AIX

Hi,

I am completely new to UNIX. I have no knowledge about how a UNIX OS functions. I have been a windows user so UNIX is brand new to me.

However I am really interested to learn AIX and become an AIX System Admin. I have searched the links posted here for beginners which are great and I will be using them. But they look to be intended for those who are already aware of a UNIX/AIX basic architecture and functionalities.

I want to start from scratch which includes learning how AIX functions basically and its operational architecture and use of resources, Installation, configuring SAN, network, complete HACMP, Configuring LPARs, disaster recovery from backup, etc...

Basically I am transitioning from a Windows environment to AIX. AIX is UNIX based which will be greek and latin for me obviously until I understand the design and functionality. So I am looking for something that can explain me in a layman's point of view rather than a person with basic UNIX/AIX knowledge.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Good luck!

I admire your intentions however I feel you are starting from a disadvantaged position! The problem with AIX is there are no "Free" platforms to practice on and that is what you will need. I firmly believe that you cannot learn UNIX (AIX) from a book. Even though AIX has a complete raft of "REDBOOKS" on the IBM website without the use of a machine to try what you have learnt on you will always be trying to run up a very steep greased slope!

You would be better to download one of the Opensource UNIX versions and in my humble opinion you would be well placed to try the Fedora 9 core. Although I understand the Ubuntu (debian) is quite good but I have not tried it so cannot comment. The moral of my message is start simple and work up not try to do it the other way round.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Hello and welcome to a brave new world. If you're truly interested in investing in AIX, I would pickup a Power 3 workstation from ebay. Usually, you can find them on there from $250-$350. That will allow you to run up to AIX 5.3 and learn some of the commands and architecture of System p. Focus on LVM, its very different from Windows Disk Management.

My other piece of advice is that system admins are becoming a commodity. Competition is fierce and overflowing from countries like China and India where the admins are cutthroat and willing to work a lot cheaper. Beware of the threads that start out all warm fuzzy, like:

Hello Friends,

I need help with....

Warm Regards,
sanji11


For they are not your friends, but leeches for information....willing to receive but never sharing.

/rant

My advice is to learn about the fundamental design questions of operating systems. Windows does a pretty good job in hiding them (that makes it, on one hand, look pretty simple, while on the other hand pretty dull), so you probably are not all too aware of them.

Every Operating systems has to answer questions like:

- how do i handle processes?

- how do i organize my memory so that every process has enough?

- how do i organize disk space?

- how do i handle things that happen (interrupts, dignals, ...)?

etc, etc. "Unix" is a set of answers to all these questions (at this level of abstraction there is not so much difference between UNIX and Linux), "Windows" is another set of answers to the same questions.

There is a fantastic book by Mr. Andrew Tanenbaum, "Operating systems, Design and Impementation". The first volume raises and discusses all these questions and their possible answers, the second volume deals with a detailed implementation of a UNIX-system kernel: MINIX. This kernel, btw., was the starting point for Mr. Torvalds to build Linux.

Why do I emphasize this book (which does not at all deal with AIX specifically)? Because it is a common misconception that an OS is a question of user interface colours or mouse gestures. This is like judging racing cars by the colour they are painted with. OSes are determined by the way they meet these fundamental demands with solutions - OS facilities - and usually an anwer can be better appreciated after understanding the question to the full.

I hope this helps.

bakunin

Hi,

Thanks to all for your responses. I was away on long weekend and did not check until now.

First of all I am working in a mixed environment which have Windows and UNIX based servers with AIX, Solaris, HPUX and Linux. Many servers are AIX and servers are pSeries 570 with from what I know they all have been partitioned and configured into Virutal Individual servers from the main server itself (LPAR's I guess is the term ).

I do have access to all AIX servers as all SA's have access to all servers ( does not matter if I am windows SA ) and I can practice whatever I can without causing any server outage.

So I have this wonderful oppurtunity to learn on real servers which is the reason I want to use to become an AIX admin.

I have ordered a book called "AIX 5L Administration" to see if it can help me getting started. I also downloaded the AIX Cert Guide from Redbooks. Additionally I am looking for books which can explain me the basic concepts, how to determine which command for an actiivity, etc...I think if I can find books which can help me understand the basics of AIX then the redbooks will be enough to get me going....

So Please let me know of any such books I can buy...I will definetly look into the book "OS Design and Implementation" that has been suggested as it makes sense.

One more question is do I have to study a UNIX book first and then go to AIX or can I start from AIX basics itself...I am not sure how important it is to learn UNIX before learning any other flavour.

I completely agree with Bakunin ( I found A. Tanenbaum's book so fascinating, I had a brother in law who had the book, and while I was in seach of a job after recovering of a long illness (6 years...) I borrowed his copy - I decided after reading it I will work on UNIX! )
I would suggest also B. Kernigan and Rob Pike's book "The Unix Programming Environment" even though aging (1986 my copy...) for you will realize what a real shell is (not like cmd) and its power when understanding the unix commands...