Useful add-ons: snIPL (simple network IPL)

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for use with "October 2005 stream".

snipl-0.2.1.3.tar.gz MD5 recommended (2007-02-28)

This version supersedes

• snIPL experimental (2002-03-04) for "August 2001" and "May 2002 stream"
• snIPL for STONITH (2003-07-25) for "June 2003 stream"
• snIPL V.2.0 (2004-01-30) for "June 2003 stream"
• snIPL V.2.1 (2004-11-02) for "June 2003 stream" and "April 2004 stream", as well as "October 2005 stream"
• snIPL V.2.1.2 (2006-03-28) for "October 2005 stream"

This version contains the following snIPL changes compared to snIPL V.2.1.2:

• upgrade to new version 2 plugin API of stonith (requires Heartbeat 2.0.0 and up)
• new function: snIPL --SCSIload
  to load an LPAR from a SCSI-device
• new option for snIPL --dialog: --msgfilename
  to write operating system messages into a file
• new aliasing for image names in the configuration file
• default --timeout value for LPAR management API calls increased from 10s to 60s

Note: This snIPL version 2.1.3 supports stonith version 2 only, while older snIPL versions support stonith version 1 only.

snIPL - simple network IPL (Linux Image Control for LPAR / VM) is a command line tool which serves as remote linux image control using basic S/390 or zSeries or System z9 Support Element (SE) functions or basic z/VM system management functions with z/VM 4.4 (or higher) on one or more images.

• snIPL for LPAR utilizes the management application programming interfaces (APIs) provided by the HMC/SE. To communicate with the HMC/SE, snIPL establishes a network connection and uses the SNMP protocol to send and retrieve data. The HMC/SE has to be configured to allow the initiating host system to access the API. If your network is firewall-controlled, udp-port 161 and tcp-port 3161 have to be opened between snipl-invoking Linux system and HMC/SE. In this mode snIPL can be used to boot Linux for S/390, zSeries, or Sytem z9 in LPAR mode, to send and retrieve operating system messages, or to reset, activate or deactivate an LPAR for I/O fencing purposes.

  To compile and run snIPL for LPAR, it must be linked to the management library hwmcaapi (which can be downloaded from IBM Resource Link http://www.ibm.com/servers/resourcelink/). For further details please refer to SB10-7030 (which can be downloaded from http://www.ibm.com/support/).

• snIPL for VM serves as remote control of basic z/VM system management functions. It can be used to reset, activate or deactivate a Linux/VM image for I/O fencing purposes. In this mode snIPL utilizes the System Management Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) of z/VM 4.4 (or higher). To communicate with the z/VM host, snIPL for VM establishes a network connection and uses the RPC protocol to send and retrieve data. To compile and run snIPL for VM, the RPC protocol specification DMSVSMA.X has to be copied to the Linux system running snIPL (usually into /usr/share/dmsvsma/).

  For further details please refer to z/VM V4R4.0 Systems Management Application Programming (SC24-6063-00) or z/VM V5R1.0 Systems Management Application Programming (SC24-6122-00) (from the z/VM website: http://www.vm.ibm.com).

• snIPL for STONITH (Linux Image Control - Virtual Power Switch) is an external stonith plugin.
  STONITH (Shoot The Other Node In The Head) provides an extensible interface for remotely powering down a node in a cluster. It is part of the Heartbeat framework of the High Availability Project (http://linux-ha.org).
  http://linux-ha.org/STONITH gives a general description of the STONITH technique. The latest STONITH release can be downloaded from http://linux-ha.org/download.

  snIPL for Stonith supports the remote image operations activate, deactivate, and reset, exploiting basic S/390, zSeries, or Sytem z9 Hardware Management Console (HMC) and Support Element (SE) functions for Linux running in an LPAR and of basic z/VM 4.4 (or higher) System Management Functions for Linux running under control of z/VM.

  Further requirement (in addition to the snIPL command line tool):
  To compile and make use of the STONITH plugin lic_vps, package heartbeat has to be downloaded from http://linux-ha.org/download and installed.

Please refer to the README and manpage of snIPL enclosed in the tarball for further information and restrictions.