Mixed technology environments
OptiConnect supports HSL OptiConnect, Virtual OptiConnect, and SPD OptiConnect in a single network.
OptiConnect always configures Virtual OptiConnect when possible. If there is more than one possible connection between any two systems, OptiConnect configures both HSL OptiConnect and SPD OptiConnect and alternates between them.
Figure 1 shows an example of a mixed technology environment. In this figure, iSeries™ 830 and 840 can participate as nodes in both SPD and HSL OptiConnect environments. A migration unit is required for some 8xx models to participate in an SPD OptiConnect network. Systems with the current HSL-2 port technology do not support the attachment of migration units. There is no seamless upgrade path for an SPD-based model 7xx in an SPD OptiConnect network to a current model in an HSL OptiConnect network.