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Preparing for HMC configuration
To configure the Hardware management Console (HMC), you must understand the related concepts to gather the required configuration settings that you need to know before you begin the configuration steps.
To prepare for HMC configuration, do
the following steps:
- Determine if this is a new HMC supporting one or more new systems, or if this is a second new HMC supporting existing systems. This will determine which installation path to follow.
- Determine the physical location of the HMC in relation to the servers it will manage. If the HMC is more than 25 feet from its managed system, you must provide Web browser access to the HMC from the managed system's location so that service personnel can access the HMC.
- Identify the servers that the HMC will manage.
- Determine whether you will use a private or an open network to manage servers. The HMC manages the servers through the Flexible Service Processor (FSP) over a network connection. A private network is a non-routable network from the HMC to one or more FSPs. An open network is any routable network linking the HMC to FSPs, logical partitions, administrative workstations or other network devices, such as routers and firewalls. A private network is recommended for HMC management of all systems. Servers that have bulk power controllers require a private network with an HMC acting as a Dynamic Host Control Protocol server (DHCP). Review the available non-routable network subnet ranges that are available and determine which one you will use for each DHCP server. Each FSP may be connected to two HMCs acting as DHCP servers as long as they are using two different IP address ranges.
- If you will use an open network to manage an FSP, you must set the FSP's address manually through the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI) menus. A private, non-routable network is recommended.
- Determine the open network settings that you will need to connect the HMC to workstations used by system administrators, logical partitions on the managed systems, and other network devices. Also, determine how the HMC will “call home.” Call home options can include an outbound-only Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Internet connection, a modem, or a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection.
- Determine the HMC users that you will create and their passwords, as well as which roles they will be given.
- Document the following
company contact information that will be
needed when configuring call home:
- Company name
- Administrator contact
- e-mail address
- Telephone numbers
- Fax numbers
- The street address of the HMC physical location
- If you plan to use e-mail to notify operators or systems administrators when information is sent to IBM® Service through call-home, identify the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server and the e-mail addresses you will use.
- If this is a new HMC connecting to a new managed system, create a password that will be used to authenticate the HMC to the system's service processor. At the same time, create a password for the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI) admin and general users. All three passwords can be set when connecting the first time from the HMC to a new server. If the new HMC is to be used as a redundant HMC, obtain the HMC user password from the already attached and configured HMC. Be prepared to enter the password when you first connect to the managed server's service processor.
