The RDP data history is used to validate Predictive Failure Algorithms and identify Fibre  Channel Links with degrading signal strength before errors start to occur. The new Fibre  Channel Extended Link Service (ELS) retrieves signal strength. FICON Dynamic Routing (FIDR) enables the use of storage area network (SAN) dynamic  routing policies in the fabric. With the z14 systems, FICON channels are no longer  restricted to the use of static routing policies for inter-switch links (ISLs) for cascaded  FICON directors.  FICON Dynamic Routing dynamically changes the routing between the channel and  control unit that is based on the Fibre Channel Exchange ID. Each I/O operation has a  unique exchange ID. FIDR supports static SAN routing policies and dynamic routing  policies. FICON Dynamic Routing can help clients reduce costs by providing the following features: Clients must ensure that all devices in their FICON SAN support FICON Dynamic Routing  before they implement this feature. Hardware RAS function improvements focus on addressing all sources of outages. Sources  of outages feature the following classifications: GLYPH<SM590000> FICON Dynamic Routing – Share SANs between their FICON and FCP traffic. – Improve performance because of SAN dynamic routing policies that better use all the  available ISL bandwidth through higher use of the ISLs. – Simplify management of their SAN fabrics by using static routing policies that assign  different ISL routes with each power-on-reset (POR), which makes the SAN fabric  performance difficult to predict. GLYPH<SM590000> Unscheduled GLYPH<SM590000> Scheduled GLYPH<SM590000> Planned 9.7 z14 ZR1 RAS functions This outage occurs because of an unrecoverable malfunction in a hardware component of  the system.  This outage is caused by changes or updates that must be done to the system in a timely  fashion. A scheduled outage can be caused by a disruptive patch that must be installed, or  other changes that must be made to the system.  This outage is caused by changes or updates that must be done to the system. A planned  outage can be caused by a capacity upgrade or a driver upgrade. A planned outage is  usually requested by the client, and often requires pre-planning. The z14 ZR1design  phase focuses on enhancing planning to simplify or eliminate planned outages.  The difference between scheduled outages and planned outages might not be obvious. The  general consensus is that scheduled outages occur sometime soon. The time frame is  approximately two weeks.  Planned outages are outages that are planned well in advance and go beyond this  approximate two-week time frame. The distinction between scheduled and planned outages  is beyond the scope of this chapter. Chapter 9. Reliability, availability, and serviceability  335