Adding a PowerVM NovaLink definition

You can use the SMIT interface to add a PowerVM® NovaLink definition that is used by the PowerHA® SystemMirror® cluster.

To add a PowerVM NovaLink definition, complete the following steps:

From the command line, enter smit sysmirror
From the SMIT interface, select Cluster Applications and Resources > Resources > Configure User Applications (Scripts and Monitors) > Resource Optmized High Availability > NovaLink Configuration > Add NovaLink Definition, and press Enter.
Complete the following fields, and press Enter.
NovaLink name

If the PowerVM NovaLink name or IP address is not discovered automatically, enter the name or IP address of PowerVM NovaLink.

DLPAR operations timeout
Enter a timeout value, in minutes, for the Dynamic Logical Partitioning (DLPAR) commands that are run on a PowerVM NovaLink. If you do not specify a value, the default values, which are specified in the Change/Show Default NovaLink Tunables SMIT panel, are used. The default values are:
```
  DLPAR operations timeout (in minutes)                       10                     
  Number of retries                                           5                     
  Delay between retries (in seconds)                          10                    
  Connection Type                                             SSH                    
```
Number of retries

Enter the number of times you want any command to try before the PowerVM NovaLink is considered as not responding. The next PowerVM NovaLink in the list is used after the number of failed retries that you entered. If you do not specify a value, the default values, which are specified in the Change/Show Default NovaLink Tunables SMIT panel, are used.

Delay between retries

Enter the number of seconds you want to delay before attempting to resend a PowerVM NovaLink command. If you do not specify a value, the default values, which are specified in the Change/Show Default NovaLink Tunables SMIT panel, are used.

User name

Specify a user name that can be used with the Representational State Transfer (REST) application programming interface (API) to establish a secure connection with the PowerVM NovaLink or SSH. You must specify the associated password for the user name when the connection type is REST API or when connection type is SSH, you can verify whether the user name can be used without a password.
The following limitations applys to PowerVM NovaLink:
- With the PowerHA SystemMirror 7.2.2, and later, the PowerVM NovaLink does not support the Representational State Transfer (REST) application programming interface (API) connection type.
- PowerVM NovaLink cannot be used for the Enterprise Pool CoD or On/Off CoD operations. You can use an Hardware Management Console (HMC) for the Enterprise Pool CoD or On/Off CoD operations. If the HMC is not defined in the PowerHA SystemMirror cluster, the Enterprise Pool CoD or On/Off CoD operations are not supported.
- To run the Enterprise Pool or On/Off CoD operations on HMC, the HMC must be set as controller by using the setmaster option. For both these operations, the setmaster option is handled automatically by PowerHA SystemMirror.
- If multiple clusters are running on the same CEC, ensure that each ROHA operation that is running does not interfere with all the other ROHA operations that are running simultaneously.
- If an HMC is controller, the PowerVM NovaLink cannot run operations on any operating system. Any requests to run the operations results in an error that can impact the other nodes in a managed system.
- If the managed system is managed by both the HMC and PowerVM NovaLink, the PowerVM NovaLink must be defined in PowerHA SystemMirror cluster. If the PowerVM NovaLink is not defined in the PowerHA SystemMirror cluster and HMC is not set as controller, then all DLPAR operations might be impacted.