HMC - ASMI

ASMI (Advanced System Management Interface):

ASMI is a graphical interface that is part of the service processor firmware. It can be accessed via a web browser. The ASMI is required to set up the service processor (IP address, network configs...) and to perform service tasks (reading error logs, controlling the system power...) The ASMI might also be referred to as the service processor menus.

The browser-based ASMI is available during all phases of the system operation, including initial program load (IPL) and run time.  ASMI requires password authentication, and it provides a SSL connection to the service processor, https://... will be needed.

Usual passwords for ASMI:
User ID    Password
general    general
admin      admin

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Accessing ASMI

Accessing ASMI is possible:
1.) using HMC GUI
2.) using HMC CLI
3.) ssh port forwarding (tunnel) ASMI port to your local browser
4.) connecting directly a notebook to the service processor on the system


1.) ASMI login via HMC GUI
After choosing the server --> Actions --> View all options --> Launch Advanced Systems Management (ASM)



2.) ASMI login via HMC CLI (with browser on the HMC):
0. make sure you have working X window (the asmmenu command will use the browser on the HMC)
1. login to HMC: ssh -X hscroot@hmc21
2. lssysconn -r all | grep 06B5555 (grep to the serial number; we will get the ip address of the service processor)
3. asmmenu --ip 10.10.10.251



3.) ASMI login via HMC CLI (with your local browser (ssh tunnel)):
These examples will show you how to to forward the ASMI connection port to our local computer. If HMC login is possible via jump-host then first we need to port forward ASMI port to the jump-host and after that port forwarding again to our local computer. Or if direct HMC login is possible (without the need of a jump-host) we can port forward in 1 step ASMI port to out local computer.

If direct login to HMC is possible:
0. find out IP needed for ASMI (for example using above lssysconn command on HMC...10.10.10.251)
1. forward the ASMI port to your localhost non-privileged port 12345 via ssh port forwarding:
your-computer$ ssh -L 12345:10.10.10.251:443 hscroot@hmc21 -N
(Don’t quit that ssh session, it has to stay open.)
2. On your local computer, open a web browser and point it to https://localhost:12345

If direct login to HMC is not possible (only via a <jump-host>):
0. find out IP needed for ASMI (for example using above lssysconn command on HMC...10.10.10.251)
1. forward the ASMI port to your <jump-host> non-privileged port 12345 via ssh port forwarding:
jump-host$ ssh -L 12345:10.10.10.251:443 hscroot@hmc21 -N
(Don’t quit that ssh session, it has to stay open.)
2. from your local computer, open an ssh session to your jump-host and forward the previously opened port 12345 to your local computer’s non-privileged port 12345:
your-computer$ ssh -L 12345:localhost:12345 user@jump-host -N
(Don’t quit that ssh session, it has to stay open)
3. On your local computer, open a web browser and point it to https://localhost:12345



4.) ASMI login via direct connection (with a notebook):
0. Find out the IP address of the service processor, or if it is a new server this table shows factory default IPs:

1. Connect an Ethernet cable from notebook to one of the HMC ports on the managed system.

2. Configure IP address on the notebook
The notebook needs to be configured within the same subnet mask as the service processor so that they can communicate with each other. For example, if you connected your notebook to HMC1, the IP address for your notebook could be 169.254.2.140 and the subnet mask would be 255.255.255.0. Set the gateway IP address to the same IP address as the notebook.

On Windows IP can be configured here:
Control Panel-->Netw. and Sharing Center-->Click the network that is displayed in Connections-->Properties-->Select TCP/IPv4-->Properties
(Record the current settings before making any changes. This information is needed to restore original settings.)

3. Open a web browser and point it to (in our example): https://169.254.2.147

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Checking network configuration in ASMI:

In ASMI IP and network configuration details can be also checked:
(for eth1 it shows factory default settings, which means it was not cabled, so no IP was assigned there via DHCP)