Operations Console is an installable component of iSeries® Access for Windows®. It allows you to use one or more PCs to access and control, either remotely or locally, console and control panel functions.
You can use Operations Console to manage i5/OS® in
a partitioned or nonpartitioned environment. In a partitioned environment,
you might want to use the Hardware Management Console (HMC) or the Advanced System Management
Interface (ASMI) to access your hardware. If you plan to use Operations Console
to manage a 270 or 8xx server, see the Operations Console information
in the IBM® i5/OS Information Center Web site at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/iseries/
.
Operations Console uses 5250 emulation provided by either iSeries Access for Windows or IBM Personal Communications to emulate a console. To emulate a server control panel, Operations Console provides a graphical remote control panel or virtual control panel. Operations Console can use a local console on a network (LAN) or direct cable attachment to enable communications between a server and a PC.
Operations Console works well when the system has several partitions and requires high availability. In this type of environment, the HMC can be overwhelmed by multiple console windows. The Operations Console is able to distribute the consoles for these partitions over multiple PCs. If a problem occurs with Operations Console or console-related hardware, the HMC can be made the backup console and requires no extra effort to quickly retrieve a console.