IBM xSeries 260, User Manual

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During normal operations, the Service Processor can also be configured to monitor
the AIX Operating System. If AIX does not respond to the Service Processor
heartbeat, the Service Processor assumes the Operating System is hung. The
Service Processor can automatically initiate a restart and, if enabled, initiate the call
home function to alert the appropriate parties to the system hang. Enabling
Operating System Surveillance also affords AIX the means to detect any Service
Processor failures and report those failures to the Service Director application.
Unlike the Service Director, the Service Processor cannot be configured in a
client/server environment where one system can be used to manage all dial-out
functionally for a set of systems.
Prior to installing the Service Processor feature, you need to ensure that you have
latest levels of Service Processor microcode and system firmware. You also need a
properly configured modem. For more information on configuring a modem, see
“Modem Configuration Menu” on page C-19.
Service Director
The Service Director is a software extension to the AIX Operating System that
monitors the system while the AIX Operating System is running. The Service Director
monitors and analyzes all recoverable system failures, and, if needed, can
automatically place a service call to a service center (without user intervention).
The service center receives the machine type/serial number, host name, SRN, and a
problem description. The service center analyzes the problem report and, if
warranted, dispatches a service person to the customer site. The service center also
determines if any hardware components need to be ordered prior to the service
person's arrival.
The Service Director code also gives the user the option to establish a single system
as the problem reporting server. A single system, accessible over the user network,
can be used as the central server for all the other systems on the Local Area
Network (LAN) who are running the Service Director application. If the Service
Director application on a remote client decides a service request needs to be placed,
the client forwards the information to the Service Director server who dials the
service center telephone number from its locally attached modem. In this scenario,
the user only needs to maintain a single analog line for providing call-out capabilities
for a large set of servers.
When utilized in an Scalable Parallel (SP) environment, a client/server type
implementation is configured. The Service Director client code runs on each of the
Scalable Parallel (SP) nodes. The server component runs on the Control
Workstation. In the event of any system failures, the relevant information is
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User's Guide