Booting an AIX VM into maintenance mode
To perform maintenance on the rootvg volume group or to restore files from a mksysb backup, it’s sometimes necessary to boot an AIX VM into maintenance mode.
Booting an AIX VM from AIX bootable installation media (ISO)
- Follow the steps to load an ISO in the VM CD/DVD drive. Choose the ISO with the same AIX version, Technology Level and Service Pack as the VM (for multiple-disc sets, choose the first volume of the set).
- Click on the thumbnail image of the VM desktop to open the Secure Remote Access (SRA) browser client.
- To make sure that the AIX VM recognizes the VM CD/DVD drive, run the following command:
/usr/sbin/cfgmgr
- In the guest OS—not from the browser client toolbar—restart the guest OS with the following command:
reboot
. - When the VM restarts, press 1 to enter the AIX System Management Services console.
- Press 5. Select Boot Options.
- Press 1. Select Install/Boot Device.
- Press 2. CD/DVD.
- Press 1. SCSI.
- Press 1. {VM ID string} (similar to
U8284.22A784ECDX-V8-C2-T1 /vdevice/v-scsi@30000002
). - Press 1. SCSI CD-ROM.
- Press 3. Service Mode Boot.
For more information about AIX Maintenance Mode, see the Maintenance Mode Options section of Booting AIX into Maintenance Mode.
Booting an AIX VM from a NIM master
-
Add a NIM master VM to the environment. If possible, choose a NIM master with the same AIX version, Technology Level and Service Pack as the VM. See Creating an environment from a template.
- Click on the thumbnail image of the VM desktop to open the Secure Remote Access (SRA) browser client.
- In the guest OS—not from the browser client toolbar—restart the guest OS with the following command:
reboot
. - After the VM restarts, press 1 to enter the AIX System Management Services console.
- Press 5. Select Boot Options.
- Press 1. Select Install/Boot Device.
- Press 4. Network.
- Press 1. BOOTP.
- Press 1. Interpartition Logical LAN.
- Press 2. Normal Boot Mode.
- Press 1. Yes to start mksysb restore. The status of mksysb restore displays.
For more information about creating a Skytap AIX VM from a mksysb image, see Creating an AIX VM in Skytap from a mksysb image.
For more information about using mksysb images to restore a system backup, see Restoring an AIX system backup from a CD or DVD.