Planning for the remote control panel

Determine which remote control panel (RCP) configuration is best for your environment.

The following information can help you determine which IBM® i5/OS® remote control panel (RCP) configuration is best for your environment:

• The local console on a network (LAN) selects the RCP by default. If you do not want to use the RCP, use Properties to deselect the function.
• For IBM eServer™ hardware, you must use a Hardware Management Console (HMC) to manage logical partitions. This means that you cannot use the RCP to activate a logical partition, and you cannot directly connect an RCP cable to 5xx servers. To work with logical partitions remotely, you can use the Web-based System Manager Remote Client or the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI).
• Any configuration where the device ID is not authorized after the first connection will be unavailable or missing.
  • An unavailable configuration was selected but not authorized.
  • A missing configuration was not selected and was not authorized.

  After the configuration is authorized, it reappears in Properties the next time you connect.

• You must be granted access to a logical partition's RCP and functions to use the RCP. If a local console on a network (LAN) is being used, then the service tools device ID must also be granted access to that logical partition's RCP to use this feature. Users and service tools device IDs default values will automatically grant access to the RCP for the logical partition but can be revoked by an administrator for the user ID, device ID, or both. The user that authenticates a connection must also have authority to the respective logical partition's keylock to change the mode.