IBM Power Systems Hardware Management Console virtual appliance for POWER-based systems offers increased deployment flexibility

IBM United States Software Announcement 217-200
August 8, 2017

Table of contents

	Overview		Publications
	Key prerequisites		Technical information
	Planned availability date		Ordering information
	Description		Terms and conditions
	Statement of general direction		Prices
	Program number		Order now

At a glance

The IBM® Power Systems™ Hardware Management Console (HMC) virtual appliance for POWER®-based systems can be used to manage any of the systems that are supported by the version 8.8.7 HMC, which includes IBM Power Systems servers with IBM POWER6®, IBM POWER7®, and IBM POWER8® technology-based processors. This is the first version of the HMC virtual appliance that runs on POWER8 technology-based processors in an LPAR.

The Power Systems HMC virtual appliance offers these benefits:

Provides hardware, service, and basic virtualization management for your Power Systems servers.
Offers the same functionality as the current x86-based software appliance HMC. For more information, see the vHMC background Technote.

Overview

The new Power Systems HMC virtual appliance for POWER-based systems gives clients additional flexibility to deploy an HMC on an IBM Power® server to manage other Power Systems servers. Clients provide the server hardware and PowerVM® virtualization to host the IBM-supplied HMC virtual appliance.

Key prerequisites

The Power Systems HMC virtual appliance requires a Power Systems server with POWER8 technology-based processor and with firmware level FW830 or later that is enabled for little endian. For further reference, see the Supported Linux™ distributions for POWER8 Linux on Power systems web page.

The virtual appliance is available in e-config for all POWER8 hardware that includes PowerVM.

Planned availability date

September 15, 2017

Description

The HMC virtual appliance enables clients to host the HMC virtual appliance as a VM in their existing PowerVM-based virtual environments or to provide a dedicated virtualized environment for the HMC virtual appliance. The hardware appliance HMC and the virtual appliance HMC function essentially the same.

The HMC virtual appliance can be used to manage any of the systems that are supported by the version 8.8.7 HMC, which includes Power Systems servers with POWER6, POWER7, and POWER8 processors.

Clients can use Power Systems HMCs in any of the following configurations:

Only hardware appliance HMCs
Only virtual appliance HMCs
A combination of hardware appliance and virtual appliance HMCs

Accessibility by people with disabilities

A US Section 508 Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), containing details about accessibility compliance, can be found on the Product accessibility information website.

Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act

Power Systems Hardware Management Console (HMC) virtual appliance for POWER-based systems is capable as of September 15, 2017, when used in accordance with IBM's associated documentation, of satisfying the applicable requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, provided that any assistive technology used with the product properly interoperates with it. A US Section 508 Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) can be found on the Product accessibility information website.

Statement of general direction

IBM intends to release a Power System server hardware based version of HMC to replace the current x86-based HMC.

IBM's statements regarding its plans, directions, and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice at IBM's sole discretion. Information regarding potential future products is intended to outline our general product direction and it should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision. The information mentioned regarding potential future products is not a commitment, promise, or legal obligation to deliver any material, code, or functionality. Information about potential future products may not be incorporated into any contract. The development, release, and timing of any future features or functionality described for our products remain at our sole discretion.

Program number

Program number	VRM	Program name
5765-HMA	8.8.7	IBM Power Systems Hardware Management Console (HMC) virtual appliance for POWER-based systems

Product identification number

Maintenance program number

Program PID number	Maintenance 1-year PID number	Maintenance ALC PID number	Maintenance 3-year PID number
5765-HMA	5771-HMA	5771-HMC	5773-HMA

Offering Information

Product information is available on the IBM Offering Information website.

Business Partner information

If you are a Direct Reseller - System Reseller acquiring products from IBM, you may link directly to Business Partner information for this announcement. A PartnerWorld® ID and password are required (use IBMid).

BP Attachment for Announcement Letter 217-200

Publications

None

Services

Software Services

IBM Software Services has the breadth, depth, and reach to manage your services needs. You can leverage the deep technical skills of our lab-based, software services team and the business consulting, project management, and infrastructure expertise of our IBM Global Services team. Also, we extend our IBM Software Services reach through IBM Business Partners to provide an extensive portfolio of capabilities. Together, we provide the global reach, intellectual capital, industry insight, and technology leadership to support a wide range of critical business needs.

To learn more about IBM Software Services, contact your Lab Services Sales or Delivery Leader.

Technical information

Specified operating environment

Hardware requirements

The HMC virtual appliance requires a Power Systems server with a POWER8 technology-based processor that is enabled for little endian.

Software requirements

IBM POWER8 Little Endian
PowerVM

IBM Electronic Support

The IBM Support Portal is your gateway to technical support. This includes IBM Electronic Support tools and resources, for software and hardware, to help save time and simplify support. The Electronic Support tools can help you find answers to questions, download fixes, troubleshoot, automate data collection, submit and track problems through the Service Request online tool, and build skills. All these tools are made available through your IBM support agreement. Read about the Electronic Support portfolio of tools on the IBM Electronic Support website.

You can also access the IBM Support Portal page and the online Service requests and PMRs tool for more support.

Planning information

Packaging

The Power Systems HMC Virtual Appliance includes product installation documentation and files.

Your Proof of Entitlement (PoE) for this program is a copy of a paid sales receipt, purchase order, invoice, or other sales record from IBM or its authorized reseller from whom you acquired the program, provided that it states the license charge unit (the characteristics of intended use of the program, number of processors, number of users) and quantity acquired.

Information about how you may obtain program services will be provided by the party (either IBM or its authorized reseller) from whom you acquired the program.

Electronic download is available for this offering:

Prerequisite - SWMA and license announced as BT31 (customer entitled)
Prerequisite - SWMA active in AAS / CHIS

How to get access to software downloads for customer-entitled products:

Access the IBM ESS website.
Enter your customer number during registration.
If CHIS service, select the contract number and use that for validation.
If brand SWMA, select the system number:
1. BT31 SWMA will get a dummy system number most of the time.
2. The customer should call the WW Software Key Support (phone number or email under Contacts on ESS).
3. Customer support will provide a system number value for registration.
4. If you have any other contracts with IBM for system-entitled products, you can use that information for registration (as access is per customer number or enterprise in US).
When registration is completed, go to Software download and find the software there (select OS and version and look for the license on the resulting list).

This program, when downloaded from a website, contains the applicable IBM license agreement and License Information, if appropriate, which will be presented for acceptance at the time of installation of the program. For future reference, the license and License Information will be stored in a directory such as LICENSE.TXT.

Ordering information

5765-HMA - HMC Virtual Appliance V8.8.7

Description	Feature number
Per Install	0001
US ESD only	3453
ESD	3450
Supply	5806

This software license includes Software Maintenance, previously referred to as Software Subscription and Technical Support.

Extending coverage for a total of three years from the date of acquisition may be elected. Order the program number, feature number, and quantity to extend coverage for your software licenses. If maintenance has expired, specify the after-license feature number.

Maintenance PIDs description for AAS

Program number	Program name
5771-HMA	HMC Virtual Appliance R/R 1 Year
5771-HMC	HMC Virtual Appliance A/L
5773-HMA	HMC Virtual Appliance R/R 3 Year

SW Maintenance Registration/Renewal 1 Year (5771-HMA)

Description	Feature number
Per Install registration 1-yr	2164
Per Install registration 7x24	2163
US ESD only	3453

SW Maintenance After-License Charge (5771-HMC)

Description	Feature number
Per Install ALC	2166
Per Install ALC 7x24	2167
US ESD only	3453

SW Maintenance Registration/Renewal 3 Year (5773-HMA)

Description	Feature number
Per Install registration	1807
Per Install registration 7x24	1806
US ESD only	3453

Charge metric

Install

Install is a unit of measure by which the program can be licensed. An install is an installed copy of the program on a physical or virtual disk made available to be executed on a computer. Licensee must obtain an entitlement for each install of the program.

Terms and conditions

The information provided in this announcement letter is for reference and convenience purposes only. The terms and conditions that govern any transaction with IBM are contained in the applicable contract documents such as the IBM International Program License Agreement, IBM International Passport Advantage® Agreement, and the IBM Agreement for Acquisition of Software Maintenance.

Licensing

IBM International Program License Agreement including the License Information document and Proof of Entitlement (PoE) govern your use of the program. PoEs are required for all authorized use.

This software license includes Software Subscription and Support (also referred to as Software Maintenance).

Agreement for Acquisition of Software Maintenance

The IBM Agreement for Acquisition of Software Maintenance (Z125-6011) applies for Subscription and Support (also referred to as Software Maintenance) and does not require customer signatures.

These programs are licensed under the IBM Program License Agreement (IPLA) and the associated Agreement for Acquisition of Software Maintenance, which provide for support with ongoing access to releases and versions of the program. IBM includes one year of Software Subscription and Support with the initial license acquisition of each program acquired. The initial period of Software Subscription and Support can be extended by the purchase of a renewal option, if available. These programs have a one-time license charge for use of the program and an annual renewable charge for the enhanced support that includes telephone assistance (voice support for defects during normal business hours), as well as access to updates, releases, and versions of the program as long as support is in effect.

License Information number

LC27-8321

See the License Information documents page on the IBM Software License Agreement website for more information.

Limited warranty applies

Yes

Limited warranty

IBM warrants that when the program is used in the specified operating environment, it will conform to its specifications. The warranty applies only to the unmodified portion of the program. IBM does not warrant uninterrupted or error-free operation of the program or that IBM will correct all program defects. You are responsible for the results obtained from the use of the program.

IBM provides you with access to IBM databases containing information on known program defects, defect corrections, restrictions, and bypasses at no additional charge. For further information, see the IBM Software Support Handbook.

IBM will maintain this information for at least one year after the original licensee acquires the program (warranty period).

Program support

Subscription and Support includes telephone assistance, as well as access to updates, releases, and versions of the program as long as support is in effect. You will be notified of discontinuance of support with 12 months' notice.

Money-back guarantee

If for any reason you are dissatisfied with the program and you are the original licensee, you may obtain a refund of the amount you paid for it, if within 30 days of your invoice date you return the program and its PoE to the party from whom you obtained it. If you downloaded the program, you may contact the party from whom you acquired it for instructions on how to obtain the refund.

For clarification, note that for programs acquired under any of IBM's On/Off Capacity on Demand (On/Off CoD) software offerings, this term does not apply since these offerings apply to programs already acquired and in use by you.

Volume orders (IVO)

Yes. Contact your IBM representative.

Passport Advantage applies

Software Subscription and Support applies

Yes. All distributed software licenses include Software Subscription and Support (also referred to as Software Maintenance) for a period of 12 months from the date of acquisition, providing a streamlined way to acquire IBM software and assure technical support coverage for all licenses. Extending coverage for a total of three years from date of acquisition may be elected.

While your Software Subscription and Support is in effect, IBM provides you assistance for your routine, short duration installation and usage (how-to) questions, and code-related questions. IBM provides assistance by telephone and, if available, electronic access, only to your information systems (IS) technical support personnel during the normal business hours (published prime shift hours) of your IBM support center. (This assistance is not available to your end users.) IBM provides Severity 1 assistance 24 hours a day, every day of the year. For additional details, go to the IBM Support Handbooks page.

Software Subscription and Support does not include assistance for the design and development of applications, your use of programs in other than their specified operating environment, or failures caused by products for which IBM is not responsible under this agreement.

For more information about the Passport Advantage® Agreement, go to the Passport Advantage and Passport Advantage Express® website.

IBM Operational Support Services - SoftwareXcel

System i Software Maintenance applies

Variable charges apply

Educational allowance available

Yes. A 15% education allowance applies to qualified education institution customers.

Multi-Version Measurement

Multi-Version Measurement (MVM) replaces the previously announced Migration Grace Period time limit of six months and allows unlimited time for clients to run more than one eligible version of a software program. Clients may run multiple versions of a program simultaneously for an unlimited duration during a program version upgrade. Clients may also choose to run multiple versions of a program simultaneously for an unlimited duration in a production environment. MVM does not extend support dates for programs withdrawn from service.

For more information about MVM, including requirements for qualification, see the MVM web page. For a list of eligible programs, see the IPLA Execution-Based web page.

Statement of good security practices

IT system security involves protecting systems and information through intrusion prevention, detection, and response to improper access from within and outside your enterprise. Improper access can result in information being altered, destroyed, or misappropriated or can result in misuse of your systems to attack others. Without a comprehensive approach to security, no IT system or product should be considered completely secure and no single product or security measure can be completely effective in preventing improper access. IBM systems and products are designed to be part of a regulatory compliant, comprehensive security approach, which will necessarily involve additional operational procedures, and may require other systems, products, or services to be most effective.

Important: IBM does not warrant that any systems, products, or services are immune from, or will make your enterprise immune from, the malicious or illegal conduct of any party.

IBM Electronic Services

Electronic Service Agent™ and the IBM Electronic Support web portal are dedicated to providing fast, exceptional support to organizations that have IBM Systems. The IBM Electronic Service Agent tool is a no-additional-charge tool that proactively monitors and reports hardware events, such as system errors, performance issues, and inventory. The Electronic Service Agent tool can help you stay focused on your company's strategic business initiatives, save time, and spend less effort managing day-to-day IT maintenance issues. Servers enabled with this tool can be monitored remotely around the clock by IBM Support, all at no additional cost to you.

Now integrated into the base operating system of AIX® V7.1 and AIX 7.2, Electronic Service Agent is designed to automatically and electronically report system failures and utilization issues to IBM, which can result in faster problem resolution and increased availability. System configuration and inventory information collected by the Electronic Service Agent tool also can be viewed on the secure Electronic Support web portal, and used to improve problem determination and resolution by you and the IBM support team. To access the tool main menu, simply type smitty esa_main, and select Configure Electronic Service Agent. In addition, ESA now includes a powerful web user interface, giving the administrator easy access to status, tool settings, problem information, and filters. For more information and documentation on how to configure and use Electronic Service Agent, go to the IBM Electronic Support website.

The IBM Electronic Support portal is a single internet entry point that replaces the multiple entry points traditionally used to access IBM internet services and support. This portal enables you to gain easier access to IBM resources for assistance in resolving technical problems. The My Systems and Premium Search functions make it even easier for organizations that are Electronic Service Agent tool-enabled to track system inventory and find pertinent fixes.

Benefits

Increased uptime: The Electronic Service Agent™ tool is designed to enhance the Warranty or Maintenance Agreement by providing faster hardware error reporting and uploading system information to IBM Support. This can translate to less wasted time monitoring the symptoms, diagnosing the error, and manually calling IBM Support to open a problem record. Its 24 x 7 monitoring and reporting mean human intervention is not required to report errors.

Security: The Electronic Service Agent tool is designed to be secure in monitoring, reporting, and storing the data at IBM. The Electronic Service Agent tool is designed to securely transmit either through the internet (HTTPS or VPN) or modem to provide organizations a single point of exit from their site. Communication is one way. Activating Electronic Service Agent does not enable IBM to call into an organization's system.

For additional information, go to the IBM Electronic Service Agent website.

More accurate reporting: Because system information and error logs are automatically uploaded to the IBM Support Center in conjunction with the service request, you are not required to find and send system information, decreasing the risk of misreported or misdiagnosed errors. Once inside IBM, problem error data is run through a data knowledge management system and knowledge articles are appended to the problem record.

Customized support: Using the IBMid entered during activation, you can view system and support information in the My Systems and Premium Search sections of the IBM Electronic Support page.

My Systems provides valuable reports of installed hardware and software using information collected from the systems by Electronic Service Agent. Reports are available for any system associated with your IBMid. Premium Search combines the function of search and the value of Electronic Service Agent information, providing advanced search of the technical support knowledgebase. Using Premium Search and the Electronic Service Agent information that has been collected from your system, you are able to see search results that apply specifically to your systems.

For more information on how to utilize the power of IBM Electronic Services, contact your IBM Systems Services Representative, or go to the IBM Electronic Support website.

Prices

For additional information and current prices, contact your local IBM representative.

5765-HMA - HMC Virtual Appliance V8.8.7

Description	Feature number
Per Install	0001

This software license includes Software Maintenance, previously referred to as Software Subscription and Technical Support.

5771-HMA HMC Virtual Appliance R/R 1 Year
5771-HMC HMC Virtual Appliance A/L
5773-HMA HMC Virtual Appliance R/R 3 Year

SW Maintenance Registration/Renewal 1 Year (5771-HMA)

Description	Feature number
Per Install registration 1-yr	2164
Per Install registration 7x24	2163

SW Maintenance After-License Charge (5771-HMC)

Description	Feature number
Per Install ALC	2166
Per Install ALC 7x24	2167

SW Maintenance Registration/Renewal 3 Year (5773-HMA)

Description	Feature number
Per Install registration	1807
Per Install registration 7x24	1806

IBM Global Financing

IBM Global Financing offers competitive financing to credit-qualified customers to assist them in acquiring IT solutions. Offerings include financing for IT acquisition, including hardware, software, and services, from both IBM and other manufacturers or vendors. Offerings (for all customer segments: small, medium, and large enterprise), rates, terms, and availability can vary by country. Contact your local IBM Global Financing organization or go to the IBM Global Financing website for more information.

IBM Global Financing offerings are provided through IBM Credit LLC in the United States, and other IBM subsidiaries and divisions worldwide to qualified commercial and government customers. Rates are based on a customer's credit rating, financing terms, offering type, equipment type, and options, and may vary by country. Other restrictions may apply. Rates and offerings are subject to change, extension, or withdrawal without notice.

Financing from IBM Global Financing helps you preserve cash and credit lines, enables more technology acquisition within current budget limits, can help accelerate implementation of economically attractive new technologies, offers payment and term flexibility, and can help match project costs to projected benefits. Financing is available worldwide for credit-qualified customers.

Order now

To order, contact the IBM Digital Sales Center, your local IBM representative, or your IBM Business Partner. To identify your local IBM representative or IBM Business Partner, call 800-IBM-4YOU (426-4968). For more information, contact the IBM Digital Sales Center.

Phone: 800-IBM-CALL (426-2255)

Fax: 800-2IBM-FAX (242-6329)

For IBM representative: askibm@ca.ibm.com

For IBM Business Partner: pwcs@us.ibm.com

IBM Digital Sales Offices 1177 S Belt Line Rd Coppell, TX 75019-4642, US

The IBM Digital Sales Center, our national direct marketing organization, can add your name to the mailing list for catalogs of IBM products.

Note: Shipments will begin after the planned availability date.

Trademarks

Power Systems and Electronic Service Agent are trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

IBM, POWER, POWER6, POWER7, POWER8, Power, PowerVM, PartnerWorld, Passport Advantage, System i, Express and AIX are registered trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Terms of use

IBM products and services which are announced and available in your country can be ordered under the applicable standard agreements, terms, conditions, and prices in effect at the time. IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this announcement at any time without notice. This announcement is provided for your information only. Additional terms of use are located at

For the most current information regarding IBM products, consult your IBM representative or reseller, or visit the IBM worldwide contacts page

IBM United States