Abstract

IBM, in conjunction with Cisco Systems, commissioned The Tolly Group to conduct independent qualification testing of a joint mainframe-to-storage SAN solution. Testing was certified in August 2025 and produced a published report with fact-based proof of performance across three critical dimensions of enterprise mainframe connectivity: interoperability, resilience, and operational continuity — plus additional validation of end-to-end security and infrastructure investment protection.

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TEST FOCUS AREAS

Interoperability — IBM-qualified z17 FICON connectivity validated across the IBM z17 mainframe, IBM DS8000 storage, and Cisco MDS FICON directors and switches, with support for existing 32G infrastructure and no mandatory 64G SAN upgrade.

Resilience — Cisco MDS 9700 Multilayer Directors tested with no single point of failure; redundant power supply failures caused zero traffic disruption, with automatic recovery upon restoration.

Operational Continuity — Roughly 50 tests across six categories (new functionality, unit-level validation, serviceability, mixed workloads, recovery, and regression) completed with 100% success under Cisco NX-OS 9.4(3b).

Security & Investment Protection — End-to-end Fibre Channel Endpoint Security (IFCES) authenticates mainframe and storage identity before link establishment and encrypts data in-flight with no application changes or added CPU overhead, while existing MDS deployments can be upgraded or integrated into the solution.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL TEST REPORT
📄 Tolly Report — IBM z17 Mainframe Enterprise 32G FICON Storage Solution: IBM · Cisco
https://tolly.com/publications/226101