Edit: The interface keeps changing for the better.
Originally posted September 23, 2014 on AIXchange
I decided to update to the latest (as of this writing) HMC code, V8R8.1.0M1.
I went to IBM Fix Central and found MH01420, and downloaded the necessary .iso image.
Once I had done this, I followed the second half of this document. When I clicked on “update HMC,” I just pointed it to the server I’d downloaded the .iso image to. It very quickly did the updates, then rebooted.
A normal HMC reboot is generally fairly fast. However, with an upgrade, it takes much longer, so be patient. Then, after the reboot, it also takes awhile to actually start the console. Once it did start, I immediately realized the console had a different look and feel.
Clicking on the “learn more link” at the bottom of the login screen opens a help window opens that displays the differences between the “classic” and “enhanced” login tasks. Learn more about this here:
“Learn about the differences between the Classic and Enhanced graphical user interface (GUI) in the Hardware Management Console (HMC).
Select which software interface to use when you log in to the HMC. The Classic interface provides access to all traditional functions of the HMC and the Enhanced interface provides both redesigned and new virtualization tasks and functions.
The Classic GUI is available by default on the HMC Version 8.1.0, or earlier.
The Classic GUI is available on the HMC Version 8.1.0.1, or later by choosing the Classic option while logging into the HMC.
The Enhanced GUI is available on the HMC Version 8.1.0.1, or later by choosing the Enhanced option while logging into the HMC.”
Be sure to check out the table from the link to see the differences between the Classic and Enhanced GUI tasks.
Initially, things didn’t appear all that different on the Enhanced GUI, but then I selected the server I wanted to manage. Then I had some different menu options.
Once I expanded them all, this was what I saw.
The rest of the menu did not fit in the screenshot. The following menu items are what you see beneath the capacity on demand menu item and the menu continues along the right side of the panel.
I immediately tried the performance option, and was pleasantly surprised with what I saw.
I also took a look at Manage PowerVM, and saw this.
The goal here is to provide the capability to do all of your management from the HMC, with no need to login to the VIO server.
At the bottom of the Manage PowerVM task there was a learn more button. I clicked and saw this.
When I clicked on Create Partition from Template I saw:
When you click on a partition, you now get a new set of menus.
The manage menu gives you a new way to look at your profiles.
Click on advanced and you’ll see this.
I’ve just described getting started. I’ll do more testing and exploring with this new interface. If you have something specific you’d like me to try out/write about, please let me know in comments.