Hardware Management Console Installation and Operations Guide
This chapter discusses the System Configuration application, which allows
you to do the following:
- Set the console's date and time
- Enter and check HMC network information
- View console events
- Schedule routine backups
- Enable and disable remote commands
- Configure serial adapters
- Enable remote virtual terminal connections
- Change the HMC interface language
For more information about the System Configuration application group,
read the following section.
Any user role can view the console date and time. To update the
console date and time, you must be a member of one of the following
roles:
- Advanced Operator
- System Administrator
- Service Representative
- Operator
- Viewer
The battery-operated clock keeps time and date for the HMC. You
might need to set the console date and time under the following
circumstances:
- If the battery is replaced in the HMC
- If your system is physically moved to a different time zone
To customize your console date and time, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Customize Console Date /
Time.
- To change the month, click on the month shown in the Date
field. Similarly, click the day or year shown in the Date
field to change those values.
- Click on the hour, minute or second shown in the Time field to
change the values. To update this input field to the currently set
time, press the Refresh button.
- From the list, select the region and city closest to your location, and
click OK.
If you click OK and the new time setting does not show in the
lower right of the HMC interface, log out and then log back in again.
For more information about logging out of the HMC, see Shutting Down, Rebooting and Logging Out of the HMC.
To see a log of recent HMC activity, you can view console events.
Each event has an associated time stamp. The following is a sample of
the events recorded:
- When a partition was activated
- When a system was powered on
- When a partition was shut down
- Results of a scheduled operation
To view console events, you must be a member of one of the following
roles:
- System Administrator
- Advanced Operator
- Service Representative
- Viewer
To view console events, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, select View Console Events.
While the HMC conducts most of its management function through the direct
serial connections to the managed systems, connecting the HMC to your network
provides you with additional remote management capabilities. It also
significantly enhances service and maintenance for partitioned systems.
Enabling the HMC network connection allows you to take advantage of the
following HMC capabilities:
- Remote Management: You can access the HMC user interface
remotely from a Web-based System Manager graphical user interface
client. Both the Web-based System Manager client and server are
provided with the AIX base operating system can be installed in any AIX
operating system. The client is also available in a standalone version
that can be installed on a number of platforms. To manage a system
remotely, you can start the client on a remote system, enter the HMC host name
or IP address, and provide a valid HMC user ID and password. After you
complete these steps, the HMC user interface options display in the user
interface, just like they would on the HMC itself.
The HMC also provides you with some basic command line functions for
managing systems and partitions. With a network connection, you can
connect to the HMC and issue these command functions remotely, either manually
or as part of an automated script. For more information about the
high-level command line, see Using the Command Line.
- Service Functions: To configure your network to allow
network connections between the HMC and the partitions in the managed systems,
plan to include network adapters in each partition. While you need only
a single network adapter in a partition to handle both management functions
and general-purpose networking, you can also use separate adapters if you want
to keep these functions separate, or you can put them on separate
networks.
If the network connections are available:
- The partitions automatically forward hardware service events to the HMC
for collection in the Service Focal Point and for automatic dispatch of
service through Service Agent (if enabled). Without these connections,
service events are reported and logged only within the individual partitions
that observe them, which can delay reporting and fixing the problem.
- Note:
- Changes made to your HMC's network settings do not take effect until you
reboot the HMC.
To customize network settings, you must be a member of one of the following
roles:
- Advanced Operator
- System Administrator
- Service Representative
To customize your HMC's IP address, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Customize Network Settings.
The Customize Network Settings window displays.
- Click the IP Address tab.
- Type TCP/IP and gateway information as appropriate. For questions
about your network and how it is configured, see your network
administrator.
- Click OK if you are finished customizing the network.
- Note:
- Changes made to your HMC's network settings do not take effect until you
reboot the HMC.
To enable your HMC and managed system for service, you must change
the default domain names and enter your own.
To set a domain name, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Customize Network Settings.
The Customize Network Settings window displays.
- Click the Name Services tab.
- The system displays the default domain name as
localdomain. Replace this name with your network information
as appropriate.
- Note:
- Do not assign the localhost.localdomain with an
IP address other than the loopback
127.0.0.1.
For questions about your network and how it is configured, see your
network administrator.
- Click OK.
The /etc/hosts file on your HMC's hard drive stores
all host name information. Whether you are using DNS or not, you must
add the HMC hostname using the process described below. If you are
not using DNS, you must also add all host names (for each LPAR and
HMC) to this file using the following procedure:
In addition, you must also update the local /etc/hosts files in
each LPAR. For more information about updating files, refer to the
documentation provided with your operating system.
To set a host name in the /etc/hosts file, do the
following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Customize Network Settings.
The Customize Network Settings window displays.
- Click the Host tab.
- Enter your host name information as appropriate.
- Click OK.
If you change the local host name, you must reboot the HMC for changes to
take effect. For more information about rebooting the HMC, see Shutting Down, Rebooting and Logging Out of the HMC.
You can add to and change the /etc/hosts file yourself by
clicking on the Hosts tab. This window allows you to add any
IP address or host names that you want to store in the /etc/hosts
file.
To add or change a host name in the /etc/hosts file, do the
following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Customize Network Settings.
The Customize Network Settings window displays.
- Click the Hosts tab.
- Click New or Change.
- The Host Entries window opens. In the first field, type the IP
address you want to add or change.
- In the second field, type the host name or names you want to associate
with the IP address you typed in the first field. If you enter multiple
host names, separate them by spaces and list the primary host name
first. Enter multiple host names when you want to identify a machine by
both its fully qualified host name and its short host name. For
example, if your domain is mycompany.com, then for
some IP address you might enter
myname.mycompany.com somename.
- Click OK.
The /etc/hosts file is updated with your new
information.
You can add, change, or delete routing information.
To set routing information, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Customize Network Settings.
The Customize Network Settings window displays.
- Click the Routing tab.
- Select New, Change, or Delete.
- Type the gateway information in the fields as appropriate. For
questions about your network and how it is configured, see your network
administrator.
- Click OK.
You can use your HMC to select speed and duplex modes for your ethernet
adapters.
To set device attributes, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Customize Network Settings.
The Customize Network Settings window displays.
- Click the Device Attributes tab.
- Select the speed and duplex mode for your adapter. For more
information about your adapter's speed and mode, read the documentation
that was provided with your adapter.
- Click OK.
This option enables you to verify that you are properly connected to the
network.
To test network connectivity, you must be a member of one of the following
roles:
- Advanced Operator
- System Administrator
- Service Representative
You can test the network connection between the HMC and other hosts
by using a ping utility. To test network connectivity, do the
following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Test Network Connectivity.
- Type the host name or IP address of the system to which you are attempting
to connect.
- Click OK.
To test the connectivity of a partition to your HMC (for example, using the
ping command), refer to the documentation provided with your partition's
operating system.
This option enables you to schedule the time and dates for backing up
critical console information. When you schedule a backup operation, the
information is saved on a formatted DVD-RAM disk on your HMC. Each time
this data is saved, old data is replaced with the more recent data. If
you do not want older information overwritten, insert a new DVD-RAM disk in
the HMC's drive each time you perform a backup.
For more information about critical console data, see Backing up Critical Console Data.
To schedule a backup of console data, you must be a member of one of the
following roles:
- Advanced Operator
- System Administrator
You can schedule a backup to DVD to occur once, or you can set up a
repeated schedule. You must provide the time and date that you want the
operation to occur. If the operation is scheduled to repeat, you must
select how you want this backup to repeat (daily, weekly, or monthly).
- Note:
- Only the most-recent backup image is stored at any time on the DVD.
To schedule a backup operation, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Scheduled Operations.
- In the menu, click Options.
- Select New.
- In the appropriate fields, enter the time and date that you want this
backup to occur.
- If you want this scheduled operation to repeat, click the
Repeat tab and enter the intervals at which you want the backup to
repeat. You can schedule backup operations to repeat at monthly,
weekly, daily, or hourly intervals. If you select Daily intervals, you
can select the individual day of the week you want the backup to occur.
If you want to repeat a scheduled operation daily or hourly, you can also
specify the days of the week on which you want this operation to occur.
- Click OK when you are finished setting the backup time and
date.
After you have defined a scheduled backup operation, a description of the
operation displays in the Scheduled Operations window.
You can use the HMC to review an existing scheduled operation that you have
created.
To review an existing operation, you must be a member of one of the
following roles:
- Advanced Operator
- System Administrator
To review an operation you have already created, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Scheduled Operations from the menu
to display a list of scheduled operations.
You can view the duration of the backup tasks you scheduled and filter the
tasks you want to view.
To modify your view, you must be a member of one of the following
roles:
- Advanced Operator
- System Administrator
To view the time range of a scheduled backup, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Scheduled Operations from the menu
to display a list of scheduled operations.
- Select the operation you want to view.
- From the menu, select View.
- Select New Time Range. The Change Time Range window
opens.
- After filtering the time range information you want to view, click
OK.
This option provides the ability to run commands remotely through the
rexec command or the ssh command.
To install ssh software on PC clients, type the following web
address:
http:// HMC System Name /remote_client_security.html
This page provides links to download the PC and Linux security package
installed on the HMC. By default, security is installed and
configured; however, the HMC system administrator can uninstall the
Remote Client Security package. If the HMC administrator uninstalls the
Remote Client Security Package, an error message displays stating that the
Security package needs to be installed. The US strong encryption is
also installed by default, and can also be uninstalled by the HMC system
administrator. For more information about the PC Client, see Installing and Using the Remote Client. For more information about configuring your HMC for
security, see System Manager Security.
On an AIX system, the software to install the Security package is
located on the Expansion Pack. The Security installation image operates
for both the AIX Client and the Remote Client; there are no separate
installation images. To download the images to the Remote Client, the
AIX system must also have IHS (IBM HTTP Server) installed and
configured. Type the following Web address:
http:// HMC System Name /remote_client_security.html
This page provides links to download the PC and Linux Security package
installed on the system (US or Export).
To enable or disable remote commands, you must be a member of one of the
following roles:
- Advanced Operator
- System Administrator
- Service Representative
To enable or disable remote commands, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Enable / Disable Remote Command
Execution.
- Select the appropriate box.
- Click OK.
You can use your HMC to configure adapters that are installed in your
HMC.
To configure serial adapters, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Configure Serial Adapter.
- The Working window opens. Type 1 to select
Configure Serial Adapter(s)
- The configuration utility guides you through a series of questions.
For an 8-port adapter you must answer the following questions with the
following answers:
- Question: How many boards would you like to install? Answer:
Type the total number of 8 and/or 128 Port ASYNC adapters in the
system.
- Question: Board #1. What type of board is this? ( L for list)
Answer: Use board type 15
- Question: Do you want to set Altpin on this board? ( y or n )
Answer: No
If two 8-port adapters are installed in the system, the HMC asks the
following questions:
- Question: Board #2. What type of board is this? ( L for list)
Answer: Use board type 15
- Question: Do you want to set Altpin on this board? ( y or n )
Answer: No
For a 128-port adapter, you must answer the following questions with
the following answers:
- Question: How many boards would you like to install? Answer:
Type the total number of 8 and/or 128 Port ASYNC adapters are installed in the
HMC PC.
- Question: Board #1. What type of board is this? ( L for list)
Answer: Use board type 16 (IBM 128-Port ASYNC PCI)
- Question: How many ports does this digiBoard have? Possible
values:
1) 8
2) 16
3) 24
4) 32
5) 40
6) 48
7) 56
8) 64
9) 72
10) 80
11) 88
12) 96
13) 104
14) 112
15) 120
16) 128
- Board #1 How many ports? (1-16) Answer: Count the total number
of Enhanced RANs you are attaching to the 128-Port ASYNC adapter and multiply
by two. For example: 2 (RANs) multiplied by 2 equals 4.
Type the selection number 4), for 32 in this example, at the prompt.
- Question: Do you want to set Altpin on this board? ( y or n )
Answer: No
If two 128-Port ASYNC adapters are installed in the system, the utility
repeats the previous sequence of questions for each. The configuration
utility guides you through a series of questions.
- Note:
- The term C/CON is synonymous with Enhanced RAN or
RAN
- Question: How many C/X cards do you have? Answer: Type the
total number of 128 Port ASYNC adapters installed in the HMC PC.
- Question: How many C/CONs (RANs) are connected to card 1 line 1?
Answer: Type the total number of RANs on line 1. For this
example, two concentrators (RANs) are connected to line 1.
- Question: What type of wiring scheme are you going to use for card
1, line 1?
A) 8 Wire Direct
B) 4 Wire Direct
C) RS422 Sync
D) RS232 Sync
Answer: A
- Enter the type of communication mode to use on line 1. (Type L for
a list) [14] Answer: 14
- Question: How many ports does this C/CON (RAN) support? (conc #1)
- Note:
- The maximum number of ports here is 16. [16]
Answer: 16
- Question: How many C/CONs (RANs) are connected to card 1, line 2?
Answer: Enter the number of RANs connected to line 2.
The HMC is configured to load the adapter device driver upon reboot.
Reboot your HMC.
This task allows you to switch the port from RS232 to RS422. Use
this task for ports that are connected to a frame's power supply.
To configure RS422 ports on an 8-port adapter connected to the HMC, do the
following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Configure Serial Adapter.
- The Working window opens. Type 2 to select
Configure RS422 ports on an 8-port Adapter.
- From the menu, select the 8 port adapter you want to configure.
- From the menu, select the port change.
Remote virtual terminal connections are disabled by default. This
section describes how to enable remote virtual terminal connections.
To enable remote virtual terminal connections, you must be a member of the
System Administrator role.
To enable remote virtual terminal connections, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Enable/Disable Remote Virtual Terminal
Connections. The Enable Remote Virtual Terminal window
displays.
- Click the Enable remote virtual terminal connections
box.
- Click OK.
You can change the language of your HMC interface by:
OR
- Using the Change Current Locale application
When you power on the HMC, the HMC automatically prompts you to change the
locale. The locale is the language you want your HMC to display.
If you do not respond, the HMC continues to power on with the last locale
used.
Any user role can change the HMC's interface language.
To change your HMC's interface language when you power on the HMC, do
the following:
- Power on the HMC.
- When you are prompted to change the locale, type the number 2
to select Change Locale. The Locale Selection window
opens.
- Select the locale you want to display from the list.
- Click OK.
When the HMC completes the power on process, it displays the language you
selected.
To change your HMC's interface language by using the System
Configuration application, do the following:
- In the Navigation area, click the HMC Maintenance icon.
- In the Contents area, double-click the System Configuration
icon.
- In the Contents area, click Change Current Locale.
- A window opens. Select the locale you want from the list.
- Click OK.
- Log out of the HMC interface and then log back in to the HMC
interface. For more information about logging out and logging in, see Shutting Down, Rebooting and Logging Out of the HMC.
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