Cabling the server and accessing Operations Console if the system is not preinstalled with the IBM i operating system

Learn how to cable the server and access Operations Console to manage your system using the IBM® i operating system.

Before you begin

You can access the Operations Console via a LAN connection to IBM i by using IBM i Access Client Solutions .

To cable the server and to access the Operations Console, complete the following steps:
  1. Ensure that your server is powered off.
  2. Obtain a static IP address that is assigned to the LAN console adapter on the server so that the console can use it. Note the Internet Protocol (IP) address, subnet mask, and default gateway. Optionally, select a unique host name and register the host name and the IP address in your site's Domain Name System (DNS).
    Note: This IP address is used by the Operations Console stack on the IBM i interface and is different from the IP address that is used to connect a normal Telnet session. The IP address must not be in use by another server. Ping the IP address on a PC connected to a network to verify that no other device is using the IP address. You should not receive replies.
To set up the Operations Console, complete the following steps:
  1. Install on a network-connected personal computer.
    Note: To run IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS) on a workstation, you must install Java. ACS is a Java-based program and Java is required to run ACS. For information about ACS Java requirements, see IBM i Access - ACS Getting Started.
    Note: It is recommended that you log onto the PC as the local administrator. This ensures that you have all the privileges that you need to modify the PC and to start a console session. Also, ensure that you are running the latest version of ACS. For more information, see IBM i Access - Client Solutions 5733XJ1.
  2. Cable the PC to a server. Plug a Cat 5e or Cat 6 (recommended) Ethernet cable to the PC and into the T0 port, which is usually the top or far-right port on the first Ethernet adapter. To determine the server adapter port that you must use, refer to the following table:
    Table 1. Server Operations Console LAN slots
    Server Operations Console - LAN slot
    9105-41B C7, C8, C9, C10, C11
    9105-22A, 9105-22B, 9105-42A, 9786-22H, or 9786-42H C0, C1, C2, C3, C4, C7, C8, C9, C10, C11
    9028-21B C0, C1, C2, C3
    Note: Make the initial connection with the PC that is directly cabled to the server. The PC and server can be re-cabled to the network after the initial connection is made and a static IP address has been assigned to the Operations Console port. A cross-over cable is not needed. For more information, see Adapter requirements .
  3. Configure the PC network. To configure the PC network using a Windows-based PC, complete the following steps:
    1. Open Windows Control Panel and access the adapter settings. Select Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change Adapter Settings.
    2. Ensure that only the Local Area Connection is enabled. If other adapters are enabled, disable them.
    3. Right-click the adapter that you previously connected to the server and select Properties.
    4. select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and select Properties.
      Note: If you are returning the device to the network after you set up the Operations Console, record the IP information that is displayed.
    5. Select Obtain an IP address automatically. This ensures that the PC receives an IP address in the 169.254.x.x range.
  4. Disable any PC firewalls.
    Note: All PC firewalls must be disabled for the initial connection.
  5. On the PC, open a supported web browser. In the address bar, enter the IP address of the eBMC system to which you want to connect. For example, you can use the format https://<eBMC IP> in the address bar of the web browser. From the ASMI logon window, select the language and enter the username and password.
    Note: The default user ID is admin and the password is the password that you created when you accessed the eBMC.
    Click Log in.
  6. Power on the server using the ASMI by completing the following steps:
    1. In the navigation area, select Operations > Server power operations. The power state of the system displays.
    2. Set the Server firmware start policy to Standby and save the settings.
    3. Power on the server with the current settings by clicking the Power on button under Operations.
  7. To configure IBM i settings on the server, complete the following steps:
    1. Load the installation media.
    2. Set the Server operating mode to Manual.
    3. Set the IBM i partition boot mode to D.
    4. Set the IBM i load source to the target load source slot.
    5. Set the IBM i alternate restart device to the slot containing the installation media.
    6. Set the IBM i console to the target Ethernet adapter port.
    7. Save the settings and select Continue to OS Running.
      Note: You can identify physical part locations by using location codes. Illustrations are provided to help you map a logical location code to a physical location on the server or expansion unit. For more information, see Part locations and location codes .
    8. Once the system displays C60041F6, continue with next step.
      Note: The system can take up to 30 minutes to complete this action. If A6005008 displays on the control panel, this means that the system could not locate an available Operations Console. This might indicate that the system is not preinstalled with IBM i, and you must set the console type to LAN.
  8. Connect the Operations Console by completing the following steps:
    1. Open IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS).
    2. Under Management, click System Configurations.
    3. Select Locate Console.
    4. Click Search. After a few seconds, a connection displays. Click the connection and then click Console.
    5. When using IBM-purchased media on a D mode, sign in using user ID / password QSECOFR / QSECOFR.
  9. Install the IBM i operating system. To install the IBM i operating system, complete the following steps:
    1. Prepare the NVM device. To prepare the NVM device, complete the following steps:
      1. On the Install Licensed Internal Code display, select Work with Dedicated Service Tools (DST).
      2. Sign on.
      3. In the Use Dedicated Service Tools (DST) window, select Work with disk units.
      4. In the Work with Disk Units window, select Work with NVM Devices.
      5. In the Work with NVM Devices window, select Delete existing NVM Namespaces.
      6. Select the NVMe device.
      7. If there are no namespaces listed, press F12 and go to step x.
      8. Select the 4=Delete Namespace option on each of the listed namespaces.
      9. Press F10 to confirm the delete of the namespaces.
      10. In the Work with NVM Devices window, select Create NVM namespaces.
      11. Select the NVMe device.
      12. Enter the quantity and capacity of the namespaces you want on the NVMe device.
      13. Press F10 to confirm the creation of the namespace.
      14. Press F12 to return to the Use Dedicated Service Tools (DST) window.
      15. In the Install Licensed Internal Code menu, select Install Licensed Internal Code.
    2. Install Licensed Internal Code. To install Licensed Internal Code, complete the following steps:
      1. In the Install Licensed Internal Code window, select Install Licensed Internal Code and Initialize System.
      2. Select the disk unit that is in the NVMe device.
      3. Confirm the selection. The NVMe disk unit is zeroed, the Licensed Internal Code is installed, and the partition will then IPL to DST. This causes your session to close.
      4. Under Access Client Solutions (ACS), click Search. After a few seconds, a connection displays. Select the connection and then select Console.
      5. Sign in with user ID and password QSECOFR / QSECOFR and change the password.
      6. If the system finds a new disk configuration, the Disk Configuration Attention Report displays. Press F10 to accept this new configuration.
      7. Sign on using user ID QSECOFR and the password that you created.
        Note: The password is case-sensitive.
    3. Add units to the ASP. To add units to the ASP, complete the following steps:
      1. In the Use Dedicated Service Tools (DST) menu, select Work with disk units.
      2. In the Work with Disk Units window, select Work with disk configuration.
      3. In the Work with Disk Configuration window, select Work with NVM Devices.
      4. In the Work with NVM Devices window, select Create NVM namespaces.
      5. Select the NVMe device that is not the NVMe device that contains the load source.
      6. Enter the same quantity and capacity of the namespaces that you specified.
      7. Press F10 to confirm the creation of the name space.
      8. Press F12 to return to the Work with Disk Units window.
      9. In the Work with Disk Units window, select Work with ASP configuration.
      10. In the Work with ASP Configuration window, select Add units to ASPs.
      11. In the Add units to ASPs window, select Add units to existing ASPs.
      12. A list of disk units displays. In each of the Specify Asp columns for each of the NVMe disk units, type 1.
      13. Confirm that the disk units were added to the system ASP.
      14. Press F12 to return to the Work with Disk Configuration window.
    4. Start mirrored protection. To start mirrored protection, complete the following steps:
      1. In the Work with Disk Configuration window, select Work with mirrored protection.
      2. In the Work with Mirrored Protection window, select Start mirrored protection.
      3. Select ASP 1.
      4. Confirm the start of mirrored protection. The partition updates the configuration and the system IPLs to DST.
  10. To set a static IP address for the Operations Console, complete the following steps:
    1. Sign in using the QSECOFR user ID and the password that you created in the previous step.
      Note: The password is case-sensitive.
    2. At the DST Main Menu b, select Option 3- Use Dedicated Service Tools.
    3. Select Option 5- Work with DST environment.
    4. Select Option 2- System Devices.
    5. Select Option 7- Configure service tools LAN adapter.
    6. Type the IP settings that you want to use. Optional: For the host name for Service Tools, you can type a host name if it is also registered in your network DNS. It is recommended that you type the word Default and enter the IP address that you want to use.
    7. Press F7 to store the information.
    8. Press F17 to Deactivate the session and then press it again to Activate. This causes your session to close.
  11. To create a connection using a static IP, complete the following steps:
    1. Either move the PC and Operations Console port both to the network or re-configure the PC IP settings to be in the same subnet that you just configured for the service tools LAN adapter.
    2. Return to the ACS interface and select the System Configurations window.
    3. Click New.
    4. If you plan to use this connection to connect to other functions, type the system name that you plan to use in the General tab.
    5. Click the Console tab.
    6. Under the LAN Console/Virtual Control panel, type the IP address of the service tools LAN adapter in the Service Host Name field.
    7. Click OK and close System Configurations window.
    8. In the main ACS menu, click System and select the system that you created.
    9. Under Console, click 5250 Console. Sign in using your ID and password. Continue with your IPL.

Continue with Completing the server setup.