identifiers, and Multiple Image Facility (MIF) Ids
• definition sequence
• spanned definition example
• identify external indications that may surface due to a FICON path problem
• identify operator commands, HMC/SE and FICON panels available to help problem determination of FICON path problems

FICON performance characteristics

This unit describes the operation and performance factors of the FICON adapters at the channel and control unit port

• identify and define ESCON / FICON channel paradigms
• identify FICON (FCV) and (FC) benefits
• list and compare the various phases of an I/O operation between FICON and ESCON
• describe the components of the FICON adapter and where they are reported in Resource Measurement Facility (RMF)
• List general guidelines for ESCON channel utilization consolidation on FICON adapters
• Identify FICON CTC performance characteristics as compared to ESCON