VIO update using alternate clone method

Hello everyone today, I am sharing VIO update using alternate disk cloning method. In this method, we will do update on dual VIO environment . Alternate cloning method first clone VIO OS on alternate disk and then start applying update on cloned disk. In dual VIO environment admin need to switch SEA(primary operational) to secondary VIO SEA and do update on primary VIO and after successful update on primary VIO do same for 2nd VIO

First verify VIO fileset consistency.

#errpt |more    - To check errpt alerts.

#lppchk -v   - To check inconsistency.

#installp –C   - Remove the inconsistency file sets. 

Check following fileset is installed on VIO or not, this fileset needed while doing update.

#lslpp –l |grep –i alt_disk_install.rte

Also most important thing take VIO backup before starting update. 

Command for taking VIO backup:

#su – padmin

$backupios –file /tmp/VIOImage

$viosbr -backup -file /home/padmin/`hostname`

Once backup completed transfer it to backup server. This backup need in case of recovery requirement. Before starting VIO update make sure that there is spare disk available which must be same size of rootvg of VIO server and that disk is not part of any volume group. It is always good to switch network traffic to secondary VIO while doing VIO update on Primary.  For single VIO setup admin need downtime and all client LPAR must be shut down before starting update.

For SEA setup do fail-over to secondary VIO by using following command and then proceed for VIO update. Below mentioned SEA adapter change according to SEA setup so please first identify SEA in dual VIO environment then change attribute to “standby”.

Step 1:

# lsdev -C | grep -i  "Shared Ethernet Adapter"

ent11          Available      Shared Ethernet Adapter

$entstat -d ent11 |grep -i state 

State: PRIMARY

LAN State: Operational

LAN State: Operational

# lsattr -El ent11 | grep ha_mode

ha_mode       auto     High Availability Mode    

                                        

# chdev -l ent11 -a ha_mode=standby

# lsattr -El ent11 | grep ha_mode

ha_mode       standby  High Availability Mode

After changing "ha_mode" to standby proceed for next step

Step 2: 

#updateios –commit    To Commit the current IOS level

Commit all applied state fileset before starting update .

Step 3:

Start update by using command "alt_root_vg" command

$alt_root_vg -target hdisk1 -bundle update_all -location /tmp/update

Step 4:

Once update done then check whether bootlist is updated new disk or not??

#bootlist -m normal -o

If bootlist is changed to new disk then admin need to take reboot.

$shutdown -restart

Step 5:

After reboot from new disk check VIOS OS level by using ioslevel command.

$license –accept   Accept license after VIO update

$ioslevel     // Check VIOS OS level after update.

#lppchk -v

Step 6:

After successful reboot of VIO, toggle SEA setting back to original.

Use following command to set SEA setting on Primary mode.

On Primary VIO

# chdev -l ent11 -a ha_mode=auto

# lsattr -El ent11 | grep ha_mode

ha_mode       auto  High Availability Mode

How to verify VIO OS level after update without reboot using chroot method??

Use command chroot to Wake up the cloned disk and change the shell prompt

            to verify the IOS level and oslevel of the VIO server.

chroot /alt_inst /usr/bin/ksh 

start the altinst_rootvg shell.

oslevel -s      check the oslevel of altinst_rootvg.

lppchk -m3 -v   To check inconsistency.

Installp –c all To commit the fileset

lppchk –vm3      -To again check the inconsistency.

su – padmin    - To switch to padmin.

ioslevel    - To check the iOS level on the VIOS.

For second VIO follow same approach while doing update.

Thanks!!!!