This is a supported configuration (one virtual adapter in the partition (LPAR) starting with HACMP 5.3 I believe. Current HACMP software level is HACMP 5.4.1.
Basically, the main thing I try to focus on is separating the application files (data) and applications (binarys) from rootvg as much as possible into a separate volume group. This has the added advantage of making your application nearly HACMP ready. Once you have this ready the next "best" step is to prepare an extra (empty) disk for a new version of rootvg - the method is called a "alt disk installation" and we choose the clone variation.
Basically, what this entails:
make a mksysb backup of your current system to tape, or a nim server. install the alt_disk_install filesets for your current filesystem from the NEW AIX installation media (e.g. alt_disk_install for AIX 5.2)
use the smit alt_disk_install dialogs to make a clone of the current AIX rootvg, and then run the migration install on the clone. This has two basic advantages: downtime is minimal - the migration is done while the old system is up and running; and you can return to the old system if it is not functioning properly with the new system.
Thus - the next step is reboot - using SMS menu to choose new disk as boot device - and test the new situation. Testing should probably be considered as "downtime".
Last: if you are satisfied (or QA is satisfied) then you can delete the old_rootvg.
My suggestions:
Update the application first - assuming it is supported from AIX 5.2 thru AIX 6.1 and be sure the application is functioning properly with application updates applied (and later confirmed).
Practice a few times on a AIX 5.2 system with AIX 5.2 to AIX 6.1 alt install - and compare that to just importing the application volume group on a fresh install of AIX 6.1`(or AIX 5.3, etc.).
I am in the process of planning a migration from 5.2 to 6.1. Anyone have any pointers, tips, or gotchas to offer up. The LPARS I am planning for are all running Oracle.
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We are starting the process of virtualizing the network adapters on our HACMP cluster members. Since each virtual adapter is supported by two real NICs (primary and backup) the idea is to have only one virtual adapter per network on each HACMP member. Up till now we've had two NICs per network (with two networks) on each cluster member. Does anybody have any experience doing something like this? I'm wondering if anybody has any tips or valuable experiences to share.
I had some problems when i upgraded a server from aix 5.2 to 5.3 and tried to stop using net-snmpd and use the built in snmpd. Not sure if this will help but worth a try. stop net-snmp and all the associated services, snmpmibd, hostmibd, snmpd, and aixmibd. Then restart the services and not net-snmp. If its an option I might even take net-snmpd out of inittab or rc.d or wherever you are starting it from and restart the server. Other things I have found as gotchas, snmp v1 works great, snmp v2 has issues, snmp v3 I have never gotten to work, so that said I always just use snmp v1. I don't use passwords and I keep everything set to the default public group for read access. Below is what the snmpd.conf looks like on all 16 lpars i monitor. Assuming you are on 5.3 or higher you should not need to use net-snmpd
On the server that only has the builtin snmpd installed I can walk 1.3.6.1.2.1.4.20.1.1 and pull all of the interface stats. This one is working corectly. However on the other server with the latest version of net-snmp I cannot pull anything for that OID. Both of the servers use the same configuration file (Copyed off of the one that works)
I have tried setting up proxying from net-snmp to the AIX snmpd server (Running on port 1610). Even with stopping the net-snmp daemon I cannot pull the interface stats from this host.
Locally I can pull some information using "snmpinfo -m dump" but I cannot get it to be walkable from another host at that port. Is there some permissions that need to be set to allow me to walk this host remotely?
After pulling a mirrored disk out and re-inserting it, you will/should have lots of stale PPs in lsvg. That will need to be syncvg matched up again, but it might require the disk to be "removed" logically and re-added - worthy of further testing kondoor as you'll be in that situation. I don't think it's as nice as just plug it back in and continue if the system was doing anything to the VG at the time - you will remain highly vulnerable running on one disk until it's fixed properly.
Just to clarify, I just pulled the drive, to see if the system would stay up and run. I didn't try to reinsert the drive. After I pulled the first drive and let it run for awhile, I pulled the second drive in the mirror just to see if it crashed instantly and it did. I did a clean install last night, if I get time today, I will pull the drive again, and see what it takes to remirror that vg, most likely only a sync but I am now curios to see if i have to do a rmdev on it first and then add it back in.
