= AIX VIOS = **Summary**: ALthough AIX is by now on version 7.3 I find these old pages so fascinating I decided to keep them. On this page I'll show you how to install a VIOS server on a blade and what post-installation steps should or could be taken. This page is for AIX 5.3 and AIX 6.1.\\ **Date**: Between 2010-2013 \\ **Refactor**: 21 December 2024: Checked formatting. \\ {{tag>aix}} == Installation == This installation is done by CDROM on a blade. After starting up you'll see the first screen: [{{aixvios01.jpg}}] \\ Press F1 and continue to the next screen: [{{aixvios02.jpg}}] \\ Press 1 to have English during install and continue to the next screen: [{{aixvios03.jpg}}] \\ Press 2 to see the installation options: [{{aixvios04.jpg}}] \\ If you press now you'll start the installation right away: [{{aixvios05.jpg}}] \\ == Post-Installation == You have to login using the account padmin. After login you'll have to change the password immediately. After that you'll have to do a couple of things to get everything started: * Accept the license * Configure tcpip * Configure date and time === The license == You can accept the licence with this command: license -accept === TCP/IP === You can configure tcpip with this command: mktcpip -hostname vios -inetaddr 10.10.10.10 -interface en0 -netmask 255.255.0.0 -gateway 10.10.10.1 -nsrvaddr 10.10.10.100 -nsrvdomain company.local -start Explanation: * interface * The network card you want to configure. You need this option in cas eyou have multiple networkcards * nsrv * name server / dns server * start * Start the network card after configuration === Date and Time === All previous steps and also this one can also be performed using the cfgassist tool. Enter this command: cfgassist And you'll see this screen: [{{aixvios06.jpg}}] \\ Select "Set Date and TimeZone" and answer the questions about the timezone. Afterwards you can set the time and date: [{{aixvios07.jpg}}] \\ == What you should know about VIOS == === Login === There is no root account on a vios, the admin account is called padmin. === IVM === When the VIOS gets installed it tries to detect a HMC. If it does not detect one, IVM gets automatically installed. IVM stands for Integrated Virtualization Manager and is accessible through a web interface (port 80) on the same IP-address you configured the VIOS on. It provides most (but not all) of the functionality your HMC would normally. See, for example this [[aixivmlpar|page]] on how to create a LPAR in IVM. === Commandline === Before going on there is something you should know about the command line in VIOS. After you log in as padmin you'll work in a restricted shell. In this shell there are only a few commands you can perform, there's no way to change directories and most commands have changed names. You can become root so these restrictions do not apply anymore: login as: padmin padmin@10.10.10.10's password: Last login: Wed Mar 11 08:01:15 CDT 2009 on /dev/lft0 from localhost $ $ oem_setup_env # As you can see, after entering "oem_setup_env" the prompt also changes. That's an easy way to remember you're root. You can exit this mode by typing "exit". Small overview of commands: |AIX |VIOS |Comment | |cfgmgr |cfgdev |Discover new devices | == VIOS update === [[http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/virtualization/home.html|VIOS updates download site]] When updating VIOS you should always follow the directions from the specific update/fix. These can change between fixes. Here is just an overview of some basic commands: * ioslevel * Gives you the level of the current installed VIOS. * updateios -commit * Commits previous updates and should be done prior to installing new updates * shutdown -restart * Will restart the VIOS server, and is necessary after updates. == VIOS IVM ISO library == The VIOS IVM has the possibility to create an ISO library, so you can directly attach ISOs to a partition. To create one, follow these steps: * Go to "View/Modify Virtual Storage" and click on the "Optical Devices" tab. * Create a Virtual Library on a volume group that still has enough unassigned PPs left. * After creation, click on "Add Media" to add an ISO to the library: [{{aixviosiso01.jpg}}] \\ Because of the speed of the physical CD/DVD player in the bladecenter this can take some time: [{{aixviosiso02.jpg}}] \\ The entire creation took just over 2 hours, for a DVD of 3.6 GB. You can check the progress in the "View/Modify Virtual Storage": [{{aixviosiso03.jpg}}] \\ As you can see, the process is now 1.8 GB far, and it will update this value if you press the "refresh" button (circled in red). === Filesystem === The ISO library get created as a filesystem: $ df -m Filesystem MB blocks Free %Used Iused %Iused Mounted on /dev/hd4 192.00 174.03 10% 2055 5% / /dev/hd2 3776.00 277.93 93% 82360 55% /usr /dev/hd9var 576.00 496.54 14% 494 1% /var /dev/hd3 2496.00 2489.92 1% 48 1% /tmp /dev/fwdump 1088.00 892.10 19% 7 1% /var/adm/ras/platform /dev/hd1 10240.00 10225.46 1% 45 1% /home /proc - - - - - /proc /dev/hd10opt 960.00 266.77 73% 11212 16% /opt /dev/VMLibrary_LV 10208.00 5796.47 44% 6 1% /var/vio/VMLibrary $ lslv VMLibrary_LV LOGICAL VOLUME: VMLibrary_LV VOLUME GROUP: isovg LV IDENTIFIER: 000153ba0000d400000001223c42fb0a.1 PERMISSION: read/write VG STATE: active/complete LV STATE: opened/syncd TYPE: jfs2 WRITE VERIFY: off MAX LPs: 32512 PP SIZE: 16 megabyte(s) COPIES: 1 SCHED POLICY: parallel LPs: 638 PPs: 638 STALE PPs: 0 BB POLICY: non-relocatable INTER-POLICY: minimum RELOCATABLE: yes INTRA-POLICY: middle UPPER BOUND: 32 MOUNT POINT: /var/vio/VMLibrary LABEL: /var/vio/VMLibrary MIRROR WRITE CONSISTENCY: on/ACTIVE EACH LP COPY ON A SEPARATE PV ?: yes Serialize IO ?: NO == VIOS And LPAR Management == === List all LPARs === $ lssyscfg -r lpar -F name,state ms-vios,Running ms-nim,Running ms-soe6,Running ms-lpar02,Running ms-lpar05,Not Activated ms-soe,Running ms-lpar04,Running ms-lpar06,Running ms-lpar07,Running ms-lpar08,Not Activated === Shutdown LPAR === $ chsysstate -o osshutdown -r lpar -n ms-lpar04 === Activate LPAR === chsysstate -o on -r lpar -n ms-lpar05