IBM Virtualization and Hardware Management Console discovery

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated November 9, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of IBM Virtualization and Hardware Management Console discovery

    The IBM Virtualization and Hardware Management Console (HMC) discovery enables ServiceNow customers to automatically identify and populate configuration items (CIs) related to IBM HMC servers, frames, and logical partition (LPAR) instances in the CMDB. This discovery is essential for managing IBM hardware virtualization environments, providing accurate and up-to-date information about physical and virtual resources.

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    Key Features

    • Supported CIs: The discovery identifies IBM HMC servers, IBM frames (physical machines hosting LPARs), LPAR instances (virtual machines), and LPAR resources.
    • Discovery Process: Runs using SSH on IBM AIX OS for LPARs and Linux for HMC servers. It requires running horizontal discovery first on the HMC server IP, then on individual LPAR IP addresses.
    • Prerequisites: Customers must ensure the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application and CMDB CI Class Models are up to date. Proper permissions are required for specific HMC commands (e.g., lssyscfg, lshmc) and the AIX command lparstat -i. SSH credentials must be configured in the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    • Data Collection: The discovery gathers detailed attributes for each CI type, such as hardware specifications, operational states, processor and memory allocations, IP addresses, serial numbers, and relationships between CIs.
    • CI Relationships: Automatically establishes relationships such as HMC server managing IBM frames, frames virtualizing LPAR instances, and processor pool memberships, enabling clear visibility of the virtualization hierarchy.

    Key Outcomes

    • Accurate and structured population of IBM virtualization infrastructure data in the CMDB.
    • Improved visibility into IBM hardware and virtual resource configurations, states, and capacities.
    • Enhanced ability to manage and monitor IBM virtualization environments through up-to-date CI records and their relationships.
    • Facilitates effective IT operations, change management, and service mapping for IBM virtualization resources.

    The Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application uses the IBM HMC Server pattern to find information about Hardware Management Console (HMC), frame, and logical partition (LPAR) servers. Discovering some of these resources may require updating to the latest version of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.

    Discovery supports the following configuration items (CIs):
    • HMC server
    • IBM frame
    • LPAR instance

      An LPAR is the virtual machine equivalent of IBM.

    • LPAR resource

    Discovery is used on the HMC server and the individual AIX machines (LPARs).

    The IBM HMC Server pattern runs using SSH. It’s supported to run on IBM AIX OS for LPAR and on Linux for HMC servers only.

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    Prerequisites

    Verify that the applications are up to date
    • Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns
    • CMDB CI Class Models
    Verify permissions for HMC and AIX servers
    • Verify you have permissions for the following HMC commands:
      • lssyscfg
      • lshmc
      • lshwres
      • lssysconn -r all -F type_model_serial_num:ipaddr
    • Verify you have permissions for the following AIX (LPAR) command: lparstat -i.
      Note:
      The lparstat -i command is in addition to the commands required for AIX server discovery. For more information on AIX server discovery, see AIX server discovery. For a list of the AIX commands, see Service Mapping commands requiring a privileged user.
    Configure SSH credentials
    Configure SSH credentials on the ServiceNow AI Platform. For more information, see SSH credentials.
    Run a horizontal discovery for HMC Server and LPARs
    1. Run a discovery on the HMC IP address.
    2. Only when the HMC Server discovery has successfully completed, run a discovery on the LPARs using the AIX machine IP address.
    For more information on running a discovery, see Schedule a horizontal discovery.

    Data collected by Discovery during horizontal discovery

    Discovery populates the data in the CMDB when running the IBM HMC Server pattern.

    Table 1. IBM HMC Server [cmdb_ci_hmc_server]
    Field Description
    Name [name] Name of the HMC.
    Frame count [frame_count] Number of frames managed for the HMC.

    A frame is the physical machine on which the LPARs reside. A frame is the equivalent of an ESX machine.
    Serial number [serial number] Serial number of the HMC server.
    IP Address [ip_address] IP address of the HMC.
    OS Version [os_version] Operating system version.
    CPU type [cpu_type] CPU type.
    CPU speed (MHz) [cpu_speed] CPU speed.
    CPU count [cpu_count] CPU count.
    CPU core count [cpu_core_count] CPU core count.
    RAM (MB) [ram] Memory RAM.
    Table 2. IBM Frame [cmdb_ci_ibm_frame]
    Field Description
    Name [name] Name of the frame.
    Serial number [serial number] Serial number of the Frame server.
    Current available processor units [curr_avail_sys_proc_units] Current available processor units.
    Configurable processor units [configurable_sys_proc_units] Configurable processor units.
    Installed processor units [installed_sys_proc_units] Installed processor units.
    Current available memory units [curr_avail_sys_mem] Current available memory units.
    Configurable memory units [configurable_sys_mem] Configurable memory units.
    Installed memory units [installed_sys_mem] Installed memory units.
    IP Address [ip_address] Management IP address of the IBM frame.
    Table 3. IBM LPAR Instance [cmdb_ci_lpar_instance]
    Field Description
    Name [name] Name of the LPAR instance.
    State [state] Operational state. Possible values are On or Off.
    • On: running
    • Off: not activated or not available
    Serial number [serial_number] Serial number of the LPAR.
    Object ID [object_id] Unique object identifier. This identifier is concatenated from the frame serial number and the LPAR identifier.
    Is VIO [is_vio] Identifies the LPAR as a VIO server.

    A VIO server is the LPAR that manages the physical components for other LPARs, such as network interface cards (NICs) and optical drives.
    VIO Servers [vio_servers]
    • Client LPARs: Identifies the VIO servers that manage the client LPARs.
    • VIO servers: Identifies the Client LPARs the VIO servers manage.
    Current Min Proc Units [curr_min_proc_units] Minimum number of processing units that can be assigned to the partition dynamically.
    Running Proc Units [run_proc_units] Number of processing units that are varied on for the partition.
    Current Memory [curr_mem] The amount of memory in megabyte (MB) assigned to the partition.
    Running Memory [run_mem] Current amount of memory in MB that the partition has varied on.
    IP Address [ip_address] IP address assigned to the VIOS LPAR instance.
    Model number [model_number] OS version of the VIOS LPAR instance.
    Frame Name [frame_parent] References the IBM Frame [cmdb_ci_ibm_frame] table.
    Table 4. LPAR Resource [cmdb_ci_lpar_resource]
    Field Description
    High Watermark VCPU [high_watermark_vcpu] Highest recorded value of the Online Virtual CPUs field, as collected by the lparstat-i command.

    Because the value is dynamic, the results of a discovery could affect the value:

    • If the value of the Online Virtual CPUs field is lower than the value collected by the lparstat-i command, the value doesn’t change.
    • If the value of the Online Virtual CPUs field is higher than the value collected by the lparstat-i command, the higher value is used.
    Node name [node_name] Name of the instance, along with the field that refers to the LPAR instance CI.
    Table 5. Serial Number [cmdb_serial_number]
    Field Description
    Serial number [serial_number] Serial number of the CI.

    CI Relationships

    Discovery creates these relationships to support the IBM Virtualization and HMC discovery.

    CI Relationship CI
    IBM HMC Server [cmdb_ci_hmc_server] Defines resources for::Gets resources from IBM HMC Processor Pool [cmdb_ci_processor_pool]
    IBM LPAR Instance [cmdb_ci_lpar_instance] Virtualized by::Virtualizes IBM Frame [cmdb_ci_ibm_frame]
    IBM Frame [cmdb_ci_ibm_frame] Managed by::Manages IBM HMC Server [cmdb_ci_hmc_server]
    IBM HMC Processor Pool [cmdb_ci_processor_pool] Members::Member of IBM LPAR Instance [cmdb_ci_lpar_instance]
    IBM LPAR Instance [cmdb_ci_lpar_instance] References IBM Frame [cmdb_ci_ibm_frame]