Adding expansion units to a large configuration with SPCN firmware update control

You can add expansion units to a running system with 10 or more expansion units, including those being added with SPCN firmware update control.

1. Obtain a product engineering shell (PESH) and a celogin password:
   1. Obtain a password for the HMC hscpe account or for the IBM® Systems Director Management Console (SDMC) pe account:
      1. HMC: If the user ID of hscpe has not been created, create this user ID with the task role of hmcpe.

         Create the user ID by using the mkhmcusr -u hscpe -a hmcpe --passwd <mypwd> command, where, <mypwd> is the password for the account.

         SDMC: If the user ID of pe has not been created, create it.

         Note: SDMC does not support the hmcpe task role.
      2. If you lost or forgot the password, reset it.

         HMC: Reset the password by using the chhmcusr –u hscpe –t passwd –v <newpwd> command, where <newpwd> is the new password for the account.

   2. Open a terminal session for the hscpe user (for HMC) or pe user (for SDMC):
      1. Log off from the management console, and log in as the hscpe user (for HMC) or pe user (for SDMC) by using your password.
      2. With the cursor blinking, right-click on the management console desktop to display the action box for terminals.
      3. Click rshterm to open a terminal session.
      Alternate method:

      If the remote command execution is enabled, use a secure shell (ssh) to log in as the hscpe user. At the restricted shell prompt, type the ssh hscpe@localhost command.

   3. Obtain a PESH password from an authorized support center:
      1. From the restricted shell window, run the lshmc –v command (for HMC) or the lsconfig -v command (for SDMC). The output of this command returns several fields of information. The SE field is the management console serial number. Record the serial number.
      2. Find the N2 field in the output from the lshmc command (for HMC) or the lsconfig (for SDMC) command. Record the current date on the management console.
      3. Provide the serial number and the date from the management console to the authorized support center. The support center will generate the PESH password that is required to complete this procedure.
         Note: If the serial number of the management console is not registered, you cannot create a PESH password.
   4. Obtain an ASMI celogin password from an authorized support center:
      1. Launch the ASMI and record the system date and serial number from the Welcome window.
      2. Provide the system date and system serial number to the authorized support center. The authorized support center will provide the ASMI celogin password.
   5. Run the pesh command in the management console:
      1. From the restricted shell window, enter the pesh <serial number> command, where <serial number> is the serial number recorded in step 1.c.i.
         Note: Type all alphabetic characters used in the serial number in uppercase characters, and do not include spaces or dashes.
      2. When prompted for a password, enter the PESH password that is provided by the authorized support center. Ensure that the password is entered in all lowercase letters. After you log in, role=hmcpe (for HMC) and a command prompt is displayed.
   6. Switch to the root user on the management console:
      1. At the pesh prompt, type su - and press Enter. When prompted, type the password for the root user.
         Note: If the password has been lost or forgotten, log in as hscroot and reset the password.
      2. Validate that you are the root user by entering the whoami command on the management console.
2. Obtain access to the PHYP prompt:
   1. Access and then record the service processor IP address by issuing the command lssysconn -r all. Find the entry in the lssyscon that shows resource_type=sys, sp=primary, and record its IP address.
   2. Using the ASMI celogin password that was obtained in step 1.d, log into ASMI as user celogin.
   3. Under Network Services, select Debug Virtual TTY.
   4. Enter 0 for both the partition ID and the session ID on the Debug Virtual TTY ASMI window.
      Note: Five minutes of inactivity on a virtual TTY connection permits the debug virtual TTY connection to timeout and close.
   5. Click Save Settings.
   6. Access the service processor by using Telnet on port 30002 to obtain the phyp prompt.
      1. For the management console Telnet client, do this by issuing the command telnet <service processor ip> 30002 where <service processor ip> is the name or IP address of the service processor determined in step 2.a. For example, Telnet 9.5.32.12 30002
      2. After the Telnet session is established, wait for the ‘phyp#' to indicate that the phyp prompt is available. This part of the procedure might take several seconds to complete.
         Tip: The debug virtual TTY connection automatically closes after five minutes of inactivity. Periodically returning to this window and pressing Enter during this procedure permits you to avoid having to reconnect to the phyp prompt to enable SPCN firmware updates.
3. Disable SPCN firmware updates:
   1. From the phyp prompt enter the spcndownload -disable command to disable SPCN firmware updates. The disable option will interrupt and disable the SPCN firmware updates.
      Notes:

      • This option will begin an asynchronous process to stop the SPCN firmware updates. The process usually takes less than one minute to complete. However, in extreme cases where a large number of SPCN firmware updates are in progress when the stop step is initiated, the disabled process can take up to an hour to complete.
      • Disabling the SPCN firmware updates will not continue across a platform IPL. SPCN firmware updates will be enabled following a platform IPL.
   2. Enter the spcndownload -status command to determine if the disable process has completed.
      Attention: Do not proceed to the next step until the disable process is complete. Output from the spcndownload -status command informs you when the disable process is complete.
4. Remove or open the rear of the system.
5. Find the connector locations.
6. Connect the expansion units with SPCN cables.
7. Connect the ac power cables to the expansion units being added.
   Tip: The power cable should be plugged into the power source prior to connecting it at the power supply of an expansion unit.
   If the expansion units have power switches, ensure that they are in the on position. The expansion units power on automatically. Verify that the expansion units are powered on.

   Note: For each expansion unit that you just powered on, wait for the green power indicator to light up on the expansion unit's control panel. It might take up to 10 minutes for each expansion unit's green indicator to become lit. During this time, the yellow attention indicator might become lit on the control panel of the expansion unit that just powered on.

   After the green power indicators on all of the expansion units are lit, wait an additional 10 minutes for the hardware initialization to complete. and then go to step 8.
8. Verify the System Power Control Network.

   Depending on various factors in the system configuration and procedures, you might see the following error logs:

   • 1000 9135 informational or permanent log due to an open SPCN loop.
   • 1000 9139 informational log for SPCN closed loop in system release SF240 or later.
   • 1000 9137 permanent error logs because the RIO/HSL cables are not attached.
9. Connect the units with RIO/HSL cables. After connecting the RIO/HSL cables, the resources in the new expansion units are initialized. Allow up to 10 minutes for this to occur.
10. Verify that the new configuration is functioning. Depending upon various factors in the system configuration and procedures, you might see the following error logs:
    • B700 6907 information logs for each new expansion unit being added that has an existing VPD from a system that the expansion unit was previously attached to.
    • B700 6985 informational logs before and after the B700 6907 information logs as well as B700 6984 informational logs to indicate a broken HSL loop.
11. Enable SPCN firmware updates using the PHYP prompt.
    Note: If the phyp prompt session has been inactive for more than five minutes, it might have timed out and you will need to reestablish the session using the procedure in step 2.
    1. After the PHYP prompt has been established, enter the spcndownload -enable command.
       Notes:

       • This command enables the SPCN firmware updates.
       • The enable option will enable but not initiate SPCN firmware updates.
    2. Enter the spcndownload - initiate command to start the required SPCN firmware updates. The initiate option will asynchronously begin any required SPCN firmware updates.
       Note: The SPCN firmware updates continue to be processed after the command has completed execution.
       Attention: You might see one or more of the following firmware update informational logs. There is no need to check for these log entries.

       Broadcast SPCN firmware updates:

       • Informational 10009107 (download started)
       • Informational 100091DD (download done)

       HSL/RIO SPCN firmware updates:

       • Informational 1000910A (HSL/RIO download started)
       • Informational 100091DE (HSL/RIO download done)
12. If the system is logically partitioned, assign the new hardware to a partition. It is not necessary to wait for the completion of the SPCN firmware updates.