AIX Jumpstart for UNIX/Linux Professionals

Who will the Course Benefit?

Experienced System Administrators and other Technical IT staff who need to cross-train to be able to implement and manage systems capable of running the AIX Operating System. Some shell programming experience will also prove advantageous; this can be gained on the AIX Shell Programming course.

Course Objectives

On completion of the AIX Jumpstart for UNIX/Linux Professionals course the delegate will have practical experience of the Systems Management Interface Tool (SMIT),allowing them to administer an AIX System.

AIX Jumpstart for UNIX/Linux Professionals Training Course

Course Contents - DAY 1

Course Introduction

• Administration and Course Materials
• Course Structure and Agenda
• Delegate and Trainer Introductions

Session 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE P-SERIES

• The P-SERIES Product Line
• RISC Technology
• P-Series Product Range For The Power6
• P-Series Product Range For The Power7
• Hardware Management Console
• The AIX Operating System

Session 2: SYSTEM MANAGEMENT TOOLS

• System Management Commands
• Using SMIT
• SMIT Special Characters and Keys
• Smit.log and smit.script Files
• The smit Command
• IBM Systems Director Console
• Web Based System Manager
• Exercise: Remotely connect to a host using WSM

Session 3: STARTUP AND SHUTDOWN

• The /etc/init Procedure
• Startup Modes
• The /etc/inittab File and the rc Startup Scripts
• Inittab Commands
• Using the alog Program
• System Resource Controller Commands
• The /etc/shutdown Script
• Exercise: Start and stop processes using SMC

Session 4: SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE

• Units of Installation
• Filesets,Packages and Licensed Program Products
• Bundles
• Update and Maintenance Bundles
• Software States
• Installing Patches and Fixes
• Exercise: Install,enquire and remove software

Session 5: DEVICE

• Introduction to the Object Data Manager (ODM)
• Listing Devices
• Interpreting Location Codes
• Self-configuring Devices
• Adding,Changing and Removing Devices
• Exercise: Add and remove devices using the command line and smit

AIX Jumpstart for UNIX/Linux Professionals Training Course

Course Contents - DAY 2

Session 6: THE LOGICAL VOLUME MANAGER

• The AIX Approach to Disk Storage
• Volume Groups,Physical Volumes and Logical Volumes
• Volume Group Descriptor Areas
• Mirroring
• Striping
• Disk Placement Policies
• Migrating Physical Volume Data
• Useful Commands
• Exercise: Creating,Extending and Mirroring a Logical Volume

Session 7: AIX FILESYSTEMS

• The AIX Native File System
• Superblocks and I-nodes
• Journaling of File System Data
• Creating a File System
• Mounting of Filesystems
• Managing Filesystems
• The /etc/filesystems File
• Removing Filesystems
• Using the fsck Command
• Exercise: Creating,Extending and Removing a Filesystem

Session 8: BACKUP AND RESTORE

• Backup Devices
• mksysb and savevg Commands
• The backup Command
• The restore Command
• Tape Control Commands
• Exercise: Use of Backup And Restore,including mksysb

AIX Jumpstart for UNIX/Linux Professionals Training Course

Course Contents - DAY 3

Session 9: OBJECT DATA MANAGER

• ODM Components and Commands
• Object Classes
• Descriptor Information
• Objects
• Searching The ODM
• The ODM Database
• Data Base File Names
• ODM File Locations
• cfgmgr And The ODM
• The Predefined Database Files
• Predefined Devices
• Predefined Attributes
• Customised Devices
• Customised Attributes
• ODM Class Usage
• Additional Device Object Classes
• Predefined Connection
• Customised Dependency
• Customised Device Driver
• Customised Vital Product Data
• Exercise: Add a device by manipulating the ODM

Session 10: PROBLEM SOLVING TOOLS

• Error Log Facility
• Error Log Input Components
• Error Reporting from SMIT
• The errpt Command
• Sample Summary/Intermediate/Detailed Report Output
• Interpreting LVM Error Log Entries
• Error Log Maintenance
• Error Notification Facility
• Notification Methods
• The syslogd Daemon

Session 11: SYSTEM INITIALISATION

• System Startup and The Boot Process
• The Bootlist and BLV
• The Boot Logical Volume
• Repairing the BLV
• Using Bootlists
• Boot Problems
• Service Processors
• Accessing A System That Will Not Boot Normally
• Accessing A Volume Group And Starting A Shell
• Accessing A Volume Group Without Mounting Filesystems
• The LED Display
• Interpreting Flashing LED Codes
• Location Codes
• Understanding SCSI Addressing
• Maintaining Firmware Levels
• AIX Initialisation
• The Three RC Boot Phases
• More about the cfgmgr
• Boot Problem Management
• Exercise: Destroy the BLV and then re-create a new BLV

AIX Jumpstart for UNIX/Linux Professionals Training Course

Course Contents - DAY 4

Session 12: LVM SYSTEM DATA AND RECOVERY

• LVN System Data
• LVM Identifiers
• LVM Data on Disk Control Blocks
• Other LVM Locations
• How the LVM uses the ODM
• Physical Volumes and the ODM
• Volume Groups and the ODM
• Logical Volumes and the ODM
• LVM Problems in the ODM
• Re-synchronizing the ODM
• VGDA and Quorum
• Forcing a varyonDisk Replacement Techniques
• Possible Errors After Disk Replacement
• Exporting and Importing Volume Groups
• Exercise: Mirror a whole disk and recover a corrupt Logical Volume

Session 13: ALTERNATE DISK INSTALLATION

• Alternate Disk Installation
• Installing a mksysb Image On Another Disk
• Cloning the Running rootvg to Another Disk
• Removing an Alternate Disk Installation
• Exercise: Clone the roovg and remove the Alternate Disk Installation

AIX Jumpstart for UNIX/Linux Professionals Training Course

Course Contents - DAY 5

Session 14: BASIC NETWORKING

• Define TCP/IP Terminology
• Define Routing (Static and Dynamic)
• TCP/IP Commands and Utilities
• Configure TCP/IP for a Network Interface
• Configure a Static Route
• Test Network Connectivity
• Test Route Connectivity
• Basic TCP/IP Applications
• Exercise: Configure TCP/IP
• Exercise: Use TCP/IP Commands to:
  • Login to a Remote System
  • Transfer Files To/From a Remote System

Session 15: AIX INSTALLATION

• Installation for Classical and PCI Models
• Console and Language Definitions
• Other Installation Settings
• Configuration Assistant Menu

AIX Jumpstart for UNIX/Linux Professionals Training Course

Addendum: Reference Materials (Sections below are provided within the course handbook for additional reading)

Session 16: Appendix A

• AIX TECHNOLOGY LEVELS AND SERVICE PACKS

Session 17: Appendix B

• LOGICAL VOLUME SPREADING

Session 18: Appendix C

• AIX MULTIBOS

Session 19: Appendix D

• AIX INTRODUCTION TO NIM

Requirements

Delegates must have recent in-depth practical experience of administrating UNIX in a network environment on another UNIX platform such as HP-UX,SUN or Solaris.

Further Learning

• AIX Basics
• AIX System Administration - Part II
• AIX Advanced Shell Programming Tools
• AIX Shell Programming
• Oracle SQL
• Apache Web Server