Author Archives: AIX Museum

Choosing the Right IBM HMC Software Version for Your POWER Hardware

Posted on 2024-03-11 by AIX Museum

The IBM Hardware Management Console is used for, as the name implies, managing the hardware of IBM systems, including IBM AS/400, IBM System p, IBM System z, and IBM Power Systems. As this is the AIX Museum, we are primarily focused on the … Continue reading →

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IBM System x3550 M4 CPU Upgrade – Again!

Posted on 2023-06-30 by AIX Museum

Back in mid 2019, I picked up an IBM x3550 M4 7914 to use as a VMware host in my home lab. While it didn’t technically have the ‘worst’ Sandy Bridge based CPU ever made (which the E5-2603 v1 SR0LB … Continue reading →

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Installing BeOS on a Power Macintosh 8600

Posted on 2022-11-17 by AIX Museum

Author’s Note 2022-11-17 – I originally wrote this article January 21, 2020 and posted it in an image album on Imgur. I’m attempting to consolidate and duplicate my posts and content here, on my own site. I have updated the … Continue reading →

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Sun Blade 150 Firmware Update

Posted on 2022-11-15 by AIX Museum

As part of my adventure in fixing the Sun Blade 150’s NVRAM battery failure, I also updated the system firmware to v4.17.1. The update wasn’t strictly necessary, as it didn’t address any immediate issues I had, and it certainly didn’t … Continue reading →

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IBM DS3512 Drive Firmware Updates

Posted on 2022-06-14 by AIX Museum

Recently the museum was able to pick up a few new goodies for the DS3512 storage array, two EXP3512 (1746-E2A) expansion shelves, and 12x 3TB 81Y9878 disks. The disks were purchased separate from the expansion shelves – clearly a vendor … Continue reading →

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Quieting an Avocent MPU108e KVM

Posted on 2022-01-14 by AIX Museum

I recently moved to a new home, and my home lab situation has changed dramatically. No longer does the ‘work from home’ office and the home lab share the same space, and where previously both were in the basement, now … Continue reading →

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Resetting a Used IBM DS3400 Storage Array

Posted on 2021-07-08 by AIX Museum

Introduction I recently picked up a used IBM TotalStorage DS3400 storage array.  The 3400 was part of the IBM TotalStorage DS3000 series of entry level storage systems, of which there were three models in total – the 3200 which was … Continue reading →

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Upgrading the CPUs in an IBM System x3550 M4

Posted on 2021-04-07 by AIX Museum

Back in 2019, I needed a VMware host to replace my ancient HP Proliant ML350 G5. Something relatively modern, with room to expand. I also wanted something rack mount, as opposed to the ML350 tower format. After watching a few … Continue reading →

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240V For the Home Lab

Posted on 2021-01-22 by AIX Museum

Author’s Note – let me begin this article by saying that I am not an electrician. I’m not an expert. I don’t recommend that anyone take what I have said here as instruction, advice, recommendation, or even truth. This is … Continue reading →

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