PM for Power Systems

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• General FAQ (IBM i)

How do I get support for PM for Power Systems? 
 

Problems should continue to be submitted to IBM using normal country procedures already defined for "Electronic Service Agent" support for:

• Any problems related to the activation or operation of the "Electronic Service Agent"
• The transmission of customer data from "Electronic Service Agent" to IBM

If you experience any problems with activating and using PM AIX Collection Agent, please contact your in country IBM AIX support or use the following link:

• IBM representative contact list

For faster resolution, prior to submitting your problem, we recommend you review:

• PM AIX Collection Agent frequently asked questions (FAQ’s)

What function does the Workload Estimator and PM for Power Systems provide? 
PM for Power Systems data for your system can be integrated with the IBM Systems Workload Estimator (WLE) to help you easily size your next System p upgrade based on your utilization and growth. The PM for Power Systems data can be used to:

• Size an upgrade
• Evaluate/size a server consolidation
• Evaluate/size your LPAR growth and performance
• Size the addition of new workloads like Linux, WebSphere and Domino

PM for Power Systems provides a direct link to WLE. Use the "Size Next Upgrade" feature after signing in to view your reports.

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How long does it take to install the PM for Power Systems software? 
It takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes to install PM for Power Systems code once you have downloaded it and satisfied the prerequisites.

Where is the installation process documented? 
The PM for Power Systems installation process is documented in the performance management User's Guide downloadable from

NOTE: The pmaix.rte file on the FTP site should be dated 1/27/2009 12:00:00 AM. When installing, it may show an incorrect version installed (version 5.4.2.4); however, the correct 6.0.6.0 version will be installed to your server.

• FTP site

Where do I find additional documentation regarding PM for Power Systems? 
You have two basic sources of information:

• Getting Started with PM for Power Systems (490KB)
• AIX Interactive Graphing Tour (608KB)
• Graph Reference Document (3.49MB)
• Get Adobe® Reader®

What is an IBM user id? How do I get one? 
The IBM user ID, coupled with the self registration process gives you access authority to view your on-line reports. You get one by going to the IBM Web site. Follow the instructions on the right side of the page if you do not have an existing id.

• To create IBM registration ID

I cannot get to the PM Website. Why? 
The PM Web site is taken off line for scheduled maintenance. During these windows, the Web site(s) and/or the reports may not be available.

• Weekly Fixes - Tuesday's & Thursday's 5:00pm - 6:00pm ET (U.S. Central time zone)
• Database backups - Saturday's - 9-11pm (U.S. Central time zone)

Where do I get the PM for Power Systems software? 
As of January 1, 2008, all AIX partitions must now be using the most current PM for Power Systems Collection Agent (6.0.6.0), available at:

NOTE: The pmaix.rte file on the FTP site should be dated 1/27/2009 12:00:00 AM. When installing, it may show an incorrect version installed (version 5.4.2.4); however, the correct 6.0.6.0 version will be installed to your server.

• FTP site

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What are the prerequisites for the PM for Power Systems software? 
You need the following:

• Electronic Service Agent Installed and activated (2.2.0.0 or later)
• You must have "root user access"
• You must have the following disk space:
  • 2 MB free in /usr
  • 4 MB free in /var
  • 4 MB free in /tmp
  • 1 MB free in /home
  • 16 MB and sufficient free physical partitions in rootvg to create the "PM pSeries filesystem /var/adm/perfmgr"
• If the ppsize of rootvg is 4 MB then 4 physical partitions will be needed to create the 16 MB filesystem. If the ppsize for rootvg is 32 MB, the 1 physical partition would be used and the filesystem would be 32 MB rather than the 16 MB minimum

• Software
  • AIX 5.1 or later
  • PM pSeries install fileset - pmaix.rte at 5.2.3.1 or later
  • Specific AIX filesets (all at the 5.1.0.0 level or later)
  • 1 MB free in /home
  • 16 MB and sufficient free physical partitions in rootvg to create the "PM pSeries filesystem /var/adm/perfmgr"
    • bos.acct for the commands vmstat and iostat in the /usr/bin
    • bos.rte.control
    • bos.rte.date
    • bos.rte.shell
    • bos.rte.edit
    • bos.rte.lvm
    • bos.rte.filesystem

As of January 1, 2008, all AIX partitions must now be using the most current PM for Power Systems Collection Agent (6.0.6.0), available at:

• FTP site

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Is it important that I remain current with PM for Power Systems collection agent? 
Yes, As of January 1, 2008, all AIX partitions must now be using the most current PM for Power Systems Collection Agent (6.0.6.0), available at:

NOTE: The pmaix.rte file on the FTP site should be dated 1/27/2009 12:00:00 AM. When installing, it may show an incorrect version installed (version 5.4.2.4); however, the correct 6.0.6.0 version will be installed to your server.

• FTP site

I have forgotten my registration key/password. How do I get it resent? 
If you have forgotten your registration key/password, you may still be able to view your reports. Refer to the following instructions depending on the login type.

Customer Login using IBM Web ID
Follow the steps outlined below to have the registration key/password automatically emailed to you:

• Login using your IBM Web ID
• Access or create a new Group
• Click Add Server button
• Click the here link for “If you do not have the registration key/password press here.”
• Follow the instructions on the dialog box

Why are the LPARs not sorted in the forgot registration key/password dialog? 
When you click the here link for “If you do not have the registration key/password press here.” you will be asked to enter the Serial number and Server/system name.

Upon clicking the Continue button, a list of servers will be displayed allowing you to select the appropriate LPAR that you wish to have the registration key/password sent to you. The list is sorted by Last Transmission date and not by LPAR.

Why does my LPAR now show leading zeros? 
To accommodate for future enhancements to AIX operating systems, the PM for Power Systems has made necessary changes to the way the serial number and LPAR information is processed. You will note that the AIX system’s LPAR column of the Server Information Page (SIP) and the System Information on the top of the Interactive Graphs will now show a 4 character decimal value with leading zeros.

Note: If your Group has both AIX and IBM i servers/LPARs, you may notice that the servers are no longer grouped together by operating systems. The default sort order is by the system's serial number, dropping the prefix in IBM i serial numbers has effected the sort order. Click the ‘Operating System’ column to group the systems by operating system.

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