• Skytap overview
  • Skytap features by region
  • Skytap service limits
• Access requirements
• Creating environments
  • Creating an environment from a template
    • Skytap public templates
      • Ansible dynamic inventory
      • Configuring an Ubuntu Server VM created from a Skytap public template
  • Copying environments
  • Copying environments with running VMs (live clone)
    • Quiescing VM activity
  • Building a VM from an ISO
• Importing VMs into Skytap
  • Preparing Power LPARs for import into Skytap
  • Preparing x86 VMs and vApps for import
    • Creating MD5 hash values for VM imports
  • Importing VMs using the VM Imports page
    • Retrying a failed import
  • Importing Power LPARs into Skytap
    • Importing IBM i workloads into Skytap using NIS
    • Importing IBM i workloads into Skytap using IBM Cloud Storage Solutions for i (ICC)
    • Importing IBM i workloads into Skytap using direct transfer
    • Creating a Skytap AIX VM from a mksysb image
    • Creating a mksysb from an AIX VM in Skytap
    • Downloading IBM-hosted AIX VMs and importing them into Skytap
    • Additional ways to import Power LPARs into Skytap
  • Testing imported VMs
  • Resolving import errors
• Running and stopping VMs
• Accessing VMs
  • Accessing VM desktops from a browser
    • Testing access requirements with Connectivity Checker
    • Using audio with a VM
      • Troubleshooting VM audio
    • Using an SSH connection in a browser client session
    • Copy and paste text between the local machine and a VM
    • Insert text into a Power VM
    • Keyboard shortcuts for browser client views
    • Improving browser client performance
    • Optional URL parameters for sharing an SRA browser client view
  • Accessing VMs with RDP
• Transferring files to a VM
  • Adding and sharing files with the Assets page
  • Using ISO files
  • Using ISO files with an AIX LPAR
  • Using Skytap public assets
• Editing environments and networks
  • Adding VMs to an environment
  • Multi-attach storage for Power VM environments
  • Locking environments
  • Editing VMs
    • VM hardware and guest OS settings
      • Editing vCPUs and RAM for x86 VMs
      • Editing VM vCPUs and RAM for Power VMs
      • Enabling nested virtualization
      • Upgrading VM hardware versions
      • Using an international keyboard layout with a VM
      • Editing VM BIOS clock sync settings
      • Adding or extending a virtual disk
      • Deleting a virtual disk
      • Enabling audio for a VM
      • Enabling SSH on a VM for use in SRA browser client sessions
      • IBM i default license program packages (LPPs)
      • IBM i optional license program packages (LPPs)
      • Overview of Precisely Assure MIMIX™ Software on Skytap VMs
      • Precisely Assure MIMIX™ Software pre-installation test
      • Installing Precisely Assure MIMIX™ Software on Skytap VMs
      • Upgrading Assure MIMIX™ Software version 10.0.20.00 and newer on Skytap VMs
      • Upgrading Assure MIMIX™ Software version 10.0.19.00 and older on Skytap VMs
    • VM network settings
      • Attaching VMs to networks
      • Adding secondary IP addresses
      • Editing VM MAC address
      • Editing VM hostname or primary IP address
      • Enabling promiscuous mode
      • Using static IP addresses
      • Ensuring unique hostnames for Windows VMs
    • Storing VM credentials
    • Licensing the guest OS
    • Installing and upgrading VMware Tools - Linux
    • Installing and upgrading VMware Tools - Windows
    • Improving operating system or application performance within the VM
  • Adding containers and container hosts
    • Getting started with containers
    • About the container host
    • Creating a container host
      • Enable IP address forwarding for a container host
    • Adding containers to a container host
    • Managing individual containers
    • Containers: Known issues
    • Troubleshooting the VM Agent
  • Managing networks
    • Network overview
      • Default host-naming behavior
      • What is the difference between automatic and manual networks?
    • Viewing the network topology for an environment
    • Using multiple networks in an environment
      • Creating an automatic network
      • Creating a manual network
      • Routing between networks in the same environment
      • Avoiding restricted subnets and IP addresses
    • Networking between environments
      • Using NAT to avoid IP address conflicts
    • Editing an automatic network
      • Editing the network NAT subnet
    • Connecting an environment network to a VPN or Private Network Connection
    • Manually configuring domain name servers
    • Exposing and blocking public Internet access to VMs
      • Accessing VMs with published services
        • Adding published services
        • Connecting to a published service
        • Troubleshooting my connection to a published service
        • Removing a published service
        • Example - Accessing VMs with RDP
        • Example - Accessing VMs with SSH
      • Using public IP addresses
        • Attaching a static public IP address to a VM
        • Adding a managed DNS name and public IP address to a VM
        • Editing a managed VM DNS name
        • How does Skytap generate the VM DNS name?
        • Detaching a static public IP address or DNS name from a VM
        • What is the difference between static public IPs and dynamic public IPs with DNS?
        • Troubleshooting issues connecting to a public IP address or Skytap-managed DNS name
      • Issue - I can’t access the public Internet from my VM.
    • Deleting a network
  • Moving a VM to a different environment
  • Deleting VMs
• Sharing VMs and environments with sharing portals
  • Creating a sharing portal
    • Overview of sharing portal options
    • How to create custom HTML content for a sharing portal
    • Custom content tab – starter templates
    • Custom content tab - allowed HTML
  • Using a VM or environment from a sharing portal URL
  • Finding and sharing the URL for a sharing portal
  • Exporting sharing portal information and URLs
  • Disabling or deleting a sharing portal
• Sharing resources with projects
  • Creating and deleting projects
  • Adding and removing environments
  • Adding and removing templates
  • Adding and removing assets
  • Adding and removing users
  • Adding and removing groups
  • Understanding project roles
  • Finding project resources
• Adding a shared template to your account
• Saving an environment as a template
  • Copying a template
  • Deleting templates
• Understanding regions
  • Changing your default region
  • Copying an environment to another region
  • Copying a template to another region
  • What to expect when you copy an environment or template
• Managing your account settings
  • Changing your marketing email preferences
  • Changing your password
  • Changing your user account time zone
  • Finding your primary administrator
  • Finding your Skytap user role
  • Finding your user name and API token
  • Resetting your API token
• Viewing your current usage and usage limits
  • Viewing recent activity for an environment
• Best practices
  • Automating VMs and environments
    • Automatically suspend or shut down inactive environments
      • Sending keep-alive messages from a VM
      • Troubleshooting automatic shutdown
    • Automating actions with schedules
      • Adding a new schedule to an environment or template
      • Editing an existing schedule
      • Deleting a schedule
    • Controlling the order of VM startup with VM sequencing
    • Accessing the VM metadata service
  • CI/CD reference architectures
    • Jenkins build farm
    • Functional test environments
    • Systems integration test environments
  • IBM i Data Protection and Resiliency Solutions
    • IBM i backup and restore
    • IBM i disaster recovery and high availability
  • Creating recovery copies of VMs and environments
  • Disaster recovery reference architectures
    • On-premises data center to Skytap – cold recovery
    • On-premises data center to Skytap – warm recovery
    • Skytap region-to-region – cold recovery
    • Skytap region-to-region – warm recovery
  • Monitoring your usage with email notifications
  • Organizing resources with labels and tags
    • Adding and removing labels for environments
    • Adding and removing labels for templates
    • Adding and removing labels for VMs and other resources
    • Adding and removing tags for environments
    • Adding and removing tags for templates
    • Error messages for tags and labels
  • Security best practices
  • Using Skytap for demos
  • Using Skytap for training classes
    • Choosing an environment architecture and remote connection method
    • Creating class lab environments
    • Best practices for preparing student VMs
    • Preparing for and delivering a training class
• Knowledge base
  • Skytap security improvements: Deprecation and end of life (EOL) notices
  • How to add notes to VMs, environments, templates, and assets
  • How to change the name of a VM
  • How to change the name or description of an environment
  • How to check VM hardware version
  • How to connect to a VM from an iPad or iPhone
  • How to connect to Skytap using a private WAN connection
  • How to delete environments
  • How to export a list of environments, templates, or assets
  • How to export VMs
  • How to find the ID for a VM, VPN, environment, or template
  • How to find the Instance URL for a Skytap on Azure account
  • How to find the IP addresses for a VM
  • How to find the network gateway IP address
  • How to find your user name and API security token
  • How to generate an API security token for your account
  • Guide to the Dashboard
  • Protecting a VM that is exposed to the internet or compromised
  • Time zones and UTC offsets
  • Understanding storage in Skytap
  • Using search
  • Using Windows in Skytap
    • Fixing duplicate SID errors for Windows networking
    • Managing Windows hostnames with Skytap Helper
    • Resolving prompts to reactivate a Windows license
    • Running a Windows domain
  • Using Power VMs in Skytap
    • Differences between Power and x86 VMs
    • IBM i FAQ
    • Viewing system reference codes for an IBM i VM in Skytap
    • Applying PTFs to an IBM i VM in Skytap
    • Manually refreshing IBM i licenses
    • Refreshing IBM i licenses with LICKEY
    • Booting an AIX VM into maintenance mode
    • Configuring TCP/IP network settings for an AIX VM
    • Connecting to an AIX VM with X Windows
    • Importing Power VMs into Skytap
    • Known issues for Power VMs in Skytap
    • Preserving AIX disk numbering with ghostdev
    • Overview of Assure MIMIX™ Software
  • Editing VMs outside of Skytap
    • Compressing VMX files to OVA for import
    • Converting a physical machine to a VM
    • Converting non-VMware-based VMs for import
    • Converting OVF files to VMX for use with VMware Converter
  • Troubleshooting connections to a Skytap VM from a Windows 10 computer?
• Troubleshooting

Applying PTFs to an IBM i VM in Skytap

IBM releases periodically release many types of fixes or PTFs. Skytap regularly updates public templates with the following:

• High-impact pervasive (HIPER) PTF
• Cumulative PTF Packages
• Technical Refresh

PTFs required for IBM i licensing

IBM i VMs must have the following PTFs applied for IBM i license installation to succeed:

• IBM i 7.2 – SI71091
• IBM i 7.3 – SI69686, MF99207
• IBM i 7.4 – SI70544, MF99301

Request PTFs electronically using SNDPTFORD

This is the simplest and most reliable method to download and apply PTFs onto Skytap LPARs.

To order a cumulative PTF package with the SNDPTFORD command

1. Type either SNDPTFORD *CUMPKG or SNDPTFORD SF99VRM, where VRM is the version, release, and modification level of your licensed program. For example, for version 7 release 2 modification 0, type SNDPTFORD SF99720.
2. Verify the shipping information on the Verify Contact Information display, and then press Enter.

3. Select option 1 (Send service request now) on the Select Reporting Option page to place the fix order.

   For more information about ordering PTFs see Ordering fixes

To install a cumulative PTF package from a physical or virtual device

Read the installation instructions thoroughly and follow the instructions contained in it.

1. Type GO PTF from any command line.

2. Select option 8 (Install program temporary fix package) and press Enter. The Install Options for Program Temporary Fixes page displays.

   1. For the DEVICE option, choose *SERVICE.
   2. If you want to automatically IPL your system after loading the fixes, type Y (Yes) in the Automatic IPL field.
   3. If you are not using an image catalog and have additional fixes to install at this time, type 2 (Multiple PTF volume sets) in the Prompt for media field, and install the additional fixes.
   4. Type Y for Other options. The Other Install Options page displays.
   5. Type 1 for Apply Type.
   6. Type 1 for the PTF type.