HMC

My company doesn't allow us to use Oracle Java on our laptops so I downloaded the GNU version of semeru, IBM's own Java.

I need to be able to open a console on the HMC to remotely install IBM i 7.4 and 7.5 on our 9009-41A (power9) server. I have all the procedures, just need a console.

I worked on the HMC team at IBM for 10 years until 2016, working as a sys admin at OpenText now but I don't remember anything about using the IBM Java and I'm sure it's all changed. Can anybody tell me how to do this? I've searched but cannot find any tech docs on the subject.

Thanks very much for any help.

Dear Christopher

For IBM i 5250 console, it is advisable that you configure and open it from IBM i Access Client Solution. Installing IBM i Semeru JRE release 17 for IBM i ACS is straightforward (for Windows 11, at least - download its MSI file and run it) and then you set Windows environment variable  JAVA_HOME to Semeru's path such as  C:\Program Files\Semeru\jre-17.0.8.101-openj9.  Then you start IBM i ACS.

Use the following IBM Technote to configure and use IBM i ACS 5250 console : Configuring IBM i ACS for HMC Remote Console at  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/configuring-ibm-i-acs-hmc-remote-console  

You can also go to Youtube and search for "IBM ACS console".

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Chance favors only the prepared mind.
-- Louis Pasteur
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Satid S.
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We are running our 9009-41A remotely using the HMC.  It is running IBM i 7.5.

Predominantly we use iACS.  Start out at the main screen, not the 5250 screen.  Set up a system configuration for that system and tell it you're using an HMC for the system console.  Note:  Once you get to a certain level of HMC it will require the console be connected via SSL.  Too simple to be of any concern.

We've abandoned the physical HMC and went to vHMC.  Basically the newer versions of HMC are not supported on the physical boxes (in the x86 environment).  We needed the newer versions of HMC for our Power 10's.  I rather like vHMC.  A KVM is no longer needed to get remote access to your HMC (for that stuff you don't feel comfortable using the remote interface, like HMC upgrades); you just use the vmware access.  Want to upgrade or patch your HMC and you have scars from upgrades gone bad?  No problem, just do a vm snapshot first.  Want multiple HMC's as backup?  No need for expensive hardware when you're a vmware shop.

I can show you a chart which seems to indicate that 7.5 will be the last release to run on that Power 9, if the pattern holds.  Like, we had to upgrade our Power 8 to one of our Power 10's as a Power 8 will not run 7.5.

See also:  https://esupport.ibm.com/customercare/flrt/matrix?domain=mtm=9009-41A&pkey=pwr

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/server-firmware-stand-alone-ibm-i-systems  Not only is this information great but it is the chart I base my predictions as to rNext of i not running on Power 9.  Based on timeline patterns certain customers and vendors who actually care if their software will run on the new release will have beta copies of rNext Q4 of 2024 and it will be GA spring of 2025.

And this is a great tool to see what levels are compatible between firmware, HMC, IBM i, AIX, VIOS, etc.  It will also flag the version you are running as out of date, etc.  https://esupport.ibm.com/customercare/flrt/power

And this is a can of worms you may want to pull the ostrich act and not know about but many CVE's, etc have come out about older versions of the HMC, etc. Running older unsupported versions is not a good thing.