Hardware Management Console Best Practices
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The number of servers each HMC can manage varies by server size and
complexity. Each server partition will have a connection to an Ethernet network,
and the HMC will be logically connected to each partition via the network
connection. In addition, there will be an Ethernet connection to the Flexible
Service Processor (FSP) or Bulk Power Assembly (BPA) on each managed
server. On dual-processor models that do not have a BPA, each FSP will be
connected to the HMC, and the FSPs will be linked together over the second port
on each FSP.
At the time of this writing, up to 48 entry and mid-range and 32 high-end servers
can be managed by a single HMC, and up to a total of 254 logical partitions.
HMC performance may vary, however, depending on the unique combination of
servers and the number of partitions and I/O drawers implemented.
2.3 Physical Location of an HMC
An HMC should be located close to the servers it manages, nominally 50 feet.
Service personnel use the HMC and its service applications to maintain systems
and record service actions. For POWER4 servers, the distance between the HMC
and the managed server was limited by the supported length of the serial cable
connecting the two systems. On p5, the serial cable has been replaced by an
Ethernet connection. The distance restriction is still necessary, however, to
enable service personnel to go back and forth between an HMC and a managed
server during a service call.
2.4 Planning for Network Connectivity
There are two types of networks described in p5 and HMC documentation. One is
a called a “private” network and the other is called “open.”
An open network is the easiest to describe. It means any standard network
connection, such as would be used to connect an HMC and a logical partition, or
an HMC and a remote workstation.
The private network is a non-routable subnet. It may sometimes be referred to as
a service network. In the context of the HMC, it is nearly always true that a
single HMC will be the DHCP server for a private network. The only exception
would be a configuration including a Cluster-Ready Hardware Server involving a
Cluster 1600 High Performance Switch. That configuration is beyond the scope
of this white paper. For the vast majority of HMC installations, a private network
describes one HMC acting as a DHCP server connected over a non-routable
subnet to one or more FSPs (FSP) or BPAs.
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