Accessing recovery tools from the PowerVM NovaLink installer

The PowerVM® NovaLink installer contains tools that you can use to recover from a part failure or from a managed system failure. To access the tools, start the PowerVM NovaLink installer.

To access recovery tools from the PowerVM NovaLink installer, you must locate a Linux PC or notebook to use as a console. You also need an Ethernet cable to connect the PC or notebook to the managed system.

To access recovery tools from the PowerVM NovaLink installer, complete the following steps:

  1. Access the ASMI by using the PC or notebook. For information about how to connect to ASMI, see Accessing the ASMI using a PC or notebook and web browser.
  2. Power off the system by clicking Power/Restart Control > Power On/Off System.
  3. Click Power/Restart Control > Power On/Off System, change AIX/Linux partition mode boot to Boot to SMS menu, and click Save settings.
  4. Enter the following commands on the command line of the Linux PC or notebook, where ip_add is the IP address that you used to connect to the ASMI and password is your ASMI password: 
    ipmitool -I lanplus -H ip_add -P password chassis power on
ipmitool -I lanplus -H ip_add -P password sol activate
  5. Select the boot device by using the SMS menu. You can select either a USB drive or a netboot server as the boot device. To select the boot device, complete the steps for the type of boot device that you are using.
    Boot device type Steps
    USB drive
    1. At the Boot selection window, enter 1 to select the SMS Menu.
    2. Enter 2 to continue with password entry. Enter admin.
    3. From the main menu, enter 5 to select boot options.
    4. Enter 1 to select the install/boot device.
    5. Enter 7 to view a list of all boot devices, and then enter the number that corresponds to the USB drive.
    6. Enter 2 to perform a normal mode boot, and then enter 1 to exit the SMS menu and to start the boot process.
    Netboot server
    1. At the Boot selection window, enter 1 to select the SMS Menu.
    2. Enter 2 to continue with password entry. Enter admin.
    3. From the main menu, enter 2 to set up the remote IPL.
    4. Enter the number that corresponds to the Ethernet adapter that you want to use.
    5. Enter the number for IPv4 IP addresses.
    6. Enter the number for BOOTP as your network service.
    7. Enter 1 for IP parameters.
    8. Set the IP parameters:
      • Client IP Address is the IP address that you set for the managed system in the /etc/bootptab file on the netboot server.
      • Server IP Address is the IP address of the netboot server.
      • Gateway IP Address is the gateway IP address that you set for the managed system in the /etc/bootptab file on the netboot server.
      • Subnet Mask is the subnet mask that you set for the managed system in the /etc/bootptab file on the netboot server.
    9. Press ESC, enter 3 for ping test, enter 1 for execute ping test, and verify that the netboot server is reachable.
    10. Enter M to return to the main menu.
    11. From the main menu, enter 5 to select boot options.
    12. Enter 1 to select the install/boot device.
    13. Select Network, and then select the network card you configured.
    14. Enter 2 to perform a normal mode boot, and then enter 1 to exit the SMS menu and to start the boot process.
  6. At the GNU GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB) screen, select the PowerVM NovaLink Install/Repair option, and then select the rescue mode option.
After you are in rescue mode, you can use the pvmctl command to manage virtualization on the managed system.
Parent topic: Recovering the PowerVM NovaLink partition


Last updated: Fri, December 06, 2019