Category: AIXchange archives

Edit: As of this writing the link still works. Originally posted January 17, 2012 on AIXchange As great as POWER7 servers are, plenty of older machines still run AIX. And as great as that is, even better is that, through the use of certain tools, you can easily verify that these older machines are running … Continue reading “Verifying Microcode Levels”

Edit: This is built in now. Some links no longer work. Originally posted January 9, 2012 on AIXchange Download the tool here. I’ll let IBM developerWorks provide the introduction. “The VIOS advisor is an application that runs within the customer’s VIOS for a user specified amount of time (hours), which polls and collects key performance metrics before analyzing … Continue reading “Have You Seen the VIOS Advisor?”

Edit: I still like this analogy. Originally posted January 3, 2012 on AIXchange I was recently delayed at the San Jose airport. Such is the life of a consultant. The problem this particular day was dense fog. Airplanes could take off, but, per FAA rules, they weren’t allowed to land. My flight was coming from Reno, … Continue reading “We Could All Use Extra Capacity”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted December 20, 2011 on AIXchange Would you put bicycle tires on a new car? I keep hearing that analogy, and I like it. When I was much younger and much less well off, I sort of did that, only instead of a bicycle, I made life more … Continue reading “AIX and TCO”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted December 13, 2011 on AIXchange Nigel Griffiths had a great session at this fall’s IBM Technical University on “nmon, topas and Friends.” I assume that you know that he actually wrote nmon (aka, “Nigel’s Monitor”). As such, it’s very enlightening to hear him speak about the history … Continue reading “Running nmon and topas”

Edit: I do not know very many people that got started or kept going with the SDMC. Originally posted December 6, 2011 on AIXchange Ready or not, the SDMC is on its way. I thought I’d get my toes wet by trying to test an SDMC virtual machine before I used the SDMC appliance. I ordered the … Continue reading “Getting Started with SDMC”

Edit: It is still best to choose oil over gas when given the choice. Originally posted November 29, 2011 on AIXchange When I was 16, I got my driver’s license. One summer I had the opportunity to live in another state. However, my primary vehicle, a 1972 VW Bug, had to stay put. Still, I … Continue reading “The Hard Lessons of IT”

Edit: I have not done much geocaching lately. Originally posted November 22, 2011 on AIXchange Since I wrote about Watson and its appearance on “Jeopardy!,” I’ve become interested in the show’s famous human contestant, Ken Jennings. Mind you I’d barely heard of Jennings when he was establishing his winning streak on “Jeopardy!” But post-Watson, I started … Continue reading “Caching In”

Edit: This topic still comes up with new users. Originally posted November 15, 2011 on AIXchange As much as I rely on the VIO server, I understand that the command-line interface takes some getting used to for those who are new to it. This is especially true for anyone coming from a non-UNIX background (e.g., … Continue reading “The Command Line Isn’t for Everyone”

Edit: The first time I was named as an IBM Champion. Some links no longer work. There is even a video Originally posted November 8, 2011 on AIXchange I may be late to the party, but I’ll still take a moment to toot my own horn. As Doug Rock and Steve Will note, I was recently recognized, … Continue reading “Proud to be a Champion”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted November 1, 2011 on AIXchange This recent Anthony English post got me thinking. When someone asked him what he did, he wasn’t sure how to respond. How do you answer that question? Can you explain what you do in a nice 30-second elevator pitch? Luckily for me, Watson recently made a … Continue reading “What to Say About What You Do”

Edit: All links still work at the time of this writing. Originally posted October 25, 2011 on AIXchange Do you have a nice customized shell and environment? Do you have a wonderful prompt that displays your current working directory and username? Does it change your terminal window name when you login? Do you have aliases set up so that things … Continue reading “Customized Comfort”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted October 18, 2011 on AIXchange In a recent AIXchange blog entry I discussed using the viosbr command to backup VIO server settings. Now I’ll tell you about backupios. Both commands should be used in your VIOS environment. While viobr allows you to restore mappings, backupios is used to restore … Continue reading “Using backupios”

Edit: Have you migrated off POWER7 yet? Originally posted October 11, 2011 on AIXchange I install POWER7 systems at customer sites all around the country. Once customers get their hands on these new systems, I find that people are wowed by the hardware speed. Especially impressed are those customers who upgrade from machines a generation … Continue reading “IBM Updates AIX, POWER7 Lineup”

Edit: I still find customers that are not taking good backups. Some links no longer work. Originally posted October 4, 2011 on AIXchange Once you’ve set up your VIO server (VIOS), mapped the disks and configured everything, one question remains. How are you going to back up those settings? The answer is the viosbr command. … Continue reading “Backing Up VIOS”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted September 27, 2011 on AIXchange I recently worked with a customer that was trying to figure out how to log their fibre cards into a switch before loading an OS onto the LPAR. I immediately thought of this recent documentation. Although this information is intended for NPIV clients, … Continue reading “Logging Fibre Cards into a Switch”

Edit: Link to technote no longer works. Originally posted September 20, 2011 on AIXchange More than once I’ve found myself on a system where all of the filesystems were placed in rootvg rather than split out into different volume groups. By default, the mksysb backs up all of rootvg. You can set up exclude lists, … Continue reading “Moving a Filesystem”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted September 13, 2011 on AIXchange As I’ve noted, VIO server configuration can be tricky. But while I was sitting in on Steve Knudson’s NIM presentation, he shared a unique solution for providing higher availability for VIO clients. In VIO server environments, automatic failover is set up with shared Ethernet … Continue reading “Higher Availability for VIO Clients: An Alternative”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted September 6, 2011 on AIXchange At the recent tech briefing I attended, IBMer Steve Knudson had a great session called “NIM Master Tuning and NIM Master Group Migrations.” (He also covers some of this material in this techdoc.) One thing Steve explained in the session was how to get better … Continue reading “Steve Knudson on NIM”

Edit: Hopefully none of you are still running this version. Some links no longer work. Originally posted August 30, 2011 on AIXchange This information has been circulating for awhile, and Anthony English covers the topic here and here. But I want to make sure HMC users are aware of this important update and the need to make sure … Continue reading “Important HMC Fix”

Edit: Any thoughts on changes to your IBM support experience? Originally posted August 23, 2011 on AIXchange I assume many of you saw this e-mail recently, but if not, I’ll share it here: Dear Valued Customer,   We wanted to let you know about an upcoming change to our service delivery model. We know that you have … Continue reading “Thoughts on IBM’s New Support Model”

Edit: I cannot remember the last time I had to tolerate spinning rust on a laptop. Cost has come down a ton since I first wrote this. Originally posted August 16, 2011 on AIXchange I’ve written about the benefits of solid-state drives (SSD). Perhaps that’s why someone sent me this 3-minute video. The speaker, whose … Continue reading “SSD: What’s Holding You Back?”

Edit: Now they are talking about 5G. Most of this is still applicable. Originally posted August 9, 2011 on AIXchange Just what are these strange devices we’re all carrying around these days? Are they phones or PDAs? Are they small computers? (They do have greater processing power available than some of the larger machines I … Continue reading “Built for Speed”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted August 2, 2011 on AIXchange A customer recently called because they couldn’t login to their machine. A new server was being built, and someone had rebooted the virtual machine. Once the system came back up, no one could ssh or telnet to it, though they were able … Continue reading “Media Makes the Difference”

Edit: Many links no longer work. Originally posted July 26, 2011 on AIXchange For some time, I’ve informally collected a few go-to resources for AIX pros. For starters, there’s Anthony English’s AIX Down Under blog, Chris Gibson’s AIX blog and the AIX Virtual User Group-USA. And for sure, get on Twitter. Others who provide good AIX info include Andy Wojo, Nigel … Continue reading “Virtualization Webinars Add to AIX Education Offerings”

Edit: Briefings and virtual briefings cannot be beat. Originally posted July 19, 2011 on AIXchange Last month I was fortunate enough to attend an IBM technical briefing covering Power Systems and Storage Systems. This one-day conference covered an array of information. For starters, IBMer Ian Jarman offered some stories and anecdotes about Watson and the IBM … Continue reading “The Value of IBM Tech Briefings”

Edit: Links no longer work. Originally posted July 12, 2011 on AIXchange Once again, Twitter had some interesting things to tell me when I searched in #aix. I got a laugh from this Anthony English tweet: “Found reference to #AIX 5.4 in doco http://t.co/FUQCAuU AIX 5.4 never released – 6.1 & #Power6 took its place.” … Continue reading “Twitter Yields More AIX Tips”

Edit: This is still relevant. Originally posted July 5, 2011 on AIXchange Both Anthony English and I (go here) have recently written articles about migrating data from one storage subsystem to another. Take the time to read them so you can add more tools to your bag of tricks. I’ve done quite a few migrations lately, and my … Continue reading “Migrating Subsystem Storage Data”

Edit: The link no longer works. Originally posted June 28, 2011 on AIXchange In the “good old days” of AIX administration, companies had standalone servers, and rootvg lived on internal disks. We always had at least one pair of internal disks, mirroring them to one another. In the event of a disk failure, you’d unmirror … Continue reading “Protecting Your Data with mirrorios”

Edit: Some links no longer work. The SDMC never did take over from the HMC. Originally posted June 21, 2011 on AIXchange What do the best practices documents tell us about HMC private networks when communicating between HMC and flexible service processor (FSPs)? Is a private network switch or VLAN really needed between the HMC … Continue reading “Connecting to a Remote HMC”

Edit: One of the many reasons I moved to Arizona. Originally posted June 15, 2011 on AIXchange I devote a considerable amount of time to thinking about time. With family, friends, clients and fellow IT pros sprawled worldwide, I must think before picking up the phone. It’s never fun to be the recipient of a … Continue reading “Time’s Practical (and not so Practical) Complexities”

Edit: How long has it been since you modified tunables. Some links no longer work. I still follow most of those users on twitter. Originally posted June 7, 2011 on AIXchange It’s been awhile since I’ve given you a grab bag of links and tips. I’ll start with a personal experience. A recent client with … Continue reading “An AIX Migration Tip Leads the Grab Bag”

Edit: This is still an issue, attackers still get in and we still need better security and intrusion protection. Originally posted June 1, 2011 on AIXchange As I wrote recently, I remotely access machines regularly, whether I’m logging in directly or using a tool like webex to observe or help others with their server configurations. Given … Continue reading “Remote Access: From the Laptop to the Phone”

Edit: I still say LPAR all the time. Nigel’s link no longer works. People still fight over AS/400 and IBM i. Originally posted May 24, 2011 on AIXchange In an AIXchange blog entry last month, when I discussed the new SDMC IBM Redbook, I noted that: “Section 1.5 shows us how the terminology will evolve. Managed systems … Continue reading “As a Term, LPAR isn’t that Logical”

Edit: Modified the Gitomer link, still good information here. Originally posted May 17, 2011 on AIXchange How do you respond to poor customer service? Do you flip out, demand to see a manager and cause a scene? Do you demand upgrades? Or do you quietly walk away, telling yourself that you’ll never be back, no … Continue reading “The Hidden Cost of Poor Service”

Edit: I still have a landline, and I still like it. Originally posted May 10, 2011 on AIXchange I know I shouldn’t say this, since I work in technology, but I still have a landline phone at home, and I like it. Sure, I’ve used voice over IP (VOIP) for webinars, and I’ve had different … Continue reading “Sometimes the Latest isn’t the Greatest”

Edit: This is still good stuff. Originally posted May 3, 2011 on AIXchange Following up on this recent post, I want to go into greater detail on setting up NPIV (N_port ID virtualization). With most customers, the first question I get is, “Do I have the hardware to run NPIV?” If you’re running at least POWER6, you … Continue reading “Setting Up NPIV”

Edit: Did anyone ever run this? Originally posted April 26, 2011 on AIXchange The IBM Redbook covering the IBM Service Director Management Console (SDMC) is now available. Whether you’re making the move from the HMC to the SDMC now or later, this publication will help you with your transition. It’s well worth the download. The first time … Continue reading “The SDMC Evolution”

Edit: The link still works. This is still a good comparison. Originally posted April 19, 2011 on AIXchange NPIV isn’t new functionality, but plenty of customers are only just now getting started with it. I know this because lately, I’m hearing a lot about NPIV. In response to the numerous queries coming my way, I … Continue reading “Getting Started With NPIV”

Edit: POWER7 blades. SDMC. Those are names I have not heard in a long time. Originally posted April 12, 2011 on AIXchange IBM is conducting what it calls a “product preview” today. The subject of this preview is new hardware that is expected to be rolled out later this year. I received this information during … Continue reading “IBM Product Preview”

Edit: I still use webex all the time. Originally posted April 5, 2011 on AIXchange I’ve been using screen and VNC on a daily basis for years — and I’ve been writing about them for quite awhile, too. Another tool I like, though I don’t use it all that often, is portmir. Occasionally I’ll use VNC, screen … Continue reading “Remote Tech Support”

Edit: It does not seem like it was that long ago, and yet.. Some of the links no longer work. Originally posted March 29, 2011 on AIXchange The IBM Jeopardy! challenge has ended, the experience succinctly summarized with Ken Jennings’ words after Final Jeopardy: “I, for one, welcome our new computer overlords.” I heard that … Continue reading “Watson’s Impact”

Edit: The link points to POWER8 servers at the time of this writing, but the principle is still the same. Originally posted March 22, 2011 on AIXchange When ordering a Power server, the number of sockets you pick and the dual inline memory module (DIMM) size you use matter. Consider the 8233-E8B server, commonly called … Continue reading “How Much Memory?”

Edit: This is still an issue today. Originally posted March 15, 2011 on AIXchange I enjoyed reading this article on some of the turf wars that go on in IT: “IT pros do battle every day — with cyber attackers, stubborn hardware, buggy software, clueless users, and the endless demands of other departments within their organization. But … Continue reading “It’s Lame to Blame”

Edit: This is still a good list of rules. Originally posted March 8, 2011 on AIXchange A few months ago I took a class with IBMer Tommy Todd, who highlighted 10 rules for administrators that he had accumulated over the years. I’ll run down his list, and comment about each rule. Then I’d appreciate your … Continue reading “10 Rules for Admins”

Edit: These are still interesting topics to consider. Originally posted March 1, 2011 on AIXchange In a recent post, I said this: “Troubleshooting and administration are done via the network, from anywhere on the globe. This is great, especially for companies that utilize sun-support scenarios, where different teams in different countries and different time zones support … Continue reading “Debating Support Scenarios”

Edit: Some links no longer work. It seems this is easier to do now via the HMC. Originally posted February 22, 2011 on AIXchange Anthony English offered an intriguing comment about an issue I had during a VIOS installation. His response: “I prefer to install the VIOS without using physical media at all using the HMC … Continue reading “More on VIOS Installs”

Edit: This is still relevant information to consider. Originally posted February 15, 2011 on AIXchange I recently shared some of my gripes concerning modern data centers, as well as the importance of keeping actual people in mind when designing and constructing these buildings. On a somewhat related note, another trend I’m seeing is those nice new, … Continue reading “Hey, Cut Me Some Slack!”

Edit: We still need to plan for humans in data centers. Originally posted February 8, 2011 on AIXchange I travel to customer sites across the country — including customer-owned facilities, outsourcing facilities, disaster/recovery facilities and co-location facilities — and I see plenty of raised floors. But I’m always fascinated by how much these sites cater … Continue reading “Computer Rooms are Still People Rooms”

Edit: The link no longer works. Originally posted February 1, 2011 on AIXchange IBM has come out with a new software compatibility website. I learned of this site from a mailing list, which offers this description: “Clarity is the new tool based on Clearing House data designed to allow users to easily generate custom reports about … Continue reading “IBM’s New Software Compatibility Tool”

Edit: The link to the NIM document still works. Getting the mksysb file is easier now. Originally posted January 25, 2011 on AIXchange I had an interesting experience with a VIOS installation recently. I’m curious if anyone else has seen something similar. Maybe I just had a bad day. When I do a NIM install … Continue reading “An Unusual VIOS Install”

Edit: Some links no longer work. The links to pictures do, it was fun looking for people from all those years ago. Originally posted January 18, 2011 on AIXchange The 2011 schedule for the IBM Systems Technical Conference Series is now out. These worldwide educational events include the IBM Power Systems Technical University, which is set for Oct. 10-14 … Continue reading “Technical University: Looking Back and Ahead”

Edit: Some links no longer work. I still love remote upgrades. Originally posted January 11, 2011 on AIXchange Anthony English’s recent blog entry about remotely upgrading the HMC struck a chord with me. How many times have you found yourself on a cold raised floor to upgrade a machine? Wouldn’t you rather do that work from … Continue reading “Remote HMC Upgrades”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted January 4, 2011 on AIXchange If you’re not following along on Twitter, you should be. Most recently, Twitter brought me this update about VIOS Next Generation: “VIOS Next Generation or ‘NextGen VIOS’ was released on Dec. 9 as VIOS 2.2 SP01. I recently installed it on my test … Continue reading “More From the Tweet Life”

Edit: I cannot believe that it has been this long ago already. Some links no longer work. Originally posted December 21, 2010 on AIXchange It wasn’t that long ago when chess master Garry Kasparov took on–and was defeated by–IBM’s Deep Blue supercomputer. Nearly 14 years after that match-up, another man-vs.-machine competition is being staged, and … Continue reading “Watson Follows in Deep Blue’s Steps”

Edit: Some more good discussion. The link does not seem to work. Originally posted December 14, 2010 on AIXchange In a recent AIXchange blog entry, I outlined the reasons why some customers have yet to get on board with virtualization. Along those lines comes AIX blogger Waldemar Mark Duszyk, who cautions against virtualizing just for the sake of … Continue reading “Virtualization for the Right Reasons”

Edit: I still love my Model M. I still get freebies at conferences, but I no longer have small children at home that love to see what I brought them. Originally posted December 7, 2010 on AIXchange I’m a stickler when it comes to my computer keyboard. If I’m going to be stationed in any … Continue reading “Blinky: The Mouse that Roared”

Edit: Most everyone virtualizes these days, although I still know of vendors that prefer you run one big LPAR per frame. Originally posted November 30, 2010 on AIXchange Working on virtualized systems as much as I do, and talking to people about virtualization as often as I do, I tend to forget a couple things: … Continue reading “Those Who Do Without Virtualization”

Edit: Still some pretty good arguments in favor of PowerVM. Awareness is still an issue. Originally posted November 23, 2010 on AIXchange Did you know that when IBM publishes server benchmarks, these workloads always run on virtualized IBM Power Systems machines? The virtualization is built into the hardware and firmware; there is no concept of … Continue reading “IBM’s Virtualization Alternative”

Edit: Shawn still gives awesome presentations. Originally posted November 15, 2010 on AIXchange Recently I attended a session on the IBM PowerHA high-availability solutions. The point was made that, given the reliability and uptime of IBM Power servers, many customers wonder why they even need an HA solution. IBM’s Shawn Bodily, our PowerHA presenter, described … Continue reading “The Case for High Availability”

Edit: This is still good stuff. Originally posted November 9, 2010 on AIXchange Some time ago I read two articles that got me thinking about the same thing: the difference between being busy and getting things done. How are you living your day-to-day life? Are you busy running around from one task to another without thinking … Continue reading “The Difference Between Busy and Productive”

Edit: Setting up SEAs is easier now with built in control channels and HMC GUIs, but it is still something to be aware of. Some links no longer work, and I removed one that appears to be malicious. Originally posted November 2, 2010 on AIXchange What’s the quickest way to get to know your network … Continue reading “The Delicate Art of VIOS Configuration”

Edit: Surely there have been more stories I could have been told in the time since this was published.. Originally posted October 27, 2010 on AIXchange Halloween’s coming up, and I’m looking for horror stories. No blood and gore, please–just tales from your life as an IT professional. We all have these stories, things we’ve … Continue reading “Scary Tales of IT”

Edit: Twitter is still a thing. Some links no longer work. Originally posted October 18, 2010 on AIXchange I’ve said it before, but Twitter offers a lot of value to IT professionals. I’m finding more and more useful information and links from the people I follow. In fact, just recently, I came across all of this … Continue reading “The Tweet Life”

Edit: There have been a few updates since I first posted this. Originally posted October 12, 2010 on AIXchange I first heard about an updated version of the virtual I/O server (VIOS) during a recent IBM conference call. Now it’s official. We already use VIOS for sharing disks and networks, active memory sharing and live partition mobility. … Continue reading “VIOS Updates”

Edit: I cannot remember the last time I did not run SSD in my laptops. Some links no longer work. Originally posted October 5, 2010 on AIXchange I’ve been meaning to touch on one other aspect of the recent Power Systems announcements — that being the new solid-state drive (SSD) disk modules. The new SSD modules are about … Continue reading “New SSD Modules Offer Greater Efficiency”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted September 28, 2010 on AIXchange They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but that isn’t always the case. For instance, the IBM Power Systems Technical University 2010 is set for Oct. 18-22 in Las Vegas. And if you attend this conference, odds are you’ll bring back a wealth … Continue reading “Technical University a Training Highlight”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted September 20, 2010 on AIXchange Well, I was wrong. After arguing in two posts (here and here) that getting physical media from IBM is preferable to downloading AIX images, I am now among the converted. Sort of. What happened? AIX 7.1 happened. When it was released on Sept. 10, … Continue reading “Getting Started With AIX 7.1”

Edit: I still love AIX. The link to the article no longer works. Originally posted September 14, 2010 on AIXchange I’ve been exchanging numerous e-mails regarding this article that’s been making the rounds on Twitter. The premise? Linux is now on a par with AIX. My response? First, note the source: CIO Weekly. Now, it’s … Continue reading “AIX and Linux”

Edit: This is still good stuff. Originally posted September 7, 2010 on AIXchange Do these statements sound familiar? “We need to see if we can find a resource for this project.” “Our storage resource is busy, but our network resource is available.” “We need to find another resource.” I hear things like this all the … Continue reading “People, Not Resources”

Edit: I have been known to stand up and stretch sooner than I used to. These days I take pictures of receipts instead of using a scanner. Some of the links no longer work. Originally posted August 31, 2010 on AIXchange I’m old enough to recall when airline travel was a stand-up comedy staple. Why … Continue reading “Plane Talk About Serving Customers”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted August 24, 2010 on AIXchange I love getting tips and tricks, and hopefully you love it when I share them. For instance, recently while perusing a mailing list, I learned of a simpler way to look up IBM employee contact information from a smartphone. At least for … Continue reading “Hot Spares and Other Tips and Tricks”

Edit: How many of you still have machines you need to upgrade to AIX 7? Originally posted August 16, 2010 on AIXchange Following on previous releases of POWER7 servers (the 750, 770 and 780 models) and blades, IBM today announced five new POWER7 servers: the 710, 720, 730, 740 and 795 models. The 710 and 730 are 2U … Continue reading “The New POWER7 Servers”

Edit: Some links no longer work. Originally posted August 10, 2010 on AIXchange Recently I questioned why so many people choose to download .iso images rather than order a set from IBM. Some of you were kind enough to offer your thoughts. Being able to download these images from IBM is nothing new, (although the capability to download one … Continue reading “Readers Respond”

Edit: The links no longer work. I guess these days we would just try out workloads in the cloud. Originally posted August 3, 2010 on AIXchange Are you a current IBM customer who’s planning on upgrading to POWER6 or POWER7, but would like to try out the machines before buying them? Or maybe you use … Continue reading “IBM Gets Rolling with Loaner Hardware”