Re: Need Console 101 badly

Pete is right on here. Same software: Two different physical connections.

Some differences beyond what Pete mentions:

You can have exactly one Ops Console Direct Attach connection per PC. Don't even go down the multiple serial port path because it won't work. You can have some silly large number of Ops Console LAN Attach connections per PC. They can be to different partitions or to different systems.

For the initial connection for LAN console the console PC needs to be in the same TCP/IP network so that i5/OS can find the console. Often I do that with a crossover cable or small hub. Once the IP address and other information is stored in SLIC you can have both the connection to SLIC and the console PC on your regular network

As to Joe's legitimate concern about TCP/IP it's both simpler and more complicated than that.

First for LAN attach you MUST dedicate an Ethernet port to the console. With V5R3M5 or newer of LIC you can use any 10/100 or GbE port (Previous to that it had to be a 100Mb card, not a 10Mb only or a Gbe capable card.) . This could be one of the two ports on the i515 planer board or on a FC #5706 card or a FC #2809 or FC #4838 Ethernet card. No IOP is required for the card. The port is taken over by SLIC so while you will see it in i5/OS under WRKHDWRSC *STG you cannot use it there. So if you continue that thought you will understand why TCP/IP on i5/OS does not need to be operating for the Ethernet connection and it's 'TCP/IP Short Stack' to be available to the console.

In other words when SLIC is running you will be able to PING the LAN Console port and the console PC will attach to it.

Note that there is one additional configuration piece for LAN Attach and that is the Console Device configured in SLIC. There is a default of QCONSOLE that can be used initially but once used it's password is changed and stored on the console PC. Once you create the initial console connection you'll want to make a couple backup profiles in SLIC or learn the special front panel codes to reset the QCONSOLE device password. :-)

- Larry

Pete Massiello wrote:

Easy to use them interchangeably.
Its really Ops Console Lan Attach and Ops Console Direct attach. Lan Attach
Console is a PC connected to an Ethernet Card on the i5, while Ops Console
is connected to the 2793 (or similar card) via a regular cable. You attach
one end of the cable to the port where you would attach the modem to on the
card, and the other end is just the 15 pin port on your PC.
I have a mix of Lan and Direct attach at customers. It's great either way,
as we can run PC Anywhere on the PC and access them remotely.

Pete

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Pete Helgren
Sent: Sunday, August 26, 2007 6:36 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Need Console 101 badly

Quick follow up question from another "console challenged" lister:

You use OPS console and LAN console in the same paragraph, almost the same breath. Are they the same, then?

Pete Helgren

Larry Bolhuis wrote:

...cap the marker and open the window joe..... :-)

There is a device called the 'Thin Console'. It does most of what you describe over a simple connection to one of the i5's HMC ports. This is Ethernet so the connection truly is very simple. The device however only does what a Twinax tube does - 5250 emulation. So you end up not wasting a slot for a twinax card and the required IOP and you get twinax class simplicity and reliability. Unless it's gotten some serious upgrades, it doesn't connect to anything else so you can't connect to it with Telnet or a browser. It's just a terminal.

Yes OPS console is 'fat' and it has it's problems mostly the Windows PC required to run it. However once it's running it does work pretty well. I use LAN console almost everywhere I don't have an HMC. I often simply use an old PC with W2K or XP. For FrankieIII it's an old thinkpad with no display (I access it via remote desktop) You could easily use one to access both the 270 and the i5 being the primary console for both systems.

For the cheapest HMC purchase a desktop or desk-side unit and use you own monitor or KVM. Both are under $1900 though that still doesn't qualify as 'cheap' It does everything I want a console to do and the newest software version allows you to access it from a simple browser (no more WEBSM).

So as usual you pay your money and take your choice.

- Larry