Activating s390x Devices in Ubuntu Server

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This is a task that can be quite daunting for those who are new to this world of mainframes and LinuxONE, but don’t worry bro! we’ve got you covered with our guide!

To set the stage: make sure your ISO image is downloaded from the official website (https://www.ubuntu.com/download/server/s390x) or via the alternate options link provided on that page. Once you have it, boot up your LPAR and follow these steps to activate those s390x devices using chzdev (Channel zSeries Device).

1. Connect to the HMC (Hardware Management Console) and proceed with the ‘Load From Removable Media or Server’ task under ‘Recovery’ ‘Load from Removable Media or Server’. Fill out the following fields:
FTP Source
Host computer: installserver.local
User ID: ftpuser
Password: [insert password here]
Account (optional): [leave blank if not needed]
File location (optional): [leave blank if not needed]

2. Once the ISO image is loaded, proceed with the installation process and select ‘Install Ubuntu Server’ when prompted. Follow the on-screen instructions until you reach the early-commands section. This is where we activate our s390x devices using chzdev (Channel zSeries Device).

Here are some examples of how to do this:
To enable two zFCP hosts with addresses e000 and e100, use these commands:

# This section is where we activate our s390x devices using chzdev (Channel zSeries Device).
# We will be using the chzdev command to enable two zFCP hosts with addresses e000 and e100.

# First, we create a temporary file to indicate that we are about to activate the s390x devices.
touch /tmp/lets_activate_the_s390x_devices

# Next, we use the chzdev command to enable the zFCP host with address e000.
chzdev zfcp -e e000

# Then, we use the chzdev command to enable the zFCP host with address e100.
chzdev zfcp -e e100

# After enabling the zFCP hosts, we use the chzdev command to bring the zFCP LUNs online.
chzdev zfcp-lun -e --online

# Finally, we create another temporary file to indicate that the s390x devices activation is complete.
touch /tmp/s390x_devices_activation_done

To activate a direct-access storage device (DASD) with address 1F00, use this command:


// This script is used to activate a direct-access storage device (DASD) with address 1F00.
// The command "chzdev" is used to change the configuration of a device.
// The option "-e" is used to enable the device.
// The address 1F00 is specified after the option "-e" to indicate which device to enable.

// The "early-commands" section is used to specify commands that should be executed before the system is fully booted.
// This ensures that the DASD is activated and ready for use as soon as the system is booted.

// The corrected script is as follows:


early-commands:
chzdev -e 1f00 dasd // The option "-e" should come before the device type "dasd".


// The corrected script ensures that the device is properly enabled and ready for use upon system boot.

To activate a qeth device with address C000, use this command:

# This script is used to activate a qeth device with address C000.
# The "early-commands" section is used to specify commands that should be executed before the installation process begins.

# The "chzdev" command is used to change the configuration of a device.
# The "-e" flag is used to enable the device.
# The "c000" argument specifies the address of the qeth device that should be activated. 

early-commands:
  chzdev qeth -e c000

3. Once the s390x devices are activated, proceed with the installation process and follow the on-screen instructions until you reach the network configuration section. Here’s an example of how to set up your network:

# This script sets up the network configuration for the installation process on s390x devices.

# The "network" section specifies the network settings.
network:
  # The "ethernets" section specifies the ethernet devices to be used.
  ethernets:
    # "encc000" is the name of the ethernet device.
    encc000:
      # The empty curly braces indicate that no specific configuration is needed for this device.
      {}
  # The "version" specifies the version of the network configuration.
  version: 2
  # The "vlans" section specifies the virtual LANs to be used.
  vlans:
    # "encc000.4711" is the name of the virtual LAN.
    encc000.4711:
      # The "addresses" specify the IP address and subnet mask for the virtual LAN.
      addresses: [10.11.12.42/24]
      # The "gateway4" specifies the default gateway for the virtual LAN.
      gateway4: 10.11.12.1
      # The "id" specifies the ID of the virtual LAN.
      id: 4711
      # The "link" specifies the ethernet device that the virtual LAN is connected to.
      link: encc000
      # The "nameservers" specify the IP addresses of the DNS servers.
      nameservers:
        # The "addresses" specify the IP address of the DNS server.
        addresses: [10.11.12.1]

Note that you’ll need to replace the IP address and subnet mask with your own network configuration.

4. Finally, make sure a HTTP server is running on your Ubuntu Server installation (with /srv/www as web-server root) so that you can access it remotely via SSH or other means.

Your s390x devices are now activated and ready to use in Ubuntu Server.
We hope this guide has been helpful for those new to activating s390x devices on LinuxONE using chzdev (Channel zSeries Device). Remember, if you have any questions or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

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