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)

  1. 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).
  2. Click on the thumbnail image of the VM desktop to open the Secure Remote Access (SRA) browser client. VM Desktop Thumbnail
  3. To make sure that the AIX VM recognizes the VM CD/DVD drive, run the following command: /usr/sbin/cfgmgr
  4. In the guest OS—not from the browser client toolbar—restart the guest OS with the following command: reboot.
  5. When the VM restarts, press 1 to enter the AIX System Management Services console.
  6. Press 5. Select Boot Options.
  7. Press 1. Select Install/Boot Device.
  8. Press 2. CD/DVD.
  9. Press 1. SCSI.
  10. Press 1. {VM ID string} (similar to U8284.22A784ECDX-V8-C2-T1 /vdevice/v-scsi@30000002).
  11. Press 1. SCSI CD-ROM.
  12. 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

  1. 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.

  2. Click on the thumbnail image of the VM desktop to open the Secure Remote Access (SRA) browser client. VM Desktop Thumbnail
  3. In the guest OS—not from the browser client toolbar—restart the guest OS with the following command: reboot.
  4. After the VM restarts, press 1 to enter the AIX System Management Services console.
  5. Press 5. Select Boot Options.
  6. Press 1. Select Install/Boot Device.
  7. Press 4. Network.
  8. Press 1. BOOTP.
  9. Press 1. Interpartition Logical LAN.
  10. Press 2. Normal Boot Mode.
  11. 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.

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