Re: Good resources for new AIX sys admin, coming from Tru64

From: Dan Goodman (rootcauseyouknowwhattodo_at_myfastmail.com)
Date: 04/01/04 

Date: Thu, 01 Apr 2004 11:22:50 -0500

d jO'nZ' wrote:
> I'm a sys admin who's worked on Compaq Tru64 for several years. My company
> is switching to an IBM pseries 615 AIX 5L v5.1 system.
>
> Can people recommend some good links for general info, mailing lists and
> maybe even user groups in the Vermont area?
> ...

You need to learn a bit about the ODM (but don't get sucked in that far,
  you don't need to know exactly how it works), and learn smit or
smitty. Then learn how to press a key and see the underlying command.
There is also a startup flag for smitty to run it in simulation mode
only, good for learning what command to use to do what. RTFM for smit.

Try a google or altavista search on unix and rosetta, you'll probably
find a halfway decent rosetta stone for Unix variants to help you master
things like adduser vs. mkuser. Many IBM AIX commands begin with ls for
listings, mk for making something, rm for removing something.

If your company has a support agreement with IBM, don't be afraid to use
it. If they don't, it is one support service that delivers - get it.

You can automagically extend LV's by extending filesystems, unlike other
  *ix where you can obliterate data if not careful.

Most multiplatform sysadmins either love or loathe AIX, usually for the
same reasons. Take time to get to know your way around it before you
decide for yourself.

When adding software through smit, apply first rather than commit, and
be sure to select save old file versions. Both must be done to rollback
easily.

Get to know mksysb and savevg commands. If you have enough spindles, get
to know alt_disk_install for upgrades to the O/S. Migration and
preservation installs take a lot of the customization work out of
upgrades, as well.

If you were fairly good at Tru64, this will keep you out of the worst of
  troubles if you are careful, and combine the ingredients intelligently.

Don't get too far behind in Maintenance Level upgrades, but try not to
bleed your way to the front of the pack unless you are bored and don't
have much of a life outside of work.

"You are ready to go now, grasshopper!"

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