AIX

Hi

I haven't done this, but I believe you can do mksysb backup to DVD.
Also I would suggest you to take backup on the IBM DVD and not on other company DVD's

Thanks

Thanks samsungsamsung

My doubt is wether DVD-ROM drive allows me to write the mksysb image on to the DVD or is it only for reading the content already present on the DVD.

In one of the AIX Documents, it says for backup on a DVD, we need 7201 DVD-RAM Drive, but what i have is a DVD-ROM drive, so will it allow me to write on the DVD inserted in the DVD-ROM Drive.

Hi,

you can use mkdvd.

Another option (and probably the fastest) if your rootvg is mirrored or you have spare disks in your box: split the mirror, create an alt_disk_install (this is like a clone of your system). If your upgrade fails, all you have to do is boot from this clone (directly or via sms) and everything is as it was before. We do this before any major installation / upgrade - even when its just a ML/TL update - and we had been glad to have done it much more than once

Regards
zxmaus

I fear that is correct saikiran_1984. I hit this myself a year ago when I was given a 9115-505 (p505) to set up for a client. It had a DVD-ROM (Read-Only) and so I refused until a DVD-RAM was installed. They are a few hundred pounds sterling, probably less than 1,000 US dollars.

The process I write the DVD with is a little convoluted, but I have a filesystem outside of rootvg that I create a file using the normal mksysb:-

Code:

mksysb -e /mksysbfs/mksysb.file

I then use the next command to actually write the removable media:-

Code:

mkdvd -d /dev/cd0 -m /mksysbfs/mksysb.file

Before actually running the mksysb to disk file, I also do the following:-

Code:

mkszfile                       #- recreate lv/fs information for rootvg
rm /disaster/*.pvlist 2>/dev/null

lspv|while read pv serial vg status
do
        echo "$pv \c" >>/disaster/$vg.pvlist
        echo "$pv $vg                               \r\c"
        echo "$pv $vg" >> $log
        sleep 1
done

for vg in `lsvg|sort|grep -v rootvg`
do
        echo "\nSaving $vg structure"
        lsvg -l $vg > /disaster/$vg.lsvg-l
        echo "restvg -q -f /disaster/$vg.structure `cat /disaster/$vg.pvlist`" >>/disaster/restvg_commands
        echo "^\./" > /etc/exclude.$vg               # Ignore all the files
        savevg -ef /disaster/$vg.structure $vg
        if [ $? -ne 0 ]
        then
                echo "Failed to save $vg structure\n\nExiting"
                exit 2
        fi
done

Now, /disaster is a very small filesystem in rootvg, just 1PP and it holds these files so after a mksysb restore, I can run the commands in restvg_commands and it will build all the other volume groups, logical volumes, filesystems and mount them.

As a word of warning, this only really works if you have an identical machine to restore to (same hdisk numbers and sizes) but at least the structure information is there for you to work with too. I am working on a version that removes any mirrors in case you have a live machine with simple disks and a restore server with RAID or some other form of hardware protection.


Of course, if rootvg is what is corrupt and you are restoring over the original machine, you should be able to import the volume groups with importvg and they should recover with the original data.


I hope that this is useful. Testing something like this is very important. have you got DR hardware organised? There are many companies that will lend you hardware when you need it for an annual fee of about 10% of the base cost. It releives you of hardware headaches from having a second server at a second site and making sure no-one decides to use it for something else!

Let me know if you want a few names to get started with.




Robin
Liverpool/Blackburn
UK

Running a mksysb out to a file is file. You can even do it to a NFS mounted FS. But the alt_disk_install is your best and most recommend method. Other options exist but the mksysb to a file that can be copied to even your PC and then burned to a CD / DVD can be done. I used the CD method before for DR and it worked fine. I would do it cold I.E. only the OS running to be sure it is clean.
But the alt_disk_install is the recommended method for upgrade's. it is simple to do and it the safest.