Cabling the server to the HMC

The Hardware Management Console (HMC) controls managed systems, including the management of logical partitions, the creation of a virtual environment, and the use of capacity on demand. Using service applications, the HMC can also communicate with managed systems to detect, consolidate, and forward information to IBM® service for analysis.

If you have not installed and configured your HMC, do so now. For instructions, see Installation and configuration scenarios.

To manage POWER8 processor-based servers, the HMC must be at version 8 release 8.4.0 or later. To view the HMC version and release, complete the following steps:

  1. In the navigation area, click Updates.
  2. In the work area, view and record the information that appears in the HMC Code Level section, including the HMC version, release, Service Pack, build level, and base versions.

To cable the server to the HMC, complete the following steps:

  1. If you want to directly attach your HMC to the managed system, connect Ethernet Connector 1 on the HMC to the HMC1 port on the managed system. See Figure 1.
    Figure 1. Attaching the HMC to the managed system
    Attaching the HMC to the managed system
  2. To learn how to connect an HMC to a private network so that it can manage more than one managed system, see HMC network connections.
    Notes:
    • You can also have multiple systems that are attached to a switch that is then connected to the HMC. For instructions, see HMC network connections.
    • If you are using a switch, ensure that the speed in the switch is set to Autodetection. If the server is directly attached to the HMC, ensure the Ethernet adapter speed on the HMC is set to Autodetection. For information about how to set media speeds, see Setting the media speed.
  3. If you are connecting a second HMC to your managed server, connect it to the Ethernet port that is labeled HMC2 on the managed server.
  4. Continue with Cabling the server and connecting expansion units.
Parent topic: Determining which console to use


Last updated: Wed, June 07, 2017