HMC

IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC) is a centralized management platform used to control and administer:

• IBM Power Systems servers
• Logical Partitions (LPARs)
• System firmware and hardware resources
• Virtualized CPU, memory, and I/O
• Power operations and system status

HMC is used by system administrators to manage enterprise Power environments securely and efficiently.

Core Capabilities

• Create, modify, and delete LPARs
• Dynamic LPAR (DLPAR) resource changes
• Manage processor pools
• Firmware updates
• Monitor hardware health
• View reference codes (LED)
• Control power (on/off/reset)
• Manage users and access roles
• Backup and restore configuration

HMC can be deployed as:

• A physical appliance
• A virtual HMC (vHMC) running on supported platforms

It connects to managed Power Systems via:

• Management Ethernet ports
• Service processors (FSP)

Dual HMC Setup (High Availability)

Dual HMC provides redundancy for management access.

How It Works

• Two HMCs connect to the same Power System.
• Both can manage the same server.
• One acts as primary (operational).
• Second acts as backup.
• No automatic configuration sync (profiles must be manually synchronized).
• Failover is manual.

Requirements

• Two installed HMCs
• Compatible HMC versions
• Network connectivity to Power server
• Valid credentials
• Power System online

Basic Dual HMC Configuration Steps:

Step 1 – Configure Primary HMC

Login to HMC GUI or CLI https://<hmc-ip/hostname-address?>

Naviate to:

Systems Management → Add Managed System

Enter:

System IP :

Credentials :

Confirm system appears under Systems

Step 2 – Configure Secondary HMC

Repeat the same discovery process using identical system IP and credentials.

Step 3 – Verify

Ensure:

Both HMCs show the managed system

LPAR list matches

Step 4 – Test Failover

Disconnect Primary

Access Secondary

Confirm system management works

5. Daily Administration Tasks

Check HMC Version

:~> lshmc -V

Check HMC Network

:~> lshmc -n

Reboot HMC

:~> hmcshutdown -t now -r

6. User Management

List Users

:~> lshmcusr

Create User

:~> mkhmcusr -u userID -a ROLE -d "Description" --passwd PASSWORD

Change Password

:~> chhmcusr -u username -t passwd -v NewPassword

Remove User

:~> rmhmcusr -u username

7. LPAR Management

List All Systems

:~> lssyscfg -r sys

List LPARs in a System

:~> lssyscfg -r lpar -m ManagedSystem

Start LPAR

:~> chsysstate -r lpar -m ManagedSystem -o on -n LPAR_Name

Shutdown LPAR

:~> chsysstate -r lpar -m ManagedSystem -o shutdown -n LPAR_Name

Hard Power Off

:~> chsysstate -r lpar -m ManagedSystem -o off -n LPAR_Name

8. Dynamic LPAR (DLPAR) Operations

Add Memory (1GB)

:~> chhwres -r mem -m ManagedSystem -o a -p LPAR_Name -q 1024

Remove Memory

:~> chhwres -r mem -m ManagedSystem -o r -p LPAR_Name -q 1024

Add CPU (Dedicated)

:~> chhwres -r proc -m ManagedSystem -o a -p LPAR_Name -procs 1

Add Processing Units (Shared)

:~> chhwres -r proc -m ManagedSystem -o a -p LPAR_Name -procunits 0.5

9. Profile Management

List Profiles

:~> lssyscfg -r prof -m ManagedSystem

Modify Memory in Profile

:~> chsyscfg -r prof -m ManagedSystem -i "name=Profile,lpar_name=LPAR,min_mem=512,desired_mem=8192,max_mem=16384"

Modify CPU Units

:~> chsyscfg -r prof -m ManagedSystem -i "name=Profile,lpar_name=LPAR,min_proc_units=0.2,desired_proc_units=1.0,max_proc_units=2.0"

10. Backup and Restore

Backup HMC Data (NFS)

:~> bkconsdata -r nfs -n ServerName -l /mountpoint

Backup Profiles

:~> bkprofdata -m ManagedSystem -f backupfile

Restore Profiles

:~> rstprofdata -m ManagedSystem -l restore_type -f backupfile

11. Reference Codes (LED)

Show System Reference Code

:~> lsrefcode -r sys -m ManagedSystem

Show LPAR Reference Code

:~> lsrefcode -r lpar -m ManagedSystem

12. Virtual Console

Open Console

:~> mkvterm -m ManagedSystem -p LPAR_Name

Close Console

:~> rmvterm -m ManagedSystem -p LPAR_Name

13. I/O and WWPN Management

List I/O Slots

:~> lshwres -r io -m ManagedSystem --rsubtype slot

Show Virtual WWPNs

:~> lsnportlogin -m ManagedSystem --filter "lpar_ids=12"

Login WWPN to SAN

:~> chnportlogin -o login -m ManagedSystem --id 12

14. SSH Key Setup

Add public key:

:~> mkauthkeys -a "ssh-rsa AAAA..."

Add for specific user:

:~> mkauthkeys -u username -a "ssh-rsa AAAA..."

15. System Power Policy

Set power-off policy:

:~> chsyscfg -r sys -m ManagedSystem -i "power_off_policy=0"

Values:

0 → Power off after all partitions shutdown

1 → Keep system powered on

16. Best Practices

Keep both HMCs on same firmware level

Schedule regular configuration backups

Test Dual HMC failover quarterly

Restrict hscroot usage

Use role-based access control

Monitor disk usage:

:~> monhmc -r disk -n 0

Keep SSH secured with keys instead of passwords

Conclusion:

IBM HMC is the central control point for managing IBM Power Systems environments.

With proper configuration, backup strategy, and Dual HMC setup, it provides:

• High availability
• Secure access
• Flexible resource management
• Enterprise-level control

This guide provides a practical system administrator–focused reference for daily operations.