Edit: Changed the first link, the second link, the third link, and the 4th link, the text no longer reads as it did in 2008. I am not sure how applicable this tool is going to be anyway, but you never know what someone may find useful in the future so I am keeping it here.
Originally posted August 12, 2008 on AIXchange
Don’t be taken in by the title–the IBM Installation Toolkit for Linux isn’t just for installing Linux. From IBM: “The IBM Installation Toolkit for Linux provides a set of tools that simplifies the installation of Linux on IBM Power Systems. The toolkit also provides IBM value-added software that you can install, so that you can take advantage of Power Systems capabilities, such as Dynamic Logical Partitioning (DLPAR). The toolkit also supports Web-based updates, providing immediate access to the latest offerings.
“The Toolkit can also be used as a rescue bootable DVD to run diagnostic tools and repair previously installed operating systems. It also provides a wealth of IBM documentation for configuring and managing Power systems.
“The Toolkit is available as a single ISO image that that you can download from this website. This image can be used to create a bootable DVD or to create a network installation server, which makes multiple and parallel Linux installations over the network possible.”
While I plan on using it to install Linux, I first wanted to check out the Toolkit’s other features. First, I downloaded the .iso image. As always, I prefer virtual optical instead of physical media. So I went to my virtual I/O (VIO) server and ran:
mkrep -sp datavg -size 16G
Then I ran:
oem_setup_env
cd /var/vio/VMLibrary/
scp source_machine:/path/to/iso.image ./
This copied the .iso image to my VIO server so that I could assign it as a virtual optical device.
I did a DLPAR operation on my HMC to add a virtual SCSI adapter to my VIO server. Then I ran cfgdev on my VIO server so that I could see the adapter.
And then I ran:
mkvdev -fbo -vadapter vhost3
loadopt -vtd vtopt0 -disk IBM_Installation_Toolkit.iso
lsmap showed me:
vhost3
VTD vtopt0
Status Available
LUN 0x8100000000000000
Backing device /var/vio/VMLibrary/IBM_Installation_Toolkit.iso
Physloc
After assigning the virtual SCSI adapter to my client LPAR, I was then able to boot from this CD image.
Once I booted the machine, I got a root prompt. Then I entered:
WelcomeCenter
After accepting the license, I was presented with these options:
Install Linux
Utilities
Help
I went into the Utilities and saw:
Configure network
Eject Media
Reboot System
System Diagnostics
Firmware Update
The System Diagnostics has:
System Properties
System Inventory
Error Log
Service Configuration
Boot Configuration
These look like useful tools, and if I boot from this CD image I don’t need to have an OS installed to run the utilities. Once I’ve had more time to explore them, I’ll report back with more findings.
“The server consolidation tool provided by the Toolkit tackles the most time-consuming and error-prone aspect of server consolidation: the migration of OS stack and user and application data. With the Toolkit, the administrator can quickly put a new server into production. The tool targets the migration and customization of LAMP stack (Linux – Apache – mySQL – Perl, Python, and PHP) and data from
X86 servers running RHEL 4, RHEL5, SLES9 and SLES10 to Power Systems.
“The administrator has complete control over the installation and migration process. He chooses the level of the OS and whether additional RPMs should be installed as well as whether to migrate user accounts and data. So whether you intend to migrate one or more servers, the new server consolidation tool is sure to save you a lot of time.
“The IBM Installation Toolkit is intended for customers who want to:
- Install and configure Linux on a non-virtualized Power System.
- Install and configure Linux on machines with previously configured Logical Partitions (virtualized machines).
- Install IBM RAS Tools along with Linux or on a previously installed system.
- Upgrade firmware level on Power Systems.
- Perform diagnostics or maintenance operations on previously installed systems.
- Improve application performance using the latest Power Systems optimizations available in the Advance Toolchain.
- Migrate LAMP stack from X86 RHEL and SLES servers to Power Systems.
- Browse and search Linux documentation included on the Toolkit ISO. “