Managing VIPA Resources › Virtual IP Addresses (VIPAs)

Virtual IP Addresses (VIPAs)

A VIPA (virtual IP address) is an IP address that is not associated with a physical adapter.

Dynamic VIPAs are playing an increasing role in mainframe-based TCP/IP networks because they provide fault tolerance and flexible workload distribution in a sysplex.

IBM supports the following types of dynamic VIPA:

• Dynamic VIPA for single application instance (application VIPA)

  This type of dynamic VIPA is associated with a specific application, wherever the application is active in the sysplex.

• Dynamic VIPA for takeover/takeback

  This type of dynamic VIPA is used to provide fault tolerance for failing stacks or failing MVS images in a sysplex.

• Distributed dynamic VIPA (sysplex distributor)

  This type of dynamic VIPA supports workload distribution in a sysplex.

CA NetMaster NM for TCP/IP manages IBM's dynamic VIPAs by using VIPA resources. Display commands are available to show the status of the VIPA and connections through the VIPA. If you are running a multisystem environment, these displays merge information from all participating LPARs. This is particularly useful for sysplex distributor VIPAs or VIPAs that have just moved.