Using iSeries™ Operations Console as a system console to access and administer your iSeries servers.
IBM® facilitates interaction with your servers by providing management consoles that can be accessed through terminals and PCs. The iSeries Operations Console is an installable component of iSeries Access for Windows®. Operations Console allows you access and control the console control panel functions either locally or remotely through one or many PCs facilitating many administrative functions.
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. To enable communications between a server and a PC, Operations Console can use a local area network (LAN) and TCP/IP connections or direct cable attachment. It supports dial-in connections from remote PCs to PCs that are directly attached to servers. These remote PCs can then function as a console allowing for easier server management and access.
Operations Console support is available with V5R2 and later releases of the i5/OS™ operating system. IBM iSeries 270 and 8xx models support only Operations Console as their PC console.
Enhanced authentication and data encryption provide network security for console procedures. Operations Console network connections use a variety of Secured Sockets Layer (SSL), that supports device and user authentication without certificates.
If you plan to use Operations Console to manage 
hardware,
see the Operations
Console information in the IBM Systems eServer™ Hardware
Information Center.