Specifications

182 IBM Power 770 and 780 Technical Overview and Introduction
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4.4 Manageability
Several functions and tools help manageability and enable you to efficiently and effectively
manage your system.
4.4.1 Service user interfaces
The service interface allows support personnel or the client to communicate with the service
support applications in a server using a console, interface, or terminal. Delivering a clear,
concise view of available service applications, the service interface allows the support team
to manage system resources and service information in an efficient and effective way.
Applications available through the service interface are carefully configured and placed to
give service providers access to important service functions.
Various service interfaces are used, depending on the state of the system and its operating
environment. The primary service interfaces are:
򐂰 Light Path and Guiding Light
For more information, see “Light Path” on page 178 and “Guiding Light” on page 178.
򐂰 Service processor, Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI)
򐂰 Operator panel
򐂰 Operating system service menu
򐂰 Service Focal Point on the Hardware Management Console
򐂰 Service Focal Point Lite on Integrated Virtualization Manager
Service processor
The service processor is a controller that is running its own operating system. It is a
component of the service interface card.
The service processor operating system has specific programs and device drivers for the
service processor hardware. The host interface is a processor support interface that is
connected to the POWER processor. The service processor is always working, regardless of
the main system unit’s state. The system unit can be in these states:
򐂰 Standby (power off)
򐂰 Operating, ready to start partitions
򐂰 Operating with running logical partitions
The service processor is used to monitor and manage the system hardware resources and
devices. The service processor checks the system for errors, ensuring that the connection to
the management console for manageability purposes and accepting Advanced System
Management Interface (ASMI) Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) network connections. The
service processor provides the ability to view and manage the machine-wide settings by
using the ASMI, and enables complete system and partition management from the
management console.