Setting up IBM i5/OS to connect to service and support without an HMC

Learn about all the tasks you need to perform for setting up connectivity to service and support from i5/OS® servers.

Perform or verify Tasks 1 through 12 to set up connectivity for an i5/OS server.

Task 1. Before you begin

This procedure contains the complete list of tasks needed to set up connectivity to service and support. Some of these tasks might already have been completed (during initial server setup, for example). If so, you can use this procedure to verify that the tasks were completed correctly.

In this document, an Internet connection is defined as access to the Internet from a logical partition, server, or HMC by direct or indirect access. Indirect means that you are behind a Network Address Translation (NAT) firewall. Direct means that you have a globally routable address without an intervening firewall, which would block the ports that are needed for communication to service and support.

Task 2. Decide on your connectivity method

Use one of the following methods (listed in the recommended order):
Note: See below for details on each option.
  • Direct Internet (including VPN or an HTTP(S) from each logical partition or server
  • Shared direct Internet through one of the i5/OS partitions or servers
  • Shared dial-up connection through one of the i5/OS logical partitions or servers
  • Shared dial-up through the HMC's modem
Note: For i5/OS, in addition to the connectivity methods above, you can configure connectivity through an HTTP proxy. You also can configure a primary and backup method. For example, you could have direct Internet as your primary method, and shared dialup as your backup method.

Task 3. Prerequisites

  1. For direct Internet connections, contact the network administrator to verify that the following ports are open for communication:
    • Protocol UDP ports 500 and 4500 with the following IP addresses: Boulder: 207.25.252.196 and Rochester: 129.42.160.16
    • ESP (protocol 50) with the following IP addresses: Boulder: 207.25.252.196 and Rochester: 129.42.160.16
    • If you plan to use HTTP and HTTPs for a transport, you must change the filter rules to allow connections to the IBM® service destinations for ports 80 and 443. For more details, see IP Packet Filter Firewall.
  2. For a dial-up (modem) connection, determine necessary configuration settings, including:
    • Local area code
    • Predial information, such as dialing 9 to dial outside the network
    • Use of commas if delayed dialing is needed
    • Any special telephone line conditions such as pulse (rotary) dialing or no dialtone.
  3. Ensure that TCP/IP is set up and configured correctly. If not, contact the network administrator and consult your operating system documentation.

Task 4. Ensure that your physical networking is set up correctly

  1. Verify the physical connection from your site to service and support.
    This connection enables you to report hardware problems and other server information to service and support. It also enables you to install updates. This connection is represented in the following illustration:
    Figure 1. This diagram shows the connection between service and support and a company that has a server and an HMC.

    This diagram shows the connection between service and support and a company that has a server and an HMC.

  2. Continue with Task 5. Obtain or verify an IBM ID.

Task 5. Obtain or verify an IBM ID

You will need an IBM ID to register IBM Electronic Service Agent™ on the HMC and for Electronic Service Agent on your operating system or systems. You also will need this ID to view information that has been reported to IBM through Electronic Service Agent.

  1. Go to the My IBM Profile Web site.
  2. Verify that you are registered.
    • If you are registered, Welcome back will be displayed on the Web site. Or, you can select Sign in and see if your e-mail address is recognized.
    • If you are not registered, select Register and fill out the registration form. Create an IBM ID for each of the people you want to have access to the information that Electronic Service Agent reports to IBM. You must associate these accounts with a server, usually your central server. (You can add other servers later.) The people for whom you create IDs must have system administrator authority on all registered servers.
  3. Record your IBM ID (the e-mail address that you registered).

Task 6. Install the operating systems on your server

For details, refer to Installing operating systems.

Task 7. Configure your TCP/IP network

For instructions, refer to the operating system documentation.

Task 8. Activate TCP/IP on your server or logical partitions

TCP/IP starts automatically, as long as the network adapter is recognized and can communicate with the network when the i5/OS operating system is started. If this does not occur, type STRTCP at an i5/OS command line to start TCP/IP. This command initializes and activates TCP/IP processing, starts the TCP/IP interfaces, and starts the server jobs. Only TCP/IP interfaces and servers with AUTOSTART *YES are started with the STRTCP command.

Task 9. Configure Electronic Service Agent for i5/OS

  1. Ensure that the following software is installed (use the DSPSFWRSC command to confirm).
    Note: Electronic Service Agent and the following software is included with the base i5/OS operating system starting with V5R3.
    • 5722SS1 – Option 34 (OS/400® - Digital Certificate Manager)
    • If you have i5/OS V5R3, you will need 5722AC3 (Cryptographic Access Provider 128-bit). This is a security provision to encrypt communications between your system and service and support.
      Note: The 5722AC3 (Cryptographic Access Provider 128-bit) is not necessary starting with i5/OS V5R4.
    • 5722JC1 (IBM Toolbox Kit for Java™)
  2. At the command line, type GO SERVICE. One of the following occurs:
    • If connectivity was set up previously, type 18 to get to the configuration menu where you can create, change, delete, or verify that connectivity works. If you want to change the settings, continue with step 3.
    • If connectivity has never been set up on this logical partition or server, the system will try to ping one of the IBM gateways. If this is successful, the interface will prompt for configuring direct Internet. If this is successful, the default settings for direct Internet will be prefilled. If you want to verify or change these default settings, continue with step 3.
      Note: In some environments, the pinging of the IBM gateway does not work because the firewall might be blocking the packets. However, you should still verify with the network administrator if the criteria is met to set up direct Internet. For details, see Task 1. Before you begin.
  3. Choose from the following options:
    • To set up a direct Internet connection from each i5/OS server, go to step 4.
    • To set up a shared direct Internet connection, go to step 6.
    • To set up a modem or shared modem connection, go to step 11.
  4. To set up a direct Internet connection from each i5/OS server or logical partition, specify the following information from each logical partition in the CRTSRVCFG prompts:
    For i5/OS V5R3:
    • Connection type: *VPN
    • Virtual private network type: *DIRECT
    • Connectivity for others: Connect point: *NO
    For i5/OS V5R4:
    • Role: *PRIMARY
    • Connection type: *DIRECT
    • Connectivity for others: Connect point: *NO
    Note: For additional details on using Electronic Service Agent, refer to the Electronic Service Agent topic in the iSeries® Information Center.
  5. Continue with Task 10. Register the IBM ID for i5/OS.
  6. To set up a shared direct Internet connection, review the following information. In this example, you will configure the following:
    • A direct Internet connection from the i5/OS server that has connectivity to the Internet.
    • Enable the other i5/OS server to connect to the server that has connectivity to the Internet.
    Figure 2. This diagram shows the flow of information and problems from an i5/OS server in its manufacturing default configuration to service and support. The information and problems pass through the direct Internet connection on the server.

    This diagram shows the flow of information and problems from an i5/OS server in its manufacturing default configuration to service and support. The information and problems pass through the direct Internet connection on the server.

  7. Specify the following information from the i5/OS server or logical partition with Internet connectivity in the CRTSRVCFG prompts:
    For i5/OS V5R3:
    • Connection type: *VPN
    • Virtual private network type: *DIRECT
    • Connectivity for others:
      • Connect point: *YES. This enables other logical partitions or systems to use the VPN connection on this logical partition to connect to service and support.
        Note: You will need to create service configurations on the remote systems or logical partitions that will be using this connection point.
      • Interfaces: *ALL or a list of the interfaces over which you will accept connections to service and support.
    For i5/OS V5R4:
    • Role: *PRIMARY
    • Connection type: *DIRECT
    • Connectivity for others:
      • Connect point: *YES. This enables other logical partitions or systems to use the VPN or service and support proxy connection on this logical partition to connect to service and support.
        Note: Service configurations need to be created on the remote systems or logical partitions that will be using this connection point.
      • Interfaces: *ALL or a list of the interfaces over which you will accept connections to service and support.
  8. Specify the following information from each of the other i5/OS server or logical partitions in the CRTSRVCFG prompts:
    For V5R3 i5/OS:
    • Connection type: *VPN
    • Virtual private network type: *MULTIHOP
    • Remote system: Enter the host name or IP address of the logical partition with the Internet connectivity.
      Note: A multi-hop VPN connection from an i5/OS system or logical partition using the IP address of the HMC is not supported. The only connectivity option for an i5/OS logical partition to the HMC is to use a remote PTP configuration.
    • Connectivity for others: Connect point: *NO
    For i5/OS V5R4:
    • Connection type: *MULTIHOP
    • Remote system: Enter the host name or IP address of the logical partition with the Internet connectivity.
      Note: A multi-hop VPN connection from an i5/OS system or logical partition using the IP address of the HMC is not supported. The only connectivity option for an i5/OS logical partition to the HMC is to use a remote PTP configuration.
    • Proxy server: Enter the information about the Service and Support Proxy (or your own HTTP proxy) as follows:
      • IP address or host name: Enter the host name or IP address of the logical partition with the Internet connectivity (or if you have your own HTTP proxy, you could also specify that).
      • Port number: Enter the port number of the Service and Support proxy or your own HTTP proxy. Default of *IBMSVR which is 5026 (the default for the Service and Support proxy).
      • Relative priority: Enter the priority (relative to the multi-hop VPN)
    • Connectivity for others: Connect point: *NO
  9. Verify that interpartition communication is set up. Ping the host or IP address of the logical partition that has the Internet connectivity or modem from the logical partition that needs to use the Internet connection or modem.
    Note: For additional details on using Electronic Service Agent, refer to the Electronic Service Agent topic in the iSeries Information Center.
  10. Continue with Task 10. Register the IBM ID for i5/OS.
  11. To set up a modem or shared modem on your i5/OS server or logical partition, choose from the following options:
    • To set up a modem from an i5/OS server, continue with the next step.
    • To set up a shared modem, go to step 14.
  12. To set up a modem from an i5/OS server or logical partition, specify the following options from the server in the CRTSRVCFG prompts:
    For i5/OS V5R3:
    • Connection type: *PTP
    • Virtual private network type: *LOCAL
    • Service: *SRVAGT
    For i5/OS V5R4:
    • Connection type: *LCLDIAL
    • Connectivity for others: Connect point: *NO
    Note: For additional details on using Electronic Service Agent, refer to the Electronic Service Agent topic in the iSeries Information Center.
  13. Continue with Task 12. View the server information that was reported to IBM.
  14. To set up a shared modem (you have multiple systems or logical partitions), specify the following information from the system or logical partition with the modem in the CRTSRVCFG prompts:
    For i5/OS V5R3:
    • Connection type: *PTP
    • Virtual private network type: *LOCAL
    • Service: *SRVAGT
    • Connectivity for others:
      • Connect point: *YES: This enables other logical partitions or systems to use the PTP dial connection on this logical partition to connect to service and support.
        Note: Service configurations need to be created on the remote systems or logical partitions that will be using this connection point.
      • Interfaces: *ALL or a list of the interfaces over which you will accept connections to service and support.
    For i5/OS V5R4:
    • Connection type: *LCLDIAL
    • Connectivity for others:
      • Connect point: *YES: This enables other logical partitions or systems to use the dial connection on this logical partition to connect to service and support.
        Note: Service configurations need to be created on the remote systems or logical partitions that will be using this connection point.
      • Interfaces: *ALL or a list of the interfaces over which you will accept connections to service and support.
  15. Specify the following information from each of the other i5/OS servers or logical partitions in the CRTSRVCFG prompts:
    For i5/OS V5R3:
    • Connection type: *PTP
    • Point to point type: *REMOTE
    • Service: *SRVAGT
    • Remote system: Enter the host name or IP address of the system or logical partition with the modem.
    For i5/OS V5R4:
    • Connection type: *RMTDIAL
    • Remote system: Enter the host name or IP address of the system or logical partition with the modem.
    Note: For additional details on using Electronic Service Agent, refer to the Electronic Service Agent topic in the iSeries Information Center.

Task 10. Register the IBM ID for i5/OS

Register the IBM ID with Electronic Service Agent for i5/OS by following these steps:

  1. At the i5/OS command line, type GO SERVICE.
  2. From the Electronic Service Agent menu, select Authorize users to access service information and press Enter.
  3. Type your IBM ID (internet address that you registered with the My Profile Web site at https://www.ibm.com/account/profile) in the Authorize users field and press Enter.

Task 11. Test the connection to service and support

To test the connection for i5/OS servers or logical partitions, perform the following steps.
  1. To test the Electronic Service Agent connection, enter the following command at the command line: 
    GO SERVICE
  2. From the Electronic Service Agent menu, select option 17 (Verify Service Configuration), and press Enter. A message is displayed that indicates whether the test connection is successful.
  3. To test the electronic customer support connection profile, enter the following command: 
    SNDSRVRQS *TEST
    A message is displayed that indicates whether the test connection is successful.

Task 12. View the server information that was reported to IBM

You can use the Internet to view details of the system you have enabled, and see the data collected by Electronic Service Agent. To use the advanced features and receive the full benefits of Electronic Service Agent, you must enter an IBM Registration ID (IBM ID). The first IBM ID entered will have Administrator authority and is able to authorize additional users on the Web site. The second IBM ID is available as a backup for the Administrator.

  1. Go to the IBM Electronic Services Web site.
  2. Click Sign in (in the upper-right corner).
  3. Type the IBM ID and password.
  4. Choose the following options from the navigation bar:
    • To view your server information, click My systems.
    • To search technical support using your server information to improve the search results, click Premium Search.
      Note: In some cases, the Premium Search feature is available only while your server is under warranty or afterward through a service contract.
    • To view information related to your servers and interests, click My messages.
  5. Enter the requested information.