IBM p5 550 Technical Overview And Introduction

Also see for p5 550: Technical overview and introduction

Contents

Chapter 3. Capacity on Demand, RAS, and manageability 57 VPD data can be sent to IBM using Performance Management.Machines are defined by using the Service Agent user interface. After the machines aredefined, they are registered with the IBM Service Agent Server (SAS). During the registrationprocess, an electronic key is created that becomes part of your resident Service Agentprogram. This key is used each time the Service Agent places a call for service. The IBMService Agent Server checks the current customer service status from the IBM entitlementdatabase; if this reveals that you are not on Warranty or MA, the service call is refused andposted back through an e-mail notification.Service Focal PointService Focal Point is used by service technicians to start and end their service calls. Itprovides service representatives with event, Vital Product Data (VPD), and diagnosticinformation. The HMC can also notify service representatives of hardware failuresautomatically by using the Service Agent features. You can configure the HMC to use theService Agent call-home feature to send IBM event information. This information is stored,analyzed, and then acted upon by the service representative. Some parts of Service FocalPoint need to be configured so that the proper information is sent to IBM.You can download the latest version of Service Agent at:ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/aix/service_agent_code3.3.3 p5 Customer-Managed MicrocodeThe pSeries and RS/6000 Customer-Managed Microcode is a methodology that enables youto manage and install microcode updates on p5, pSeries and RS/6000 systems andassociated I/O adapters. The IBM pSeries Microcode Update Web site can be found at:http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/server/mdownloadIBM provides service tools that can assist you in determining microcode levels and updatingsystems with the latest available microcode. To determine which tool to use in a specificenvironment, visit:http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/server/mdownload/mcodetools.html3.3.4 Service Update Management AssistantThe Service Update Management Assistant (SUMA) helps system administrators retrievemaintenance updates from the Web. SUMA offers flexible options that let customers set uppolicies to automate the download of fixes to their systems. SUMA policies can be scheduledto periodically check the availability of specific new fixes (APAR, PTF, or fileset), critical orsecurity fixes, or an entire maintenance level. A notification e-mail can be sent detailingupdates that are needed when comparing available fixes to installed software, a fixrepository, or a maintenance level.Benefits provided by SUMA: Moves administrators away from the task of manually retrieving maintenance updatesfrom the Web. Policy can be scheduled to run periodically, for example, to download the latest criticalfixes weekly. Can compare fixes needed against software inventory, fix repository, or a maintenancelevel. Receive mail notification after a fileset preview or download operation.