NIM noob: How to upgrade NIM client TL05 to TL06

[vtaixer]

Hi,
I have NIM setup but never have used it for an upgrade. I want to try to upgrade a client from 5300-05 to 5300-06. I have all the lpp sources and SPOTs and am planning to use the alt_disk_install method. Would I do the upgrade using smit nim_bosinst and the rte installation type?

Thx!!

 

[khalidaaa]

Have a look at this link:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoc...stall/doc/insgdrf/nim_op_alt_disk_install.htm

Eventhough the link talks about alt_disk_install using mksysb but the logic should be the same with any resource i guess!

Regards,
Khalid

 

[bi]

It is my understanding that alt_disk_install or alt_disk_migration cannot be used to go from one TL to another. It is used to go from one version to another (5.2 to 5.3, for example) and it works great for that. There is a multi-bos function, which I tried when it first came out, but was unsuccessful with that. It may have improved since then.

If you download the TL6 updates from IBM's web site to a filesystem that you can then NFS mount to the system being upgraded, it will take about 15 to 30 minutes for the update (depending on network speed and the speed of the client's disk) plus the boot.

Just be sure to take a good mksysb of the client before the update and store it on your NIM server for recovery, if you need it. For that you would you smit nim_bosinst and choose a mksysb update.

If anyone has successfully done an alt_disk_migration from one TL to another, I'd appreciate knowing how it is done.

 

[khalidaaa]

Sorry bi but i would have to disagree with you in that!

The alt_disk_install command allows users a way to update the operating system to the next release, maintenance level, or technology level, without taking the machine down for an extended period of time. This can be done in two ways, by installing a mksysb image on a separate disk, or by cloning the current system and then applying updates to get to the next maintenance or technology level.

The second function, cloning the running rootvg, allows the user to create a backup copy of the root volume group. This copy could be used as a back up in case the rootvg failed, or it could be modified by installing additional updates. One scenario might be to clone a 4.2.0 system, then install updates to bring the cloned rootvg to 4.2.1.0. This would update the system while it was still running, then rebooting from the new rootvg would bring the level of the running system to 4.2.1. If there was a problem with this level, changing the bootlist back to the 4.2.0 disk and rebooting would bring the system back to 4.2.0. Other scenarios would include cloning the rootvg and applying individual fixes, rebooting the system and testing those fixes, and rebooting back to the original rootvg if there was a problem.

Note:
NIM alternate disk migration (upgrading version or release levels) is supported with the nimadm command in AIX 5.1 and later. Please see the nimadm documentation for more details.

This can be found in here:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoc...bm.aix.cmds/doc/aixcmds1/alt_disk_install.htm

Regards,
Khalid