HMC Roles for User IDs

HMC comes with two predefined users: hscroot and root and cannot be deleted. They come with default passwords, but it is strongly recommended that they be changed during HMC setup and configuration. The default passwords are:

Username: hscroot
Password: abc123

Username: root
Password: passw0rd

Note: Make sure you change them!

hscroot & root have all the access to HMC and can manage & modify almost everything in HMC. Logging in as root is disabled. Note that while you will not be using the root password for daily administration, you may need it from time to time when performing problem determination, usually with the assistance of IBM support or product engineering.

Apart from these accounts, additional user IDs should be created on the HMC so that not every user is accessing the system with the same user ID and password, and not necessarily with the same level of authority.

Each HMC user IDs can be a member of a different role. A task role in HMC defines the access level for a user to do tasks on the managed object or group of objects, such as a managed system or logical partition. HMC roles are either predefined or customized. 

When you create an HMC user, you must assign that user a task role. There are 5 system defined task roles:

•hmcsuperadmin - The super administrator acts as the root user, or manager, of the HMC system. The super administrator has unrestricted authority to access and modify most of the HMC system. This should not be confused with user root.

•hmcservicerep - A service representative is generally someone (from IBM) physically at the managed system location to install, configure or repair managed systems.

•hmcoperator - An operator is responsible for daily system operations, but do not have authority to add new users or modify the roles.

•hmcpe - A product engineer assists in support situations (for both the managed system and the HMC), but cannot access HMC user management functions. To provide support with access for your system, you must create and administer user IDs with the product engineer role. PE can additionally shutdown HMC & close virtual terminal windows which service rep can't do.

•hmcviewer - A viewer can view HMC information, but cannot change any configuration information.