What is FICON?
FICON defined
Why FICON?
FICON Express
FICON benefits
Comparing SCSI-FCP and FICON
I/O Discovery vs. I/O Definition
Classes of Service
Extended Link Services
Switch Cascading
Mainframe Architecture
Architectural elements
 Central Electronic Complex (CEC)
 Subchannels
 Channels
 Directors
 Control Units and Devices
Channel Command Word (CCW)
Channel Paths and CHPIDs
Path Groups and Path Group IDs
Dynamic Reconnection
Channel and Control Unit images
Logical Partitions (LPARs)
FICON Configurations
Point-to-Point
Switched Point-to-Point
Cascaded FICON Directors
I/O Definition
 I/O Configuration Data Set (IOCDS)
 Sample IOCDS Configuration
‘High-Security’ Directors
 Insistent Domain_IDs
 Port Binding
 Switch Binding
 Fabric Binding
 Query Security Attributes (QSA)
 Fabric Change Notification (RFCN)
FICON Applications
Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy (PPRC)
Extended Remote Copy (XRC)
Virtual Tape Subsystem
Geographically Dispersed Sysplex
FICON Addressing
Mapping FC Addresses
Putting it all together
Subchannels, channels, link addresses, images
N_Port Virtualization
 

I/O Protocols
Initiating an I/O Operation
Data Transfer
Ending an I/O Operation
Command Chaining
Command Retry
Data Chaining
Accept Status
Stack Status
Channel Request Status
System Reset
Selective Reset
Cancel
FICON FC-4 Protocol Mapping
Use of Fibre Channel Exchange
Class of Service requirements
Information Unit Structure
 SB-2 Header
 Information Unit Header
 Device Information Block (DIB) Header
 Command-Data DIB
 Status DIB
 Data DIB
 Device/Link Control DIB
 FICON IU Checking (LRC and CRC)
Link Initialization
 Point-to-Point
 Switched Point-to-Point (Fabric)
FICON Operations
 Establishing Logical Paths
 Read-type Command
 Write Type Command
Optional: FICON Management & Control Unit Port (CUP) - ½ day
System Management
Fabric Management
 Director Control Unit
 Control Unit Port (CUP)
 CUP Data Structures
 CUP Commands
Future of the CUP
Optional: FICON Trace Analysis - ½ day
FICON Standards and Bibliography