HMC and VIOS backups

I don't recall a post recently about how to back up VIOS. The HMC is easy,
follow the prompts, but I highly suggest you use an NFS or other share to
keep the saves somewhere you can get to them in the event they are needed.
To back up VIOS, it's stupid easy once you get past all the documentation
that has been written by experts in AIX/VIOS for experienced folks in
AIX/VIOS. (They completely ignore those of us that might not have a strong
UNIX background)

I always use the IBM i NFS server for this, putting the backups on IBM i
then moving them to another server in the event they are needed. This is
also the technique I use when doing a VIOS upgrade from V2 to V3 (ie
2.2.6.61 to 3.1.2.10 using the VIOS command viosupgrade)

So in easy steps:
Create the NFS shares on IBM i (substitute directory names to suit your
whims....)
IBM i :

- MKDIR /ibmi/vios/backup
- CHGAUT OBJ('/ibmi') USER(*PUBLIC) DTAAUT(*RWX) SUBTREE(*ALL)
- CHGNFSEXP OPTIONS('-I -O RW=') DIR('/ibmi/vios/backup')
- ENDNFSSVR *ALL (may not be needed, and check to see if any other
shares are being used)
- STRNFSSVR *ALL (only if the end was done, or if it's not started in
the first place)

VIOS:

- Sign on as PADMIN
- oem_setup_env (starts root authority)
- mkdir /home/padmin/backup
- exit (get out of root)
- mount "yourNFSaddress":/ibmi/vios/backup /home/padmin/backup
- Backup VIOS Configurations( where # is the vios number and 211130 is
today's date, 31310 is the VRM of VIOS)
- viosbr -backup -file
/hoe/padmin/backup/vios#_211130_31310_config_bkup
- backupios -nomedialib -file
/home/padmin/backup/vios#_211130_31310_mksysb -mksysb

There you have it. Simple. You can if you set up SSH between the VIOS and
IBM i write a simple script to run it from the job scheduler. Same with
the HMC, there are HMC commands to do the backups as well.
Move the backups off to any place you can get to them in the event of
complete disaster. I move my customers' backups to Agile equipment as a
secondary location.

If you need help in getting the VIOS upgraded from V2 to V3, give me a
shout and I'll send you some suggested techniques. Unless you're fairly
good at the VIOS command line I do suggest getting paid assistance to do
the upgrade. There are a couple of nasty landmines you can step on during
that process. Good news, is if you did the backup as suggested above, it's
easy to put back.

--
Jim Oberholtzer
Chief Technical Architect
Agile Technology Architects