Changing advanced partition settings

You can view and change advanced settings of a partition by using the Hardware Management Console (HMC).

Before you begin

The advanced settings for a partition include the following options:

Enable connection monitoring: Monitors the connection between the partition and the HMC.

Enable redundant error path information: If you enable the redundant error-path reporting, the partition reports common server hardware errors and partition hardware errors to the HMC. If you disable redundant error-path reporting, the partition reports only partition hardware errors to the HMC. If you want to move a partition, disable the redundant error-path reporting.

Enable time reference: Synchronize the PowerVM Hypervisor and Service Processors time-of-day based on the time-of-day setting of the concerned partition and other Time Reference partitions.

Disable migration: You can disable the Live Partition Mobility feature for an AIX®, Linux®, or IBM® i partition.

Service partition: Indicates whether the partition is the service partition for the managed system. The service partition is the IBM i logical partition on an IBM System i® managed system that you can configure to apply server firmware updates to the service processor or to the Hypervisor and to communicate server common hardware errors to IBM. These abilities are useful if the HMC is undergoing maintenance or is otherwise unable to perform these functions. You must change the service partition on the managed system through the managed system properties.

Enable virtualized trusted platform module (VTPM): With the HMC Version 7 Release 7.4.0, or later, and IBM POWER7® processor-based servers with firmware at level 7.4, or later, you can enable the virtual trusted platform module (VTPM) on an AIX or Linux partition. A partition that is VTPM enabled supports the Trusted Boot capability. Trusted Boot is a capability that is supported on the Power® Security and Compliance (PowerSC) Standard Edition. Up to 60 partitions per server can be configured to have their own unique VTPM by using the HMC. The VTPM is used to record the system boot and, in association with the AIX Trusted Execution technology, provides security and assurance of the boot image on disk, on the entire operating system, and in the application layers.

Tagged I/O Settings: You can view, configure and specify the exact I/O devices that you want to use for a logical partition to perform specific functions.
Note: You cannot activate a logical partition if the SR-IOV logical ports are configured as a primary load source or an alternate load source in the Tagged I/O Settings.

Enable performance information collection: Enable the operating system on a partition to collect performance information.

Restricted I/O Mode SR-IOV Logical Port Assignment Capable

When the HMC is at version V9.1.940, or later, when the firmware is at level FW940, or later, and when the partition is running the latest version of IBM i, the HMC supports assignment of SR-IOV logical ports to IBM i partitions that are in the Restricted I/O Partition mode. In the Advanced settings area, the Restricted I/O Mode SR-IOV Logical Port Assignment Capable field is displayed.

The Restricted I/O Mode SR-IOV Logical Port Assignment Capable field displays the following values:

Supported: If this value is displayed in the Restricted I/O Mode SR-IOV Logical Port Assignment Capable field, it means that the server allows the SR-IOV logical ports to be assigned to the IBM i partitions that are in the Restricted I/O Partition mode.
Unsupported: If this value is displayed in the Restricted I/O Mode SR-IOV Logical Port Assignment Capable field, it means that the server does not allow the SR-IOV logical port to be assigned to the IBM i partitions that are in the Restricted I/O Partition mode.
Unavailable: If this value is displayed in the Restricted I/O Mode SR-IOV Logical Port Assignment Capable field, it means that no information is available because the IBM i partition has never been activated.

Note: The Restricted I/O Mode SR-IOV Logical Port Assignment Capable field is displayed only for the IBM i partitions. The IBM i partition must be activated at least once to know the exact value in the Restricted I/O Mode SR-IOV Logical Port Assignment Capable field.

Restricted I/O partition: Determines whether an IBM i partition can be migrated by using the Live Partition Mobility (LPM) feature. You can migrate the IBM i partition only if you select the Restricted I/O Partition option. On servers that do not support the IBM i partitions with native I/O capability, you must always enable this option. The IBM i native I/O capability of the server is available on the Licensed Capabilities page. This option can be enabled only when the partition is stopped.
Note: The Restricted I/O partition setting is applicable only to IBM i partitions.

OptiConnect: A feature of the IBM i operating system that allows a user to connect multiple System i systems by using SPD bus, high-speed link (HSL) loop, or virtual interpartition technologies. This option can be enabled only when the partition is stopped.

Enable Electronically report errors that cause partition termination or require attention: Select this option to set the HMC to send an electronic report to service and support whenever this IBM i logical partition terminates abnormally or encounters an error that requires service. (The HMC does not report errors that requires user intervention.) Use this feature to enable automatic service calls for IBM i logical partitions that run mission-critical applications. This field displays only for IBM i logical partitions.

Platform KeyStore: When you are using HMC version 9.2.950, or later, and when the firmware is at level FW950, you can view and manage the platform keystore size that is used to save the partition key data. When the managed system is in stand-by or operating state, you can view and specify the platform keystore size. You cannot decrease the platform keystore size for a logical partition. If the platform keystore does not contain any data, you can specify the value 0 in the KeyStore Size field to disable the platform keystore feature. You can enable or increase the platform keystore size only when the logical partition is in the Not activated state.
Note: When the logical partition is enabled with the platform keystore and simplified remote restart (SRR) features, and if you want to change the system key from a user-defined key to a default system key, then you must manually disable either the platform keystore or the SRR feature on the logical partition.

Note: If the system key for encrypting the platform keystore data is not a user-defined key, then you cannot create a logical partition with both the platform keystore and simplified remote restart (SRR) capabilities enabled.

Supported hardware accelerator types

The Supported Hardware Accelerator Types table is displayed only if the managed system has user-mode hardware accelerator for PowerVM®. You can specify the GZIP Quality of Service (QoS) credits for a logical partition. The HMC sets the QoS, if sufficient credits are available for the managed system. The logical partition uses these credits to access the shared hardware accelerators. The following are the prerequisites for a logical partition to receive QoS credits.

The managed system supports hardware accelerator enablement.
The managed system supports the GZIP hardware accelerator type.
QoS enablement must be supported at the operating system level.
The managed system has sufficient hardware accelerator QoS credits to assign to the partition.
The logical partition must be either an AIX, Linux, or a VIOS partition.

About this task

To view and change the advanced settings of the partition, complete the following steps:

Procedure

In the navigation pane, click the Resources icon .
Click All Systems. The All Systems page is displayed.
In the work pane, select the partition for which you want to view or change the properties and capabilities and click Actions > View Partition Properties. The Properties page is displayed. You can view and change the properties that are listed under the Properties area.
In the Properties area, click Properties > General Properties to view and change the properties of the selected partition.
Click the Advanced tab. The Advanced Settings options are displayed.
To enable the advanced settings in the selected partition, select the following options:
1. Enable Connection Monitoring to monitor the connection.
2. Enable Redundant Error Path Reporting to report common server hardware errors and partition hardware errors.
3. Enable Time Reference
4. Service Partition
5. Disable Migration to disable the Live Partition Mobility feature for an AIX, Linux, or IBM i partition.
6. Restricted I/O Partition
7. Specify a value in the Maximum Virtual Adapters field.
8. Enable Virtualized Trusted Platform Module (VTPM) to record the system boot and to provide security and assurance of the boot image on disk, on the entire operating system, and in the application layers.
9. Tagged I/O Settings - In the Advance settings area, click the Tagged I/O Settings tab if you want to view or configure the I/O devices that you want to use for a logical partition. The Tagged I/O Device Details window is displayed.
  - Select the load source that must be used by the system to start the logical partition from the Load Source list.
  - Select an alternate device from the Alternative Restart Device list.
  - Select the console from the Console list.
  - Select an alternate console from the Alternate Console list.
  - Select the operations console from the Operations Console list.
  - Click OK to apply the changes. Alternatively, click Cancel to reject the changes and to close the window.
10. Enable Performance Information Collection
11. Enable electronically report errors that cause partition termination or require attention
From the Save configuration changes list, select one of the following options:
1. Enabled to apply and save the settings that you made on the partition.
2. Disabled to cancel the settings that you made on the partition.
3. Disabled until next activate or apply to temporarily disable the settings that you made and to apply the settings later when you activate the partition.
In the Supported Hardware Accelerator Types table, specify a value in the QoS field.
From the Secure Boot list, select an option. The options are Disabled, Enabled and Log only, or Enabled and Enforced.
Specify a value in the KeyStore Size field.
Click Save to apply the changes. Alternatively, click Cancel to reject the changes and to close the page.