A customer has a Parallel Sysplex made up of a z14, a z13 and a zEC12 for the z/OS LPARs, They have a z13s for use only as a Coupling Facility (CF). These systems are all connected using Infiniband…

Question

Options

• AICA SR coupling links should be installed on the z14, z13, and zEC12.
• BCoupling Express Long Reach Links should be installed on the z14, z13 and zEC12.
• CThe zEC12 cannot directly connect to the z14-ZR1 CF.
• DFICON CTCs (Channel to Channel Connections) should be defined between each of the Systems

• A
  7% (3)
• B
  13% (6)
• C
  59% (27)
• D
  22% (10)

Explanation

Option C is correct because the zEC12 only supports HCA3-O (InfiniBand) coupling links, while the z14-ZR1 only supports ICA SR (Internal Coupling Architecture Short Reach) links - there is no link type common to both, making a direct coupling connection impossible between them.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A is wrong because the zEC12 does not support ICA SR links at all; only the z13 and z14 do. Installing ICA SR on a zEC12 is not an option.
• B is wrong because Coupling Express Long Reach links are not supported by the z14-ZR1, which exclusively uses ICA SR; this choice also doesn't resolve the zEC12 incompatibility.
• D is wrong because FICON CTCs are data transfer channels between LPARs, not a mechanism for coupling facility connectivity - CF links require dedicated coupling hardware (HCA3-O or ICA SR).

Memory tip: Think of it as a language barrier - the zEC12 only "speaks" InfiniBand (HCA3-O), and the z14-ZR1 only "speaks" ICA SR. Since they share no common coupling dialect, they cannot talk directly. Systems must share at least one common link type to couple. When you see the zEC12 paired with a z14-ZR1 CF, that's an immediate red flag for incompatibility.

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