Configuring HMC

HMC or Harware Management Console, is now an integral part of Iseries system. This has two standard models:-
1- The desktop model, it has only one Ethernet port.
2- Rack model , it has two standard Ethernet port.

Once, a new system is purchased, it comes with HMC, the HMC software is pre-loaded and also a CD is shipped for recovery purpose. Once, HMC is connected to the system. The procedure that you need to follow to configure HMC is as below,

1- Managed System Powered off.
2- Power on HMC
2- Login as hscroot or root with default password (hsroot = abc123, root = passw0rd)
3- Set date and time
4- Change default password for hscroot and root
5- Create additional user profile's to access HMC
6- Configure HMC network connection
7- Configure HMC to connect to network provider
8- Reboot HMC
9- Check HMC software version

If this is a new HMC , you will automatically be prompted to Guided setup, after you power on the HMC. Once, you switch on the power switch. You can see the initialization messages on your screen. After, this it will prompt you to login with a user name and password. Use hscroot or root user id. This will take you to the screen to set date and time.

On a new HMC change the default passwords. If you wish to create more user profiles, then the required screen will have new user id tab, new password and re-enter new password tab along with roles  tab , in which you have option to choose from below roles,
1- HMCSERVICEREP
2- HMCVIEWER
3- HMCOPERATOR
4- HMCPE
5- HMCSUPERADMIN

1- HMCSERVICEREP - hmcservicerep is a service representative id for IBM support personnel to access HMC.

2- HMCVIEWER - the user can only view HMC information, but has no authority to modify or change HMC options.

3- HMCOPERATOR - this user can perform daily tasks, but do not have authority to add new users or modify the roles.

4- HMCPE - Product engineer and service representative can perfom almost every task. However, PE can additionally shut down HMC and close virtual terminal windows which service representative cannot do.

5- HMCSUPERADMIN - Super admin has same authority as the hscroot or root. They have all the access to HMC and can manage and modify almost everything in HMC.
.
Once you have completed adding users, it will prompt you to configure the network Settings. I will discuss about this tomorrow in my next post. 

How to fix the drawer issue in AS400 Printer?

In our shop we did a hardware and OS upgrade from V5R4 to V6R1 15 days back. After, the production system was up, we got an unusual problem with the printer. The printer which worked perfectly after migrating to new system, was asking the user to press OK button before it starts printing. The AS400 system reported below error message,

Operator action required on device XXXXXX.(C R)

From message ID CPA403D.

In order to fix this issue, we first compared both the printer device description , work station customization object and it was same in both. Then, we tried testing both printers, and we found that when the printer was printing from paper tray/drawer 2 it was working fine, however, it was  it configured in such a way that it selected drawer 1. But, this is how normally it should work. In order to fix the issue, we just directed the spool files to print from same printer using drawer 2. 

Below, is the command to do so.

Option 2 to change next to the spool file

OUTQ(XXXXXX) SAVE(*YES) DRAWER(2)

Otherwise, another option would be to try different values for the Manufacturer type and model (MFRTYPMDL) parameter in your *LAN 3812 DEVD or RMTOUTQ to see if another value will send the PCL Paper Source command for the "correct" paper tray on this printer without having to specify DRAWER(2) in your spooled files. For example, if you are currently using MFRTYPMDL(*HP4000) and WSCST(*NONE) then you could try specifying MFRTYPMDL(*HP5) and MFRTYPMDL(*HP5SI) to see if one of the other choices prints with DRAWER(1).

By changing the Manufacturer type and model, the problem was resolved.

Useful System information that vendors need to know

When purchasing i5/OS third-party software, vendors may request system control information for the partition their products will be installed in. Vendors including IBM need to know some of these information to verify the caller. This information is used to create unique licensing keys that must be installed with the product for piracy prevention. Unfortunately, IBM doesn't have one screen to find vendor-required system information.

System serial number--The seven-digit number that uniquely identifies your machine. It's common to see the serial number printed in the format xx-yyyyy, where xx equals the first two digits of the serial number and yyyyy equals the last five digits of the serial number.  

Command

DSPSYSVAL QSRLNBR

GO SERVICE

Option 6

Machine type--A four-digit identifier that IBM traditionally uses to identify different types of machines in each of its product line. Common System i, iSeries, and AS/400 machine types include 9402, 9404, and 9406. The same machine type is commonly used across several different types of models.

Command

GO SERVICE

Option 6

Model number--The four-character value that defines the specific type of System i machine that you own. Common System i models include the models 550 and 570. Although IBM stores this value in a four-character field, many model numbers are only three characters long.

Command

DSPSYSVAL QMODEL

Processor feature--The processor feature code level of the system, which identifies the processor used on the system. 

Processor group--The processor category that IBM considers your processor feature to belong to (i.e., P10, P20). Because many vendors price software by processor group, this is one of the more important values when purchasing third-party software. The higher processor group that your partition belongs to, the more expensive it may become to purchase your software.

Command

WRKLICINF

Partition ID--In a partitioned system, the individual number (starting with 1) that identifies your partition to the system.

Command

GO SERVICE

Option 6

Number of processors that are allocated to this partition--This value displays how many processors out of the machine's total processor pool belong to the partition where you want to install the software.

Ops Navigator System Status Screen. Right click on the AS400 system and select system status.