The operating system provides support for a wide variety of devices. However, some devices are not currently supported. You can add a currently unsupported device only if you also add the necessary software to support it.
To add a currently unsupported device to your system, you may need to:
To add a currently unsupported device to your system, you must modify the Predefined database. To do this, you must add information about your device to three predefined object classes:
To describe the device, you must add one object to the PdDv object class to indicate the class, subclass, and device type. You must also add one object to the PdAt object class for each device attribute, such as interrupt level or block size. Finally, you must add objects to the PdCn object class if the device is an intermediate device. If the device is an intermediate device, you must add an object for each different connection location on the intermediate device.
You can use the odmadd Object Data Manager (ODM) command from the command line or in a shell script to populate the necessary Predefined object classes from stanza files.
The Predefined database is shipped populated with supported devices. For some supported devices, such as serial and parallel printers and SCSI disks, the database also contains generic device objects. These generic device objects can be used to configure other similar devices that are not explicitly supported in the Predefined database.
For example, if you have a serial printer that closely resembles a printer supported by the system, and the system's device driver for serial printers works on your printer, you can add the device driver as a printer of type osp (other serial printer). If these generic devices successfully add your device, you do not need to provide additional system software.
You must add device methods when adding system support for a new device. Primary methods needed to support a device are:
When adding a device that closely resembles devices already supported, you might be able to use one of the methods of the already supported device. For example, if you are adding a new type of SCSI disk whose interfaces are identical to supported SCSI disks, the existing methods for SCSI disks may work. If so, all you need to do is populate the Predefined database with information describing the new SCSI disk, which will be similar to information describing a supported SCSI disk.
If you need instructions on how to write a device method, see "Writing a Device Method".
If you add a new device, you will probably need to add a device driver. However, if you are adding a new device that closely resembles an already supported device, you might be able to use the existing device driver. For example, when you are adding a new type of SCSI disk whose interfaces are identical to supported SCSI disks, the existing SCSI disk device driver may work.
The installp procedures provide a method for adding the software and Predefined information needed to support your new device. You may need to write shell scripts to perform tasks such as populating the Predefined database.
The getattr subroutine, ioctl subroutine, sysconfig subroutine.
The SYS_CFGDD sysconfig operation.
The ddconfig device driver entry point.
ODM Device Configuration Object Classes, Writing a Configure Method, Writing a Change Method in AIX Technical Reference: Kernel and Subsystems Volume 1.
Basic Device Configuration Procedures Overview, Writing A Device Method.