There are two new HMC (V7.7.3.0) commands that can force a client Virtual Fibre Channel adapter to log into a SAN. This should make the life of the AIX and SAN administrator easier, as they will no longer need to install AIX in order for the new VFC adapters to log into the SAN. Although there was an unsupported method* for doing this already (see links below). Nor will the SAN admins need to “blind” zone the WWPNs.

There was some indication of this in the latest VIOS FP readme:

https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=0&uid=isg400000693

·         Enabled SAN login from VIOS

And there was this:

IZ95569: ENABLE SAN LOGIN FROM VIOS FOR IMPROVED UABILITY

https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ95569

Problem summary

·    Customer will be able to instruct the VIOS to login to the SAN

·    for a given WWPN on a given virtual adapter to allow the

·    customer to see the WWPN in SAN management tools and easing

·    the task of configuring new NPIV client

·    partitions.

·          

Problem conclusion

·    add commands to VIOS manager interface to allow the HMC to

·    login, logout and query virtual adapters.

And finally this:

http://www-304.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmcl/power7/v7730.Readme.html#enhance7730

The new lsnportlogin and chnportlogin commands on the 7.730 HMC provide the ability to utilize the new function in the VIOS. From the Readme:

Added the chnportlogin and lsnportlogin commands.

1.  The chnportlogin command allows you to perform N Port login and logout operations for virtual fibre channel client adapters that are configured in a partition or a partition profile. Use this command to help you in zoning WWPNs on a Storage Area Network (SAN). A login operation activates all inactive WWPNs, including the second WWPN in the pair assigned to each virtual fibre channel client adapter. This feature is particularly useful for Logical Partition Migration. A logout operation deactivates all WWPNs not in use. A successful login of a virtual fibre channel adapter requires that the corresponding virtual fiber channel server adapter must exist and that it must be mapped.

2.  The lsnportlogin command also allows you to list WWPN login status information for virtual fibre channel client adapters configured in partitions or partition profiles.

I found a lot of this information on the IBM developerWorks PowerVM forum:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=388796

Thanks to http://twitter.com/Kristijan for pointing me in the direction of the PowerVM forum.

Here’s an example of using the lsnportlogin command on one of my systems:

hscroot@HMC1:~>  lsnportlogin -m  770-1-Rack_D191 --filter "profile_names=normal"

lpar_name=nim1,lpar_id=3,profile_name=normal,slot_num=32,wwpn=c050760405f0000c,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=nim1,lpar_id=3,profile_name=normal,slot_num=32,wwpn=c050760405f0000d,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=nim1,lpar_id=3,profile_name=normal,slot_num=33,wwpn=c050760405f0000e,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=nim1,lpar_id=3,profile_name=normal,slot_num=33,wwpn=c050760405f0000f,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=nim1,lpar_id=3,profile_name=normal,slot_num=30,wwpn=c050760405f00000,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=nim1,lpar_id=3,profile_name=normal,slot_num=30,wwpn=c050760405f00001,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=nim1,lpar_id=3,profile_name=normal,slot_num=31,wwpn=c050760405f00002,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=nim1,lpar_id=3,profile_name=normal,slot_num=31,wwpn=c050760405f00003,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=aix01adm,lpar_id=4,profile_name=normal,slot_num=32,wwpn=c050760405f00004,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=aix01adm,lpar_id=4,profile_name=normal,slot_num=32,wwpn=c050760405f00005,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=aix01adm,lpar_id=4,profile_name=normal,slot_num=33,wwpn=c050760405f00006,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=aix01adm,lpar_id=4,profile_name=normal,slot_num=33,wwpn=c050760405f00007,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=aix01adm,lpar_id=4,profile_name=normal,slot_num=30,wwpn=c050760405f00008,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=aix01adm,lpar_id=4,profile_name=normal,slot_num=30,wwpn=c050760405f00009,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=aix01adm,lpar_id=4,profile_name=normal,slot_num=31,wwpn=c050760405f0000a,wwpn_status=0

lpar_name=aix01adm,lpar_id=4,profile_name=normal,slot_num=31,wwpn=c050760405f0000b,wwpn_status=0

              Descriptions of selected command attributes:

                   wwpn_status

                        The WWPN status.  Possible values are:

                        0 - WWPN is not activated

                        1 - WWPN is activated

                        2 - WWPN status is unknown

Some related links:

lsnportlogin

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/topic/p7edm/lsnportlogin.html

chnportlogin

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/topic/p7edm/chnportlogin.html

*How to force a vfc-client device to log in to the SAN (The OLD way)!

https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/wikis/display/virtualization/vfclogin

How to Capture SAN Boot Debug for Virtual I/O Server and AIX on P6 Systems

https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg3T1012199

http://unixadmin.free.fr/?p=245

Disk path design for AIX including SAN zoning

http://www-03.ibm.com/support/techdocs/atsmastr.nsf/WebIndex/WP101914