Switching from one console type to another when a console is currently available

If you know in advance that you will need a different console type, you can use the current console to make the changes necessary for use with a different console.

Note: The following information assumes that hardware to support a new console type is available in the correct location or can be tagged without the need to add or move hardware. Systems with an HMC require at least one tag change prior to selecting a new console type. The tag change, unless performed using the alternate method (commonly referred to as dynamic tagging), requires a shutdown and activation to reflect a change in the partition profile. This same restriction also applies when you are ready to return to the original console type.

If the hardware resources for the targeted console type have already been specified and configured for use as a console, making the change might be as simple as specifying the new console type value and activating the associated hardware resource. However, if hardware used for the targeted console type requires allocation or configuration, you need to use the appropriate information in Changing consoles, interfaces, and terminals.

An example is the planned loss of the network used by your LAN-connected console. You are doing some infrastructure changes requiring more than a day and you also have the console cable already installed between the server's asynchronous communications adapter and the PC. The server is not managed by an HMC. Using the LAN-connected console you can change the console type to Operations Console (Direct). You can then use the OPSCONSOLE RESTART native macro to force the system to the other configuration. After the asynchronous communications adapter is active, you can disconnect the LAN-connected console and create a configuration for the local console that is directly attached, if a configuration does not already exist, and start a connection.

For systems managed by an HMC, you can use the alternate method to dynamically tag a different resource and then use an appropriate method to force the system to start using the new console. For more information on changing from one console type to another see Changing consoles, interfaces, and terminals.

To return to the LAN-connected console, you need to use the local console that is directly attached and the same basic method as previously described to make your change.

Note: To force the system to use the new console type, you can choose to have the change take effect immediately or wait until the next time you IPL the server. For an immediate change, you can use the console service functions of 65+21+21 or the native macro OPSCONSOLE RESTART.

Note: For more information on the console service functions (65+21), see Using the console service functions (65+21). For more information on the Operations Console native macro, see Troubleshooting using the OPSCONSOLE macro.