Installation and Migration Guide

Working with the basic AIX image

The spimg installp image contains one or more AIX mksysb images that you can install into the /spdata/sys1/install/images directory. You can use these mksysb images to install AIX on the nodes in your system after you have successfully installed and configured your control workstation. These mksysb images contain the supported AIX LPs and files to install the SP nodes. The minimal system is made up of the following:

• The basic operating system
• Extensions
• Networking
• Basic utilities

IBM provides the image as a base for getting your system up and running quickly. You can customize this mksysb image to meet the needs of your production environment.

See the READ THIS FIRST document for details on the supported AIX levels and APARs that are contained in the spimg.

Building a new AIX image

Prior to creating a mksysb, you must do the following:

Notes:

1. Make sure that no files named /etc/niminfo or /etc/niminfo.prev exist. If they do exist, rename them. These files should be saved for possible debugging later on.

2. Verify the host name resolution for the control workstation and any nodes where the mksysb may be installed, if they are listed in the /etc/hosts file.

3. If DCE is running on the host that the mksysb image is made from, you must first turn autostart off for the DCE daemons. To do this, issue:

   config.dce -autostart off
   

   then create the mksysb image.

When you are installing your system for the first time, you can generate a mksysb image and install that on your nodes during the initial installation. To generate this image, do either of the following:

• Generate a mksysb on a node after you have installed the node using the basic image and additional LPs required for your configuration. You first should install the SP node using the base spimg and the PSSP LPs. Then, you can use firstboot.cust and script.cust to install additional LPs and service your system requires. At this point, you can test the node with applications specific to your users' needs to make sure it meets your environment requirements. When you are satisfied this node has all of the LPs and service, you can make a mksysb image from it by using the SMIT mksysb menu.
• Use a standalone workstation (either the control workstation or a different standalone workstation).

  If you use the control workstation to create the mksysb image, the image should be created before defining the space for the /spdata directory. After you have completed Step 21: Initialize RS/6000 SP Kerberos V4 (optional), you cannot use the control workstation to build a new image. Running the setup_authent command on any workstation makes the workstation unsuitable for generating a mksysb image for a node. This is because setup_authent sets up authentication databases that are unique to the machine.

The control workstation (or a different standalone workstation) must be at the correct level of the AIX operating system and must have all required PTFs applied. See the READ THIS FIRST document for the list of required AIX operating system level and PTFs. One way to ensure this is to install one of the mksysb images that resides in the spimg installp image on its installation media.

After the image is created, you must copy it to the /spdata/sys1/install/images directory on the control workstation. This directory is the starting point for all the mksysb images used for the RS/6000 SP system. Make sure the directory has permissions rwxr-sr-x and the images have permissions rw-r--r--.

Changing the node's install image attributes

After creating and copying a new image to the control workstation, you are ready to update the SDR with the name of the new image for the nodes you want to install. To define a new image, you can use the spchvgobj command or the SMIT changevg_dialog interface and the setup_server command to do the following:

• Redefine the node's attributes in the SDR.
• Create new installation and configuration files for the boot/install server.
• Copy the new image to the boot/install server for the nodes to be reinstalled.