Preparing for HMC configuration

Use this section to gather required configuration settings that you need to know before you begin the configuration steps.

To successfully configure the HMC, you must understand related concepts, make decisions, and prepare information. For a more detailed look at the tasks required for HMC configuration preparation, see preinstallationconfigurationworksheet.htm.

When you have completed this preparation step, go to Configuring the HMC.

This section describes planning information for how you want to connect your HMC to your server, to your company network, and to your service provider. Review the related information in the following table to learn more about the decisions you need to make. You might choose to print this page to write down your decisions, requirements, and settings for easy access during the configuration steps.

Table 1. Preparing for configuration
Preparation task	Where to find related information
If this is a second (redundant) HMC, ensure that the HMC code level of this HMC matches the one you already have.

Optional: If you plan to create additional users, identify the following information: User IDs you want to create The user ID and password for each additional user you plan to create What role you plan to assign each user	Overview of roles
Determine whether you want to specify the media speed for each Ethernet adapter or let the HMC automatically detect the speed. For initial setup, use automatic detection. However, in some situations, you might want to reduce the speed of the adapter. If you plan to specify the media speed for each Ethernet adapter, identify the media speed and duplex mode for each Ethernet adapter; for example, 100 Mbps full duplex.	Setting the media speed
Prepare the following contact information: Company name Administrator's name E-mail address Telephone numbers Fax numbers Street address and telephone number for the location of the HMC	Contact your system administrator.
Determine what type of connection you want to configure to contact your service provider: Internet VPN SSL connectivity with or without a SSL proxy The dial-up connection from the local HMC This preparation task might involve corporate networking or security teams, or the installation of a phone line. It is important that the connectivity checklist be completed before your system is installed.	Choosing your connection method to your service provider
Determine whether to register for IBM® Electronic Service Agent™. If you decide to register, complete the following tasks: Go to My IBM Profile and click Register, and follow the registration instructions. If you plan to authorize users to the Electronic Service Agent information, record your two IBM registered IDs.	Electronic Service Agent
Identify the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server and e-mail addresses that will receive notification if problem events occur on the system.
Determine the following passwords needed to access the managed system. These will be used later when the managed system is powered on. Determine the password you want to use to allow the HMC to access the managed system. Determine the password you want to assign the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI) general user ID. Determine the password you want to assign to the ASMI administrator user ID.	Overview of the managed system passwords
To add managed systems, identify what systems you plan to add and determine how they fit into your network.
Determine whether you plan to connect the HMC to a private or open network. A private service network provides greater security and is easier to set up. A private service network allows the HMC to automatically detect the managed system. Therefore, it is recommended that you connect managed systems to the HMC using a private service network. Note: If you are connecting the HMC to the model 9118-575 server or the 590 or 595 managed servers, you must configure the HMC in a private DHCP network.
To connect the HMC to a private service network, complete the following preparation tasks: Determine the HMC host name and domain name. Optionally, you can also enter a phrase in the description field. These settings are used to identify your HMC. Note: This step is necessary only if you plan to connect the HMC to an open network after connecting the HMC to a private service network. Determine whether to configure the HMC as the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. If this is the first or only HMC in your private service network, you must configure the HMC as a DHCP server. If this is an additional HMC on the private service network, it can be configured as either an additional DHCP server or as a DHCP client. Select one of the following standard nonroutable IP address ranges for your private service network: 192.168.128.2 - 192.168.255.254 172.16.0.3 - 172.16.255.254 172.17.0.3 - 172.17.255.254 10.0.0.2 - 10.0.0.254 10.0.128.2 - 10.0.143.254 10.0.255.2 - 10.0.255.254 10.1.0.2 - 10.1.15.254 10.1.255.2 - 10.1.255.254 10.127.0.2 - 10.127.15.254 10.127.255.2 - 10.127.255.254 10.128.0.2 - 10.128.15.254 10.128.128.2 - 10.128.128.254 10.128.240.2 - 10.128.255.254 10.254.0.2 - 10.254.0.254 10.254.240.2 - 10.254.255.254 10.255.0.2 - 10.255.0.254 10.255.128.2 - 10.255.143.254 10.255.255.2 - 10.255.255.254 Note: If you decide to connect your private service network to an open network in the future, using standard nonroutable IP addresses now will allow your DHCP servers to coexist on the open network. If you plan to configure the HMC as a DHCP client, an IP address is generated by the HMC already in the private service network. If you choose to use static IP addresses, select an address that is within the range used by the other systems in the network.	Private and open networks in the HMC environment HMC as a DHCP server
To configure an open network, first configure a private service network, and then connect a different adapter on the HMC to your company network. If you plan to connect the HMC to an open network, complete the following preparation tasks: Complete the preparation tasks for configuring a private service network, and then continue with the following steps. Complete the following preparation tasks to connect your private service network to an open network: If you plan to enable Domain Name System (DNS), complete the following tasks: Identify the DNS server IP addresses. Determine the order in which the addresses will be searched. Determine the order in which the domain suffixes will be searched. Select the adapter to use as the default gateway for the open network. Identify the gateway address. If you plan to control the HMC remotely or give remote access to others, you must change the firewall settings to the HMC. Identify the applications or IP addresses you want to allow through the HMC's firewall.	Private and open networks in the HMC environment