IBM P5 570 manual 3.3.3 p5 Customer-ManagedMicrocode, Service Update Management Assistant

checks the current customer service status from the IBM entitlement database; if this reveals that you are not under warranty or MA, then the service call is refused and posted back using e-mail.

Service focal point

Service Focal Point is used by service technicians to start and end their service calls. It provides service representatives with event, Vital Product Data (VPD), and diagnostic information. The HMC can also notify service representatives of hardware failures automatically by using the Service Agent features. You can configure the HMC to use the Service Agent call-home feature to send IBM event information. This information is stored, analyzed, and then acted on by the service representative. Some parts of Service Focal Point have to be configured so that the proper information is sent to IBM.

You can download the latest version of Service Agent at:

ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/aix/service_agent_code

3.3.3 p5 Customer-Managed Microcode

The pSeries and RS/6000 Customer-Managed Microcode is a methodology that enables you to manage and install microcode updates on p5, pSeries, and RS/6000 systems and associated I/O adapters. The IBM pSeries Microcode Update Web site can be found at:

http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/server/mdownload

IBM provides service tools that can assist in determining microcode levels and updating systems with the latest available microcode. To determine which tool to use in a specific environment, visit:

http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/server/mdownload/mcodetools.html

3.3.4 Service Update Management Assistant

The Service Update Management Assistant (SUMA) helps system administrators retrieve maintenance updates from the Web. SUMA offers flexible options that enable customers to set up policies to automate the download of fixes to their systems. SUMA policies can be scheduled to periodically check the availability of specific new fixes (APAR, PTF, or fileset), critical or security fixes, or an entire maintenance level. A notification e-mail can be sent detailing updates that are needed when comparing available fixes to installed software, a fix repository, or a maintenance level.

Benefits provided by SUMA include:

￿Moves administrators away from the task of manually retrieving maintenance updates from the Web

￿Policy can be scheduled to run periodically; for example, download the latest critical fixes weekly

￿Can compare fixes needed against software inventory, fix repository, or a maintenance level

￿Receive mail notification after a fileset preview or download operation

￿Allows for FTP, HTTP, or secure HTTPS transfers

￿Provides same requisite checking as the IBM fix distribution Web site

￿Available through SMIT menus (smitty suma) or a command line interface

62p5-570 Technical Overview and Introduction