A customer currently owns a z13s. The customer decides to purchase a z14 ZR1 and connect it to the z13s in a Parallel Sysplex. The two IBM Z machines will be 200 meters apart. Which sysplex…

Question

Options

• AAdd ICA SR links to the z13s and order ICA SR on the z14 ZR1.
• BAdd IFB 1X links to the z13s and order CE LR links on the z14 ZR1.
• CAdd IFB 1X links to the z13s and order IFB 1X links on the z14 ZR1.
• DAdd CE LR links to the z13s and order CE LR links on the z14 ZR1.

• A
  2% (1)
• B
  80% (37)
• C
  7% (3)
• D
  11% (5)

Explanation

Option B is correct because the z13s only supports IFB (InfiniBand) coupling links, while the z14 ZR1 does not support IFB - it only supports CE (Coupling Express) links. At 200 meters, the Long Reach (LR) variant of CE is required on the z14 ZR1 side, and IBM's sysplex infrastructure allows IFB and CE links to interconnect between machines.

Why the distractors fail:

• A - ICA SR (Internal Coupling Architecture Short Reach) is designed for extremely short distances (same or adjacent frames), making it physically unsuitable for 200 meters; the z13s also does not support ICA SR.
• C - The z14 ZR1 does not support IFB links at all, so putting IFB 1X on both ends is impossible.
• D - The z13s does not support CE LR links; it only has IFB capability, so this option cannot be configured on the z13s side.

Memory tip: Think "old machine keeps its old links, new machine uses new links" - the z13s retains IFB 1X (its native coupling type), and the z14 ZR1 brings CE LR (its only option), with the LR variant specifically chosen because 200 meters exceeds short-reach limits.

No community discussion yet for this question.