Information Systems:How To Upgrade The Power8 HMC

The Power8 server chassis and its attached disk shelves are managed by an appliance called the Hardware Management Console or HMC. The HMC is considered to be an appliance because it is a highly customized Linux OS provided by IBM on what looks to be a normal but specific version of an x3550 1U rack mounted server. The OS for the HMC is somewhat like the OS for the Sophos firewalls - it's closed off but can take updates and upgrades provided by IBM in their own proprietary format. The HMC can be accessed either from the physical screen and keyboard that is attached in the Server Room or from its web administration page:

• https://hmcpower8.unipharm.local/hmc/connect
• Root Username is hscroot
• Password is NewVisionIT

The best practice method to update the HMC is to login to the above web admin page and in the top right corner of the browser click the down arrow next the round question mark icon to display the current version of the HMC. For example it will show version 9 release 1 service pack 921. Write down those numbers and then log out. Next, go to the IBM website and somehow navigate to what IBM calls "Fix Central". From there you have to navigate a series of drop down menus to get to HMC updates. This part of the procedure is vague on purpose because the IBM website is effing garbage and the site can and will change how it displays the never ending sewer that is IBM software updates. Eventually you might pop out onto the right page (or not) and get a list of available HMC updates. Start by following the bread crumbs to the currently installed version (in this example, 9) and then the release and then the service pack level. You should either see more current service packs or a second or third release. Be sure to read the upgrade path to make sure whatever updates are available from IBM can be installed onto the present version. If at this point you are completely lost and unsure what to look for, the alternative is to call IBM at 1-800-426-7378 and create a new ticket where you give them the serial number of the HMC (front panel of the server) and play dumb about what updates are needed. They will be able to lead you through the IBM website to the correct files.

The files that you do eventually download are going to be ISO files that need to be burned onto a DVD. Blank DVD's are in the cabinet near the 2nd floor copier. Try to write the numerical order i.e. 1 2 3 on the DVD's so that they do get installed correctly into the HMC. Take the DVD's over to the HMC server in the server room. Login at the console and navigate to HMC Management on the left side and click updates. Follow the update wizard and feed in the DVD's to the optical drive when asked to. The HMC will read each DVD and do the update and reboot if needed. If the DVD you feed in has an update out of order, the wizard will display an error saying the update is not compatible with the installed version. If that happens you have to call IBM anyway to figure out what incorrect ISO got downloaded and burned. Yes, I know, this sounds like a pain, welcome to how IBM does things. The upside is you only need to do this at most twice a year and you could probably get away with only doing it once a year. It is necessary to keep the HMC updated because if it lags too far behind the Power8, there will be complications when doing PTFs for Bart. You are doing PTFs for Bart right?

After all the available HMC updates are installed, the DVD's can be garbaged and it is recommended that a backup is taken of the HMC configuration. Because the OS is appliance like, it can't be backed up like a conventional server so again, login to the HMC and navigate to HMC Management and start the backup wizard and get it to create a backup on the FTP server. The backup will take at least a couple of hours but when it is done, move that blob file from the FTP server to SuperServer so that it gets onto a real backup. The file that the HMC generates can be imported in if the HMC suffers a total failure and you have to restore the appliance from the original OS DVD's that should also be available from IBM's Fix Central.