mksysb to a file

[gatetec]

Is it possible to make 'mksysb' on a directory instead of tape drive or DVD drive?
Because of reasons on the HW, I need to make 'mksysb' on a directory so that I can export the 'mksysb' to another node to make a DVD.

thx much

 

[RodKnowlton]

SMIT mkcd, set "Create the CD now?" to "yes" and "Remove final images after creating CD?" to "no".

After it runs, the CD or DVD image will be in the /mkcd/cd_images directory.

- Rod


IBM Certified Advanced Technical Expert pSeries and AIX 5L
CompTIA Linux+
CompTIA Security+

A Simple Code for Posting on the Web

 

[gatetec]

Sorry, I was unclear. The box has only a tape drive.
Is there a way???

thx much

 

[Breslau]

for a tape drive, specify the device file name, or use F4 within smit and select the tape drive.

to output to a file, just name the file, ex. /tmp/mymksysb

or from the command line: mksysb -i /tmp/mymksysb

 

[mrn]

Also

man mksysb

Mike

"Whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters."

 

[TSch]

Rod is right ...

It should be possible to use mkcd to just create the images without actually having a DVD drive installed ...

As far as I recall a long time ago we used mkcd to create some images of one of our servers and the copied the files to a machine with DVD drive installed ...

Regards
Thomas

 

[p5wizard]

You can even use mkcd to create an ISO file, to be burned to a DVD-R using e.g. Nero on a Windows computer...


HTH,

p5wizard

 

[khalidaaa]

You still can do that directly using smit mksysb. It will ask you for the location of the mksysb (tape or a file) so you write the directory you want the backup to be.

Note this image won't be bootable as the normal mksysb is!

The best way to deal with mksysb images in this way is to use NIM master to backup you images on the NIM master disk and then you can easily restore this image any where you like (as long as the destination machien is defined on NIM).

You can use this NIM book for more info:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1376125&page=1

Regards,
Khalid

 

[gatetec]

From mkcd, I am getting this error.
Do I need to increase the size of / to get around this issue?

thx much

#lsvg rootvg
VOLUME GROUP: rootvg VG IDENTIFIER: 000b81dd00004c00000
00114d160362b
VG STATE: active PP SIZE: 16 megabyte(s)
VG PERMISSION: read/write TOTAL PPs: 2710 (43360 megabyt
es)
MAX LVs: 256 FREE PPs: 253 (4048 megabytes
)
LVs: 14 USED PPs: 2457 (39312 megabyt
es)
OPEN LVs: 12 QUORUM: 3
TOTAL PVs: 5 VG DESCRIPTORS: 5
STALE PVs: 0 STALE PPs: 0
ACTIVE PVs: 5 AUTO ON: yes
MAX PPs per VG: 32512
MAX PPs per PV: 1016 MAX PVs: 32
LTG size (Dynamic): 256 kilobyte(s) AUTO SYNC: no
HOT SPARE: no BB POLICY: relocatable

#df -g
Filesystem GB blocks Free %Used Iused %Iused Mounted on
/dev/hd4 1.97 0.89 56% 4917 3% /

Initializing mkcd log: /var/adm/ras/mkcd.log...
Verifying command parameters...
Creating image.data file...
Creating temporary file system: /mkcd/mksysb_image...
Creating mksysb image...
Creating list of files to back up.
Backing up 42959 files..............................
26023 of 42959 files (60%)..............................
37733 of 42959 files (87%)...................
42959 of 42959 files (100%)
0512-038 mksysb: Backup Completed Successfully.
Creating temporary file system: /mkcd/cd_fs...
Populating the CD or DVD file system...
Copying backup to the CD or DVD file system...
...............................
Building chrp boot image...
Creating temporary file system: /mkcd/cd_images...
0516-404 allocp: This system cannot fulfill the allocation request.
There are not enough free partitions or not enough physical volumes
to keep strictness and satisfy allocation requests. The command
should be retried with different allocation characteristics.
0516-822 mklv: Unable to create logical volume.
crfs: Cannot create logical volume for file system.
0512-300 mkcd: Error in routine: create_cd_images_fs.
Cleaning up...

Removing temporary file system: /mkcd/cd_fs...
Removing temporary file system: /mkcd/mksysb_image...

 

[khalidaaa]

Yeah it seems that it complains when it tries to create the temporary file!

Creating temporary file system: /mkcd/cd_images...

I don't use mkcd but i guess there must be a way to redirect this temporary file to an lv other than root!

If you have AIX 5.3 with jfs2 (64-bit kernel) then you are ok coz you can resize the root after doing this!

Regards,
Khalid