RE: Hosting a Linux partition

Hello Michael,

I am not as informed as other people here, but I can share with you what I
do know.

We have a RHEL 8 LPAR on a Power9 box using IBM i as the hosting partition
(a.k.a., i hosting i). However, we are using an HMC, and to be honest I
wouldn't know how to do it without the HMC. Perhaps others on here can chime
in on whether it can be done without the HMC.

On IBM i you can create the storage (WRKNWSSTG) and server (WRKNWSD)
descriptions, but I'm wondering how you would create the Virtual SCSI
adapters that are presented to the Operating System and appear when viewing
the hardware resources, i.e. WRKHDWRSC TYPE(*STG) and WRKHDWRSC TYPE(*CMN).
To me, that is one of the major roadblocks: creating and linking the
Server/Client Virtual SCSI adapters without an HMC. I'm not saying it's
impossible, I'm just saying I don't know how you would do it without an HMC.

Have you all considered setting up an HMC? There are virtual options as
well, so you could repurpose some x86 hardware you already have and deploy
the virtual HMC image there. In my opinion, this is probably where you
should start. Here are the relevant links for the Virtual HMC Appliance.
Hopefully you're licensed for it already:

5765-VHP 10.1.0 IBM HMC Virtual Appliance Power (runs on ppc
architecture)
5765-VHX 10.1.0 IBM HMC Virtual Appliance x86 (runs on x86
architecture)

https://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/7/897/E
NUS221-217/index.html
https://delivery04.dhe.ibm.com/sar/CMA/HMA/09zzd/0/vMF68993.readme.html
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6514027

Sorry that it's not the answer you were looking for, but I hope this adds
some clarity to the overall topic.

------------
Jacob
------------

date: Thu, 14 Apr 2022 21:02:36 +0000
from: Michael Quigley <MichaelQuigley@xxxxxxxxxx>
subject: RE: Hosting a Linux partition

Thanks Bryan!

The document is linked to off several of IBM's webpages. However, each link
I tried was broken. This should prove very helpful.

Now if I can just get past identifying the virtual SCSI adapter. There's
nothing in the "Hardware contained within package" like the document shows.

Michael Quigley
Computer Services
The Way international
www.TheWay.org

-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf
Of Bryan Dietz
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2022 9:21 AM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Hosting a Linux partition

I've only created LINUX lpars from HMC's.
I just did a few quick searches to help find some instructions.

While this:
https://www.mcpressonline.com/it-infrastructure-
other/networking/techtip-virtualization-made-simple-with-i-hosting-i
is for HMC based systems it will give you an overview of how it works and

the

relationships between hardware on the hosted and hosting servers.

I found the PDF that appears to be from the dead link

https://try-as400.pocnet.net/images/7/7e/IVirtualization_-
_IBM_iHost_and_Client_LPAR_Easy_Install_Guide_v5.03_TR7.pdf

from:
https://try-as400.pocnet.net/wiki/Installing_IBM_i_in_an_IBM_i_LPAR


keep in mind you will be using disk space from your hosting IBM i server,

so

make sure you have disk to spare.

Bryan


Michael Quigley wrote on 4/14/2022 7:38 AM:

We have a production POWER9 running IBM i. We do not have a HMC. We

would like to host a Linux partition on this. I've found some information

on

setting up the partition, but the steps to configure, load, and run a

Linux

partition are proving challenging. So far I get some promising

information, but

it points me to links on Developerworks or other broken links. Some pages
I've found are only a few months old, but they too direct me to broken

links.

Does anyone know where to find information on setting up a Linux

partition to be hosted by out "IBM I" partition?

Just for further clarification: I am not a Systems Admin, but those

duties

have fallen to me since our admins have retired or left employment here

and

moved on.

Thanks,
Michael Quigley
Computer Services
The Way international
www.TheWay.org