Set up an RMC connection

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Several PowerVC features, such as live migration and dynamic LPAR, add or remove NIC, etc require an active RMC connection between the management console (HMC or the NovaLink partition) and the virtual machine. In a NovaLink environment, the system will try to use an internal virtual switch (named MGMTSWITCH) to provide the RMC connections. This internal management network requires that images be created with rsct 3.2.1.0-15216 or later. See Updating Reliable Scalable Cluster Technology (RSCT) packages for PowerVM® NovaLink for details.

Many environments require an independent network (VLAN) between their management console and virtual machines. In this situation, ensure that a router exists between the two independent networks. Using a router enables the virtual machines to establish an RMC connection with the management console.

To set up an RMC connection, follow the instructions for your operating system:

For AIX®, no additional setup is necessary. After the IP address is configured, an RMC connection is automatically created.
For Linux®, access the Service and productivity tools website and choose the on HMC or IVM-managed servers option under your Linux distribution. Next, download and install the RSCT utilities and RSCT core tools.
Important:
- You might need to install other tools; tool packages must be installed in the order that is listed in the table. For example, if no other tools are installed, you would install these packages in order:
```
librtas*rpm,
src*rpm
rsct.core.utils*rpm
rsct.core*rpm
```
- For a virtual machine to detect storage that has been added while the virtual machine is running, you must additionally install these packages by using the IBM® Power® YUM repository:
```
 powerpc-utils
 librtas
 DynamicRM
 csm.core
 csm.client
 devices.chrp.base.ServiceRM
 rsct.core
 rsct.core.utils
 src
```

If there are multiple IP addresses on the VIOS, follow these steps to set the preferred IP address:

In the navigation area, click HMC Management.
Click Change network settings.
On the LAN Adapters tabbed page, select the LAN adapter that you want to work with and click Details.
On the Basic Settings tabbed page, select the preferred IP address or select to specify the address.
If you selected to specify an IP address, enter the TCP/IP interface address and the TCP/IP interface network mask.
Click OK to activate the new settings.
Wait 5 - 10 minutes, then test the RMC connections to ensure that they are ready.

For more information about and troubleshooting tips for RMC connections, see the IBM Redbooks® publication A Practical Guide for Resource Monitoring and Control (RMC).