Installing and configuring AI Optimizer for IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE

AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE runs as a container-based appliance on a IBM Z or IBM LinuxONE system. To get started, you first use the Hardware Management Console (HMC) to configure the Secure Service Container (SSC) LPAR that will host the appliance. After the LPAR is prepared, you use the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE Appliance Manager UI to install the product image for the appliance, deploy all the required components, and complete one-time configuration.

1. Access the Hardware Management Console to begin the installation process.
   From your workstation, log in to the HMC with the administrative credentials that you have obtained.
2. Set up the SSC LPAR in installer mode to prepare for image installation.

   In the HMC interface, create a new SSC LPAR and run it in the installer mode. This mode creates an isolated, secure SSC environment on the LPAR to receive and process the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE appliance image. The web-based interface of the installer mode will guide you through the installation process.

3. Create an administrative user of the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE appliance.

   When prompted, specify a username and password to create an administrator account for AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE. For the username, use alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers) only. Do not include any special characters.

   Take note of the username and password. You will need to use them to install, configure, and manage the appliance. For example, you will need the credentials to log in to the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE Appliance Manager to configure and manage the appliance.

4. Access the installer interface through your web browser.

   In your web browser, open the SSC LPAR web interface by entering its IP address.

   Important: The installer interface requires encrypted connections. Always use the HTTPS protocol when opening the interface in your browser (for example, https://<ssc-lpar-ip>). If you omit the HTTPS protocol or use the HTTP protocol, your connection attempt will be automatically rejected.
5. Upload the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE appliance image to the installer.

   Browse for or navigate to where you store the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE image. Select the image file and upload it to the installer.

6. Verify that sufficient storage is available for the installation.

   The installer will check for available disk space on the SSC LPAR.

   Important: The system requires more than 100 GB of available disk space to install and configure AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE. If the available disk space is insufficient, the installer will display an error message. You must allocate the required storage before continuing.
7. Start the image installation process.

   The installer will extract, copy, and load the image contents onto the SSC LPAR, including all the components of the appliance, the required operating system, and the runtime environment.

   The installation process may take a few moments to complete, depending on your system's performance and network speed. The installer will display progress indicators and show the current status.

8. Access the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE Appliance Manager UI to begin configuration.
   After the installation completes and the appliance is ready for configuration, the installer will automatically redirect you to the Appliance Manager UI.

   • If the redirect does not work, navigate to the UI by entering https://<ssc-lpar-ip>/config in your browser.

   Enter the administrative user credentials that you created in Step 3 to log in.

   Take note of the URL. You will need to use it to access and manage Users, Logs, and Dumps through the Appliance Manager UI.

9. Configure the container registry to enable access to component images.
   On the Appliance administration page, configure the container registry to access AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE component images.
   1. Click Configure to open the Configure container registry dialog.
   2. Select a registry type:
      • IBM Container Registry (for environments with internet connectivity).
      • Custom registry (for air-gapped or restricted environments).
   3. If you selected IBM Container Registry, enter your IBM Entitlement Key in the provided field.
   4. If you selected Custom registry, provide the following information:
      • Enter the registry URL (for example, registry.example.com).
      • Select the authentication method: Username and password or Access token.
      • Enter the required credentials based on your selected authentication method.

      Important: If you select a custom registry, you must complete the image mirroring process before performing this step. See Mirroring container images to a custom registry for details
   5. Optionally configure proxy settings if your registry requires proxy access.
      Enable proxy and specify one of the following settings:

      • HTTP proxy (for example, http://proxy.example.com:8080)
      • HTTPS proxy (for example, http://proxy.example.com:8443)
      • No proxy (comma-separated list such as localhost,127.0.0.1,.example.com)
   6. Click Save to apply the registry configuration.
10. Start and monitor the initialization of all system components.

    On the Appliance administration page, start the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE stack initialization.

    After configuring the container registry, the system begins initializing all required components. The components are listed under Component with their current status. Monitor the status indicators as each component initializes.

    The initialization process of a component completes successfully when its status changes to Running preceded by a green checked mark. The green status indicates that the component is up and running correctly as expected. Do not proceed until all components show a green status.

    Tip: If any component shows an error or warning status, you can access detailed service logs to identify and resolve the issue. See Viewing and downloading system logs in AI Optimizer for IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE for information about viewing and downloading logs.

    When the status of all components turns green, Inference router is enabled. This indicates that the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE Appliance Manager and the inference router are successfully configured and fully operational.

11. Verify that the installation completed successfully.

    On the Appliance administration page, verify the appliance installation and configuration by launching the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE UI.

    Click Inference router to open the AI Optimizer for Z and LinuxONE UI. Enter the same administrative user credentials that you created in Step 3 to log in. Optionally, you can launch the UI directly in your browser by going to https://<ssc-lpar-ip>. Successful login will launch the Inference router page of the UI, which indicates that the UI is ready for use.