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POWERVM - VIOS UPDATE

VIOS update:


1. create backup:
    VIO Operating System (device mappings will be backed up as well?)
    backupios -file /mnt/backup                <--this will create nim_reources.tar file (in this are an mksysb,a spot dir...)
    backupios -file /mnt/backup -mksysb        <--this will create only an mksysb

    For NIM restore these are needed on NIM server:
        -create a resource from the mksysb (smitty nim -> administration -> resources -> define...)
        -create a spot resource from the mksysb (smitty nim -> administration -> resources -> define... -> source will be the mksysb)


    Device Configurations (Logical Devices, Virtual Devices, Device Attributes):
    (On 1.3.2 did not work)
    viosbr -backup -file /mnt/vio/vios1_devicebackup        <--creates a backup
    viosbr -view -file backup_1.tar.gz                      <--view in the backup file   

    (viosbr is needed if we restore to a different server. For the same server, backupios should be enough, as it contains mappings...)
    (For restore: viosbr -restore ....)

    savevgstruct                       <--saves other vgs
    restorevgstruct                    <--resore vgs to empty disk

    Other:
    lsmap -all, lsmap -all -net, lsmap -all -npiv...
    .profile file

2. remove interim fixes:
    # oem_setup_env                     <--from the VIOS command line
    # emgr -P                           <--list installed efix's (by label)
    # emgr -r -L                        <--for each additional efix listed, run to remove


3. do the update (as padmin)
    $ mount remote_machine:directory /mnt    <--mount the remote directory onto the Virtual I/O Server
    $ updateios -commit                      <--commit previous updates, by running the updateios command
    $ updateios -accept -dev /mnt            <--for updates -install is not needed
    ($ updateios -accept -install -dev /mnt  <--this will install new filesets as well)
    $ ioslevel                               <--verify update (it should indicate:ioslevel is now V1.5.2.1-FP-11.1)
    $ shutdown -restart                      <--to load all changes, reboot the VIOS as user padmin


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30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I used alt_root_vg to update the FP. Once alt_vg booted up, could see some filesets are not installed. where unable to su padmin.. any idea what to do...

aix said...

Hi, I think it is not uncommon that filesets are missing after update. We have a separate directory with the missing filesets, where we do another update operation to fix this. However doing a VIOS update with "alt_root_vg" is a new thing to me...I would prefer to do VIOS update the old way, and that method works for us.
Try to do a preview check before installation, or free up that managed system and try to do a usual VIOS update.

Anonymous said...

File-set missing was ios file-set once i installed on altvg, all my Padmin commands are working.why i choose alt_root_vg because updateios does takes long time and updates on current disk.
OS Migration method on alternate disk tried to update VIO's, though it has some issues but it worked.. :)


aix said...

good to know :)

Unknown said...

Hi,

when i run the below backupios command i'm getting error like "tar: 0511-825 The file './6100-00_mksysb' is too large"

backupios -file

i tried running this command as padmin as well as root user, getting the same error.(both root and padmin has fsize as -1)

also i tried using the below switches in the backupios command, still getting the same error.

backupios -nomedialib -nosvg -file /images/vio13

my vio server version is 2.2.1.3.

Please help on this, i'm trying to fix this issue for so many days, but still couldnt..please help.

Unknown said...

correction

when i run the below backupios command i'm getting error like "tar: 0511-825 The file './6100-00_mksysb' is too large"

backupios -file "nim server nfs mount"

aix said...

Hi, please check in Google, tar and file size limit....

Unknown said...

Hi,

file size is limit is set to unlimited (fsize = -1)
i believe tar limitation is 8gb, so whether i cannot backup vio server when mksysb exceeds 8gb?
backupios -file command creates backup image only as tar file, please let me know if i can try any other option to fix this issue.

Anonymous said...

Hi , I have a dumb question about VIO upgrade. I need to upgrade the VIO , so if I do that , then the VIO AIX version will be upgraded as well right? Currently My VIO is in 2.2.1.4 and vio's AIX version 6100-07-04-1216, Now if I eventually upgrade the VIO to the latest , 2.2.3.3 then how do I find out what version of AIX , I will get after? is it going to migrate to AIX 7.1 ? , what if my VIO client are still in AIX 6.1. Do you think this will be a problem ?

aix said...

Hi, at this link (https://www-304.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/flrt/viostable.html) you can see VIOS 2.2.3.3 needs a minimum NIM level of AIX 6.1 TL9 SP3 (so this VIOS version is basically 6100-09-03), so this won't cause problems at client side, only your NIM server should be updated to this level if you want to use NIM functionality.

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot as always, I don't not know what I would do without this blog, can't think of any other blog better this one for AIX

Anonymous said...

Can you help me, how to update the vio using ISO image.

aix said...

You should see the content of the iso image...I would extract the files to a specified dir,after update should be the same.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Thank you very much for this informative blog, i need to upgrade my AIX from 6.1 TL8 SP-03 to 6.2 TL9 SP04, VIOS from 2.2.2.3 to 2.2.3.3, gpfs 3.5.0.11 to 3.5.0.52 or 4.1, please guide how should i proceed? is there any dependency of AIX version on vios or vios on AIX, similarly gpfs on vios & AIX and vice versa.

Thanks,
Jim

Anonymous said...

Correction, its 6.1 TL9 SP04

Jim

Unknown said...

Hi,

mirrorios/mirrorvg - Can we use both the command to mirror rootvg in VIO server? or it is mandatory we need to use only mirrorios command to mirror rootvg in VIO server.

Please suggest.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Is there any way to upgrade VIO servers oslevel to AIX 7.1 or 7.2?

thanks

aix said...

Hello, no. During VIOS update the underlying AIX will be automatically updated to the necessary level. It is not possible or recommended to update AIX separately.

Anonymous said...

Can i update from 2.2.0.12-FP24 SP-02 to 2.2.3.1 directly??

aix said...

yes, you can check in fix central as well:
https://www-945.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/vios/selectFixes?parent=Virtualization%20software&product=ibm/vios/5765G34&release=2.2.0.12&platform=All&function=all

Aix administrator said...

try with..
backupios -file path/filename -mksysb
we also faced same issue, but after using -mksysb problem resolved.

Sharry said...

How to update vio by HMC?

Aix administrator said...

backupios -file path/filename -mksysb

aix said...

thx :)

JMC said...

Hi,
Question. If my NIM server is on same P series as controlled by the VIOS server, when VIO server is crashed NIM server is dead.
What is used for NIM server for restore VIO back? I only have 1 P8 server can host only 1 VIO and LPARs so NIM server is hosted on the same P8 as VIO server. Please let me know your suggestion. Thanks.

aix said...

Hi, in this case probably after you re-installed a new VIO (from USB, DVD or from HMC), you could apply VIO configuration backup . Please look at the man page of "viosbr", and in the root crontab on the VIO an autoviosbr line should be there as well. Please don't forget to save that backup to an external location in case of a VIO crash. (You did not ask, but if your NIM server is crashed, and VIO is running, then you can take an mksysb created from NIM server and change it to ISO format, and then you can load that ISO as a virtual CD assigned to the NIM LPAR and restore your NIM server with that.) Hope this helps.

aix said...

As I know only installation is possible by HMC.

Unknown said...

how to upgrade sp in vios .. just i have to copy sp on vios and run updateios commands ? or updateios /location of vios file

sanjay said...

any article mksysb?

Unknown said...

Please always do when you want a mksysb rootvg-image
> backupios -file path/filename -mksysb

Don't forget the "-mksysb" at last...