Rob McNelly
Contributor
Rob McNelly is a Senior AIX Solutions Architect doing pre-sales and post-sales support for IBM Premier Business Partner Meridian IT Inc. in Deerfield, Ill. He is a technical editor and a former administrator within IBM's Integrated Technology Delivery and Server Operations division. Rob was named an IBM Power Systems Champion (www.ibm.com/developerworks/champion) in October 2011. Rob can be reached at rob.mcnelly@gmail.com.
A note from Rob:
“I enjoy camping, hiking, biking and backpacking through the mountains of Arizona. I’ve also learned to enjoy Ragnar races, and sprint triathlons. I always look forward to spending time on Arizona’s closest beach which is located in Puerto Penasco, Mexico. I enjoy scuba diving from live-aboard diving boats. My favorite trip was hiking to the blue waters of Havasupai, and I’m planning on hiking the Grand Canyon in the near future. Long ago, I realized that I would rather live in a hot, dry climate than shovel snow.”
You’ve Heard the News, Now Dig Into the Details: Get up to Speed on the Power10 Announcement
September 14, 2021
On Sept. 8, IBM announced the new Power10 server, the E1080 (9080-HEX). While much has already been written about the new server, I’m here to share more details. If you take the time to check out even a few of the many links in this article, you’ll soon be up to speed. I’ve also included links to in-depth training, […]
VideoVideo Tutorial: Using invscout on AIX
September 1, 2021
Learn how to use the invscout command on AIX from IBM Champion Rob McNelly: Transcript: As I paddled my Kayak down the Colorado River, I realized that many of you had fallen behind on your system patching. As server administrators, besides updating our operating system, and our virtual IO server, and our HMC code, we […]
ArticlesCLI Options for Configuring and Modifying LPARs
August 23, 2021
Gareth Coates, whose work I’ve cited previously, recently explained how to create an LPAR without using the HMC GUI: “Here is a suite of files to create an LPAR on an IBM [Power Systems server]…. There are shell scripts and configuration files. You need to make changes to suit your particular environment. I’d say that […]
VideoVideo Tutorial: Rob McNelly on Installing YUM on AIX
August 3, 2021
In the first TechChannel video tutorial of the year, learn how to install YUM on AIX from IBM Champion Rob McNelly: Transcript: On this test logical partition, I checked to see if YUM was installed by running the YUM command. It was not installed. I wrote an article about YUM in 2017 on the AIX […]
ArticlesWaiting on a Replacement Part, the Latest With OpenSSH, a Bold Client Choice and a VIOS Webinar
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 […]
ArticlesAIX Patch Management With Ansible, and the Broader Benefits of Automation
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 […]
ArticlesPower Systems Best Practices Doc Updated, dnf, New IBM Customer Support Portals and More.
June 15, 2021
The Power Implementation Quality Standard for Commercial Workloads document has been updated. Download Version 2.4 (June 2021) here. This presentation details the expected best practices implementation guidelines for Power Systems hardware, including virtualized systems. As you go through it, notice that, starting with page 9, there’s typically an indicator (in red and in parenthesis) of […]
ArticlesAttention to Patching and Other Vital System Maintenance Will Help You Avoid the Heat
May 18, 2021
As I found myself walking through the desert, pushing a bicycle with a flat tire, I wondered how I got here. That’s not a metaphor; that’s life in Arizona. With the cactus and tumbleweeds and other assorted spiky, poky things, it’s a dangerous place for tires and tubes. It’s not a great place for people, […]
ArticlesAIX/VIOS Versioning Recommendations, a POWER9-Based HMC and the Evolution of IBM Certifications
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 – […]
ArticlesStanding Pat Is No Longer an Option With the HMC
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 […]