HMC AIX Setup

This page will document the installation procedure for a system controlled by an IBM (v)HMC.

The installation steps are in summary,

• Install VIOS
• Create virtual network bridges
• Create virtual disks and assign
• Install AIX
• Setup AIX

Hardware prerequisites assumed: - At least 1 storage device on SATA/SAS - Network port connected to HMC - At least 2 external network ports connected, 1 to public & 1 to private network

VIOS install

The VIOS install uses a VIOS image stored on the HMC to bootstrap the server. Once the HMC is installed, it will be necessary to SSH to it, and use

chfs -a size=+10G /

to grow the default filesystem, create a directory on the HMC, and scp the vios-* image to there. The current (3.1) VIOS image is stored in ~erik-k's downloads as

PwrVMVIOSBIV3.1.3.10Fls92021.iso

References:

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/power9?topic=hmc-installing-vios

Top -> System -> 'create vio server'

Clicking through menus, assign 2 processors, the NICs and at least one SAS adapter with disk (vios will not install on nvme).

Select 'management console images' to install and 'vios-3.1.3.10-flash'. If an image isn't present, see top of this section to upload it.

It is necessary to assign a working ethernet port to the vios. All 'm c image install' does is just temporarily throw up a NIM server, install and then tear it down. Make certain that the assigned network port is on the correct switch & that the switch has that port on the right vlan.

I have decided to use 172.17.20.x for the VIOS ethernets. Enter 172.17.202.79 (vina IP) for gateway... this does not work but it needs something.

Click install, and go have lunch. I've clocked this process in at around 45 minutes. It may be that temporarily assigning more processors would speed it up?

The finishing of the install procedure is unreliable. It may or may not report "done". As long as it does _not_ report failure, once it is done, you can try to click 'accept license.'

Next step:

Server -> vio servers -> [click server] -> vios actions -> console -> open terminal

After a bit, a godawfully barely-functional console will ask to run.

Enter a password

Accept license.

Run oem_setup_env to get prompted again, and accept license.

Okay, new blank slate VIOS is installed.