Verify available communications port

Make sure that you have an available communications port for your Operations Console configuration.

For the configuration wizard to configure Operations Console successfully, you need to verify that you have an available communications port. You will need a connector for a communications interface such as a serial port. Operations Console supports serial COM ports 1-9 and LPT port 1. One COM port is required for system console support and one LPT port is required for remote control panel support.

Note: Operations Console does not use any embedded serial ports located on the servers.

To check that you have an available communication port, check the documentation for your PC or with the PC manufacturer to verify you have the necessary communications port or ports. When you configure Operations Console, the wizard will search for a port for the console.

The use of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) to serial port adapter support has been added to Operations Console. The adapter will be placed at the PC end of the console serial cable and connect to the PC's USB port. When installing the USB adapter follow the manufacturer's instructions, the operating system will assign a serial port to that adapter, COM 4, for example. This adapter will be used exclusively for the console. As above, Operations Console supports serial COM ports 1-9.

Any adapter should work but IBM^® can not guarantee every adapter to work correctly in every PC environment. Should a failure occur, you can contact the manufacturer of the adapter, the manufacturer of the PC, your hardware service provider, or you can try another adapter.

Restrictions on use

The adapter must plug directly into a USB connector on the PC. Neither the use of a USB hub to share connections nor the use of USB extension cables is supported, however these devices may function correctly in some situations.