We assume that the iFix MF70632_ppc.iso was downloaded from Fix Central and saved on the server aixnim in the /export/hmc directory. The FTP service is active on the server aixnim:

aixnim # lssrc -t ftp
Service       Command                  Description              Status
 ftp          /usr/sbin/ftpd           ftpd -l -s               active
aixnim # 

For FTP access from the HMC, the user fwtrans with the password s3cr3t is used. The iFix can then be installed on the HMC hmc01 as follows:

$ hmc updhmc hmc01 ftp://fwtrans:s3cr3t@aixnim//export/hmc/MF70632_ppc.iso
INFO: using ftp://fwtrans:s3cr3t@aixnim//export/hmc/MF70632_ppc.iso
The corrective service file offload was successful. Continuing with HMC service installation...
Verifying Certificate Information
Authenticating Install Packages
Installing Packages...warning: /dump/hsc_install.images/images/install.d/java/ibm-java-sdk-17.0.5.0-ppc64le.rpm: Header V3 RSA/SHA256 Signature, key ID 9bce9629: NOKEY
Installing Packages...
The corrective service file was successfully applied. A mandatory reboot is required but was not specified on the command syntax.
Shared connection to 172.168.99.18 closed.
ERROR: remote HMC command returned an error (2)
$ 

If you do not want the password to be publicly visible, you can leave it out. The HMC will then ask for the password interactively. The password will of course not be displayed:

$ hmc updhmc hmc01 ftp://fwtrans@aixnim//export/hmc/MF70632_ppc.iso
INFO: using ftp://fwtrans@aixnim//export/hmc/MF70632_ppc.iso
Password: s3cr3t
The corrective service file offload was successful. Continuing with HMC service installation...
Verifying Certificate Information
Authenticating Install Packages
Installing Packages...warning: /dump/hsc_install.images/images/install.d/java/ibm-java-sdk-17.0.5.0-ppc64le.rpm: Header V3 RSA/SHA256 Signature, key ID 9bce9629: NOKEY
Installing Packages...
The corrective service file was successfully applied. A mandatory reboot is required but was not specified on the command syntax.
Shared connection to 172.168.99.18 closed.
ERROR: remote HMC command returned an error (2)
$ 

Note: If the hostname (here aixnim) cannot be resolved on the HMC, the IP address must be used instead of the hostname.

Since IBM only supports the FTP protocol for downloads in the sFTP (secure FTP) variant, a direct update with “hmc updhmc” and FTP is no longer possible.

If FTP from the server aixnim is the preferred method for installing iFixes and updates, then you should store this in CorrectiveServiceLocation in one of the two files /opt/pwrcmps/etc/lpar.cfg or ~/.lpar.cfg:

...
CorrectiveServiceLocation ftp://fwtrans@aixnim//export/hmc
...

Note: Theoretically, you could also store the password here, but this is generally not a good idea, since any user can view the contents of the file.

After CorrectiveServiceLocation has been modified as shown, an update can be done simply by specifying the ISO file name:

$ hmc updhmc hmc01 MF70632_ppc.iso
INFO: using ftp://fwtrans@aixnim//export/hmc/MF70632_ppc.iso
Password: s3cr3t
The corrective service file offload was successful. Continuing with HMC service installation...
Verifying Certificate Information
Authenticating Install Packages
Installing Packages...warning: /dump/hsc_install.images/images/install.d/java/ibm-java-sdk-17.0.5.0-ppc64le.rpm: Header V3 RSA/SHA256 Signature, key ID 9bce9629: NOKEY
Installing Packages...
The corrective service file was successfully applied. A mandatory reboot is required but was not specified on the command syntax.
Shared connection to 172.168.99.18 closed.
ERROR: remote HMC command returned an error (2)
$ 

Note: Of course, the ISO file must have been copied to the correct directory on the server aixnim beforehand.