Using the NIM alt_disk_install operation

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You can use the alt_disk_install operation to install a mksysb image on a client system alternate disk or disks or to clone a client that is running rootvg to an alternate disk.

The alt_disk_install operation (available in AIX 6.1 TL9 or later) can also be used to copy the current root volume group of a VIOS or IVM NIM object to an alternate disk and in addition to update the operating system to the next fix pack level.

The command line syntax for the alt_disk_install mksysb operation is as follows: 
nim -o alt_disk_install -a source=mksysb -a mksysb=mksysb_resource \
 -a disk=target_disk(s) -a attribute=Value.... TargetName |TargetNames
The command line syntax for the alt_disk_install rootvg clone operation is as follows: 
nim -o alt_disk_install -a source=rootvg -a disk=target_disk(s) \
 -a attribute=Value.... TargetName |TargetNames

The target of an alt_disk_install operation can be a standalone NIM client or a group of standalone NIM clients. The clients must also have the bos.alt_disk_install.rte fileset installed.

To display the alternate disk installation status while the installation is progressing, enter the following command on the master: 
lsnim -a info -a Cstate ClientName
OR 
lsnim -l ClientName
The following are required attributes for alt_disk_install mksysb operation:
Item Description
  -a source=mksysb Specifies the type of alt_disk_install to perform.
  -a disk=target_disk(s) Specifies the disks on the client system that the mksysb image will be restored. This disk or these disks must not currently contain any volume group definition. The lspv command should show these disks as belonging to volume group None. If you are specifying more than one disk, the disk names must be enclosed in a set of single quotes; for example, 'hdisk2 hdisk3'.
  -a mksysb=mksysb_resource Specifies the mksysb resource to use.
The following are required attributes for the alt_disk_install rootvg clone operation:
Item Description
  -a source=rootvg Specifies the type of alt_disk_install to perform.
  -a disk=target_disk(s) Specifies the disks on the client system that the mksysb image will be restored. This disk or these disks must not currently contain any volume group definition. The lspv command shows these disks as belonging to volume group None. If you are specifying more than one disk, the disk names must be enclosed in a set of single quotes; for example, 'hdisk2 hdisk3'.

The following are optional attributes that can be specified for both alt_disk_install mksysb and the alt_disk_install rootvg clone operation:

Item Description
  -a concurrent=Value Specifies the maximum number of machines from the selected group that should be installing at any given time. This attribute is only valid when the target of the operation is a machine group. If specified, NIM will monitor the progress of all machines in the group and attempt to keep no more or less than the number specified installing until all machines in the group are installed.
  -a set_bootlist=Value Specifies whether to set the bootlist to point to the new rootvg when the install is complete. Value can be yes or no, where yes is the default value. The next time the system is rebooted, it will boot from the newly installed alternate disk if Value is set to yes.
  -a boot_client=Value Specifies whether to reboot the client when the alt_disk_install operation is completed. Value can be yes or no, where no is the default value. This attribute would normally be set only if the set_bootlist attribute was also set to yes.
  -a debug=Value Specifies whether to print debug (set -x) output from the alt_disk_install script. Value can be yes or no, where no is the default value. This output does not go to the screen, but is saved to the NIM log, /var/adm/ras/nim.alt_disk_install, on the client system. This file can be checked after the alt_disk_install has completed.
  -a force=Value Specifies whether to skip the checks on the target_disks.Value can be yes or no, where no is the default value. When set to yes, the equivalent of the –g flag is passed to the alt_disk_install command.
  -a image_data=Value Specifies the image_data resource to use when creating the new alternate rootvg and its logical volumes and file systems. The new volume group created must be large enough to restore the mksysb image or a copy of the running rootvg. An exclude_files attribute can also be used with an alt_disk_install rootvg clone to specify files or directories that should not be backed up.
  -a phase=Value Specifies the phase to run during this invocation of alt_disk_install. The installation is divided into three phases, and the default is to perform all three phases. The valid values are; 1, 2, 3, 12, 23, or all.
  • 12 - performs phases 1 and 2.
  • 23 - performs phases 2 and 3.
  • all - performs all 3 phases

Refer to the alt_disk_install Command reference for more details on phase execution and operational behavior.
  -a resolv_conf=Value Specifies the resolv_conf resource to use for configuring the domain and name resolution on the client system when the system is rebooted. This is the /etc/resolv_conf file that will be copied into the alternate disk's file system. This may be useful if the mksysb image you are using has a different /etc/resolv_conf file than the one you want the client to retain.
  -a script=Value Specifies the script resource to call at the end of the alt_disk_install operation. This script is called on the running system before the /alt_inst file systems are unmounted, so files can be copied from the running system to the /alt_inst file systems before the reboot. This is the only opportunity to copy or modify files in the alternate file system because the logical volume names will be changed to match those of rootvg, and they will not be accessible until the system is rebooted with the new alternate rootvg.
  -a time_limit=Value, Specifies the maximum number of hours that should elapse before ceasing to initiate installation of additional members of the selected group of machines. This value can only be specified when limiting the number of concurrent operations on a group.
  -a verbose=Value Specifies whether to show files as they are being backed up for a rootvg clone, or to show files as they are being restored for a mksysb install. Value can be yes or no, where no is the default value. The output goes to the alt_disk_install log on the client, /var/adm/ras/alt_disk_inst.log.

The following are optional attributes that can be specified only for the alt_disk_install rootvg clone operation:

Item Description
  -a exclude_files=Value Specifies an exclude_files resource to use to exclude files and directories from the rootvg. Files and directories specified in this file will not be copied to the new cloned rootvg.
  -a filesets=Value Specifies the list of filesets to install into the alternate rootvg after the clone of the rootvg is complete.
  -a fixes=Value Specifies the APARs to install into the alternate rootvg after the clone of the running rootvg. The fixes are in the format "IX123456" or "update_all".
  -a fix_bundle=Value Specifies the fix_bundle resource that lists the APARs to install into the alternate rootvg after the clone of the running rootvg.
  -a installp_bundle=Value Specifies an installp_bundle resource that lists filesets to install into the alternate rootvg after the clone of the running rootvg.
  -a installp_flags=Value Tells installp how to apply the filesets, installp_bundle, fixes, or fix_bundles attributes. The default value is installp_flags=-acgX.