Edit: It is still a significant slice of the POWER business. Originally posted March 26, 2019 on AIXchange I was quoted in this recent NetworkWorld article on the slow decline of UNIX. You’ll have to register to read the whole thing, but I want to hit some highlights: Most of what remains on Unix today are customized, … Continue reading “Comments on the Changing UNIX Landscape”
Author: Rob McNelly
A Look at AIX and Cloud
Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted March 19, 2019 on AIXchange I’m quite late to this, but if you haven’t caught Petra Bührer’s Power Systems Virtual User Group presentation, “Enterprise Cloud Bundle and AIX Enterprise Edition,” check it out. (Download the slides and watch the video.) A couple highlights from the Jan. 31 broadcast: In slide 26, … Continue reading “A Look at AIX and Cloud”
Logging in NPIV from the HMC
Edit: More than one option is always useful. Originally posted March 12, 2019 on AIXchange Back in 2013 I wrote about using the chnportlogin and lsnportlogin commands to display and change N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV) mappings. This same operation can be accomplished using the HMC, which came in handy for me when I was recently asked how to get … Continue reading “Logging in NPIV from the HMC”
Asking the Right Questions
Edit: It always makes sense to think before you speak. Originally posted March 5, 2019 on AIXchange I love the approach expressed in this tweet: Brad Geesaman @bradgeesaman Instead of asking “Why didn’t you just use X?” Ask: “Was solution X considered?” You’ll 9/10 times get a really good reason and 10/10 times not make yourself … Continue reading “Asking the Right Questions”
Getting Started with AIX System Files
Edit: Hopefully this is just a review. Originally posted February 26, 2019 on AIXchange Awhile back Shivaprasad Nayak tweeted about AIX system files. Here’s a glimpse from the IBM Knowledge Center: The files in this section are system files. These files are created and maintained by the operating system and are necessary for the system to perform its … Continue reading “Getting Started with AIX System Files”
A Lifetime Champion
Edit: I am still happy to be part of the community of Champions. Originally posted February 19, 2019 on AIXchange Last month, the IBM Champions program announced its honorees for 2019: The IBM Champions program recognizes and rewards external experts and thought leaders for their work with IBM products and communities. The program supports advocates and … Continue reading “A Lifetime Champion”
System Software Maps Provide Quick Answers on OS Support
Edit: I still look at these from time to time. Originally posted February 12, 2019 on AIXchange Some weeks back Nigel Griffiths tweeted something that seemed familiar. He noted that IBM Support has system software maps for AIX, IBM i, VIO server, SUSE, Red Hat and Ubuntu Linux. The maps allow you to quickly locate all the IBM … Continue reading “System Software Maps Provide Quick Answers on OS Support”
PowerVC-Based Tool Rebalances Workloads
Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted February 5, 2019 on AIXchange I was recently asked if there’s a way to automatically rebalance AIX workloads on IBM Power Systems servers. There sure is. It’s called the PowerVC Dynamic Resource Optimizer: The Dynamic Resource Optimizer (DRO) is a cutting-edge feature of PowerVC that brings an unprecedented … Continue reading “PowerVC-Based Tool Rebalances Workloads”
There’s Even More to the POWER9 Story
Edit: Are they still the fastest in the world? Originally posted January 29, 2019 on AIXchange We all know that Summit and Sierra are the world’s fastest supercomputers, and that they run on POWER9 processors connected to NVIDIA GPUs. (The second half of this post goes into detail.) Here’s more from CNet: The US now can claim the … Continue reading “There’s Even More to the POWER9 Story”
A Red Hot Reddit Discussion of AIX & Linux
Edit: Are you ready to switch departments? Originally posted January 22, 2019 on AIXchange I’ve long maintained that AIX isn’t imperiled by the prevalence of Linux. Even so, it’s always great to encounter passionate defenses of our favorite operating system, and this thread from the AIX Reddit feed (r/aix) is chock full of them. Let’s start with the … Continue reading “A Red Hot Reddit Discussion of AIX & Linux”
Replicating Changes Across Multiple HMCs
Edit: Have you set this up? Originally posted January 15, 2019 on AIXchange For any environment with multiple HMCs, data replication generally makes sense. IBM’s Customizable Data Replication service can help you accomplish this, no matter how your HMCs are set up: The Customizable Data Replication service provides the ability to configure a set of Hardware Management … Continue reading “Replicating Changes Across Multiple HMCs”
More on VIOS 3.1
Edit: Did you upgrade yet? Originally posted January 8, 2019 on AIXchange A quick follow up on this post about VIOS 3.1. IBM Champion Stephen Diwell makes some interesting points based on his discoveries during hands-on testing. In this post, he mentions some important things to take note of during the install process, starting with the way … Continue reading “More on VIOS 3.1”
Staying Fit: An Ongoing Story of Peaks and Valleys
Edit: I am still keeping after it Originally posted December 18, 2018 on AIXchange How do you know if your friend is vegan and does Crossfit? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you. Admittedly, I’ve kind of evolved into that guy. Back in 2016 I posted about my attempts at losing weight. Since the end of the year … Continue reading “Staying Fit: An Ongoing Story of Peaks and Valleys”
Everything to Know about VIOS 3.1
Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted December 11, 2018 on AIXchange VIOS 3.1 is here, and now is the time to start planning your next move. Should you replace your hardware with new servers and do fresh VIOS installs on those machines, or would a gradual upgrade of your dual VIO servers make … Continue reading “Everything to Know about VIOS 3.1”
Implementing the vHMC Requires Attention to Detail
Edit: Do you use a mix of hardware and virtual HMCs or are you all virtual? Originally posted December 4, 2018 on AIXchange If you’re planning to get rid of your physical appliances and run all of the HMCs in your environment as virtual machines, keep this in mind: Originally the IBM POWER HMC was sold … Continue reading “Implementing the vHMC Requires Attention to Detail”
GDR as a Disaster Recovery Option
Edit: Still something to consider. Originally posted November 27, 2018 on AIXchange A sound disaster recovery plan is one that’s regularly being updated. With this in mind, I want to cite this overview of Geographically Dispersed Resiliency (GDR), a DR option that is designed for efficiency. The GDR solution provides a highly available environment by identifying … Continue reading “GDR as a Disaster Recovery Option”
Exploring the Possibilities
Edit: How do you play with AIX? Originally posted November 20, 2018 on AIXchange There’s a lot you can do with AIX. But that doesn’t mean we won’t search for even more ways to play with it. For instance, Chris Gibson recently got AIX running on a Macbook: After reading this https://worthdoingbadly.com/aixqemu and this https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-ppc/2018-05/msg00387.html, I was inspired and … Continue reading “Exploring the Possibilities”
More Fun with AIX on a Nutanix Cluster
Edit: The cluster was fun to play with Originally posted November 13, 2018 on AIXchange I recently had another hands-on experience with a Nutanix Cluster. This system consisted of four CS821 nodes. After previously doing an install with the cloud-ready deployment method, I wanted to try an .iso installation as well as installing from NIM. Those are the big … Continue reading “More Fun with AIX on a Nutanix Cluster”
Porting to POWER9
Edit: Have you tried doing the same thing? Originally posted November 6, 2018 on AIXchange Linux runs on everything from embedded devices to mainframes. So why should we care that Linux runs on IBM Power Systems servers? Many developers and users are perfectly happy running Linux applications on x86, since that’s the environment they know. … Continue reading “Porting to POWER9”
A Change to the SMT Mode Default in POWER9
Edit: Did you notice any issues with this change? Originally posted October 30, 2018 on AIXchange There’s a rather significant change with the default SMT mode in AIX 7.2 TL3 running on POWER9 servers: “For POWER9 technology-based servers, the default SMT setting for AIX 7.2 TL 3 has been changed to SMT8 to provide the best out-of-the-box … Continue reading “A Change to the SMT Mode Default in POWER9”
HMC Enhanced GUI: A Cautionary Tale
Edit: Be careful Originally posted October 23, 2018 on AIXchange Just in time for Halloween, here’s a scary story involving the HMC enhanced GUI version and an inexperienced user. As I understand it, an administrator was using the enhanced GUI to mount an .iso image that was stored in the organization’s virtual media repository. The admin selected … Continue reading “HMC Enhanced GUI: A Cautionary Tale”
Restricting Access to the AIX Error Report
Edit: Have you found a use for this in your environment? Originally posted October 16, 2018 on AIXchange Awhile back on Twitter, Chris Gibson noted that, starting with AIX 7.2 TL3, administrators will be able to prevent non-privileged users from viewing the AIX error report. IBM Support has the details: The restriction can be enabled or disabled … Continue reading “Restricting Access to the AIX Error Report”
New Stencils Available for POWER9 Systems
Edit: Stencils are a must have for documentation Originally posted October 9, 2018 on AIXchange Hopefully you saw the news on Twitter, via Alan Fulton and Nicollette McFadden, among others. Visio stencils are now available for selected IBM Power Systems POWER9 models, including the AC922 and S914. For anyone who uses Visio, this is welcome news. Having the … Continue reading “New Stencils Available for POWER9 Systems”
NIM Management via HTTP
Edit: Still a good option to consider Originally posted October 2, 2018 on AIXchange I love NIM. I rely on NIM when I’m doing new server builds, and it’s also my go-to for installing the VIO server. Chances are you love NIM as well. That said, one thing you might not be fond of is firewalls between … Continue reading “NIM Management via HTTP”
What’s in Store for Memory
Edit: The more things change Originally posted September 25, 2018 on AIXchange In August there was an event called Hot Chips 30. A long-running conference for the semiconductor industry, Hot Chips is the place to learn about high-performance microprocessors and related topics like system memory. Here are a couple of interesting articles that came out … Continue reading “What’s in Store for Memory”
An Important Reminder about VIOS
Edit: Hopefully you have upgraded by now Originally posted September 18, 2018 on AIXchange Nigel Griffiths recently tweeted this reminder: In Q4 2018 VIOS 2.2.4 will fall out of regular supportIn Q4 only 2.2.5.*, 2.2.6.* and 3.1 will be supportedIf on 2.2.4 or older upgrade to 2.2.6 NOWI encourage every one to plan: Testing VIOS 3.1 … Continue reading “An Important Reminder about VIOS”
LPM Copy Time Stats
Edit: I am always looking for other perspectives Originally posted September 11, 2018 on AIXchange Newsflash: I’m not the only person out there writing about AIX and related topics. I also understand that this is a good thing, for all of us. I know l like reading about this stuff as much as I like … Continue reading “LPM Copy Time Stats”
A Discussion of Software Security
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted September 4, 2018 on AIXchange Containers or virtual machines–which provides greater security? IBM Research attempted to answer this question, as explained in this recent article: Are virtual machines (VM) more secure than containers? You may think you know the answer, but IBM Research has found containers can be … Continue reading “A Discussion of Software Security”
Other Options for Volume Group Backups
Edit: Still good to remember Originally posted August 28, 2018 on AIXchange How do you backup your volume groups? These days we’re often dealing with snapshots on a SAN, but there are still occasions when you want to backup to a local tape drive, a file, or a NIM server. The specifics depend upon the … Continue reading “Other Options for Volume Group Backups”
Vulnerability Checker Provides Security Info
Edit: This is still a useful tool. Originally posted August 21, 2018 on AIXchange The FLRT Vulnerability Checker Online (FLRTVC) allows you to check your AIX system for HIPER and Security vulnerabilities: The Fix Level Recommendation Tool Vulnerability Checker (FLRTVC) online provides security and HIPER (High Impact PERvasive) reports based on the fileset inventory of your … Continue reading “Vulnerability Checker Provides Security Info”
A Guide to HMC Access
Edit: The link still works, and it is still a good idea to set up roles. Originally posted August 14, 2018 on AIXchange You probably have users in your environment who need access to the Hardware Management Console (HMC), and if so, it’s very likely you want to limit what they can do with this … Continue reading “A Guide to HMC Access”
The POWER9 System Roll-Out Continues
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted August 7, 2018 on AIXchange Today IBM is announcing two new POWER9-based enterprise systems: the E950 (9040-MR9) and the E980 (9080-M9S). The E980 is the follow-on to both the E870 and E880, and delivers 1.5X the performance. Rather than have two high-end machines, as was the case … Continue reading “The POWER9 System Roll-Out Continues”
Techspeak Explained
Edit: The links no longer work which is a real shame. Originally posted July 31, 2018 on AIXchange You don’t need me to tell you that there are a lot of acronyms in tech. But it never hurts to be reminded that more and more workers are entering the world of AIX and IBM Power … Continue reading “Techspeak Explained”
Making a PowerVC Proxy
Edit: The link no longer works. Originally posted July 24, 2018 on AIXchange As I’ve noted numerous times, Twitter is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn about what’s new in the world of AIX and IBM Power Systems. Case in point, Chris Gibson (@cgibbo) pointed to this article on setting up an HTTP … Continue reading “Making a PowerVC Proxy”
My Blogging Anniversary
Edit: I will keep writing if you will keep reading. Originally posted July 17, 2018 on AIXchange What were you doing 11 years ago? I was living in another state and working for a different company. Since then I moved back home to Arizona. I lost weight, got more active, and spent more time outdoors camping, backpacking, hiking and … Continue reading “My Blogging Anniversary”
Returning to AIX
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted July 10, 2018 on AIXchange Recently I received this email: It’s been a number of years since I have administered AIX. I was on AIX before 5L. (Was there a version 5?) It may have been v4. I am going to update my skill set on AIX, … Continue reading “Returning to AIX”
AIX Implementation Best Practices Updated for POWER9
Edit: One of my go-to reference guides Originally posted June 26, 2018 on AIXchange An updated version of AIX implementation best practices for commercial workloads was released in May. This should not be confused with the POWER9 performance best practices document I referenced three weeks ago. In this case, I’m talking about the latest in Fredrik Lundholm’s … Continue reading “AIX Implementation Best Practices Updated for POWER9”
What are your resource needs? You’ll know when you know
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted June 20, 2018 on AIXchange A few weeks ago I came across this great exchange in the AIX forum: How do I determine the resources needed based on volume of transactions. By resources I mean, the cores, memory etc. Is there a way to arrive at that value? … Continue reading “What are your resource needs? You’ll know when you know”
New Doesn’t Always Mean Improved
Edit: I still miss the keyboard on the Blackberry Originally posted June 12, 2018 on AIXchange Awhile back, Dan Kaminsky posed these questions on Twitter: Who asked Slack to shut down their IRC gateway? Who asked Apple to remove the headphone port? Who *are* technical organizations actually listening to? Not asking as an attack. It’s behavior … Continue reading “New Doesn’t Always Mean Improved”
POWER9 Performance Best Practices
Edit: Best practices are always a great place to start. Originally posted June 5, 2018 on AIXchange In April, IBM’s Therese Eaton (@tetweetings) noted this availability of this POWER9 performance best practices document. Along with POWER9 (and POWER8) best practices, there’s instruction on managing AIX updates and upgrading from Version 5.3 to 7.1. While it’s only … Continue reading “POWER9 Performance Best Practices”
Applying VIOS Rules Post-Install
Edit: Do you make changes to the defaults? Originally posted May 29, 2018 on AIXchange Awhile back my colleague Eric Hopkins was installing VIO server 2.2.6.21 when he noticed something new: a reminder to apply rules post-installation: Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) rules management consists of two rules files. The default rules file contains the critical recommended … Continue reading “Applying VIOS Rules Post-Install”
A Primer on the New Hyperconverged Systems
Edit: A shame this was not adopted Originally posted May 22, 2018 on AIXchange So hyperconverged systems running AIX are here, and it’s very cool. If you’re looking for more technical detail, the IBM Knowledge Center provides some practical information that techies will find very interesting. This doc features concepts and recommendations on planning, deploying and installing AIX, … Continue reading “A Primer on the New Hyperconverged Systems”
Getting Hands on With AIX on a Nutanix Cluster
Edit: Shame this did not gain more traction. Originally posted May 15, 2018 on AIXchange Ever since IBM’s intriguing statement of direction about AIX running on POWER-based Nutanix clusters, I’ve eagerly awaited the real thing. The wait ended last week, when availability of the hyperconverged systems was made official at the Nutanix .NEXT conference in New Orleans. Now here’s the really cool part: … Continue reading “Getting Hands on With AIX on a Nutanix Cluster”
A Not So Technical Look at Technical Debt
Edit: Don’t let things rot. Entropy is real. Originally posted May 8, 2018 on AIXchange This Twitter discussion got me thinking about technical debt, a concept I discussed here: As often as I see it, it still surprises me when I encounter a company that depends on some application, but chooses to run it on unsupported hardware without … Continue reading “A Not So Technical Look at Technical Debt”
More Help for the HMC Transition
Edit: I assume you have transitioned by now? Originally posted May 1, 2018 on AIXchange Awhile back Kiran Tripathi (@SocialKiran) made note of this IBM Knowledge Center breakdown of HMC interfaces. The Hardware Management Console (HMC) provides more than one interface that you can use to manage your virtual environment. These interfaces are called the HMC … Continue reading “More Help for the HMC Transition”
History Bytes
Edit: Where will we be in 20 years? Originally posted April 24, 2018 on AIXchange How many of you keep stacks of old computer publications? I did, until I was finally told to get rid of some of my PC Computing magazines from the 90s. Recently though, I was sent back in time when someone … Continue reading “History Bytes”
Troubleshooting a vSCSI Mapping
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted April 17, 2018 on AIXchange I was recently asked to help troubleshoot a vSCSI mapping. My colleague was running an SAP HANA POC workload on POWER, and is new to the platform. At the time an older version of HMC code was being used, so we still … Continue reading “Troubleshooting a vSCSI Mapping”
Fixes for a PowerHA Issue
Edit: Hopefully you have already put on these patches by now Originally posted April 10, 2018 on AIXchange I received this information from Chris Gibson a few weeks ago. If you use PowerHA, I recommend checking to see if you’re on affected levels of AIX: High Impact / Highly Pervasive APARIJ02843 – PowerHA node halt during ip … Continue reading “Fixes for a PowerHA Issue”
Securing Your HMC
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted April 3, 2018 on AIXchange IBM developerWorks has a nice article about securing your HMC: If you use Power HMC and are looking for information on how to secure your HMC, you are at the right place. Default configuration of HMC is good enough for most enterprise users. … Continue reading “Securing Your HMC”
POWER9 Attracts a BIG Customer
Edit: Still pretty impressive Originally posted March 27, 2018 on AIXchange I’d heard rumors for a while, but those rumors were confirmed last week: Google runs IBM Power Systems* in its production environment. This is from Forbes.com: The biggest OpenPOWER Summit user news was that Google confirmed that it has deployed the “Zaius” platform into its … Continue reading “POWER9 Attracts a BIG Customer”
System Planning Tool Updated for POWER9
Edit: Have you grabbed the latest version? Originally posted March 20, 2018 on AIXchange The six POWER9 servers IBM announced last month GA this week. Are you ready to refresh your System Planning Tool? The System Planning Tool (SPT) helps you design a managed system that can support a specified set of workloads. You can design a managed … Continue reading “System Planning Tool Updated for POWER9”
Dealing With an HMC Upgrade Problem
Edit: Hopefully none of you will see this in the future Originally posted March 13, 2018 on AIXchange During a recent HMC upgrade, a buddy of mine had a problem. While you’re unlikely to find yourself in this situation, if you ever do, you’ll be glad you read this. He was trying to create a … Continue reading “Dealing With an HMC Upgrade Problem”
AIX Migration Prep
Edit: Still good information Originally posted March 6, 2018 on AIXchange Here’s an oldie but a goody: a document covering AIX migration preparation: Information regarding version 5, 6 and 7 installation: In AIX V5, at the first reboot after an install, you will be prompted to view/accept your licenses before you can continue to use your … Continue reading “AIX Migration Prep”
The 2018 IBM Champions
Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted February 27, 2018 on AIXchange This came out about a month ago, but I want to acknowledge this year’s IBM Champions: After reviewing more than 1400 nominations, IBM is proud and happy to announce the 2018 class of IBM Champions. The IBM Champions program recognizes innovative thought leaders … Continue reading “The 2018 IBM Champions”
A Valuable Doc on HMC GUI Options
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted February 20, 2018 on AIXchange Alan Fulton (@The_Iron_Monger) tweeted the link to this information on GUI options in the new HMC. As the classic view we’re all used to goes away, you should explore this doc that clocks in at a tidy 15 pages: IntroductionMenus Available – Enhanced … Continue reading “A Valuable Doc on HMC GUI Options”
IBM Unveils Six POWER9 Servers
Edit: And now we wait for POWER10 servers Originally posted February 13, 2018 on AIXchange IBM is announcing six new POWER9 scale-out servers today, with general availability set for March 20. IBM is touting these systems as future forward, cloud-ready infrastructure for mission critical workloads. The systems will max out with 4 TB of memory and will … Continue reading “IBM Unveils Six POWER9 Servers”
Hardware Maintenance EOS Extension on the Way
Edit: All of these are still important considerations Originally posted February 6, 2018 on AIXchange Back in November IBM announced a hardware maintenance end of service (EOS) extension for customers with unsupported legacy systems. This offering is expected to be available in the spring: IBM Hardware Maintenance End of Service Extension is the answer for clients who … Continue reading “Hardware Maintenance EOS Extension on the Way”
Follow Me (at a Faster Speed)
Edit: I typically run at 2.8x these days. Originally posted January 30, 2018 on AIXchange This article helps me articulate the benefits of listening to information at something faster than normal speed: Rachel Kenny started listening to podcasts in 2015 — and quickly fell behind. “As I started subscribing to more and more podcasts, they started … Continue reading “Follow Me (at a Faster Speed)”
A PowerAI Primer
Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted January 23, 2018 on AIXchange I found this IBM developerWorks post about PowerAI on the IBM Linux on Power Twitter feed (@ibmpowerlinux). This information is a pleasant surprise. Articulating why customers should care about PowerAI can be challenging. In many cases this workload is handled by departments or organizations … Continue reading “A PowerAI Primer”
Legacy Environments: What Can Be Done?
Edit: Yes, 5.3 is still out there. Originally posted January 16, 2018 on AIXchange Following up on this post about customers that continue to rely upon legacy systems, I’m curious: What would you do if you had to manage an environment with old POWER machines running AIX 5.3? I still see it every now and then. … Continue reading “Legacy Environments: What Can Be Done?”
Security Vulnerability Impacts POWER Processors
Edit: Hopefully you are running current systems / firmware. Originally posted January 9, 2018 on AIXchange You’ve most likely heard the news that emerged last week regarding a security vulnerability impacting all microprocessors. There will be patches and fixes forthcoming for different architectures and microprocessors, including IBM POWER processors, as indicated in this Jan. 3 post from … Continue reading “Security Vulnerability Impacts POWER Processors”
Another AIX vs. Linux Discussion
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted January 3, 2018 on AIXchange Six years ago I wrote an article about how much I love AIX. It’s a topic I’ve revisited a number of times–most recently, here. So let’s have another AIX vs. Linux discussion. Certainly, plenty of folks are still talking about this, in their companies … Continue reading “Another AIX vs. Linux Discussion”
Stuff Old People (Still) Say
Edit: I am sure you can think of more Originally posted December 19, 2017 on AIXchange Some months ago I saw this on Twitter, and it’s stuck with me: @krhoyt Said “Do I sound like a broken record?” in a meeting, and wondered if it even made sense any more. Has it weathered the years? #getoffmylawnI guess … Continue reading “Stuff Old People (Still) Say”
Living with Legacy
Edit: I still run into AIX 5.3 all the time Originally posted December 12, 2017 on AIXchange This Twitter comment got me thinking about companies that continue to run legacy hardware and operating systems, etc.: The software needs to be reliable. We had an operator put in a wrong toolholder and poof, 37k out the window … Continue reading “Living with Legacy”
The POWER9™ Journey Begins
Edit: At the time of this writing we are waiting to begin the POWER10 Journey Originally posted December 5, 2017 on AIXchange One of the great benefits of being an IBM Champion is the ability to attend IBM briefings about unannounced products. For instance, recently, IBM gave us some details about the new Linux-only POWER9™ server. The … Continue reading “The POWER9™ Journey Begins”
Using lvmo to Migrate LVM Performance Tuning Values
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted November 28, 2017 on AIXchange If you use the lvmo command to tune Logical Volume Manager (LVM) pbufs, this information may be useful: The lvmo command sets or displays pbuf tuning parameters. The equal sign can be used to set a particular tunable to a given value. Otherwise, if … Continue reading “Using lvmo to Migrate LVM Performance Tuning Values”
Losing a Laptop
Edit: This still has the potential to be devastating Originally posted November 21, 2017 on AIXchange A buddy recently checked into a hotel. He asked the desk clerk about in-room safes. He’s told the hotel doesn’t have them. Then he asked the clerk to recommend a good nearby restaurant within walking distance. He was given … Continue reading “Losing a Laptop”
On Becoming a Sponsor User
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted November 14, 2017 on AIXchange While attending the IBM Technical University last month I went to a session on the Cloud Management Console (CMC). One thing I highlighted when I first wrote about the CMC is how you get access to the product. You can pay $50 per frame per month, … Continue reading “On Becoming a Sponsor User”
A Tip on Getting Started with the PowerHA 7.2.1 GUI
Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted November 7, 2017 on AIXchange There are a lot of ways to get familiar with the new PowerHA 7.2.1 GUI: In PowerHA® SystemMirror Version 7.2.1, or later, you can use a graphical user interface (GUI) to monitor your cluster environment. The PowerHA SystemMirror GUI provides the following advantages … Continue reading “A Tip on Getting Started with the PowerHA 7.2.1 GUI”
Just Back from Technical University
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted October 31, 2017 on AIXchange I haven’t written about the IBM Technical University lately, but rest assured, I continue to make time for it as schedules allow. The most recent event took place in New Orleans two weeks ago. When you look at the list of presenters, there was … Continue reading “Just Back from Technical University”
Patching: Seeking a Happy Medium
Edit: Still an ongoing issue Originally posted October 24, 2017 on AIXchange Let’s talk about patching. IT pros understand that it’s critical to patch in a timely matter. Or at least they should understand, but then, getting behind on patching was one factor in the Equifax breach (and many other breaches for that matter). Even … Continue reading “Patching: Seeking a Happy Medium”
A Hitch with SEA Failover Testing
Edit: Test test test. Originally posted October 17, 2017 on AIXchange A few months back, I ran into an issue during shared Ethernet adapter (SEA) failover testing. After upgrading to VIO server 2.2.5.10, we would fail VIOS1 and verify our disks and networks were functioning as expected on the VIO clients. Then we’d bring VIOS1 … Continue reading “A Hitch with SEA Failover Testing”
Power Systems Best Practices Doc Updated
Edit: I always look for the latest version of this document. Some links no longer work. Originally posted October 10, 2017 on AIXchange Not long ago I was asked about the Power Systems best practices document that I wrote about in March. The reader who contacted me couldn’t download the presentation, nor could I when I … Continue reading “Power Systems Best Practices Doc Updated”
My Reading List
Edit: Some links no longer work Originally posted October 3, 2017 on AIXchange From time to time I’ll share some random links to AIX documentation I find online or via Twitter. But I also regularly read certain individuals, some who write about Power/AIX and some who cover tech more generally. I thought I’d share that … Continue reading “My Reading List”
Design, Customize and Buy Your OpenPOWER LC Server Online
Edit: Have you bought servers using this method? Originally posted September 26, 2017 on AIXchange Did you know how easy it is to design your own OpenPOWER LC server? Here’s a hint: it’s pretty easy. Just go here and select your server. Your choice will be customized with various workload types, including Hadoop and Spark Analytics, memory … Continue reading “Design, Customize and Buy Your OpenPOWER LC Server Online”