image.data File

Files Reference

image.data File

Purpose

Contains information on the image installed during the Base Operating System installation process.

Description

The image.data file contains information describing the image installed during the BOS installation process. This information includes the sizes, names, maps, and mount points of logical volumes and file systems in the root volume group. The mkszfile command generates the image.data file. It is not recommended that the user modify the file. Changing the value of one field without correctly modifying any related fields can result in a failed installation and a corrupted backup image. The only exception to this recommendation is the SHRINK field, which the user may modify to instruct the BOS installation routines to create the file systems as specified in the image.data file or to create the file systems only as large as is required to contain all the data in the file system.

The BOS installation process also takes input from the image.data file regarding defaults for the machine being installed. Any default values in the image.data file will override values obtained when the BOS installation queries the hardware topology and existing root volume group. The image.data file resides in the / directory.

Note: The image.data file replaces the .fs.size file used in release 3.2.

The image.data file is arranged in stanza format. Each stanza contains one or more fields. These stanzas include the following:

image_data Stanza

`IMAGE_TYPE`	Identifies the format of the image. Examples include backup file format (bff) and tar format.
`DATE_TIME`	Contains the date and time that the image was taken.
`UNAME_INFO`	Identifies the system and system level data asociated with the image.
`PRODUCT_TAPE`	Specifies whether the image is a product image or a mksysb image. The possible field values are `yes` or `no`.
`USERVG_LIST`	Lists the user volume groups defined in the system.
`OSLEVEL`	Identifies the version.release.maintenance.fix level of the system at the time the image was taken

Note: The PRODUCT_TAPE and USERVG_LIST fields are only present for the ROOTVG volume group.

logical_volume_policy Stanza

`SHRINK`	Instructs BOS install routines to create the file systems as they are specified in the image.data file or create the smallest file systems required to contain all the data in the file system. The field value specified can be `yes` (shrink file systems) or `no` (use image.data file specifications).
`EXACT_FIT`	The field value specified can be `yes` or `no`. If `yes` is specified, the disk information listed in the source_disk_data stanza must match the actual disks found on the target machine during installation.

ils_data Stanza

LANG

Sets the language used by the BOS Install program.

vg_data Stanza

Notes:	1. The image.data file can contain only one vg_data stanza.
	2. Starting with AIX 4.3.3, two new fields (BIGVG and TFACTOR) have been added to the vg_data Stanza.

`VGNAME`	Specifies the volume group name.
`PPSIZE`	Specifies the size of the physical partition for the volume group.
`VARYON`	Activates the volume group and all associated logical volumes so that the volume group is available for use. The field value can be `yes` or `no`.
`VG_SOURCE_DISK_LIST`	Lists the disks in the volume group.
`QUORUM`	If set to 1, indicates the volume group is to be automatically varied off after losing its quorum of physical volumes.
`CONC_CAPABLE`	Indicates a volume group is concurrent capable.
`CONC_AUTO`	Indicates a volume group is to be varried on automatically in concurrent mode.
`BIGVG`	Indicates a volume group is to be created as a big vg format volume group. This can accomodate up to 128 physical volumes and 512 logical volumes.
`TFACTOR`	Indicates a change in the limit of the number of physical partitions per physical volume.

source_disk_data Stanza

Note: The image.data file contains one source_disk_data stanza for each disk in the root volume group.

`PVID`	Specifies the 16 digit physical volume identifier for the disk.
`CONNECTION`	Specifies the combination of the parent and the connwhere attribute associated with a disk. The format for this field is: parent attribute//connwhere attribute.
`LOCATION`	Specifies the locations of the disks in the root volume group.
`SIZE_MB`	Specifies the size, in MB, of the disks in the root volume group.
`HDISKNAME`	Specifies the names of the disks in the root volume group.

lv_data Stanza

Note: The image.data file contains one lv_data stanza for each logical volume created on the system.

`VOLUME_GROUP`	Specifies the logical volume group name. Volume group names must be unique systemwide and can range from 1 to 15 characters.
`LV_SOURCE_DISK_LIST`	Lists the disks in the logical volume.
`LV_IDENTIFIER`	Contains the identifier of the logical volume.
`LOGICAL_VOLUME`	Contains the name of the logical volume.
`PERMISSION`	Sets the access permissions. The field value can be `read/write` or `read` only.
`VG_STAT`	Indicates the state of the volume group. If the volume group is activated with the varyonvg command, the value of the `VG_STAT` field is either `active/complete` or `active/partial`. An `active/complete` field value indicates that all physical volumes are active, while an `active/partial` field value indicates that all physical volumes are not active. If the volume group is not activated with the varonvg command, the `VG_STAT` field value is inactive.
`TYPE`	Describes the logical volume type.
`MAX_LPS`	Sets the maximum number of logical partitions within the logical volume.
`COPIES`	Specifies the number of physical partitions created for each logical partition during the allocation process.
`LPS`	Specifies the number of logical partitions currently in the logical volume.
`STALE_PPs`	Specifies the number of physical partitions in the logical volume that are not current.
`INTER_POLICY`	Specifies the inter-physical allocation policy. The field value can be `minimum` or `maximum`.
`INTRA_POLICY`	Specifies the intra-physical allocation policy. The possible field values are either `middle`, `center`, or `edge`.
`MOUNT_POINT`	Specifies the file-system mount point for the logical volume, if applicable.
`MIRROR_WRITE_CONSISTENCY`	Specifies mirror-write consistency state. The field value can be `off` or `on`.
`LV_SEPARATE_PV`	Specifies a `yes`, `no`, or `super` field value for strict allocation. A `yes` value for strict allocation states that no copies for a logical partition are allocated on the same physical volume. A `no` value for strict allocation (nonstrict) states that at least one occurrence of two physical partitions belong to the same logical partition. A `super` value for strict allocation (super strictness) states that no partition from one mirror copy may reside on the same disk as another mirror copy.
`LV_STATE`	Describes the state of the logical volume. An `Opened/stale` value indicates the logical volume is open but contains physical partitions that are not current. An `Open/syncd` value indicates the logical volume is open and its physical partitions are current, or synchronized. A `Closed` value indicates the logical volume has not been opened.
`WRITE_VERIFY`	Specifies the field value of the write verify state as `on` or `off`.
`PP_SIZE`	Provides the size physical partition.
`SCHED_POLICY`	Specifies a sequential or parallel scheduling policy.
`PP`	Specifies the number of physical partitions currently in the logical volume.
`BB_POLICY`	Specifies the bad block relocation policy.
`RELOCATABLE`	Indicates whether the partitions can be relocated if a reorganization of partition allocation takes place. The field value can be `yes` or `no`.
`UPPER_BOUND`	Specifies the maximum number of physical volumes for allocation.
`LABEL`	Specifies the label field for the logical volume.
`MAPFILE`	Provides the full path name to a map file to be used in creating the logical volume.
`LV_MIN_LPS`	Specifies the minimum size of the logical volume to use when shrinking the logical volume.
`STRIPE_WIDTH`	Specifies the number of physical volumes being striped across.
`STRIPE_SIZE`	Specifies the number of bytes per stripe. The field value must be a power of two, between `4K` and `128K`; for example, `4K`, `8K`, `16K`, `32K`, `64K`, or `128K`.

fs_data Stanza

`FS_NAME`	Specifies the mount point of the file system.
`FS_SIZE`	Specifies the size, in 512-byte blocks, of the file system.
`FS_MIN_SIZE`	Specifies the minimum size required to contain the files of the file system. This size is used when the `SHRINK` field in the logical_volume_policy stanza has a field value of `yes`.
`FS_LV`	Provides the logical volume name. The name must contain the /dev/ prefix. An example of an appropriate name is `/dev/hd4`.
`FS_FS`	Specifies the fragmentation size of the system. This value is optional.
`FS_NBPI`	Specifies the number of bytes per inode. This value is optional.
`FS_COMPRESS`	Designates whether the file system should be compressed or not. The field value can be `LZ`, which compresses the file system, or the `no` field value.
`FS_BF`	Enables the file system for files greater than 2 GB. The possible values are `true` or `false`.
`FS_AGSIZE`	Specifies the allocation group size. The possible values are `8`, `16`, `32`, or `64`. The allocation group size is specified in units of megabytes.

post_install_data Stanza

BOSINST_FILE

Provides the full path name of a file or command to execute after BOS install completes.

post_restvg Stanza

RESTVG_FILE

Specifies the full path name of the file or command to execute after the restvg process completes.

Note: The post_install_data stanza exists for the ROOTVG volume group and the post_restvg stanza is present for other volume groups.

Implementation Specifics

This file is part of System Backup and BOS Install Utilites.

Related Information

The mkszfile command, mkfs command, mklv command, and lslv command.