## HiperSockets Virtual Switch Bridge 

The HiperSockets Virtual Switch Bridge is implemented on z14 M0x, z14 ZR1, z13, z13s, zEC12, and zBC12. With the HiperSockets Virtual Switch Bridge, z/VM virtual switch is enhanced to transparently bridge a guest virtual machine network connection on a HiperSockets LAN segment. This bridge allows a single HiperSockets guest virtual machine network connection to also directly communicate with the following components: 

GLYPH<SM590000> Other guest virtual machines on the virtual switch 

GLYPH<SM590000> External network hosts through the virtual switch OSA UPLINK port 

The supported operating systems are listed in Table 7-8 on page 221 and Table 7-9 on page 223. 

## HiperSockets Multiple Write Facility 

The HiperSockets Multiple Write Facility allows the streaming of bulk data over a HiperSockets link between two LPARs. Multiple output buffers are supported on a single Signal Adapter (SIGA) write instruction. The key advantage of this enhancement is that it allows the receiving LPAR to process a much larger amount of data per I/O interrupt. This process is transparent to the operating system in the receiving partition. HiperSockets Multiple Write Facility with fewer I/O interrupts is designed to reduce processor utilization of the sending and receiving partitions. 

Support for this function is required by the sending operating system. For more information, see “HiperSockets” on page 151. The supported operating systems are listed in Table 7-8 on page 221. 

## HiperSockets support of IPV6 

IPv6 is expected to be a key element in the future of networking. The IPv6 support for HiperSockets allows compatible implementations between external networks and internal HiperSockets networks. The supported operating systems are listed in Table 7-8 on page 221 and Table 7-9 on page 223. 

## HiperSockets Layer 2 support 

For flexible and efficient data transfer for IP and non-IP workloads, the HiperSockets internal networks on z14 ZR1 can support two transport modes: Layer 2 (Link Layer) and the current Layer 3 (Network or IP Layer). Traffic can be Internet Protocol (IP) Version 4 or Version 6 (IPv4, IPv6) or non-IP (AppleTalk, DECnet, IPX, NetBIOS, or SNA). 

HiperSockets devices are protocol-independent and Layer 3-independent. Each HiperSockets device features its own Layer 2 Media Access Control (MAC) address. This MAC address allows the use of applications that depend on the existence of Layer 2 addresses, such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers and firewalls. 

Layer 2 support can help facilitate server consolidation. Complexity can be reduced, network configuration is simplified and intuitive, and LAN administrators can configure and maintain the mainframe environment the same way as they do a non-mainframe environment. 

The supported operating systems are listed in Table 7-8 on page 221 and Table 7-9 on page 223. 

## HiperSockets network traffic analyzer for Linux on Z 

Introduced with IBM System z10, HiperSockets network traffic analyzer (HS NTA) supports tracing Layer2 and Layer3 HiperSockets network traffic in Linux on Z. This support allows Linux on Z to control the trace for the internal virtual LAN to capture the records into host memory and storage (file systems). 

