IBM z13s, Technical Manual

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Appendix F. KVM for IBM z Systems
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signaling protocol to directly exchange data between the OSA microprocessor and network
software.
KVM for IBM z Systems can use the OSA features by virtualizing them for Linux on IBM
z Systems to use.
For more information about storage and network connectivity for Linux on z Systems, see The
Virtualization Cookbook for IBM z Systems Volume 3: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12,
SG24-8890.
F.2.3 Hardware Management Console
The HMC is a stand-alone computer that runs a set of management applications. The HMC is
a closed system, which means that no other applications can be installed on it.
The HMC can set up, manage, monitor, and operate one or more z Systems platforms. It
manages and provides support utilities for the hardware and its LPARs.
The HMC is used to install KVM for IBM z and to provide an interface to the IBM z Systems
hardware for configuration management functions.
For details about the HMC, see Introduction to the Hardware Management Console at:
http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/HW11P_2.13.1/com.ibm.hwmca.kc_hmc.doc/i
ntroductiontotheconsole/introduction.html
F.2.4 Open source virtualization
KVM technology is a cross-platform virtualization technology that turns the Linux kernel into
an enterprise-class hypervisor by using the hardware virtualization support built into the
z Systems platform. This configuration means that KVM for IBM z Systems can do things
such as scheduling tasks, dispatching CPUs, managing memory, and interacting with I/O
resources (storage and network) through PR/SM.
KVM for IBM z Systems creates virtual machines as Linux processes that run Linux on
z Systems images using a modified version of another open source module, known as a quick
emulator (QEMU). QEMU provides I/O device emulation inside the virtual machine.