New Console On the Block

The console on your AS/400, iSeries, or i5 system is the most important window in your I.T. environment. The system console can do things no other terminal connected to your system can do. Have you thought much about your console lately? Is this all-important window due for an upgrade?

Console History :

 1. System 38 – console built into the system unit.
    

 

2. Twin-ax 5250 console -  20 feet from the system unit maximum

3. PCs gain momentum 5250 emulation card allows PC to become system console Client access  PC console  iSeries access operations console & LAN console

4. Introducing The HMC - Hardware Management Console

First introduced on the pSeries A LINUX based PC appliance for eServer power5, Tied to specific PC hardware (xSeries), Ships with embedded OS pre-loaded, Closed and dedicated (can’t install other software on it) Required for configuration & management of logical partitioning, capacity on demand and some maintenance functions

Console Facts:

a.) System/38. The powerful predecessor of the AS/400 had one feature that stood out… the console and     keyboard were built right into the system unit.

b) When the AS/400 was introduced in 1988, two types of consoles were offered – ASCII or Twinaxial. I never saw an AS/400 with an ASCII console… Twinax was the reigning champion. Over time, IBM would enhance their lineup of 5250 display stations to include such features as multi-session and 132 column capabilities.

c) As personal Computers became more popular in the workplace, IBM came out with 5250 emulation cards. By installing one of these cards in a PC, you could open 5250 sessions and also turn your PC into a system console. All you had to do was to make sure you were connected to port 0 on the first workstation controller and that your address was set to 0. With Client Access came PC Console and, as Client Access became iSeries Access, PC Console grew into Operations Console.

d) The HMC is actually not a new device. It has been a part of the pSeries world since 2002. With the

convergence of the pSeries and the iSeries line becoming more of a reality, it was only a matter of time before the HMC would move into the iSeries world. The HMC and the i5 are a great fit. If an i5 is on the horizon for you and you plan to use LPAR and/or CoD, the HMC is going to provide all the tools you need to mange these environments and more.