Hardware Management Console Installation and Operations Guide


Basic System Management Tasks

This chapter describes how to perform system and frame management tasks. This chapter also includes information about system profiles.


Managing the System

You can perform the tasks discussed in this chapter when the managed system is selected in the Contents area. A managed system is shown below a "frame" in the Contents area. A frame manages a collection of managed systems.

The HMC communicates with the managed system to perform various system management, service, and partitioning functions. Systems connected to an HMC are recognized automatically by the HMC, and are then shown in the Contents area.

You can connect up to two HMCs to each managed system by using the serial cable that was provided with the HMC. You can also manage multiple systems with one HMC. For more information about using two HMC connected to one managed system, see Using Two HMCs Connected to One Managed System.

To view more information about the managed system, click on the Server Management icon in the Navigation area. The Contents area expands to show a frame, which you can then expand to show information about the managed system, including its name, its state, and the operator panel value.

To expand your view of the managed system's properties, click the plus sign (+) next to the managed system's name to view its contents.

In the Contents area, you can also select the managed system by right-clicking on the managed system icon to perform the following:

You can also access these options by clicking on the managed system and then clicking Selected on the menu.


Powering On the Managed System

You can use your HMC to power on the managed system.

To power on the managed system, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To power on the managed system, do the following:

  1. In the Navigation area, click the Partition Management icon.
  2. In the Contents area, select the managed system.
  3. In the menu, click Selected.
  4. Select Power On.

    You are asked to select a power-on mode from the following:

    The next section discusses each of these power-on modes.

Note:
You must power off your managed system to switch between using the Full System Partition and using either logical or affinity partitions. You must also power off the system between activating logical parititions and affinity partitions.

Partition Standby

The Partition Standby power-on option allows you to create and activate logical partitions. When the Partition Standby power-on is completed, the operator panel on the managed system displays LPAR..., indicating the managed system is ready for you to use the HMC to partition its resources.

Note:
The Full System Partition is listed as Not Available because the managed system was powered on using the Partition Standby option.

For more information about partitions, see Partitioning.

Full System Partition

The Full System Partition power-on option allows you to use all of the system's resources on one operating system after the system has been powered on. This is the traditional single-system method of using your system's resources.

The physical operator panel on your managed system displays progress codes when you boot the system to this mode.

Power-On Options

If you select the Full System Partition option, you can then select one of the following profiles:

Power On Normal
This profile boots an operating system from the designated boot device.

Power On SMS
This profile is similar to Power On Diagnostic Stored Boot List Profile, except the system boots using the default boot list that is stored in the system firmware.

Power On Diagnostic Stored Boot List
This profile causes the system to perform a service mode boot using the service mode boot list saved on the managed system. If the system boots AIX from the disk drive and AIX diagnostics are loaded on the disk drive, AIX boots to the diagnostics menu.

Using this profile to boot the system is the preferred way to run online diagnostics.

Power On Diagnostic Default Boot List
This profile boots to the System Management Services (SMS) menus. The SMS menus include:

For more information about SMS menus, see the PCI Adapter Placement Reference, order number SA23-2504.

Power On Open Firmware OK Prompt
This profile is used only by service representatives to obtain additional debug information. When this selection is enabled, the system boots to the open firmware prompt.

To learn more about these power-on options, see the service documentation for your managed system.

For more information about the Full System Partition, see Full System Partition.

System Profiles

The System Profile option powers on the system according to a predefined set of profiles.

Note:
The profiles are activated in the order in which they are shown in the system profile.
For more information about system profiles, see Profiles.

Powering Off the Managed System

You can also use your HMC to power off the managed system. Ensure that all partitions have been shut down and their states have changed from Running to Ready.

To shut down a partition, do the following:

  1. Open the partition's virtual terminal window.
  2. Log in to the operating system that is installed on that partition.
  3. Run the shutdown command.

To power off the managed system, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To power off the managed system, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the managed system.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Power Off.

When you power off the managed system, each partition associated with that managed system also powers off.


Viewing Managed System Properties

To view your managed system's configuration and capabilities, use the properties window.

Any user can view managed system properties.

To view your managed system's properties, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the managed system.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Properties.

    If you have powered on your system using the Full System Partition option, the HMC displays the system's name, partition capability, state, serial number, model and type, and policy information. A system that is powered on using the Partition Standby option displays this information, as well as available and assigned processors, memory, I/O drawers and slots, and policy information. The Processor tab displays information that is helpful when performing Dynamic Logical Partitioning processor tasks.

    Use the Processor tab to view the processor status, the processor state, and whether a processor is assigned to a partition. The information in the Processor tab is also helpful when you need to know if processors are disabled and therefore are not able to be used by any partition. For more information about recovering resources, see Appendix C, Error Messages and Recovery Information.

    Use the Policy tab to perform the following tasks:


Managing Profile Data

You can back up, restore, initialize, and remove profiles that you have created. This section describes each of these options.

Backing Up Profile Data

To back up profile data, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To back up profile data, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the managed system.
  2. From the menu, choose Selected.
  3. From the menu, select Profile Data.
  4. From the menu, select Backup.
  5. Type the name you want to use for this backup file.
  6. Click OK.

Restoring Profile Data

Selecting this menu item restores profile data to the system from the local file system.

To restore profile data, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To restore profile data, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the managed system.
  2. From the menu, choose Selected.
  3. From the menu, select Profile Data.
  4. From the menu, select Restore.
  5. Select the profile information you want to restore from the list of backup files.
  6. Select a restore option from the following list, and then click OK.

    Full restore from selected backup file
    This option restores all profile data using your backup file only. Profile modifications performed after the selected backup file was created will be lost.

    Backup priority - merge current profile and backup
    This option merges the stored backup with recent profile activity. If information conflicts, the stored backup data is restored over the recent profile activity.

    Managed system priority - merge current profile and backup
    This option merges recent profile activity with the stored backup. If information conflicts, the recent profile activity is restored over the stored backup data.

Initializing Profile Data

When you initialize profile data, you return the HMC to its original state. After you perform this task, any profiles that you created are erased.

To initialize profile data, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To initialize profile data, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the managed system.
  2. From the menu, choose Selected.
  3. From the menu, select Profile Data.
  4. From the menu, select Initialize. A warning message window opens. If you are sure you want to initialize profile data, click Yes.

Removing Profile Data

To remove stored profile data, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To remove stored profile data, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the managed system.
  2. From the menu, choose Selected.
  3. Select Profile Data.
  4. Select Remove.
  5. Select the profile data that you want to remove.
  6. Click OK.

Deleting the Managed System from the Contents Area

If you no longer want to manage a particular system, you can delete it from the Contents area.

Note:
Do not disconnect the serial cable from the hardware before you delete the managed system from the Contents area.

To delete the managed system from the Contents area, you must be a member of the System Administrator role.

To delete the managed system from the Contents area, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the managed system.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Delete from the drop-down menu.
  4. Click Yes to delete the managed system from the Contents area.
  5. Disconnect the serial cable from the managed system.

The managed system's icon is removed from the Contents area, and the connection is broken between the HMC and the managed system.


Rebuilding the Managed System

Rebuilding the managed system acts much like a refresh of the managed system information. Rebuilding the managed system is useful when the system's state indicator in the Contents area is shown as Recovery. The Recovery indicator signifies that the partition and profile data stored in the managed system must be refreshed.

This operation is different from performing a refresh of the local HMC panel. In this operation, the HMC reloads information stored on the managed system.

Any user can rebuild the managed system.

To rebuild the managed system, do the following:

  1. In the contents area, select the managed system.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Rebuild Managed System.

After you select Rebuild Managed System, current system information displays.


Releasing an HMC Lock on the Managed System

Perform this task only if you have two HMCs connected to your managed system and one of the HMCs is not responding. For more information, see Releasing an HMC Lock on the Managed System.


Resetting the Operating System on a Partition

The HMC enables the operating system on a partition to be reset when errors are encountered in the operating system. The system can undergo either a soft or hard reset, as follows:

Soft Reset
Soft reset actions are determined by your operating system's policy settings. Depending on how you have configured these settings, the operating system might do the following:

For more information about configuring your operating system's policy settings, refer to your operating system documentation.

Hard Reset
A hard reset virtually powers off the system.

Attention: Issuing a hard reset forces termination and can corrupt information. Use this option only if the operating system is disrupted and cannot send or receive commands.

To reset the operating system, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To reset the operating system on a partition, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the partition running the operating system you want to reset.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Reset.
  4. Select Operating System.
  5. Select whether you would like to perform a hard or soft operating system reset.
  6. Click Yes.

Managing a Frame of Managed Systems and Resources Connected to the HMC

A frame is a collection of managed systems and resources. Each frame is shown in the Contents area as the root of a resource tree; managed systems are listed underneath each frame.

Any user role can refresh a frame.

If a managed system that is part of a frame does not show up under the frame in the Contents area, you should refresh the frame as follows:

  1. In the Contents area, select the frame.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Refresh.

The Contents area is updated to show the latest frame information.

If your managed system is a frame housing multiple managed systems and resources, you can use your HMC to perform the following frame-management tasks:

If your managed system is not a frame housing multiple managed systems and resources, these tasks are not enabled. The only option available to you is to refresh the frame.

Initializing a Frame's Managed Systems and Resources

The frame must be manually powered on before its managed systems and other resources can be powered on.

Perform this task the first time that the frame is plugged into the wall, and whenever resources in a frame have been added, removed, or recabled.

To initialize a frame's managed systems and resources, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To power on the managed resources in the frame, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the frame.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Initialize. The Frame Initialization window opens.
  4. Click Yes.

Viewing Frame Properties

The frame's properties panel shows you all of the managed systems and I/O drawers that exist in the frame.

To view frame properties, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To view Frame properties, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the frame.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Properties. The Frame Properties window opens. The General tab displays the frame's serial number. The Systems tab displays the managed systems associated with the frame, and includes each managed system's machine type, model, and serial number. This tab also displays the cage number that houses each managed system. The I/O Drawers tab displays the IO drawers installed in the frame. This panel displays the I/O drawer machine type, mode, and serial number. It also displays the cage number that houses the I/O drawer and each associated managed system's machine type, model, and serial number. If the I/O is not associated with a managed system, this field is blank.

Deactivating a Managed System's Service Processor

This option allows you to deactivate service processors on managed systems that are associated with the frame. Service processors are usually deactivated by service personnel in order to take the managed system out of the frame for service or repair.

To deactivate a managed system's service processor, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To deactivate a managed system's service processor, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the frame.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Deactivate.
  4. Select Service Processor. The Deactivate Service Processor window opens and displays managed systems.
  5. Select the managed system or systems whose service processors you want to deactivate.
  6. Click OK.

Resetting a Managed System's Service Processor

This option allows you to reset a CSP on a managed system associated with the frame. The service processor may need to be reset if a hardware error has occurred on the managed system.

Note:
If partitions are running on a managed system whose service processor is reset, they will be halted abruptly when you issue the reset. If possible, shut down the partitions before continuing.

To reset a managed system's service processor, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To reset a managed system's service processor, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the frame.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Reset.
  4. Select Service Processor. The System Reset window opens and displays managed systems.
  5. Select the managed system or systems that you want to reset.
  6. Click OK.

Deactivating a Frame's I/O Drawers

This option allows you to deactivate the I/O drawers associated with the frame. I/O drawers are usually deactivated by service personnel in order to take them out of the frame for service or repair.

To deactivate the I/O drawers associated with the frame, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

To deactivate the I/O drawers associated with the frame, do the following:

  1. In the Contents area, select the frame.
  2. In the menu, click Selected.
  3. Select Deactivate.
  4. Select I/O Drawer. The Deactivate I/O Drawer window opens and displays the I/O drawers associated with the frame.
  5. Select the I/O drawer or drawers that you want to deactivate.
  6. Click OK.


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