Re: Setting up a Service Tools Server - to use for sharing PTF image catalog between partitions -- MIDRANGE-L

Jim is right, ignore the message. It's telling you that if you truly wanted to do LAN console it wouldn't work as it's not a supported adapter for that specific function. For the purposes of PTFs though it provides the connection we need.

If the host partition with the PTF images is not a partition on this same system then the selected adapter needs to be a physical adapter on the LAN segment with the host OR needs to be a virtual adapter on a VLAN that is externally bridged with either VIOS or IBM i.

Always remember the admonishment to NOT have jumbo frames enabled on the line description used by the HOST partition to share the images via NSF.

- Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis

www.frankeni.com
www.iDevCloud.com
www.iInTheCloud.com

On 12/26/2013 2:39 PM, Jim Oberholtzer wrote:

The code in DST always assumes you want to set up a LAN console, you can
ignore that message. It is in fact true since you would not put the LAN
console there if you had one, but nonetheless, it's a false message for your
purposes.

The device that's used for the Service LAN is usually a virtual Ethernet
device you've created in the HMC. I ordinarily use VLAN 1 for any user
based communications on the virtual Ethernet, VLAN2 for all system level
communications and VLAN3 for the service LAN.

It is best when used with an HMC.

--
Jim Oberholtzer
Chief Technical Architect
Agile Technology Architects

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jim Essinger
Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2013 12:53 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Setting up a Service Tools Server - to use for sharing PTF image
catalog between partitions

I have been meaning to follow up on Larry's post from a few months ago, and
get my partitions to use one PTF image catalog to upgrade all 5 of my active
partitions. His post copied below.

As I have been going through the directions, both his and the IBM
documentation on the Information Center for V7.1, I have run into a snag in
setting up the Service Tools Server.

We have an HMC to serve as the console for all our partitions, so LAN
Console is not setup. I try going into SST to configure a service tools LAN
adapter, and It tells me "No valid LAN Console adapter available".

Is this something that can only be done if you have a LAN Console adapter
installed? What about those of us with HMC controlled systems?

I will keep researching, but this seems to be a limitation to older??
technology and excludes HMC console configured partitions.

Any insight will be appreciated.

Thanks!

Jim Essinger
Western Power Sports
Boise Id

...

Welcome to the 21st Century where we don't even move the PTF images any
longer, we just share them!

This is all documented in the Infocenter but the essentials are this:

Put them on one server. Create image catalog there. When you do the
VFYIMGCLG indicate *YES for the NFS Share parameter. Importantly this
creates the file VOLUME_LIST in the image catalog director.

Start the NFS Servers on this server.
STRNFSSVR *ALL

Change the authority for the directory tree containing the images (starting
at the top) to PUBLIC *READ and *EXECUTE. e.g.
CHGAUT OBJ('/ibmi') USER(*PUBLIC) DTAAUT(*RX) SUBTREE(*ALL)

Export the Directory with CHGNFSEXP. e.g.
CHGNFSEXP OPTIONS('-i -o ro') DIR('/ibmi/v7r1/ptf')

Done on the 'server' side.

Now on the 'client' or 'guest' side, which can be on ANY machine same or not
LPARed or not, just needs to be IBM i 6.1 or 7.1.

Configure the Service Tools interface, also known as the Lan Console
interface. It must be on a network that is available from the 'server'
system. It can be a virtual LAN or a physical LAN and it CANNOT have Jumbo
Frames enabled. You MUST be able to PING the service tools interface from
the server. Until you can do that do not go further!

Now create a new virtual optical drive. For the local address specify
*SRVLAN and for the server address enter that of the 'server'. Enter the
directory name EXACTLY as exported in the EXPORTFS. e.g.
CRTDEVOPT DEVD(OPTNET01)
RSRCNAME(*VRT)
LCLINTNETA(*SRVLAN)
RMTINTNETA('172.29.2.41')
NETIMGDIR('/ibmi/v7r1/ptf')
TEXT('Virtual Optical drive across network.')

Vary it on. Now check /QOPT to see if there is a directory in there that
matches the first entry in the image catalog on the server.

GO PTF option 8 and watch them fly.

Coolest thing in sysadmin ever.

- Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis

www.frankeni.com
www.iDevCloud.com <http://www.idevcloud.com/> www.iInTheCloud.com
<http://www.iinthecloud.com/>
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