Alt Disk Clone Installation

********************************** Alt_disk_clone Installation :-| ********************************** -alt_disk_copy method to take a copy of your rootvg only requires the time it ta kes to do a reboot to recover your rootvg to the pre-upgrade event. -alt_disk_copy can also be used for testing two different versions of AIX. -alt_disk_copy is often used to clone the rootvg to a spare disk for regular online backup of rootvg. -alt_disk_copy only copies the currently mounted file systems in rootvg. -There is no need to stop processes to execute alt_disk_copy -altinst_rootvg is the cloned non-active/varied off rootvg -The cloned rootvg has all its logical volumes prefixed with the name 'alt'. ****************************************************************************** The alt_disk utilities consist of the following commands: -alt_disk_copy performs disk cloning. -alt_rootvg_op performs maintenance operations on the clone rootvg. -alt_disk_mysysb performs a mksysb copy. ****************************************************************************** The filesets required for the alt commands are: bos.alt_disk_install.boot_images bos.alt_disk_install.rte bos.msg.en_US.alt_disk_install.rte ****************************************************************************** Excluding directories when cloning -When cloning, you can exclude certain directories by creating the file: /etc/ex clude.rootvg. - The entries should start with the ^ /. characters. - I could insert into the /etc/exclude.rootvg file: ^./home/reps ^./opt/installs - Make sure there are no empty lines after the last entry. ******************************************************************************** ****** Pre-checks :------------# lsvg -l rootvg -- > To check if the rootvgis mirrored. # bosboot -a -----> Its good to create a boot image before any rootvg activity ( NA) # lsvg -p rootvg -----> list the disks in rootvg. # unmirrorvg rootvg hdisk1 ---- > Unmirror rootvg ( This demonstration uses hdis k1 to clone rootvg) # reducevg rootvg hdisk1 --- > remove hdisk1 from rootvg. # lspv -----> Confirm that the disk is now not assigned to any volume groups. hdisk0 0041a97b0622ef7f rootvg active hdisk1 00452f0b2b1ec84c None # alt_disk_copy -d hdisk1 --- > to copy rootvg # alt_disk_copy -e /etc/exclude.rootvg -d <hdisk to clone rootvg> (To use an exc lude list, the basic format ) # lspv hdisk0 0041a97b0622ef7f rootvg active hdisk1 00452f0b2b1ec84c altinst_rootvg ( cloned root vg called altinst_rootvg. ) # bootlist -m normal -o ----> check the bootlist hdisk1 blv=hd5 ( the previous output alt_disk_copy has changed the bootlist to boot off the clo ned rootvg, which is now hdisk1.) At this point the ML upgrade can now be installed. After an ML upgrade you will need to reboot the system. For this demonstration, the ML upgrade will be instal led on the real rootvg (that is hdisk0), so you need to change the bootlist now,

because you want the system to come up with the new upgrade running. # bootlist -m normal hdisk0 ---> Change bootlist to hdisk0 # bootlist -m normal -o --------> Check the bootlist Next, install the ML upgrade, then reboot. After rebooting, the system presents the following rootvg and cloned rootvg. As can be seen, no root volume group has been renamed, because we booted off the real rootvg (hdisk0) # lspv hdisk0 0041a97b0622ef7f rootvg active hdisk1 00452f0b2b1ec84c altinst_rootvg let's assume everything has gone OK on the upgrade. The alt_disk_copy can now be destroyed, and the disk brought back into rootvg fo r mirroring. # alt_rootvg_op -X altinst_rootvg --- > Destroy the clone rootvg. # extendvg -f rootvg hdisk1 # mirrorvg rootvg hdisk1 ---> Mirror rootvg # bootlist -m normal -o hdisk0 hdisk1 ---> Change the bootlist to include both d isks and run bosboot # bosboot -a # bootlist -m normal -o ---> check if both disk is visible. ******************************************************************************** ****************** Recovery positions :Take me back ***************************************** # lspv rootvg: with post-upgrade issues. altinst_rootvg : with good copy pre-upgrade. To get back to the pre-upgrade, simply change the bootlist to boot off the (alti nst_rootvg) hdisk1, then reboot. It's that simple # bootlist -m normal -o hdisk1 hdisk1 blv=hd5 # bootlist -m normal -o hdisk1 blv=hd5 # shutdown -Fr # lspv hdisk0 0041a97b0622ef7f old_rootvg hdisk1 00452f0b2b1ec84c rootvg active # bosboot -a bosboot: Boot image is 35803 512 byte blocks. # bootlist -m normal -o hdisk1 blv=hd5