mksysb on NIM

[Aixexplore]

Hi Guys,

I want to take system backup of AIX 5.2 ML 08,In order to upgrade it to Aix 5.3 ML 04,we have NIM server which has enough space to take backup ..just wondering what's command using smitty to take mksysb on NIM.(i.e Cleint's Image backup on Master NIM).i have mounted nfs which has about 30GB on client...#smitty mksysb
what file name should i give inorder to have backup on NIM...?
I have laready did nfs mount on /mnt.
Please give detail step by step in order to make mksysb on NIM from clien'ts machine .

Thanks ! looking forward for your generous replies.

 

[Breslau]

You can name it whatever you want. I usually use the hostname along with the OS level and maintenance level. so, that would look like:

myhost.5.3-04

so, in your smit screen, give it /mnt/myhost.5.3-04 and let it run. you'll then need to add the mksysb file you created as a resource on your NIM master, but really there is no need to do that until you actually need to restore the image.

 

[DSMARWAY]

hi
on your NIM MASTER server type smit eznim
select the option backup a client
and select client to backup

 

[khalidaaa]

On the NIM Master Server

# smitty nim_mac -> Define a Machine (and write down the required details)

One the client server

# smitty nim -> configuration Network Installatin Management Client Filset (and write down the required details)

On the NIM Master Server

# nimclient –l		(To list resources as a TEST On NIM)

# smitty nim_res -> Define a Resource -> mksysb
Resource Name: 		mksysb_MachineName
Server of Resources:		master
Location:		
NIM client to backup:
(and write down the required details)

Regards,
Khalid

 

[trifo]

Hi!

Well, the easyest way to do it is just creating the backup manually, executing

[tt]
mksysb -i -m -e /mnt/mounted_remote_directory/hostname.5208.backup
[/tt]

and when it is finished, you can just define it in NIM as an mksysb object. The you can use it whenever you want to restore your machine. At least I am using mksysb this way, and I already succeeded to restore machines this way through NIM.

--Trifo

 

[Aixexplore]

Hi Trifo,

I just followed your procedure ..i got following error..
Creating information file (/image.data) for rootvg.

Creating list of files to back up.find: 0652-019 The status on ./update is not valid.

Backing up 30837 filesbackup: 0511-089 Cannot open /mnt/'MOUNTED DIRECTORY"/hostname.mksysb: A file or directory in the path name does not exist.

0512-005 mksysb: Backup Completed.
The backup command completed with errors.
The messages displayed on Standard Error contained additional
information.


i have already mounted Directory in which i have created my backhostname directory. using .. mount:NIM_hostname /NFS directory /mnt

Please suggest .. I appreciate your comments .. on above error.
Regards

 

[kHz]

If you are using NIM to create the mksysb for the client (I recommend) then you shouldn't have to do any nfs mounts. Use the nim menu options on smitty to create the mksysb.

 

[khalidaaa]

I agree with kHz

Which procedure you followed to give you the posted output?

 

[trifo]

As I see, you didn't even succeed to create the backup image itself.

Well, I am using a custom script to create backups on approx 50 hosts this way. They are using high speed network and special filesystem which is not used by NIM (GPFS). Thus the filesystem I create backups to, must be mounted right before the backup. And you have to provide a full path filename as the name of the backup. Thus my backups are created quite fast and go to tapes with no hassle.

When I need to use one to restore a machine, I copy the backup image file to a JFS or a JFS2 filesystem which can be NFS exported by NIM. (GPFS can be NFS exported as well, but NIM does not know this). Then I define the mksysb backup object in the NIM database and can go forward with the restoration process. Note: all NFS export and mounts are now handled by NIM, there should not be any NFS export on the path where the image resides.

Try creating te backup again.

--Trifo

--Trifo

 

[CrystalWizard]

make sure your mount point for the nfs directory has correct permissions. To do that, unmount the filesystem and then check the permissions on the mount point.

 

[ranjit]

[tt]
This code can be created and executed from the NIM server...

nim -o define -t mksysb -a server=master -a location=/mksysb_location -a source=machine99 \
-a mk_image=yes -a mksysb_flags=i -a comments="mksysb backup of machine99" machine99_mksysb

Location: location of mksysb backup image on master
Source: machine to backup defined as a NIM client to master
mksysb_flags: as per normal mksysb syntax
Comments: associated with mksysb resource created
machine99_mksysb: name of mksysb image created in the "location" directory
[/tt]