Provided that an HMC is currently working correctly, an HMC can also be reinstalled using a network image. Reasons why you want to reinstall despite the HMC working could include the following:

• • It is a physical HMC with an older version preinstalled. Since the HMC is not yet configured anyway, you would like to do a new installation instead of an upgrade.
  • You want to switch to a higher release, but you don’t want to take over the entire old configuration via an upgrade, but rather reconfigure it.
  • …

In the example shown below, version V10R3M1050 is to be reinstalled. To do this, the network image must first be downloaded from IBM Fix Central, see Download Fixes, Service Packs and Release Levels. For Power based HMCs (both physical HMCs and virtual HMCs) the network images V10R3_network_images_ppc.zip are required. For the x86 based virtual HMCs the network images V10R3_network_x86.zip.

Die Zip-Datei mit den Network Images sollte auf einem Server an einer Stelle ausgepackt werden, die für die HMC per FTP, SFTP oder NFS erreichbar ist:

$ ssh 172.16.199.10 ls -l /export/hmc/network/v1050
total 12949584
-rw-r--r--    1 root     system   1676177408 Nov 08 00:54 base.img
-rw-r--r--    1 root     system   4826449920 Nov 08 00:53 disk1.img
-rw-r--r--    1 root     system           55 Nov 08 00:52 hmcnetworkfiles.sum
-rw-r--r--    1 root     system     36030542 Nov 08 00:52 img2a
-rw-r--r--    1 root     system     91517245 Nov 08 00:54 img3a
$

The files can then be uploaded to the HMC using the “hmc getupgfiles” command, e.g.:

$ hmc getupgfiles hmc01 sftp://fwtrans@172.16.199.10//export/hmc/network/v1050
INFO: using sftp://fwtrans@172.16.199.10//export/hmc/network/v1050
Enter the current password for user fwtrans: XXXXXXXX
Fetching network installation images...
Verifying network installation images...
Shared connection to hmc01 closed.
$

Note: The “hmc saveupgdata” command must not be started for a new installation!

The HMC must be switched to the alternate disk for the next boot. This can be done as follows:

$ hmc cmd hmc01 chhmc -c altdiskboot -s enable --mode install
Shared connection to hmc01 closed.
$ 

The HMC must then be rebooted:

$ hmc shutdown -r hmc01
$ 

Optional: A console should be opened to the HMC (if that is possible). You can then follow the installation.

For an installation it is absolutely necessary to have a console (ASCII or graphical) open to the HMC. The installation is automatic, but at the end of the installation the license terms from IBM must be accepted. As long as these are not accepted, the HMC simply stops at this point.

For a virtual HMC, the license terms can be confirmed by pressing “1” and Enter. The IP configuration can then be done manually using the CLI, see Manual setup via the HMC CLI.

With a physical HMC, the query takes place in a graphical window. The terms and conditions must be accepted by selecting “Accept” (License Terms). The Guided Setup Wizard then guides you through the basic configuration, see The Guided Setup Wizard.