IBM Power: Export ASMI Error and Event Logs

The service processor (FSP) of IBM Power servers records hardware error events, which can be viewed and exported via ASMI (Advanced System Management Interface). This is used when the operating system fails to boot or when hardware errors need to be confirmed.

Open ASMI via HMC and export error logs

1. In HMC (Version 7), expand Systems Management → Servers, select the server, expand Operations, and choose Launch Advanced System Management (ASM).

   

2. Confirm the service processor IP address and click OK.

   

3. Sign in to ASMI with configured credentials. IBM documents admin/admin as a legacy default when it has not been changed.

   

4. Expand System Service Aids on the left and select Error/Event Logs.

   

5. Select all Error logs and click Show details.

   

6. On the details page, press Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+C. Paste into a plain-text file and save all selected event details. Check for additional detail pages. IBM also documents saving the page and associated HTML files, then zipping that directory.

   

Direct connection to ASMI without HMC

The source lists the following default HMC-port addresses for a first service processor on POWER6 and later. Connect a PC on the corresponding subnet and browse to https://<ServiceProcessorIP>. These addresses may have been changed or dynamically assigned.

Port	Default IP
HMC1	169.254.2.147
HMC2	169.254.3.147

IBM notes that some firmware uses zero-configuration link-local networking when DHCP is unavailable. Use control-panel function 30 to determine the actual FSP address. On systems with a second FSP, its documented defaults end in .146 rather than .147.

Common menus in ASMI:

Purpose	Menu Path
View service-processor hardware events; also collect OS device errors	System Service Aids → Error / Event Logs
View disabled CPUs / memory	System Configuration → Hardware Deconfiguration → Processor / Memory Deconfiguration
Modify HMC port IP	Network Services → Network Configuration → Configure this interface (eth0 / eth1)
Turn off alarm lights after fault handling	System Configuration → Service Indicators → System Attention Indicator → Turn off

The source directs disk and PCI adapter diagnosis to the operating system logs. Collect those logs alongside ASMI events; ASMI alone is not a complete record of all device failures. On AIX, use errpt -a; see the AIX log-collection guide.