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Waiting on a Replacement Part, the Latest With OpenSSH, a Bold Client Choice and a VIOS Webinar

Rob McNelly

July 30, 2021

Recently my water heater died. Fortunately it’s relatively new and still under warranty, so I didn’t have to dip into my pockets to get it repaired. But I did have to wait, because the manufacturer needed to ship a part, which took a few days. Supply chains are still being stretched, so it wasn’t surprising to learn […]

Articles

AIX 7.2 OpenSSH Is Now HW GZIP Enabled!

Chris Gibson

July 28, 2021

The latest version of OpenSSH for AIX 7.2 now supports POWER9 HW GZIP! The requirements for this new capability are as follows: *NOTE: It’s recommended to have this configuration on both the OpenSSH client and server LPARs for optimal performance. The required OpenSSH packages are available from the AIX Web Download Pack site. From the OpenSSH […]

Articles

AIX Patch Management With Ansible, and the Broader Benefits of Automation

Rob McNelly

July 15, 2021

I made one of the classic blunders during a recent trip to the Grand Canyon. This had nothing to do with a land war, or a Sicilian, but as an Arizona resident and avid hiker I should know better: always, always carry your water bottle, especially during the summer. I venture to the Grand Canyon fairly often. This […]

Articles

AIX/VIOS Versioning Recommendations, a POWER9-Based HMC and the Evolution of IBM Certifications

Rob McNelly

April 22, 2021

I believe AIX has stood the test of time. This opinion is based in part on the fact that legacy AIX documentation is still relevant. For example, I recently downloaded two Redbooks, “IBM Certification Study Guide eServer p5 and pSeries Administration and Support for AIX 5L Version 5.3” and “IBM eServer Certification Study Guide – […]

Podcasts

Steve Will on What’s Next for IBM i

Paul Tuohy

March 29, 2021

Paul Tuohy: Hi everybody and welcome to another iTalk with Tuohy. I'm delighted to be joined today by the IBM's chief architect for IBM i, Steve Will. Hi Steve.   Steve Will: Hey Paul, it's good to talk to you again.   Paul: Okay so as people will notice, we're getting a little bit of […]

Articles

Standing Pat Is No Longer an Option With the HMC

Rob McNelly

March 19, 2021

Lifetime IBM Champion Jaqui Lynch recently wrote about why you need to upgrade to the latest HMC levels and how you can accomplish this task. Her article is full of good information, and you’ll find some great, bookmark-worthy links at the end. But here’s the thing: We―and by we, I mean consultants, along with IBM […]

Articles

AIX at 35 and the Layered Significance of AIX 7.3

Rob McNelly

March 10, 2021

AIX turns 35 this year. While it’s fun to look back (here’s the IBM announcement letter from 1986), there’s also ample reason to look ahead, especially since IBM recently stated that it intends to release AIX 7.3 before the end of this year. Previous AIX releases have included an open beta program, and it’s my […]

Articles

Client Story, VIOS Tips, HMC News and Why You Should Move on From AIX 7.1

Rob McNelly

February 17, 2021

Upon checking the error log, a client noticed errors that were pointing to a fiber port on their system. While the port physically existed on the machine, a fiber cable wasn’t connecting that port to a switch. The client acknowledged the port could be needed at some point, but for now they didn’t want it […]

Articles

Some Ideas for Expanding the Power Systems/AIX Universe

Rob McNelly

January 8, 2021

“Hey, I heard you missed us, we’re back” – Van Halen, 1984 It’s a new year, and many changes are on the horizon. My AIXchange blog will remain on the website, and all of my previous work, going back to the early 2000s, is archived on robmcnelly.com—but moving forward, I’ll be writing regularly on AIX, […]

Articles

IBM POWER9 and Composable Systems

Jim Utsler

October 1, 2019

Once upon a time, advances in computing speeds were defined by Moore’s Law. That’s no longer the case, however, with the law having hit a wall. As a result, tech providers have had to become more creative when addressing compute speeds, especially when it comes to new technological advances in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing […]