External SAN Attachment

IBM i External SAN Storage Attachment Kit

A host adapter and cabling kit that lets an IBM i partition attach to external SAN storage instead of relying solely on internal DASD.

Storage Systems

Program Overview

External SAN attachment becomes relevant once internal DASD expansion runs out of room or a business wants to centralize storage management across IBM i and other platforms on shared SAN infrastructure. This kit covers the host bus adapters and cabling needed to make that attachment supported and stable.

Compatibility is the main evaluation point, since the adapter must match both the Power server generation and the SAN fabric already in place.

Best Fit

Best fit for environments that have outgrown internal DASD capacity or are consolidating IBM i storage onto existing shared SAN infrastructure.

What this program helps with

  • Fibre Channel host adapters supported for the target Power server generation
  • Multipath configuration options for storage path redundancy
  • Compatibility with common enterprise SAN storage arrays
  • Documented IBM i attachment procedure for supported configurations

What to vet before shortlist

  • Verify adapter and firmware compatibility with the exact server model before ordering
  • Confirm SAN array support for IBM i attachment specifically, not just generic hosts
  • Plan a maintenance window for the attachment and ASP configuration change