Current version for AIX 7.1 is TL3 SP6 and there is already 7.2 out there. I'd suggest at least the former because it fixes some problems with HACMP: on 7.1.3.4 one of the rsct-daemons is running wild and cluttering up the /var. You have either to install efixes (generally generating as many problems as it is solving) or update to the latest level.

Current version for HACMP is 7.1.3 and 6.1 is already EOL by September. Do yourself a favour and use this maintenance window to update to the as latest version as possible. DO NOT use any version below 7.1.3 if updating to 7.1! Many things (like the repo disks via NPIV with non-IBM storage) worked only in theory, not in practice. 7.1.3 is more or less stable. I have some 40-50 clusters running here and could go on for pages and pages about the workarounds and quick-fixes we had to use to get working clusters with the earlier versions of 7.1.

You do not need to: as i said, create your LPARs when your old cluster is still working, from teh mksysbs (plus necessary updates, see above), create a NEW 7.1-cluster and test that until you are ready to make the move. You can pre-create the complete cluster-configuration into a series of commands now, because FINALLY the clmgr-command really works and it is possible to do a cluster-config via commandline! This (not having to navigate all these SMITTY-menus all the time) is by far the biggest relief since i work with HACMP.


You said you needed to use new IP-addresses anyway, so don't bother. Create your new cluster with the new addresses and test thoroughly, then make the transition basically by moving the data disks (they are NPIV, no?) to the new LPARs.

It might work, but again: you don't need that. I can give you a complete procedure for setting up a (7.1-)-cluster and in fact it is 10 minutes work now, only a few commands. Far better and far easier than to navigate these endless SMIT-menus.

I hope this helps.

bakunin

/PS: don't get me wrong: SMITty is fine if you don't know exactly what you want to do and what format a certain command is. But for what i do daily and know exactly what and how to do SMITty is more a hindrance than a tool.