Re: makesysb on different hardware configuration

I don't know what level of AIX you are running, but from AIX 4.2, it is
possible to boot from the AIX install CD, and then select somthing like
"maintenance shell", and then "install from a mksysb tape". This will
install the mksysb tape on the new hardware, and will then install any
needed drivers for the new HW from the CD. I have done this several times,
with hardware varying from SP/2 high nodes, Microchannel 3x0 and 5x0
systems, and even once to a PCI box.

Please note that this will loose all information about ttys and network
config, together with some of the sys0 attributes and network options if the
hardware is different, and may also fail if the disk config is significantly
different, and you have mirroring in the root volume group. What I tend to
do is drop some files containing the information that may be lost into /tmp
before I do the mksysb. This ensures that if the original machine is dead,
that I have a source of information to work from to rebuild the system.

I have found it necessary to re-license the ADSM server, and also
re-initialise the volume history and database volumes (we choose to remove
these from the mksysb to make it smaller), and also to redefine the drives,
policy sets, domains, management classes and copygroups (almose all of
ADSM!), but DRM helps with this.

Peter Gathercole
Open Systems Consultant

Knight, Glen wrote:

> Hi,
>
> The 3466 (NSM) operations guide recommends that we create a mksysb to be
> used in the event of a disaster.  The problem is that our disaster
> recovery site will not have the identical system configuration to our
> 3466.  Specifically, the library will be different and we may have a
> different storage subsystem (i.e. SCSI instead of SSA).  Also, the
> RS6000 may be a different model.
>
> The question is:
>
> 1) What issues may arise if I try to restore from the mksysb created on
> my NSM?
>
> 2) Will I even be able to restore?
>
> 3) Would it just  be easier to install AIX, install ADSM and restore the
> DB?
>
> 4) Has anyone written a plan for an environment like this and can I have
> it!
>
> TIA,
>
> Glen Knight
> glen.knight AT rfets DOT gov
> (303) 966-5389