Cloud Coverage: IBM Site Goes In-Depth on AIX Cloud Migration Strategies
In his monthly column, Rob McNelly also takes note of several recently posted docs, including one highlighting a new NIM option
If your enterprise is considering a cloud migration, the IBM Power Virtual Server product guide has a wealth of useful information. This look at AIX migration strategies covers NIM/mksysb, rsync, log shipping and other topics.
Along these lines, you can read about the considerations for moving data from client-managed environments to the Power Virtual Server. Among other things, you can learn about migrating volume group data using savevg and restvg, though I’ll note that this option requires system downtime while data is being transferred and restored. Available bandwidth is another key consideration, since waiting for the data to migrate could lead to bottlenecks that could lengthen the outage window.
New With NIM
IBM’s Amarjit Banerjee recently posted a tutorial on the new concurrent migration option introduced in nimadm:
“Traditionally, you can use the Network Installation Manager alternate disk migration (nimadm) command to migrate a copy of the root volume group (rootvg) present in a free disk of a single Network Installation Management (NIM) client at a time from the NIM master. While it is technically feasible to run multiple nimadm commands concurrently, for example, by employing the no hang-up command (nohup) or using separate terminals, these methods lack user-friendliness in terms of console logging and monitoring.
“IBM AIX 7.3 Technology Level (TL) 3 (7.3.3.0) introduces the new feature of concurrent execution of independently monitored nimadm processes for multiple NIM clients with the nimadm command. This feature improves the overall efficiency and speed of the migration process for multiple NIM clients.”
A Look at the Virtual Ethernet Software Multi Queue
Writing for the IBM Power blog, Srikanth Kondapaneni and Kiran Anumalasetty examine the Virtual Ethernet Software Multi Queue:
“In IBM AIX, the existing virtual ethernet driver is not scaling in terms of bandwidth and latency with evolved network physical adapters speed of 100G and 200G speed.
“In the latest IBM AIX release 7.3.3.0 TL and VIOS 4.1.1.0, IBM AIX introduced the software multi queue feature in virtual ethernet driver and optimized to cope up the higher bandwidth and low latency requirements in today’s enterprise systems. With the introduction of software multi queue for virtual ethernet driver, in best possible configurations there is a 2X gain in throughput and transactions per second (TPS)…
“With ‘new’ policy, entire receive buffers are divided into three pools, whereas with ‘legacy’ policy, the receive buffers are divided into five pools. Customers are given an option to switch between legacy and new receive pool manger but setting the rx_pool_policy attribute appropriately.
“In case of VIOS, SEA threads will be disabled when all underlying virtual ethernet adapters have both receive and transmit software multi queue enabled i.e queues_rx and queues_tx are set to non-zero for all the virtual ethernet adapters within the SEA.
“By disabling SEA threads in the above case, communication to outside system through VIOS, is giving better performance in terms of Bandwidth and TPS.”
A New Option for Firmware Updates
Also from the Power blog: Phani Kumar Ayyagari and Rajeev Ranjan discuss firmware updates and a new alternative to root:
“Typically, system firmware updates on Power machines are performed through the Hardware Management Console (HMC). However, for systems not connected to an HMC, updates can be executed on the AIX LPAR using diagnostic service aids. This process involves the diag command or the update_flash diagnostic utility on AIX, and can only be initiated by a root user.
“Historically, remote update process, often conducted by IBM support personnel, required root access to the customer’s machine, raising potential security concerns. Starting with 7.3TL3, a more secure approach is available. A designated non-root user can now exclusively update and view system firmware, limiting their privileges and mitigating security risks. This blog will delve into the steps required to update system firmware (on non-HMC machines) from a non-root user perspective.
“Pre-requisites: This feature is supported from AIX 7.3 TL3 release.”
New Time Zone Update Tool
On the IBM Community blog, Ravindra Shinde and Suresh Ananth take note of a new time zone update tool:
“AIX systems use this time zone database, which needs to be synchronized whenever a country announces changes in DST rules. Whenever there is a new update or rule from IANA, IBM’s AIX development team updates the AIX Time Zone Database to ensure it is in sync with the changes in DST rules.
“The Timezone Update Tool streamlines the process of updating AIX Time-Zone rules whenever there is a modification of DST changes from IANA. The tool is interactive and provides way to managing Time Zones, facilitating easy updates. The TZ tool uses (TZ) the Perl scripting language, which are available with the AIX base release. The tool is released as a part of AIX 7.3.3 TL.”
Power9 discontinuance of service
As previously noted, Power9 is nearing End of Standard Service. See the IBM announcement for specific dates and recommended replacement options.
Responding to a failed Live Update
From IBM Support: Here’s how to gather data after a failed Live Update:
“This document describes:
“Finding the disk of the Surrogate’s rootvg in a HMC-managed setup.
Finding the disk of the Surrogate’s rootvg in a PowerVC-managed setup.
Extracting the logs.
Extracting a dump from the Surrogate (when needed).
Cleaning up the imported volume group.”
Security scanner tool vulnerability with OpenSSH
From IBM Support: What to do if security vulnerability scanner tools fail to detect OpenSSH:
“Most…security scanners detect if the system is impacted based on the version of the package installed on the system. These tools are unable to detect a patched version of OpenSSH which has the vulnerability efix installed.
“Environment: AIX operating system with openssh.base.server 9.7.3013.1000 or higher.
“Diagnosing The Problem: IBM has introduced a new AIX specific configuration option ‘DisplayPatchVersion’ starting in OpenSSH 9.7.3013.1000. Setting this option to yes will display the community version from which vulnerability fixes have been patched.”
Read the entire document for the resolution.
Recollections of OS/2
Undoubtedly some readers are far too young to recall the days of the IBM XT, the 286 or the 386, or moving from DOS to OS/2 and/or ultimately to Windows. I on the other hand actually used OS/2, so I found this to be an interesting look back at that doomed offering. There are also interesting thoughts about IBM in general during that timeframe:
“IBM made a promise, and IBM kept its promises. It shipped the PS/2 range with 286s front and center, promising OS/2 compatibility to its customers—a promise IBM wouldn’t break. So it vetoed Microsoft’s plan of pivoting the new OS to the 386, even if that plan was solid and motivated by the correct reasoning…
“But backtracking on its promise that all PS/2 machines would run OS/2 would mean IBM admitted that it had made a mistake. That could not be. IBM did not make mistakes.
“As an example, the PS/2 computers did not have reset buttons, because a reset button is how you reboot a computer that’s locked up so hard that Ctrl-Alt-Del doesn’t work. A reset button would mean acknowledging IBM computers crashed, and that was unacceptable. Instead, you had to waste a minute or two power-cycling the things. We did that a lot…
“OS/2 flopped because the company paying for the work, IBM, designed it for machines that it had already sold. It did not want to let existing customers down.”