the system can be powered on after all of the following steps are completed:

    1 all i/o drawer cables are connected

    2 base system cables are connected

    3 all pci cables to supported subsystems are connected

    4 the hardware management console (hmc) is connected, if required

    5 power is connected to the system

    after the required cables are installed, and the power cables are connected, the hmc user interface provides a power-on function to turn on the power to the system. the power button on the operator panel can be pushed to initialize the system but the preferred method is to use the hmc if booting logical partitions. progress indicators, also referred to as checkpoints, are visible on the operator panel display as the system power is turned on. the power led on the base system stops blinking and stays on, indicating the system power is on.

    the base system and i/o subsystems are powered on through the system power control network (spcn). when power is applied, the power leds on the base system go from blinking to on continuously, and the power leds on the i/o subsystem(s) come on and stay on. this indicates that power levels are satisfactory in the subsystems.

    powering the system off

    the hmc user interface provides a power-off function to turn off the power to the system.

    also, if the system is operating in a full system partition under aix, typing the shutdown command causes the system to shut down and power off. the -f flag shuts down the system without warning system users. check with the system administrator before using this command. if you cannot use this method, you can power off the system by pressing the power button on the media subsystem operator panel.

    using the power button on the operator panel to power off the system can cause unpredictable results in the data files, and the next ipl will take longer to complete.