Virtual I/O Server

You can manage the Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) and client logical partitions by using the Hardware Management Console (HMC) and the Virtual I/O Server command-line interface.

The PowerVM® Editions feature includes the installation media for the VIOS software. The VIOS facilitates the sharing of physical I/O resources between client logical partitions within the server.

When you install the VIOS in a logical partition on a system that is managed by the HMC, you can use the HMC and the Virtual I/O Server command-line interface to manage the Virtual I/O Server and client logical partitions.

When you install the VIOS on a managed system and there is no HMC attached to the managed system when you install the VIOS, then the VIOS logical partition becomes the management partition. In POWER7® and POWER8® processor-based servers, the management partition provides the Integrated Virtualization Manager (IVM) web-based system management interface and a command-line interface that you can use to manage the system. IVM is not supported on POWER9™ processor-based servers.

For the most recent information about devices that are supported on the VIOS and to download VIOS fixes and updates, see the Fix Central website (http://www-933.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/).