IBM 9856-22H
The 9856-22H machine type is the IBM Power L1122, the Linux-focused two-socket 2U Power 11 system, architecturally identical to the S1122 but sold with a different licensing posture.
The 9856-22H is the machine type of the IBM Power L1122, the Linux-first member of the Power 11 2U scale-out line. It is the same silicon, the same chassis and the same core counts as the 9824-22A S1122. What differs is not the hardware, it is what IBM expects you to run on it and how the licensing is positioned.
The L-series exists because Linux on Power buyers were paying for a licensing posture built around IBM i. If your estate is Linux, the 9856-22H is the correct machine type and the price reflects that. If IBM i is a meaningful share of the workload, the S1122 at 9824-22A is the machine you actually want, however attractive the L1122 hardware price looks on a quote.
IBM 9856-22H datasheet
IBM Power L1122 (9856-22H) published specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Machine type-model | 9856-22H |
| Generation | IBM Power 11 |
| Sockets | 2 |
| Maximum cores | 60 in a dual-socket build |
| Memory | 64 GB to 4 TB DDR5 across 32 DDIMM slots |
| Internal storage | 122.4 TB NVMe (8x 15.3 TB) or 51.2 TB (8x 6.4 TB) |
| PCIe | 4 direct slots, Gen4 x16 or Gen5 x8 mix |
| I/O expansion | 1 NED24 NVMe drawer and 1 Gen4 I/O drawer (24 slots) |
| Total CPW | 990,400 total, 15,475 CPW per core |
| Maximum CPW per LPAR | 61,900, with a 4-core maximum LPAR size |
| Positioning | Linux-first |
| Software tier | P10 |
Figures are the published maximums for this machine type. A specific installed system is defined by its processor feature code and activated core count, not by the machine type alone.
Processor feature codes for the 9856-22H
L1122 processor options
| Feature | Cores | Clock (GHz) | Module |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERGF | 16 or 32 | 3.0 ... 4.2 | DCM |
| ERGG | 24 or 48 | 2.65 ... 4.15 | DCM |
| ERGH | 30 or 60 | 2.4 ... 3.95 | DCM |
The 4-core maximum LPAR size is the constraint to check first on this machine type. A 60-core system that cannot build an LPAR larger than 4 cores suits dense consolidation and suits nothing that needs a single large partition.
How to confirm you have a 9856-22H
From IBM i
DSPSYSVAL QMODEL returns the model portion and DSPSYSVAL QPRCFEAT returns the processor feature code. Together those two values identify a 9856-22H build exactly, which is more than the L1122 name alone tells a vendor.
From AIX, Linux or VIOS
lsconf reports the machine type and model on the first lines of output. prtconf gives the same alongside processor implementation and clock speed.
From the HMC
Managed system properties shows the machine type-model and serial together, plus installed against activated cores. This is the view to screenshot when requesting a quote.
From the bezel
A 9856 prefix marks the Linux-focused L-series. The visually identical S1122 carries a 9824 prefix, and the two are separate machine types in every parts and support lookup.
Next steps for a 9856-22H
Feature codes are compared against the S-series equivalents on the Power 11 CPU page, with the full listing at IBM Power L1122. If IBM i turns out to be more of the workload than expected, compare against the 9824-22A S1122 before ordering.