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AIX system migration installation Page 1 of 11

AIX system migration installation
Dharanikumar Pallint (dharanikumar@in.ibm.com)
AIX Functional Verification Tester
IBM China
18 May 2012
Migration installation is the way to migrate systems from one version of an operating
system (OS) level to another OS version. This method of installation preserves all user data
configurations and file systems. Migration installation can be done in various ways and this
article provides steps for migrating system from one version to another version.
Introduction
System migration is a method of installing a system at a different version that is different from its
current version. The IBM AIX installation provides various methods to install a system at different
versions. You can choose the following methods:
A new and complete overwrite installation overwrites all data on the selected hard disk.
A preservative installation preserves old user data, which is in the root volume group.
A migration installation upgrades AIX to a different version or release while preserving the
root volume group.
This article focuses on the AIX system migration installation method. It provides step-by-step
instructions for migrating a system from one AIX version to another AIX version using a Network
Installation Management (NIM) server.
Overview
A migration installation attempts to preserve all user configurations, while moving the operating
system from one AIX version to another AIX version. During a migration installation, the installation
process determines which optional software products are installed on the existing version of the
operating system. The main advantage with the migration installation compared to a new and
complete overwrite is that most of the file sets and data is preserved on the system. It keeps all the
directories such as /home, /usr, /var, logical volumes information and configuration files. The /tmp
file system is not preserved during the migration of the system.
During the migration of a system from one version to another AIX version, the following steps are
taken:
1. Saving the existing configuration files
2. Preparinge and removing old files
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3. Restoring the system with new configuration files
4. Removing unsupported or unnecessary file sets
5. Migrating configuration data wherever it is applicable and possible
6. Updating additional file sets when required by other file sets
The migration planning process involves various steps. The administrator has to prepare a
checklist before migrating the system from one version to another AIX version to take care of the
following steps:
1. Backing up the current existing environment to prevent data loss
2. Checking for the hardware requirements for the migrated version
3. Checking for security vulnerability issues with the new AIX version
4. Deciding on the migration strategy
Hardware requirements
Hardware requirements vary from one AIX version to another AIX version. Make sure that the
new operating system supports your hardware. Read the release notes for your hardware and the
corresponding AIX operating system requirements.
Also, along with checking the hardware, another important task to do on your system before
starting a migration installation is to upgrade the microcode level of your system and of all
adapters and other devices. Visit Fix central to find and download microcode upgrades, see the
Resources section.
Migration methods
There are different ways to migrate your system from one AIX version to another AIX version:
Migration by using NIM
Migration by using a CD or DVD drive
Migration by using mksysb
Migration by using a alternate disk migration.
These methods help to migrate the system from one version to another version. However, there
are some advantages and disadvantages with these mechanisms.
If you have several systems in your environment, choosing the NIM method is the best option to
migrate the system. The NIM method provides a mechanism to access the system remotely and it
is the most time-saving method.
Note that the NIM master needs to be configured so that NIM clients can use the resource on the
NIM master during the migration. Refer to the Resources section for configuring the NIM master.
Steps for migration using NIM
1. Remove the /etc/niminfo file on the NIM client system if it exists.
2. Run the smit nim command on the NIM client.
3. Select Configure Network Installation Management Client Fileset for allocating the
resource from the NIM master as show in Figure 1.
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Figure 1. smit nim
4. Enter the system name as the host name of the NIM client that you want to install. In this
example, P7he42 is shown as the NIM client. Enter the Primary Network Install Interface of
the system as en0. Finally provide the NIM master details.
Enter the host name of the network installation master from where you want to select
lpp_source and location (for example, distnim.austin.ibm.com) as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Providing the NIM master details on the NIM client
5. Press Enter to continue. The command status is OK.
6. Run the smit nim command again on the NIM client and select Manage Network Install
Resource Allocation from the menu list and then select Allocate Network Install
Resources as shown in Figure 3.
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Figure 3. Allocating resources on the NIM master
7. Select the lpp_source and spot of the corresponding build which needs to be installed and
press ENTER as shown in Figure 4. Resources will be allocated to the NIM client during this
operation.
Figure 4. Select NIM resources
8. Run the smit nim command again and select Perform a NIM Client Operation from the
menu list as shown in Figure 5.
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Figure 5. Perform NIM operation
9. Select the bos_inst method for the NIM client installation as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6. bos_inst method of NIM client installation
If your environment has automation scripts for the bos_inst installation, then select the prompt
installation option during the resource allocation of the bos_inst script.
10. Finally change the ACCEPT new license agreements value to Yes as shown in Figure 7 and
press Enter to confirm the installation.
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Figure 7. Accepting new license
11. After the NIM client operation, the client partition restarts automatically. Open a new terminal
session using the Hardware Mangement Console (HMC). The client partition boots into the
SMS menu and the resource allocation packet count starts to perform the OS installation.
Figure 8. Select the terminal as system console
After everything is successfully allocated, you are prompted to choose the system console
as the opened terminal by selecting option 1 as shown in the above Figure 8. The installation
options is displayed on this console.
12. The installation options are displayed in English by selecting the option 1 as shown in the
Figure 9.
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Figure 9. Displaying installation options in English
13. Installation options are displayed to choose the method of the OS installation. For a migration
and preservation installation, select option 2 as shown in Figure 10 to change the default
installation settings.
Figure 10. Change the installation settings
14. After choosing the change/show installation settings as shown in Figure 10, you are promted
to select the installation method. Choose option 3 for the migration installation as shown in
Figure 11.
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Figure 11. Choosing the migration installation
15. Choose the disk drive where the operating system needs to be installed by selecting the
corresponding sequence number as shown in Figure 12.
Figure 12. Choose required the disk drive from the list
16. Finally change the primary language as required, by selecting option 2. After selecting the
primary language, press 0 to install the operating system with the required installation settings
as shown in Figure 13.
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Figure 13. Selection of language and installation settings
The installation will proceed with the above settings. After the system is completely migrated
to the targeted AIX version, the system automatically restarts. You can log in directly using
Telnet or Secure Sheell (SSH) services.
Conclusion
A migration installation migrates a system from one AIX version to another AIX version. A
migration installation preserves old user data and configuration files. The NIM installation method
helps to migrate the system from one AIX version to another AIX version.
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Resources
Learn
Overview of AIX Installation and Migration, provides information about AIX installation and
migration methods.
Power of Network Installation Manager, provides steps to configure NIM Server.
AIX Version 4.3 to 5L Migration Guide, provides information about migration procedures and
prerequisites.
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About the author
Dharanikumar Pallint
Dharanikumar Pallinti works as a Functional Verification Tester on AIX doing
regression testing for different components such as Meta Cluster Checkpoint
Restart (MCR), Security, and Kernel etc. He has three years of extensive hands
on experiences in AIX environments and is the technical lead for MCR component
in India. Currently he is working on SF-store component. He can reachable at
dharanikumar@in.ibm.com.
Copyright IBM Corporation 2012
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