IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide

Transcription

1 Front cover IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide Practical guide to using the IBM HMC in virtualized Power Systems servers Documents the RAID 1 feature on IBM HMC CR6 and CR7 Updated to include HMC V7R760 and IBM POWER7 Attha Surya Dharma Mark Hais Minsung Kang Yuta Wakayama ibm.com/redbooks

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3 International Technical Support Organization IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide April 2013 SG

4 Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in Notices on page xxi. Second Edition (April 2013) This edition applies to Version 7, Release 7, Modification 60 of Hardware Management Console (product number 5639-N47). Copyright International Business Machines Corporation All rights reserved. Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

5 Contents Figures ix Tables xvii Examples xix Notices xxi Trademarks xxii Preface xxiii The team who wrote this book xxiii Now you can become a published author, too! xxiv Comments welcome xxv Stay connected to IBM Redbooks xxv Summary of changes xxvii April 2013, Second Edition xxvii Chapter 1. Overview Sets of function of the HMC HMC type Desktop HMC Rack mounted HMC HMC version matrix to support Power Systems servers HMC maximums Enhancements in HMC Version 7R Web-browser-based user interface System Planning Tool Customizable Data Replication Custom groups New System Reference Code look-up Processor compatibility Donating dedicated processors Processor recovery and partition availability priority Capacity on Demand enhancement Remote DST connection for IBM i RAID 1 protection for the HMC Blade Power Systems management Updated browser support for remote operation Copyright IBM Corp All rights reserved. iii

6 PowerVM management enhancements Chapter 2. Planning System planning tools Work with system plans in the HMC Importing a system plan to the HMC Exporting a system plan from the HMC Creating a system plan on the HMC Viewing a system plan on the HMC Removing a system plan on the HMC System plans deployment Deployment validation process Deploy a system plan by using the graphical wizard PowerVM Introduction Processor Virtualization Memory Virtualization I/O Virtualization Reliability, Availability, Serviceability on the HMC Dual HMC and Redundancy RAID 1 Protection RAID 1 conversion Chapter 3. Installing Installation of HMC Cabling the HMC HMC Guided Setup wizard Connecting managed systems to the HMC HMC connectivity scenario Chapter 4. Configuring Network configuration Types of HMC network configurations Configuring the HMC network setting Testing network connectivity Viewing Network Topology User Management Managing user profiles and access Changing the user password Customizing user task roles and managed resource roles Certificate Management Create a certificate Modifying existing certificates Advanced options for modifying existing certificates Virtualization using HMC iv IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide

7 4.4.1 Processor virtualization Memory virtualization Virtual I/O Live Partition Mobility Host Ethernet Adapter Shared pool usage of dedicated capacity Multiple Shared Processor Pool Suspend logical partition Partition availability priority Logical partition management Create an AIX or Linux logical partition Create an IBM i logical partition Capacity on Demand Advantages of Capacity on Demand Permanent types of Capacity on Demand Temporary types of Capacity on Demand Capacity on Demand website navigation Entering CoD codes Stopping Trial CoD Chapter 5. Operating Basic operation Using the web-based user interface Systems Management: Servers Systems Management: Partitions task Systems Management: Frames task Using the command-line interface HMC Management task Lock HMC Screen task View HMC Events task Open 5250 Console task Open Restricted Shell Terminal task Shut Down or Restart task Schedule Operations task Format Media task Back up HMC Data task Restore HMC Data task Save Upgrade Data task Change Network Settings task Test Network Connectivity task View Network Topology task Tip of the Day task View License task Contents v

8 Change Default User Interface Settings task Change User Interface Settings task Change Date and Time task Launch Guided Setup wizard Launch Remote Hardware Management Console task Change User Password task Manage User Profiles and Access task Manage Task and Resource Roles task Manage Users and Tasks task Manage Certificates task Configure Key Distribution Center task Configure LDAP task Remote Command Execution task Remote Virtual Terminal task Remote Operation task Change Language and Locale task Create Welcome Text task Manage Data Replication task Manage Install Resources task Remotely access the logical partitions from HMC Remote AIX, Linux, and Virtual I/O Server Terminal Remote IBM 5250 terminal Managing partition data Restore task Initialize task Backup task Delete task Chapter 6. Service support Service Management Management tasks Connectivity Software maintenance HMC Data backup Restoring HMC Data HMC software maintenance Which firmware or fix level is correct for your system Managed system firmware updates Advanced System Management Interface Connecting to ASMI Log in to ASMI Power and restart control System Service Aids menu vi IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide

9 6.3.5 System Information menu System Configuration menu Network Services menu Performance setup On demand utilities Login Profile Appendix A. Introduction to IBM Systems Director Overview of IBM Systems Director IBM Systems Director components Platform Agent Common Agent IBM Systems Director Server Appendix B. Managing POWER processor-based blades Managing a POWER processor-based blade with the HMC Appendix C. IBM product engineering debug data collection Preparing to collect the pedbg Run pedbg collection command Offload pedbg collection Appendix D. Live Partition Mobility support log collection Background information HMC log collection Operating system log collection Virtual I/O Server Mover Server Partition snaps Hypervisor HMC resource dump Sending logs to IBM FTP to IBM IBM ECuRep Related publications IBM Redbooks Other publications Online resources Help from IBM Abbreviations and acronyms Index Contents vii

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11 Figures 1-1 IBM rack mounted 7042-CR6 (left) and IBM KVM 7316-TF3 (right) Processor capability mode The HMC Welcome page: System Plans The main system plan management page The system plan management page with a system plan selected Import System Plan window Format media Export System Plan window Create System Plan window Customize Network Setting: LAN Adapters tab Customize Network Setting for LAN Adapters: partition communication Customize Network Setting for LAN Adapters: RMC application Viewing a system plan Viewing a system plan Confirm removal of system plan window Launch deployment Confirm the deployment startup Deployment validation in progress Example of successful validation Request the details of a specific action List of the deployment steps Partition deployment: Deploy System Plan Wizard Deployment complete Dual HMC configuration on a private network Dual HMC physical connections Example of redundant remote HMC Create Configuration pane: Selecting the RAID level Select Drives pane: Check All Creation Configuration pane: Saving the configuration Select Virtual Drive Operation pane: Start Operation Rear view of a rack-mounted HMC 7042-CR Rear view of a rack-mounted HMC 7042-CR5 and CR Rear view of a stand-alone HMC 7042-C06 and 7042-C Rear view of a stand-alone HMC 7042-C Welcome panel: Launch Guided Setup Wizard Change Date and Time Configure HMC Network Settings Configure eth0 Private Network Copyright IBM Corp All rights reserved. ix

12 3-9 Configure eth0 DHCP Launch Guided Setup Wizard - Configure HMC Network Settings Configure eth1 IP assignment Launch Guided Setup Wizard - Configure HMC Firewall for eth Launch Guided Setup Wizard - Configure HMC Firewall for eth Launch Guided Setup Wizard - Configure HMC Network Settings Launch Guided Setup Wizard - Configure HMC Host Name Launch Guided Setup Wizard: Configure HMC gateway Launch Guided Setup Wizard - Configure DNS Launch Guided Setup Wizard - Configure Domain Suffix Launch Guided Setup Wizard - The Next Steps panel Notification of Problem Events panel Status panel Setting up the call home window Call Home Setup Wizard: Specify Contact Information Call Home Setup Wizard: Configure Connectivity Configure local modem Configure a pass-through system Configure Call Home Server Consoles Authorize users for Electronic Service Agent Summary of ESA Update Password - Authentication Passed Power on the managed system Connectivity: Multi-drawer with one HMC Network Redundancy To support FSP failover Redundant HMC for High-End Server HMC Identification tab LAN Adapters tab LAN Adapter configuration Firewall Settings tab Name Services tab Routing tab Network Diagnostic Information: Ping Network topology User Profiles window Change User Password window Customize User Controls window Add a new managed resource role Create New Certificate Role of PHYP for virtual I/O Virtual SCSI overview Create Virtual SCSI Adapter panel x IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide

13 4-17 NPIV overview VLAN example: Two VLANs Virtual Ethernet connection Shared Ethernet Adapter configuration Shared Ethernet Adapter OSI layer Processor sharing Setting partition availability priority Create Virtual I/O Server LPAR Create Partition panel Processing Settings panel Create dedicated processor partition Processor setting with dedicated processors Partition memory setting Partition physical I/O setting Configuring virtual resource Create virtual Ethernet adapter Create virtual SCSI adapter Logical Host Ethernet Adapters (LHEAs) Optional settings Profile Summary window Restricted IO Partition check box Option IBM Capacity on Demand offering Power Systems Capacity on Demand website Capacity on Demand activation code panel Capacity on Demand activation code output HMC Capacity on Demand enter code panel ASMI Capacity on Demand enter code panel Stopping Trial CoD panel HMC Welcome window HMC Log on window HMC logoff or disconnect window Reconnecting the previous session HMC workplace window Active tasks in the Task bar Add Managed Systems window System Management servers window Column configuration Views option Create new custom view Properties tasks of the server Power On task Power Off task Power Management task Figures xi

14 5-16 Identify LED task Set up a Scheduled Operation task: Date and TIme Set up a Scheduled Operation task: Repeat Customize Scheduled Operations task Partition Workload Groups task Manage Custom Groups task Manage System Profile task Service processor status task Reset or remove connections task Host Ethernet list Host Ethernet Physical Port Configuration Partition Properties task Change Default Profile task Activate Logical Partition task Restart Partition task Shut Down Partitions task Delete Logical Partition task Managed Profiles task Save Partition Configuration task Frames option in the navigation pane Confirm the HMC version View HMC events task Shut down or restart task Sample of Tip of the Day window View license task Change Default User Interface Settings task Change User Interface Settings task Customize Console Date and Time task NTP Configuration task User and Tasks task Configure LDAP task Remote Command Execution task Remote Virtual Terminal task Remote Operation task Change Language and Locale task Create Welcome Text task Sample of welcome text Manage Data Replication task Peer-to-Peer replication Master-to-Subordinate replication Manage Install Resources task Virtual terminal window Virtual terminal error xii IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide

15 5-59 Start a new session from IBM Personal Communications menu Configure IBM 5250 session terminal emulator Configure User ID signon information window Enter option 21 for American English language option Select IBM Power Systems to connect Type of connection to IBM i LPAR Profile Data Restore task Initialize Profile Data task Profile Data Backup task Backup profile data results window Profile Data Delete task Access Service Management from the HMC main menu Service Management: main view Service Management: creating a serviceable event Service Management: manage serviceable events Service Management: serviceable event overview Service Management; event description Service Management: reporting options Service Management: View details about service event Service Management, repair action on service event Service Management: manage problem data Service Management: close a service event Service management: remote access options Manage Remote Connections window Manage Remote Support Requests window Service Management: HMC data options Service Management: Format Media Service Management: Initiate dump from the server Service Management: Initiate system dump Service Management: Initiate system dump for managed system Service Management: System dump complete Service Management: Dump results Service Management: Transmit Service Management: FTP settings Service Management: Enable the call home feature Manage Outbound Connectivity option: Local Modem tab Modem configuration Manage Outbound Connectivity option: Internet access Manage Outbound Connectivity option: Internet VPN Manage Outbound Connectivity option: Pass-Through Systems tab Add servers for pass-through access Add servers for pass-through access: Results Manage Inbound Connectivity window: Remote Service tab Figures xiii

16 6-33 Manage Inbound Connectivity task, Call Answer tab Manage Customer Information task, Administrator tab Manage Customer Information task, System tab Manage Customer Information task, Account Information tab Electronic services, registration Enter addresses to associate the HMC with eservice IBM Electronic Support website; Sign in with your IBM ID Electronic services My systems portal Manage Serviceable Event Notification task Add Address panel for notification Manage Connection Monitoring task Manage POWER4 Service Agent task Back up HMC Data menu Customize Scheduled Operations window Set up a Scheduled Operation window Scheduled backup HMC Data Repeat Option Scheduled HMC Data backup storage Options tab Restore HMC Data menu from HMC management Shows the version number of HMC and managed systems Fix Level Recommendation Tool website Fix Level Recommendation Tool product options window Fix Level Recommendation Tool recommendation window Displays the HMC software that is available on the website Choose HMC Firmware for select fix type option HMC firmware release level menu HMC software and update files available on the IBM website Downloading option HMC software and fix images Install Corrective Service window Save Upgrade Data wizard Firmware and HMC select fix type: System firmware Firmware and HMC assistance option System firmware download selection Launch ASMI from HMC Advanced System Management main menu System power on and off options System Service Aids menu Error and event logs Capturing overall system information with system dump procedure Reset service processor Factory configuration reset System Information menu Display details of VPD Displays all VPD detail xiv IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide

17 6-76 Progress Indicator History option Real-time Progress Indicator System Configuration menu System Name Configure I/O Enclosures window Time of Day function Firmware Update Policy before POWER Firmware Update Policy in certain models of POWER7 Systems Hardware Management Consoles window Deconfiguration Policies window Processor Deconfiguration window Processor Deconfiguration window Memory Deconfiguration window Memory deconfiguration memory bank selection Program Vital Product Data panel System Keyword display example System Enclosures display example Service Indicators menu System Attention Indicator when indicator is on System Attention Indicator when indicator is off Enclosure Indicators window Enclosure Identify window Network Services menu HMC Ethernet port configuration Network Access window Performance setup CoD Order Information example CoD Activation window Update Installed Languages menu A-1 IBM Systems Director environment B-1 HMC networks diagram B-2 Blade configuration management network B-3 Setting FSP IP address for Power Systems blade B-4 Power Systems blade ASMI login B-5 Hardware Management Console C-1 List HMC user command shows no hscpe user C-2 List HMC user command show hscpe user C-3 Sample of the process of offloading logs to a USB media device C-4 Sample of process offloading logs to a network scp server Figures xv

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19 Tables 1-1 HMC and POWER processors interoperability Possible status for each node Meaning of node status Predefined HMC roles Devices associates with tagged IOAs Components of the HMC workplace window Several icons to indicate the type of information in the FLRT report Default IP address for server connectors HMC1 and HMC Default login user ID and password Copyright IBM Corp All rights reserved. xvii

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21 Examples 6-1 HMC pedbg logs for LPM for more than one HMC Provide AIX client SNAP report If you have redundant VIO (four VIO) Collecting ctsnap Rename the file to include PMR number Collect hypervisor resource dump through a terminal D-1 Example to archive log files in AIX Copyright IBM Corp All rights reserved. xix

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23 Notices This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A. IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries. Consult your local IBM representative for information on the products and services currently available in your area. Any reference to an IBM product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that IBM product, program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or service that does not infringe any IBM intellectual property right may be used instead. However, it is the user's responsibility to evaluate and verify the operation of any non-ibm product, program, or service. IBM may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter described in this document. The furnishing of this document does not grant you any license to these patents. You can send license inquiries, in writing, to: IBM Director of Licensing, IBM Corporation, North Castle Drive, Armonk, NY U.S.A. The following paragraph does not apply to the United Kingdom or any other country where such provisions are inconsistent with local law: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore, this statement may not apply to you. This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. IBM may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time without notice. Any references in this information to non-ibm websites are provided for convenience only and do not in any manner serve as an endorsement of those websites. The materials at those websites are not part of the materials for this IBM product and use of those websites is at your own risk. IBM may use or distribute any of the information you supply in any way it believes appropriate without incurring any obligation to you. Any performance data contained herein was determined in a controlled environment. Therefore, the results obtained in other operating environments may vary significantly. Some measurements may have been made on development-level systems and there is no guarantee that these measurements will be the same on generally available systems. Furthermore, some measurements may have been estimated through extrapolation. Actual results may vary. Users of this document should verify the applicable data for their specific environment. Information concerning non-ibm products was obtained from the suppliers of those products, their published announcements or other publicly available sources. IBM has not tested those products and cannot confirm the accuracy of performance, compatibility or any other claims related to non-ibm products. Questions on the capabilities of non-ibm products should be addressed to the suppliers of those products. This information contains examples of data and reports used in daily business operations. To illustrate them as completely as possible, the examples include the names of individuals, companies, brands, and products. All of these names are fictitious and any similarity to the names and addresses used by an actual business enterprise is entirely coincidental. COPYRIGHT LICENSE: This information contains sample application programs in source language, which illustrate programming techniques on various operating platforms. You may copy, modify, and distribute these sample programs in any form without payment to IBM, for the purposes of developing, using, marketing or distributing application programs conforming to the application programming interface for the operating platform for which the sample programs are written. These examples have not been thoroughly tested under all conditions. IBM, therefore, cannot guarantee or imply reliability, serviceability, or function of these programs. You may copy, modify, and distribute these sample programs in any form without payment to IBM for the purposes of developing, using, marketing, or distributing application programs conforming to IBM's application programming interfaces. Copyright IBM Corp All rights reserved. xxi

24 Trademarks IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. These and other IBM trademarked terms are marked on their first occurrence in this information with the appropriate symbol ( or ), indicating US registered or common law trademarks owned by IBM at the time this information was published. Such trademarks may also be registered or common law trademarks in other countries. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at The following terms are trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both: Active Memory AIX 5L AIX BladeCenter DB2 Universal Database DB2 developerworks Electronic Service Agent Focal Point GPFS HACMP i5/os IBM Lotus Micro-Partitioning POWER Hypervisor Power Systems POWER6+ POWER6 POWER7 Systems POWER7+ POWER7 PowerHA PowerVM POWER PureFlex Rational Redbooks Redbooks (logo) System i System p System x System z SystemMirror Tivoli WebSphere The following terms are trademarks of other companies: Intel, Intel logo, Intel Inside logo, and Intel Centrino logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. xxii IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide

25 Preface The IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC) provides systems administrators a tool for planning, deploying, and managing IBM Power Systems servers. This IBM Redbooks publication is designed for system administrators to use as a desk-side reference when managing partition-capable IBM Power Systems servers by using the HMC. The major functions that the HMC provides are Power Systems server hardware management and virtualization (partition) management. You can find information about virtualization management in the following documents: A Practical Guide for Resource Monitoring and Control (RMC), SG IBM PowerVM Virtualization Introduction and Configuration, SG Implementing IBM Systems Director 6.1, SG Hardware Management Console V7 Handbook, SG IBM PowerVM Live Partition Mobility, SG IBM PowerVM Virtualization Managing and Monitoring, SG Converting Hardware Management Console (HMC) 7042-CR6 or 7042-CR7 Models to RAID1, REDP-4909 The following topics are described: Plan to implement the HMC Configure the HMC Operate the HMC Manage software levels on the HMC Use service functions on the HMC Update firmware of managed systems Use IBM System Planning Tool deployments In addition, there is an explanation on how to use the new HMC graphical user interface and the new HMC commands that are available with HMC Version 7, Release 7, modification 60. The team who wrote this book This book was produced by a team of specialists from around the world, working at the International Technical Support Organization, Poughkeepsie Center. Copyright IBM Corp All rights reserved. xxiii

26 Attha Surya Dharma is a Client IT Specialist in Indonesia. He has four years of experience in the IBM i field. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Indonesia. His areas of expertise include Implementation, Backup Recovery, and System Availability consulting on the IBM i Environment. Mark Hais is an IT Specialist in IBM Israel. He has 18 years of experience in IBM Power Systems. He has worked at IBM for 18 years. His areas of expertise include Power Systems servers and blades, IBM AIX, IBM PowerVM, IBM PowerHA, and IBM PureFlex Systems. Minsung Kang is a service support representative (SSR) in Korea. He has three years of experience in high-end storage and Power Systems. He holds a degree in Information and Communication Engineering from Inha University. His areas of expertise include high-end storage, Power Systems, AIX, and IBM HACMP. Yuta Wakayama is an IT Specialist working in Technical Sales in Osaka, IBM Japan. He has four years of experience with IBM Power Systems and AIX. He provides pre-sales technical consultation and implementation of IBM Power Systems and virtualization environments. The project that produced this publication was managed by: Scott Vetter, PMP Thanks to the following people for their contributions to this project: Dave Bennin, Richard M. Conway, Ann Lund, Al Schwab International Technical Support Organization, Poughkeepsie Center Karyn T. Corneli, David A. Dilling, Shawn D. Mohr, Jacobo A. Vargas IBM US Thanks to the authors of the previous editions of this book. Authors of the first edition, Hardware Management Console V7 Handbook, published in October 2007, were: Narend Chand, Syamsul Hidayat, Stephen Hochstetler, Nancy Milliner, JunHeum Min, and Matt Robbins Now you can become a published author, too! Here s an opportunity to spotlight your skills, grow your career, and become a published author all at the same time! Join an ITSO residency project and help write a book in your area of expertise, while honing your experience using leading-edge technologies. Your efforts will help to increase product acceptance xxiv IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide

27 and client satisfaction, as you expand your network of technical contacts and relationships. Residencies run from two to six weeks in length, and you can participate either in person or as a remote resident working from your home base. Find out more about the residency program, browse the residency index, and apply online at: ibm.com/redbooks/residencies.html Comments welcome Your comments are important to us! We want our books to be as helpful as possible. Send us your comments about this book or other IBM Redbooks publications in one of the following ways: Use the online Contact us review Redbooks form found at: ibm.com/redbooks Send your comments in an to: redbooks@us.ibm.com Mail your comments to: IBM Corporation, International Technical Support Organization Dept. HYTD Mail Station P South Road Poughkeepsie, NY Stay connected to IBM Redbooks Find us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter: Look for us on LinkedIn: Explore new Redbooks publications, residencies, and workshops with the IBM Redbooks weekly newsletter: Preface xxv

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29 Summary of changes This section describes the technical changes made in this edition of the book and in previous editions. This edition might also include minor corrections and editorial changes that are not identified. Summary of Changes for SG for IBM Power Systems HMC Implementation and Usage Guide as created or updated on May 21, April 2013, Second Edition This revision reflects the addition, deletion, or modification of new and changed information described below. New information The new publication includes all new enhancements of HMC new version 7.7R60 Includes new RAID 1 support for HMC rack model CR6 and CR7 The new publication also describes the uses of HMC to support IBM Power Systems in virtualized environments Changed information Updated for support of HMC Software Version 7.3 to Version 7.7. Generally, all content is updated to match the new version. Restructured the old publication chapters for easy uses as one lifecycle HMC implementation; from plan, installation, configuring, managing, and support of the HMC. Copyright IBM Corp All rights reserved. xxvii

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31 1 Chapter 1. Overview The Hardware Management Console (HMC) is a member of the IBM Systems Director platform management family. IBM Systems Director provides IT professionals with the tools that they need to better coordinate and manage all of their virtual and physical resources in the data center. The cost of managing the IT infrastructure has become the largest and fastest-growing component of overall IT spending for many organizations. Virtualization helps to address this cost through the consolidation of physical resources. However, virtualization also adds complexity to the system by creating a sharp increase in the number of managed virtual resources. IT professionals are seeking more advanced capabilities and tools for managing both their physical and virtual systems across multiple architectures and environments. As virtualization becomes reality in today s IT infrastructures, the IBM Systems Director family can help businesses realize their full potential by providing a unified approach to platform management. This approach is designed to lower IT operational costs and increase productivity. We describe the HMC functions that manage the IBM Power Systems, IBM System p, and IBM System i servers. The HMC concepts, the types of HMC, HMC connectivity, and enhancements in HMC Version 7R760 are now described. Copyright IBM Corp All rights reserved. 1