In short, yes.
In a Novalink environment, it is Novalink that is perform PHYP operations, not the HMC, the communications comes from Novalink. With Novalink you can do DLPAR & LPM without the LPARs having an RMC connection to the HMC - this is what we are doing in my current PowerVC environment. I've noticed that for DPO operations that in PowerVC 2.1.x/Novalink 2.1 have to be conduced by the HMC (this changes with 2.2), that the Platform Resource Reassignment notification still makes it from the HMC to AIX - I think this is done via the Novalink (as a single RMC peer domain), I could be wrong though. Our Novalink partitions have RMC connections to the HMCs, when a HMC is switched to master mode for a frame, then the way RMC operates for the frame changes.
In a previous environment that I worked in, the LPARs had direct RMC connections to both the HMCs and Novalink. In that environment we were using LPM outside of PowerVC (non-PowerVC managed frames) to migrate LPARs into the PowerVC with Novalink managed machines, then bringing the LPARs under PowerVC management.
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Phill Rowbottom
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Original Message:
Sent: Thu December 07, 2023 04:33 AM
From: José Pina Coelho
Subject: PowerVC, HMC RMC networking.
Hi Phill,
In a novalink environment the DPLAR RMC connection is novalink<->clientLPAR instead of HMC<->clientLPAR?
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José Pina Coelho
IT Specialist at Kyndryl
Original Message:
Sent: Wed December 06, 2023 04:57 AM
From: Phill Rowbottom
Subject: PowerVC, HMC RMC networking.
Hi,
If you have PowerVC managing the servers via the HMC, the RMC requirements are no different to an environment without PowerVC. You can use firewall rules for separation.
If you use Novalink, then it will have it's own private management switch in VEPA mode on the server and it uses IPV6 for RMC communications via the management vswitch.
Phill.
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Phill Rowbottom
Original Message:
Sent: Tue December 05, 2023 08:59 PM
From: Sasi Chand
Subject: PowerVC, HMC RMC networking.
Hello there,
Can someone please point me the correct direction as to how the RMC connectivity works and is setup correctly in an HMC and PowerVC setup. The pain point I don't want the LPARS to see each other but still have the RMC connectivity available to perform DLPAR operations?
Warm Regards,
Sasi
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[Sasi] [Chand] [Mr]
[Snr Engineer]
[Auckland] [Wellington]
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