The mksysb images enable you to clone one system image onto multiple target systems. The target systems might not contain the same hardware devices or adapters, require the same kernel (uniprocessor or microprocessor), or be the same hardware platform (rs6k, rspc, or chrp) as the source system. If you are installing a mksysb on a system it was not created on, use the procedure Cloning Your System.
Beginning with AIX Version 4.3.3, you can create a "generic" backup CD. This backup image can be installed on any RS/6000 machine running the AIX operating system. Refer to Introduction to Backups on CD for more information.
Use this procedure to install a mksysb on a target system it was not created on. Be sure to boot from the product media appropriate for your system and at the same maintenance level of BOS as the installed source system that the mksysb was made on. For example, you can use BOS Version 4.2.1 product media with a mksysb from a BOS Version 4.2.1 system. This procedure is to be used when installing a backup tape to a different system, or if installing a personal CD to a different system. It is not necessary when installing using generic backup CDs.
After booting from product media, complete the following steps when the Welcome to the Base Operating System Installation and Maintenance screen is displayed.
Select the Start Maintenance Mode for System Recovery option.
Select the drive containing the backup tape or CD and insert the media for that device.
The system reads the media and begins the installation.
You will be prompted again for the BOS installation language, and the Welcome screen should be displayed. Continue with the Prompted Installation, as cloning is not supported in nonprompted installations.
If you are cloning from the product CD to restore a backup tape, do not remove the CD from the CD-ROM drive. If you are restoring from a backup CD, you will be prompted to remove the CD if necessary. You will be prompted again for the BOS install language, and the Welcome screen is displayed. Continue with the Prompted Installation process, as cloning is not supported for Nonprompted Installations.
Notes:
Booting from tape product media is not supported on some rspc platform systems. When a backup tape is created on one of these systems, the mksysb command will display a message indicating that the system does not support tape boot. To determine what your platform system is, enter the following command:
bootinfo -p
If you are cloning from the product tape to restore a backup tape, or if you are cloning from a product CD to restore from a backup CD, create a diskette that contains a ./bosinst.data file with SWITCH_TO_PRODUCT_TAPE=yes in the control_flow stanza if this was not set prior to making the mksysb.
If SWITCH_TO_PRODUCT_TAPE is set to yes, the system will prompt you to remove the mksysb media and insert the product media after the mksysb has been restored.
After the mksysb installation completes, the installation program automatically installs additional devices and the kernel (uniprocessor or microprocessor) on your system using the original product media you booted from. Information is saved in BOS installation log files. To view BOS installation log files, enter cd /var/adm/ras and view the devinst.log file in this directory.
If the source system does not have the correct passwords and network information, you may make modifications on the target system now. Also, some products ship device-specific files such as graPHIGS. If your graphics adapter is different on the target system, verify that the device-specific filesets for graphics-related LPPs are installed.
Attention: If the system you have cloned is using OpenGL or graPHIGS, there may be some device filesets from these LPPs that must be installed after a clone. OpenGL and graPHIGS have graphics adapter-specific filesets, so if you cloned onto a system with a different graphics adapter, you will need to create a bundle as follows:echo OpenGL.OpenGL_X.dev > /usr/sys/inst.data/user_bundles/graphic_dev.bnd
echo PEX_PHIGS.dev >> /usr/sys/inst.data/user_bundles/graphic_dev.bnd
Next use smitty install_bundle to install this bundle. If any new filesets are installed, you may want to reboot your system before using OpenGL and graPHIGS. Otherwise, you may experience performance problems with these applications.
The above procedure is required because the OpenGL and graPHIGS LPPs are on a separate media, and therefore the normal cloning procedure cannot automatically install any missing device filesets.
The Network Installation Management (NIM) mksysb installation also supports cloning. If you are using NIM and you have OpenGL and graPHIGS in your lpp_source, you can create a separate bundle as described above, and allocate it when you install the mksysb image. The device filesets will be installed automatically.