Documentation/misc-devices/ibmvmc.rst

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.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+

======================================================
IBM Virtual Management Channel Kernel Driver (IBMVMC)
======================================================

:Authors:
	Dave Engebretsen <engebret@us.ibm.com>,
	Adam Reznechek <adreznec@linux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	Steven Royer <seroyer@linux.vnet.ibm.com>,
	Bryant G. Ly <bryantly@linux.vnet.ibm.com>,

Introduction
============

Note: Knowledge of virtualization technology is required to understand
this document.

A good reference document would be:

https://openpowerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/LoPAPR_DRAFT_v11_24March2016_cmt1.pdf

The Virtual Management Channel (VMC) is a logical device which provides an
interface between the hypervisor and a management partition. This interface
is like a message passing interface. This management partition is intended
to provide an alternative to systems that use a Hardware Management
Console (HMC) - based system management.

The primary hardware management solution that is developed by IBM relies
on an appliance server named the Hardware Management Console (HMC),
packaged as an external tower or rack-mounted personal computer. In a
Power Systems environment, a single HMC can manage multiple POWER
processor-based systems.

Management Application
----------------------

In the management partition, a management application exists which enables
a system administrator to configure the system’s partitioning
characteristics via a command line interface (CLI) or Representational
State Transfer Application (REST API's).

The management application runs on a Linux logical partition on a
POWER8 or newer processor-based server that is virtualized by PowerVM.
System configuration, maintenance, and control functions which
traditionally require an HMC can be implemented in the management
application using a combination of HMC to hypervisor interfaces and
existing operating system methods. This tool provides a subset of the
functions implemented by the HMC and enables basic partition configuration.
The set of HMC to hypervisor messages supported by the management
application component are passed to the hypervisor over a VMC interface,
which is defined below.

The VMC enables the management partition to provide basic partitioning
functions:

- Logical Partitioning Configuration
- Start, and stop actions for individual partitions
- Display of partition status
- Management of virtual Ethernet
- Management of virtual Storage
- Basic system management

Virtual Management Channel (VMC)
--------------------------------

A logical device, called the Virtual Management Channel (VMC), is defined
for communicating between the management application and the hypervisor. It
basically creates the pipes that enable virtualization management
software. This device is presented to a designated management partition as

Annotation

Implementation Notes