Installing The Virtual Control Panel - IBM i Series Handbook

Connecting to operations console

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For example, you have connected a PC named DIRECT to SERVER1 using a direct cable and you want

to configure a VCP. If no Operations Console (LAN) configuration exists to this system then the service

tools device ID QCONSOLE has not been used. Therefore, you can specify QCONSOLE when you

configure the VCP.

Another example would involve a cabled console called DIRECT that is a backup for LAN-connected

Operations Console PCs named LAN1 and LAN2. In this example LAN1 used the service tools device

ID QCONSOLE during setup and LAN2 used a user-created service tools device ID of QCONSOLE2

during its setup. For the intended VCP configuration you must create another service tools device ID,

such as QCONSOLE3 to be specified when you configure the VCP.

v You cannot use or reuse an existing network name when you create the additional VCP configuration.

For example, if you have a configuration named SERVER1, you cannot name the VCP SERVER1. Also,

if the intended VCP-capable PC is on a network, you cannot use any name that already exists on that

network.

v All VCP and remote control panels are active at the same time.

If you have multiple PCs (LAN connected) that can become the console, one at a time, and those

configurations also use the remote control panel functions, all active RCPs can control the system. Use

care when working with control panel functions when multiple PCs have access to the functions.

v An alternative for powering on the system at a later time, instead of using a cabled remote control

panel, can be provided using the IPL scheduling function in Operational Assistant, available in i5/OS,

by pressing the Attention key. You can also use the i5/OS command GO POWER and select the option

Change power on and off schedule. Also, LAN connected configurations connecting directly to a

primary partition will provide the ability to turn on a logical partition as long as the primary partition

remains active.

v The hosts file on the PC may need manual cleanup.

Each time you create a network configuration on the PC, data is saved in a file called hosts. This file

may be used each time the PC attempts to connect to the network. Each entry is unique to any others

by the connection name. Currently, if you delete a virtual control panel configuration, the

corresponding hosts entry is not deleted. You must manually delete the appropriate line from this

text-based file using any text editor.

v If you have a server model that uses the keystick, the mode button will work with the same functions

as the physical control panel when the keystick is inserted.

v The service tools user ID used to authenticate the connection must have the partition remote panel

key privilege to use the mode function provided by the VCP. Service tools user IDs QSECOFR, QSRV,

22222222, or 11111111 already have this permission by default.

Note: Systems with a keystick require the keystick to be inserted before the user is eligible to use the

mode button. For example, the user has the remote panel key privilege but will not have the

mode function available until the keystick is present. For systems without the keystick, the user

ID being used would only require the remote panel key privilege.

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