Thanks, Jim!
I believe the FSP is up to date on all three machines, but I'll double check to make sure before I attach the HMC. And we're using enterprise-grade switches (Cisco 2960s / 3850s across the board), so I hope it's sufficient for our use. 😊
/b;
-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jim Oberholtzer
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2017 11:00 AM
To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion' <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Installing an HMC to Existing Systems
Larry gave you a primer on what to do and why. I would only change one thing, make sure your FSP code is up to date prior to connecting the HMC.
That's most likely the case since with LAN console the odds are very strong you update the FSP with the group PTFs
Networking is both the easiest to get right, and the easiest to botch up at the same time. Pay attention to the don't use a dime store switch for these and how to architect the network. Basically plug all three systems into a switch and then add the HMC private side to it. The HMC public side should
go out to your network so you can attach remotely to the HMC. Larry and
Rob detailed most of this.
As to time? Figure a good 8 hours to patch the HMC to its highest level, build and configure the network, and convert the console. The console can be converted after the HMC is attached but it's one of those landmines to step on if you need an unexpected IPL. I suggest set it all up Friday and plan to deactivate/activate the partitions (cold start)on Saturday to get the console converted.
In the end it's easy, just a bit detail oriented.
--
Jim Oberholtzer
Agile Technology Architects
-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rob Berendt
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2017 9:39 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Installing an HMC to Existing Systems
Yes, you can manage all three with one HMC. However if they are geographically dispersed you may get some strange discussion from IBM regarding that. We have two HMC's for this reason but I often manage the other site with the local HMC. CE's are getting educated and are quite content accessing the HMC's remotely. (Especially if you put the keyboard on the floor in the rack just to make it ergonomically vicious.)
People like Jim and Larry really like to have their HMC's and FSP's on a private VLAN. Or better yet a physically different LAN. I find that physically different LAN hard to do when the machines are geographically dispersed. And I fail to understand why it's ok to have trivial stuff like payroll and whatnot on the same vlan as all your users but it's curtains for the free world if the FSP's and HMC's are not separated off.
The way it's been explained to me is that they find hacking into the FSP pretty easy to do. Maybe because a bulk of accounts use defaults or some such thing.
Note: HMC's have multiple ports. In Jim and Larry's world they use one port for you to access the HMC remotely and the other port to put the FSP on so it's on a separate network.
Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1 Group Dekko Dept 1600 Mail
to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
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http://www.dekko.com
From: Brian Piotrowski <bpiotrowski@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 05/15/2017 10:11 AM
Subject: Installing an HMC to Existing Systems
Sent by: "MIDRANGE-L" <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Good morning all,
While I was at last weeks' conference, I discovered the advantages to installing an HMC for system management. I am looking at purchasing an HMC (model 7042-CR6) to use on these three machines:
* 8202-E4D (Primary)
* 8202-E4B (DR)
* 8286-41A (Development)
All have v7r1 on them with the latest PTFs and all machines have a single LPAR on them.
Right now we currently use OpsCon to access the console when we are loading PTFs, etc. on them. My primary question is - will this HMC work with all three machines, and if so, how much work is it to install it so that I can manage all three machines with it? Will I have any problems moving from OpsCon to the HMC? As it stands right now, each machine has a specific network port with a dedicated IP address so we can access the console from a terminal.
Thankee-sai!
/b;
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Simcoe Parts Service, Inc.
Ph: 705-435-7814 x5995
Fx: 705-435-5029
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http://www.simcoeparts.com<
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