Re: mksysb and OS CD version

There are two APARs: one for POWER4 and above, one for earlier systems.
The file also indicates that it's only a problem with 5.1 and 5.2.
Hopefully that means it's NOT a problem with 5.3 but sometimes that's
uncertain: obviously the messages and APARs were written before 5.3 was
available.

Has anybody tried it with 5.3? Are there similar problems, with large boot
images and/or booting with different maintenance levels?

--
Simon Green
EDS

-----Original Message-----
From: IBM AIX Discussion List [mailto:aix-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Darryl Ousterhout
Sent: 26 September 2006 14:04
To: aix-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: mksysb and OS CD version


I had this same problem with our tapes. I have a P690 with 10
partitions. Our main partitions have an over-sized boot image. I created
the tapes for a disaster recovery test. We had the latest microcode as
well as the D.R. system having the latest and I had no problems booting
and restoring the o/s. If I remember correctly these were late 5.1 or
early 5.2 systems. I believe there was also an APAR that needed to be
applied as stated below.


Thanks
Darryl

-----Original Message-----
From: IBM AIX Discussion List [mailto:aix-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Green, Simon (EDS)
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 4:41 AM
To: aix-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: mksysb and OS CD version

Actually, just checking through the docs again I see that there may be a
relatively simple circumvention.

The message in the mksysb output - which says that the boot image is too
large - also refers us to /usr/lpp/bos.sysmgt/README. This has a way of
booting direct from the tape - without a CD - provided a particular APAR
is installed, (depending on the type of hardware).

--
Simon Green
EDS

-----Original Message-----
From: Green, Simon (EDS)
Sent: 26 September 2006 10:22
To: 'IBM AIX Discussion List'
Subject: RE: mksysb and OS CD version


That sounds extremely unpleasant! It hadn't occurred to me that there
might
not be a CD in existence: something I'll have to watch out for in the
future. It sounds like IBM messed up badly there.

How were you able to recover the system in the end?

--
Simon Green
EDS

-----Original Message-----
From: IBM AIX Discussion List [mailto:aix-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Barnhart, Troy
Sent: 25 September 2006 21:21
To: aix-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: mksysb and OS CD version


Whew, I've been there, done that, and learned the hard way.

For AIX 5.2: If you get the "boot image exceeded max. mksysb size
limit"
message:
"You MUST have the OS-CD for that exact Maintenance Level of that
mksysb."

There is no such thing as an ML06 CD, only a downloadable package.
Therefore, you couldn't boot from a CD and load from the mksysb TAPE.
Pretty scary finding that out at 4am on a Sunday & all I had was an ML04
&
ML07 set of CD's.

A 6-hour downtime became 37-hour downtime.

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