IBM i FAQ
Account settings
Enabling IBM i
Q: How do I enable IBM i for my account?
A: Administrators can enable or disable IBM i for all users in your account. For details, see Managing account-wide settings, Features.
Usage
Q: Can I see how many IBM i VMs are in my account?
A: Administrators can see all environments that contain IBM i VMs and all templates that contain IBM i VMs.
Virtual Hardware
CPU
Q: How many virtual CPUs can I allocate to a single IBM i LPAR?
A: Generally, a Skytap IBM i LPAR can support up to four (4) vCPUs. See Skytap service limits for CPU and RAM limits for each region.
Q: How much CPW can I allocate to a single Skytap IBM i LPAR?
A: A Skytap IBM i VM can have between 530 and 42,472 CPW, depending on the number of vCPUs allocated to the VM. See Editing VM CPUs and RAM for instructions about configuring CPW for an IBM i VM.
RAM
Q: How much RAM can I allocate to a single Skytap IBM i VM?
A: The maximum RAM for a Skytap IBM i VM is 512 GB. See Skytap service limits for CPU and RAM limits for each region.
Storage
Q: How much storage can I allocate to a single Skytap IBM i VM?
A: See Skytap service limits for storage limits for different regions.
Q: How many LUNs can a single Skytap IBM i VM have?
A: By default, a single Skytap IBM i VM can address up to 16 LUNs. If you need to address additional LUNs, contact Skytap Support.
Networking
Q: How do I enable remote access via telnet for QSECOFR?
A: To enable telnet for QSECOFR:
- Type STRTCPSVR *TELNET.
- Type WRKSYSVAL.
- Select QLMTSECOFR and choose option 2.
- Change Limit device access to 0.
- Select QAUTOVRT.
- Change the number of devices to 5.
Q: How do I enable access to the 5770XW1 IBM i Access Family package for additional users?
A: To enable access for additional users:
- Sign into the LPAR as QSECOFR.
- Type WRKLICINF.
- Select 5770XW1 - V7 and choose option 2.
- Change Usage Limit to NOMAX.
- Press Enter twice to save, and then type G to accept the changes.
Q: My DST/SST password has expired. How do I change it?
A: You can change an expired DST/SST password by restarting the LPAR in DST mode from the Skytap Hardware Settings page, or follow these steps:
- Type WRKSYSVAL QIPLTYPE and choose option 2.
- Choose option 1: Attended IPL with dedicated service tools and accept the changes.
- Type CHGDSTPWD *DEFAULT.
- Type PWRDWNSYS *IMMED RESTART(*YES) to restart the LPAR in DST mode.
- Change the password for service tools.
- Select DST option 6, and then choose option 1: Exit DST on IPL.
- Close option 1 to perform IPL.
- Type WRKSYSVAL QIPLTYPE and set to 0 - Unattended.
Other hardware
Q: Does Skytap support hardware encryption cards?
A: Skytap doesn’t support hardware encryption cards. One possible solution is to use software encryption, such as ACSP, though this might require changes to your software architecture. https://www.ibm.com/security/key-management/acsp.
Regions
Q: What regions can I use IBM i VMs in Skytap?
A: For a list of regions enabled for IBM i, see Skytap service limits.
OS Versions
Q: What IBM i versions does Skytap support.
A: For a list of IBM i supported versions, see Supported operating systems for Skytap VMs
Licensing
OS Licensing
Q: How do I activate IBM i licenses for a Skytap IBM i VM?
A: Every Skytap IBM i template comes pre-licensed with the following packages:
- IBM i OS License
- LPP Packages (See IBM i default license program packages (LPPs))
- Cloud Storage Solutions for i.
Optional license:
- PowerHA Enterprise Edition
Other licensing
Q: How do I license IBM MQ or other IBM software to work on Skytap?
A: You can license IBM software purchased through Passport Advantage for use on Skytap. This is documented in the service description for IBM Cloud on Skytap Solutions (ICSS), section 5. Deploying Eligible IBM Software.
Third-party licensing
Q: How does Skytap handle third-party licenses—particularly licenses that are tied to hardware serial numbers?
A: Skytap currently offers only IBM i licensing. All other licenses require coordination with third-party ISVs. Please contact Skytap Support for questions about third-party software licensing.
Customer-owned licenses
Q: Can I bring my own perpetual IBM i license from my on-premises data center for use in Skytap?
A: Skytap doesn’t support the use of customer on-premises data center licenses.
Common workloads in Skytap
Q: What are the common IBM i workloads available in Skytap?
A: The following workloads are supported in Skytap:
- Dev/Test
- Production
-
Disaster Recovery There are three DR options:
- On-premises to Skytap
- Skytap region to another Skytap region
- Skytap to third-party cloud provider
-
PowerHA
- PowerHA is available on Skytap as an optional license package.
Skytap account information
New accounts
Q: How long does it take to provision a new account?
A: The Skytap SLA to provision a new account is within 48 hours.
Availability
Q: What is Skytap’s availability guarantee?
A: Skytap’s availability is 99.95%