Edit: I assume you have transitioned by now?
Originally posted May 1, 2018 on AIXchange
Awhile back Kiran Tripathi (@SocialKiran) made note of this IBM Knowledge Center breakdown of HMC interfaces.
The Hardware Management Console (HMC) provides more than one interface that you can use to manage your virtual environment.
These interfaces are called the HMC Classic interface, the HMC Enhanced interface, and the HMC Enhanced+ interface. When you log on to the HMC for managing your virtual environment, you select which interface you want to use. To change the interface that is used, log out of the HMC and log in to the HMC with a different selection.
HMC Classic interface
The HMC Classic interface is the continuation of the interface that was provided in previous versions of the HMC. The HMC Classic interface supports many of the same tasks as the HMC Enhanced interface, such as managing servers, partitions, and adapters.
The HMC Classic interface is not supported in Hardware Management Console (HMC) Version 8.7.0, or later. The functions that were previously available in the HMC Classic interface are now available in the HMC Enhanced+ interface.
HMC Enhanced interface
The HMC Enhanced interface is an updated version of the HMC Classic interface, and is provided with HMC Version 8 Release 8.2.0. In addition to providing simplified paths to completing virtualization management tasks, it also provides new functions that are not available in the HMC Classic interface. The main new function is the use of templates. You can use templates to complete the following tasks:
- Deploying a system.
- Creating a partition.
- Capturing a system or partition configuration as a template.
- Running Template Library management functions, including edit, copy, import, and export.
HMC Enhanced+ interface
The HMC Enhanced+ software interface provides new navigation paths to tasks that are common to the HMC Classic interface and the HMC Enhanced interface, and some functions that are unique to the HMC Enhanced+ interface. The new tasks and functions include enhanced Activate task for partitions and Virtual I/O Servers with network boot and network installation options, and graphical representation of the virtual network that represents the relationship between various components in the network for a system.
This information differs slightly from what’s found in the HMC doc I referenced in February, but there are similarities. In each case, you get a list of tasks with explanations of this can be accomplished in either the classic interface, the enhanced interface or the Enhanced+ interface.
Of course the classic interface is going away, but for those environments that are still working with the old menus, these documents will help you with the transition.