Thanks all! Really appreciate it! This does help! Yup I would be looking for a single CEC of a 570 if at all or if I can get the same functionality for less $ with a 520 or 550 then would prefer those. (However, at this time the single CEC's of 570's come priced cheaper and so teh original question...) For PowerVM looks like I'll need at least the Standard VET to create VIO's (I recall reading the Enterprise VET will allow for LPM but I don't need that in the foreseeable future). With the Standard I can create two VIO's which is something I would want to do. Most of the hardware out there that I see comes with a POD and a VET for those listed as APV.

> Secondly, if you are running virtualisation, are you happy to run a single VIO with IVM or do you also need to factor in an HMC. With the 570 you must use an HMC! The IVM isn't an option.
I'd be looking to get an HMC shortly after if not together. I'm thinking then even for a single CEC of a 570 I'd still need the HMC?

> If you have an HMC and a server and want to run dual VIO Servers then you need a split backplane in you server, with disks attached to both backplanes.
Yes, if I have a Standard VET then would want to run two VIO's. Thanks very much for that! When you say I need disks attached to both backplanes I'm thinking 2 disks per backplane then (4 total)? (Not sure if I'm making sense.)

Read somewhere that an MOD (CUoD Memory Activation Code) might not make much sense on the 520's and 550's but I'm not 100% sure here on this. If I don't have the MOD on any of the three types, 520, 550, 570, what features would I be missing? I'm thinking I'll need all three codes but I'm not 100% sure if paying for an MOD would make any significant difference in functionality.

> 200-240 volt AC
This would be a problem. I'll have to do a bit more digging on exactly what I would need to check if my HH would allow for this.

Up to a 4-way machine would be fine so any 3 of those would do. Please let me know on the above and thanks very much again!

Thanks, DH