The Hardware Management Console (HMC) is a hardware appliance that you can use to configure and control one or more managed systems. You can use the HMC to create and manage logical partitions and activate Capacity Upgrade on Demand. Using service applications, the HMC communicates with managed systems to detect, consolidate, and send information to service and support for analysis.
The HMC also provides terminal and 5250 console emulation for the logical partitions on your managed system. You can connect to logical partitions from the HMC itself, or you can set up the HMC so that you can connect to logical partitions remotely through the HMC. HMC terminal and 5250 console emulation provides a dependable connection that you can use if no other terminal or console device is connected or operational. HMC terminal and 5250 console emulation is particularly useful during initial system setup, before you have configured your terminal or console of choice.
This figure illustrates the logical partitions and the server firmware on the IBM® Systems and eServer™ hardware. The server firmware is code that is stored in system flash memory on the server. The server firmware directly controls the resource allocations on the server and the communications between logical partitions on the server. The HMC connects with the server firmware and specifies how the server firmware allocates resources on the server.
If you use a single HMC to manage a server, and the HMC malfunctions or becomes disconnected from the server firmware, then the server continues to run, but you will not be able to change the logical partition configuration of the server or manage the server. If desired, you can attach an additional HMC to act as a backup and to provide a redundant path between the server and IBM service and support.
Partitioning using the HMC is supported on all IBM System i5® and eServer i5, IBM System p5® and eServer p5, and IBM eServer OpenPower® server models, although some models require you to enter an Advanced POWER® Virtualization activation code before you can partition the server.
There are two different HMC user interfaces.
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