[FSM]Re-installing the IBM PureFlex™ System and IBM Flex FSM.

So you have broken the FSM in you IBM Flex or IBM PureFlex™ System, either it won't power on any more, or its just failing to start. In my case after a software update it wouldn't boot up correctly and some how the root user had been corrupted, so this meant that I couldn't get access to the system. Below I'll go through the steps I took to get the software re-installed from the 'recovery' section of the internal disk on the FSM node.

First you need to log into the CMM (Chassis Management Module) in order to reset the FSM node -

Once you've done that You need to look at booting FSM and opening a console, so select the FSM then from the drop down box select 'Launch Compute Node Console' -

This should present a pop-up window which will enable you to launch the remote console to the node -

This will present you with IMM window for the node -

So put in you access credentials such as USERID and the password you have set for this and you should see this screen -

Then from the window above select the 'REMOTE CONTROL' button to control the server -

From here you can select the 'Start remote control in multi-user mode' to bring up the console, which will open you up a window to the server -


From this window you want to interrupt the boot phase to change the boot disk, so if you get your 'Ctrl-Alt-F1' ready from the menus you should see the window below -


You can see that the message '<Ctrl> <Alt> <F1> key pressed' is displayed if you are successful, then your be presented with the 'System Configuration and Boot Management' menu, so select 'Start Options' to get the screen below -


Select Hard Disk 1 to boot of the recovery disk and select 'Full system recovery' as below -

Once you have kicked it off you should see a boot phase similar to this, so you know the boot-up is going well -

After the boot has completed you should be presented with the system Flex recovery menus, of which the license agreement is first -

Select Agree on the menu and move to the next part, the Welcome page and set-up wizard -

So go though and set your, date/time and password, your also need to set-up your networking again, though most of the hard work has been done, in my case I don't need the advanced routing set -

So carry on through the menus, setting up the LAN adapter, Gateway, DNS, and such and once you finish you should see the start-up console. This can take sometime to get through, so go get a tea, or action some other work -

And hopefully once you have completed it all OK you should be presented with a lovely login screen -

After this point you will need to go in and do the rediscovery of the IBM Flex chassis, the various nodes, switches and storage if you have it. Due you different various features of the IBM Flex depending on what you have, I won't be covering that part here.

I recommend taking a look at the many fine Redbooks on the IBM Flex that are available on the IBM Redbooks site, just follow the link and have a search. The 'Implementing Systems Management of IBM PureFlex System' might be a good place to start.