Re: Ops Console and LPAR

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We are looking at hooking up a separate twinax device for each partition.
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Our customers are about split on the console issue.  The ones that do not
have tight card configurations for the LPARs driving them to add additional
IOPs (and potentially additional towers) are opting for Twinaxial consoles,
because they always work.  Ops console is also very good, and I won't
hesitate to use it, but it does rely on Windoze communications.

If you have the room for an additional ethernet card, I would go with the
best of all worlds.  Use Twinaxial console, and LAN console.  That way you
can have an honest console at your desk for all four partitions, and use
twinaxial when needed.  When you VPN into the network from home, you should
have all of the function that you would normally need as well.

Regarding your down time to apply PTFs.  Why not apply all of them at one
time?  Since you have correctly pointed out that you have to power down the
secondary LPARs when you IPL the primary, why not do them all at once?

One other thought.  You will need to get very good with Management Central
and all of iSeries Navigator.  That is where the action is for most of the
administration things you will be needing.

One last thought, do not let anyone talk you out of the thin primary
partition. (one that only manages the machine, and has no user workload).
Believe me it is the best way to go.

Jim Oberholtzer
Senior Technical Architect
Computech Resources, Inc.
Phone:  262/785-8111