HMC FAQs

What is HMC and its Features?

      HMC stands for Hardware Management Console which provides following features.
      i) Dedicate Linux OS for management for servers and partitions. 
     ii) Used to create, delete and modify LPARs.
    iii) Power-On and Power-Off the MS (Managed System) 
    vi) Access to Live Partition Mobility (LPM)
     v) Partition resource configuration management like.

• CoD - Capacity On Demand for Memory and Processor
• DLPAR operations like moving the shared processor and memory.
• Access to Virtual Consoles.
• System Plan creation/deployment.
• S/W & F/W  maintenance.
• Server Service event management/call home
• Powersupply management.   

How much Managed Servers does an HMC can manage?

     A HMC can manage upto 48 (Managed) non 590-595 servers and 32 590/595 server.
  
What is the max no LPARs does an HMC can manage ?  

A HMC can manage upto 254 LPARs (Logical Partitions).

How many HMCs can manage a server at one time?   

At a time a 2 HMCs can manage a server .

Does the HMC failures affect the MS?   

No. the Failure of HMC should affect the MS.

  

Physical Repesentation of HMC

       -->  PC based console

       -->  Running custom linux and Java application

       -->  Remotely accessible

       -->  Connects to the SP (Server Processor)  over private or open network. 

 What are the ways to connect HMC

       There are 3 ways to connect the HMC, they are 
           i)     SSH over CLI         
             ii)    need to install websm client in remote desktop to connect HMC.

            iii)    Graphical method Java app in browser https://<hmc IP address>

 

What is CoD ?

          --> Capacity Upgrade on Demand (CuoD)

               Permanent activation of Processor or Memory

         --> Trail CoD

               No change 30 day actiivation of Processors or memory resources

         --> On/Off CoD

               Ability to activate processor or memory resources temporarily

         --> Utility CoD

                  Additional proc capacity on a temporarily basis within the shared proc pool.

What are the different HMC versions ?

 

              3.3,3.5,4.5,5.1 and 5.2 NA

                 6.0  and 6.1 under migration 

              7.0,7.1,7.2,7.3 and 7.7 (current version)

 Describe about the HMC login details

• Default ID and Password is hscroot:abc123

• HMC can also use RBAC

• hscroot uses “pshell” (Program Engineers Shell).

• H/W troubleshooting of HMC can be done by root (root:passw0rd).

• "hscpe" account is used for IBM troubleshooting.

  What is Flexible SP (Service Processor) and its Features?       

•  Is a technology developed by IBM which consists of a piece of hardware   and  firmware.
•  Used to connect MS (managed system) to HMC. 
•  Responsible for hardware initialization during booting up of MS. 
•  Report all hardware related errors and notify to System administrator to pro-actively involve in the issue before creating any issues.                      

What are the components of FSP?

• Operating System
• User IDs/Passwords
• Filesystem
• Networking
• Firewall
• Webserver
• ASMI
• Firmware