The JS12 saga - Battle of the network scars...

Still plugging away at this. I got back into town and had a chance to check out the issue with the CPM (Copper Passthrough Module) and why the ports on the switch weren't lighting up., It is definitely due to the fact that I was plugging the cables into a 100/10 switch not a Gbit switch. Having the cable "firmly" attached to the module is also critical. It doesn't light up until you actually use the attachment screws (one in a near impossible place to tighten!). Curiously, only the "B","C" and "D" cables light up. I am not sure what the cable ID's on the CPM correspond to. I assume they map to virtual interfaces on either the chassis or the blade itself but there really isn't a way that I can "see" what hardware they map to. The CPM has no configuration options at all.

I sent a lengthy missive to Vess, who is now "on tour" in Europe, explaining that the networking instructions need a bit more clarity. Here is the "cliff notes" on what I have configured and what I still have questions on.

The following interfaces need to be configured:
AMM
Ethernet I/O module
VIOS/IVM
IBM i LAN console
IBM i production interface
PC for LAN console and IVM browser access
SAS I/O module 1
SAS I/O module 2

And here is what I have done (or not)

AMM - This guy was easy. Originally set to 192.168.70.125, I temporarily set my laptop IP to a static 192.168.70.5 (subnet 255.255.255.0) and then accessed the AMM. I changed that IP address to 10.0.10.230 because that places the AMM on my internal network and then I restarted the AMM. I then reset by laptop back to a DHCP assigned reservation on 10.0.10.130.

Ethernet I/O module - This was is a little tougher. Since I have a CPM, I am not sure where exactly this address IS set (maybe there is no such animal)

VIOS/IVM - The readme description says: "An IP address on the external LAN that will be used to connect to both IVM and the VIOS command line". Is this where the mktcpip is used? The readme instructions on page 27? I *think* so, but can't be certain. I set it to 10.0.10.240 using the VIOS command line mktcpip. Yet the readme says the script sets this to 192.168.1.100 so I am pretty confused on this one.

IBM i LAN console - This appears to be set by VIOS or IVM. But if I get the step above wrong, I am stuck (and I am: Although I can access VIOS using the remote control option from within AMM, I can't figure how to access VIOS using a browser or access IVM)

IBM i production interface - If I could just get to the i partition I *know* how to set this, although the instructions on the LAN console seems to indicate that the LAN console *assigns* the IP but that doesn't make sense to me.

PC for LAN console and IVM browser access - Now things really get hairy: There are instructions that are on page 44 that say "The LAN console PC must use an IP address in the 192.168.1.1 - 192.168.1.254 range, except 192.168.1.100, with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. The script will assign VIOS the default IP address of 192.168.1.100. Consult section 1.4 of this document for an overview of the network configuration necessary for an IBM i on BladeCenter deployment." Yet, earlier in the document (page 10) it says "LAN console necessitates having a PC (initially on the same subnet as IBM i) with the System i Access for Windows software." The image directly above the quote shows it at 10.10.10.37 and it IS on the same subnet but there is something about the statement that says the LAN console PC *must* use an IP address in the 192.168.1.1- range that is difficult to reconcile.

QUESTION: Does this mean that once the blade is started (and mine has been started and restarted many times) that the PC must have an IP address of say, 192.168.1.5 *regardless* of how the AMM and other settings that have been configured so far? So I need to set my PC to a static address of 192.168.1.5 (for example) and then plug it into the same network that the AMM and BCS and everything else is on, even if they are on a different subnet? In my case everything is on the 10.0.10.xxx logical network. I need to set my laptop to 192.168.1.5 to put it on the 192.168.1.xxx logical network?

SAS I/O module 1 - In the AMM I used I/O Module tasks, Configuration, to set this to 10.0.10.231. Finally, something easy!

So, right now I have the BCS up and accessible using AMM at address 10.0.10.230 (subnet 255.255.255.0 like the rest of my network). I can access VIOS using the remote control option in AMM but cannot access it any other way. I can't access IVM. I can't figure out how to access the i5/OS partition to start it (it is, presumably there).

Physical connections to my network consist of the connection to the management module at 10.0.10.230 and the three (currently) live connection through the CPM (IP's unknown).

My goal is to access IVM or anything else that will give me access to the i5/OS partition to start it and configure it. I have been unsuccessful in using LAN console connection to access the i5/OS partition (if it IS running).

Thoughts. Suggestions. And, yes, today is the day I call IBM support if I cannot sort this out here or on my own.

Pete Helgren