IBM Virtualization and Hardware Management Console discovery
Summarize
Summary of IBM Virtualization and Hardware Management Console discovery
This discovery process enables ServiceNow customers to automatically identify and populate configuration items (CIs) related to IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC), IBM frames, and logical partition (LPAR) instances into the CMDB. It supports virtualization infrastructure management for IBM systems by discovering HMC servers, frames, and LPARs using SSH connections. This capability is critical for maintaining accurate asset and virtualization environment data within ServiceNow.
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Key Features
- Supported CIs: HMC server, IBM frame, LPAR instance, and LPAR resource.
- Discovery Methods: Uses the IBM HMC Server pattern via SSH; works on IBM AIX OS for LPARs and Linux for HMC servers.
- Prerequisites: Up-to-date Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application and CMDB CI Class Models; proper SSH credentials configured; required permissions for specific HMC and AIX commands.
- Sequential Discovery: Run discovery first on the HMC IP address, then on LPARs using AIX machine IP addresses after successful HMC discovery.
- Data Collection: Gathers detailed hardware and virtualization attributes such as CPU count, memory, serial numbers, operational state, and processor units for frames and LPARs.
- Relationship Mapping: Automatically creates CI relationships to represent management and virtualization hierarchies among HMC servers, frames, and LPARs.
Key Outcomes
- Accurate identification and inventory of IBM virtualization components in the CMDB.
- Improved visibility into the physical and virtual infrastructure of IBM systems, including the relationships between HMC servers, frames, and LPARs.
- Enables better management and operational insight for virtualized IBM environments within ServiceNow.
- Supports ongoing infrastructure monitoring and change management through updated and detailed CI data.
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.
- 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:
lssyscfglshmclshwreslssysconn -r all -F type_model_serial_num:ipaddr
- Verify you have permissions for the following AIX (LPAR) command:
lparstat -i.Note:Thelparstat -icommand 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.
- Verify you have permissions for the following HMC commands:
- Configure SSH credentials
- Configure SSH credentials on the ServiceNow AI Platform. For more information, see .
- Run a horizontal discovery for HMC Server and LPARs
- Run a discovery on the HMC IP address.
- Only when the HMC Server discovery has successfully completed, run a discovery on the LPARs using the AIX machine IP address.
Data collected by Discovery during horizontal discovery
Discovery populates the data in the CMDB when running the IBM HMC Server pattern.
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name [name] | Name of the LPAR instance. |
| State [state] | Operational state. Possible values are On or Off.
|
| 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] |
|
| 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. |
| 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:
|
| Node name [node_name] | Name of the instance, along with the field that refers to the LPAR instance CI. |
| 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] |