Answer

With the Virtual I/O Server Version 2.2, or later, you can add, change, or remove the existing set of VLANs for a virtual Ethernet adapter that is assigned to an active partition on a POWER7® processor-based server by using the Hardware Management Console (HMC).

Before performing this task, ensure that you meet the following requirements:

The server must be a POWER7 processor-based server, or later.
The server firmware level must be at least AH720_064+ for high end servers, AM720_064+ for midrange servers, and AL720_064+ for low end servers.
The Virtual I/O Server must be at Version 2.2, or later.
The HMC must be at Version 7.7.2.0 with mandatory efix MH01235, or later.

You can use either the HMC graphical interface or the chhwres command from the HMC command-line interface to add, remove, or modify VLANs for a virtual Ethernet adapter that is assigned to an active partition.

The steps provided here are using the HMC command-line interface command chhwres to modify the following existing configuration :



The purpose of this technote is to change the VLAN 154 to VLAN 999 on Virtual I/O Server and the Client LPAR.

This Operation requires disabling the Client LPAR's Network communication over the interface which is using the VLAN ID (154) that is no longer needed. In this Technote, Client LPAR requiring this modification is Powered Off during the VLAN change, as this LPAR has only one Virtual Ethernet adapter configured (the one with VLAN to remove).

Run the lssyscfg command to verify if the Managed Server supports this VLAN feature on the Virtual I/O Server.

hmc> lssyscfg -r sys -m <MS> -F capabilities

If the Managed Server supports adding, removing, or modifying VLANs, this command returns the virtual_eth_dlpar_capable value.

Note: The Managed Server (MS) can be retrieved by running the command : lssyscfg -r sys -F name

To modify VLANs on the Virtual I/O Server, complete the following steps:

• Run the lshwres command to list the current Virtual Ethernet configuration of VLAN-VIOS1

hmc> lshwres -m <MS> -r virtualio --rsubtype eth --level lpar --filter "lpar_names=VLAN-VIOS1" -F lpar_name,lpar_id,slot_num,is_trunk,trunk_priority,ieee_virtual_eth,port_vlan_id,
addl_vlan_ids

VLAN-VIOS1,1,2,1,1,1,1,"150,151,152,154,155,295"
VLAN-VIOS1,1,4,0,unavailable,0,99,

• Run the chhwres command to Remove VLAN 154 from Virtual Ethernet Adapter Slot 2 of VLAN-VIOS1 (LPAR_ID=1)

hmc> chhwres -r virtualio --rsubtype eth -m <MS> -o s --id 1 -s 2 -a "addl_vlan_ids-=154"

• Run the chhwres command to Add VLAN 999 to the same Slot

hmc> chhwres -r virtualio --rsubtype eth -m <MS> -o s --id 1 -s 2 -a "addl_vlan_ids+=999"

• Run the lshwres command to list the New Virtual Ethernet configuration on VLAN-VIOS1

hmc> lshwres -m <MS> -r virtualio --rsubtype eth --level lpar --filter "lpar_names=VLAN-VIOS1" -F lpar_name,lpar_id,slot_num,is_trunk,trunk_priority,ieee_virtual_eth,port_vlan_id,
addl_vlan_ids

VLAN-VIOS1,1,2,1,1,1,1,"150,151,152,155,295,999"
VLAN-VIOS1,1,4,0,unavailable,0,99

• Check on VLAN-VIOS1 that the modifications made from the HMC are effective, by running the following commands.

$ lsdev -virtual |grep "Shared Ethernet Adapter"
ent9 Available Shared Ethernet Adapter

$ oem_setup_env
# entstat -d ent9|egrep "^ Priority:|ETHER|Port VLAN|VLAN Tag IDs|Switch ID"
ETHERNET STATISTICS (ent9) : → SEA Adapter
ETHERNET STATISTICS (ent2) : → Real Adapter
ETHERNET STATISTICS (ent7) : → Virtual Adapter
Priority: 1 Active: True
Port VLAN ID: 2
VLAN Tag IDs: None
Switch ID: ETHERNET0
ETHERNET STATISTICS (ent6) : → Virtual Adapter
Priority: 1 Active: True
Port VLAN ID: 1
VLAN Tag IDs: 150 151 152 155 295 999
Switch ID: ETHERNET0

The entstat command run above confirms that addl_vlan_id=999 is now bridged by SEA ent9 through underlying Virtual Ethernet adapter ent6. This adapter is shown « Active:True » , meaning this SEA is « still » bridging all the previous VLANs configured, except the recently unconfigured VLAN 154, in addition to bridging the newly configured VLAN 999 .

With the above step by step procedure to modify VLAN, we introduce a discrepancy between SEA PRIMARY & BACKUP configuration, as VLAN 999 is not yet configured on second Virtual I/O Server where SEA is running in BACKUP State.

NOTE: This discrepancy is expected by HMC/Hypervisor/VIOS and is transparent to the running system.




Now continue with VLAN modification on VLAN-VIOS2.

• Remove VLAN 154 & Add VLAN 999 with the HMC command, chhwres :

hmc>chhwres -r virtualio --rsubtype eth -m <Managed Server> -o s --id 2 -s 2 -a "addl_vlan_ids-=154"
hmc>chhwres -r virtualio --rsubtype eth -m <Managed Server> -o s --id 2 -s 2 -a "addl_vlan_ids+=999"

• Check the Virtual Ethernet configuration for VLAN-VIOS2 with HMC command, lshwres.

lshwres -m Rack101tcp-8408-E8D-SN06CEA9T -r virtualio --rsubtype eth --level lpar --filter "lpar_names=VLAN-VIOS2" -F lpar_name,lpar_id,slot_num,is_trunk,trunk_priority,ieee_virtual_eth,
port_vlan_id,addl_vlan_ids

VLAN-VIOS2,2,2,1,2,1,1,"150,151,152,155,295,999"
VLAN-VIOS2,2,4,0,unavailable,0,99,


• Check SEA configuration on VLAN-VIOS2 as well, with the entstat command used above.
VLAN 999 must be listed on the Virtual Ethernet Adapter configured under the SEA.


From VIOS perspective, the last action to perform is to save these modifications within
the current profile or new one through HMC GUI.

To save the current configuration of a logical partition to a new or existing partition profile using the HMC, complete the following:

In the navigation panel, open Systems Management > Servers, and click the managed system on which the logical partition is located.
In the work panel, select the logical partition, click the Tasks button, and click Configuration > Save Current Configuration, which pops up the following dialog box :





The Virtual I/O Server is now fully configured with VLAN 999, and to complete this procedure, the client LPAR's profile (Virtual Ethernet Slot using PVID=154) has to be changed as well.

To change partition profile properties using the HMC, follow these steps:

In the navigation panel, open Systems Management > Servers, and click the name of the managed system. In the work panel, select the logical partition whose partition profile you want to change, click the Tasks button, and click Configuration > Manage Profiles.
Select the partition profile that you want to change and click Actions > Edit.
Make the appropriate changes and click OK.