A network server description (NWSD) is used to give a name to the configuration, provide an interface for starting and stopping a Linux partition, and provide a link between Linux and its virtual disks.
Before you create an NWSD for a logical partition, you should understand each parameter description. See Create a network server description and a network server storage space for more information.
The following table will describe each parameter value and how each parameter is used when running a logical partition.
| Prompt | Parameter | Parameter description |
|---|---|---|
| Network server description | NWSD | Specifies the name that you give the network server description. It is recommended to use the same name as your partition. You can create multiple NEWS that point to the same partition, however only one NWSD can be active for a partition at a time. |
| Resource name | RESCUE | Specifies the resource name that identifies the hardware that the description represents. This option does not apply to a *GUEST partition. |
| Network server type | TYPE | Specifies which type of network description to create. |
| Online at IPL | ONLINE | Specifies whether this object is automatically varied on at initial program load (IPL). |
| Vary on wait | VRYWAIT | Specifies whether the network server description is varied on asynchronously or synchronously. For a synchronous vary on, specifies how long the server waits for the vary on to complete. |
| Partition | PARTITION | Specifies the name of the partition given during the configuration of a logical partition. If you provide the incorrect name of a partition here, it will not be detected until you vary on the NWSD. |
| Code page | CODEPAGE | Specifies the ASCII code page represents the character set Linux uses and that i5/OS® assumes the Linux console is using. |
| TCP/IP port configuration | TCPPORTCFG | Specifies the setting the TCP/IP information does not cause any configuration to occur on i5/OS. All information entered here is made available to Linux in the /proc/iSeries/config file. This information can be used by Linux to automatically configure TCP/IP information. There is a feature that prevents the TCP/IP route configuration from showing up on the CRTNWSD screen. Select option F9 to make the configuration options appear. |
| TCP/IP route | TCPRTE | Allows the user to identify routes to remote destination servers or networks to TCP/IP configuration for the network server. A route specification has three elements, the route destination, the subnet mask, and the next hop internet address. Up to 24 route specifications can be entered. |
| TCP/IP host name | TCPHOSTNAM | Specifies the short form of the host name to be associated
with the network server. The host name can be a text string having 2 through
63 characters. The following characters are allowed in host names:
|
| TCP/IP domain server | TCPDMNNAME | Specifies the local domain name associated with the
network server. A domain name can be a text string having 2 to 255 characters.
Domain names consist of one or more labels separated by periods. Each label
can contain up to 63 characters. The following characters are allowed in domain
names:
|
| TCP/IP name server | TCPNAMESRV | Specifies the internet address of the name server that is used by the network server. Typically, this is the same value as it is for the iSeries™ server. |
| Restricted device list | RSTDDEVRSC | Specifies a logical partition running Linux has access to all optical and tape devices in the server. To restrict Linux from using any of these devices, use this feature. |
| Synchronize date and time | SYNCTIME | Specifies whether the iSeries should synchronize the network server date and time with the iSeries server date and time. As with the TCP/IP configuration, this parameter is just reflected in the /proc/iSeries/config file. |
| IPL source | IPLSRC | Specifies where the Linux kernel will be loaded from. |
| IPL stream file | IPLSTMF | Specifies the path to the Linux kernel. The user running the vary on command must have read access to the file and the path leading to the file. |
| IPL parameters | IPLPARM | Specifies a string of characters that will be passed to the Linux kernel at start time. It consists of commands or configuration information for the kernel. |
| Authority | AUT | The server determines authority for the object using the value specified for the create authority prompt for the library in which the object is created. |
| Text | TEXT | The text that briefly describes the network server. The text description must be no more than 50 characters and enclosed in apostrophes. |