Migrating AIX

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During a migration, the installation process determines which optional software products are installed on the existing version of the operating system. Components from previous releases are replaced by new software in AIX® Version 7.2 are installed at the AIX 7.2 level.

Migration is the default installation method to move from one version and release of AIX to another version and release of AIX, such as from AIX 7.1 and to AIX 7.2.

Beginning with AIX 7.2, the Trusted Computing Base security model is not supported. Therefore, it is disabled during the traditional migration to AIX 7.2 and when you migrate to AIX 7.2 by using the nimadm command.

Avoid down-leveling your system when you migrate between different technology levels. For example, when you migrate from AIX 5.3 or AIX Version 6.1 to AIX Version 7.1, you can avoid the risk of down-leveling fixes previously installed on your AIX 5.3 or AIX Version 6.1 system by migrating to the latest available Technology Level of AIX Version 7.1. If you are using a NIM lpp_source created with a prior level base media and later levels of updates to be added, create the lpp_source with the base media at the same release date or later than the level of AIX 5.3 or AIX Version 6.1 that you are migrating from. The last four digits of the output of the oslevel -s command represent the year and week of the service pack currently installed (YYWW). If your system is at a technology level, with no additional service packs installed the last four digits can be "0000". Then, look at the last field from the command "lslpp -Lc bos.sysmgt.sysbr" to get the same information.

Filesets in AIX 7.2: Beginning with AIX 7.2, to provide you more control over the software that is installed on your system, the bos.net.tcp.client and bos.net.tcp.server filesets are split into 33 new filesets.

The core code for each original fileset is in the bos.net.tcp.client_core and bos.net.tcp.server_core filesets. Requisites for software that is shipped with the AIX operating system (the bos.net.tcp.client and bos.net.tcp.server filesets) are changed to the bos.net.tcp.client_core and bos.net.tcp.server_core filesets. Additional requisites are added to the other new filesets.

The original filesets still exist to satisfy any requisites from other software. The original filesets have requisites to all the new filesets to ensure that all the requirements are met.

To remove any of these new filesets, you must remove either the bos.net.tcp.client fileset or the bos.net.tcp.server fileset. To determine the original fileset that has the new fileset, run the lslpp -d new_fileset_name command and look for either the bos.net.tcp.client or bos.net.tcp.server occurrences. If there are no other software that have requisites to the fileset that you want to remove, the removal is possible.

During an operating system migration, code changes occur, so that all the system configuration and user configurable files, which were owned by the bos.net.tcp.client and bos.net.tcp.server filesets, are merged by the new filesets that now own the files.

The list of new filesets follow:

  • bos.net.tcp.client_core
  • bos.net.tcp.server_core
  • bos.net.tcp.bind
  • bos.net.tcp.bind_utils
  • bos.net.tcp.bootp
  • bos.net.tcp.dfpd
  • bos.net.tcp.dhcp
  • bos.net.tcp.dhcpd
  • bos.net.tcp.ftp
  • bos.net.tcp.ftpd
  • bos.net.tcp.gated
  • bos.net.tcp.imapd
  • bos.net.tcp.mail_utils
  • bos.net.tcp.ntp
  • bos.net.tcp.ntpd
  • bos.net.tcp.pop3d
  • bos.net.tcp.pxed
  • bos.net.tcp.rcmd
  • bos.net.tcp.rcmd_server
  • bos.net.tcp.sendmail
  • bos.net.tcp.slip
  • bos.net.tcp.slp
  • bos.net.tcp.snmp
  • bos.net.tcp.snmpd
  • bos.net.tcp.syslogd
  • bos.net.tcp.tcpdump
  • bos.net.tcp.telnet
  • bos.net.tcp.telnetd
  • bos.net.tcp.tftp
  • bos.net.tcp.tftpd
  • bos.net.tcp.timed
  • bos.net.tcp.traceroute
  • bos.net.tcp.x500
Notes:
  • If you want to install the next recommended maintenance or technology level of the operating system, use the SMIT update_all fast path or the install_all_updates command to update the filesets currently installed. For more information about updating to the next recommended maintenance or technology level of AIX, see Optional products and service updates.
  • Before you apply a new Technology Level (TL), you must always create a backup and plan on restoring that backup if you need to rollback to your previous level of the installation. You can also use thealt_disk_install ormultibos options as a way to get back to your previous level. Since TL updates cannot be rejected, you must always commit the updates.
  • Before you move your system to a new version.release of AIX, you must always create a backup and plan on restoring that backup if you need to roll back to your previous level of the installation. You can also use the nimadm command to migrate your system to an alternate disk and maintain the original root volume group on the original disk.
Migration attempts to preserve all user configuration, while it is moving the operating system to a new level of software. The following steps are taken to achieve this objective:
  • Save configuration files
  • Prepare and remove old files
  • Restore new files
  • Remove unsupported or unnecessary filesets
  • Migrate configuration data wherever possible
  • Prepare VPD for installation
  • Update more filesets

When you perform a software migration, the following occurs:

  • All files in the /usr/lib/drivers, /usr/lib/microcode, /usr/lib/methods, and /dev directories are removed from the system, so software support for device drivers must be reinstalled. Non-device software products and applications remain on the system, and work correctly if they are among those files that are described in AIX binary compatibility.
  • All files in the /tmp directory are removed from the system.
  • Run the pre_migration script for a complete list of software that is removed from your system when you migrate to AIX 7.2. Some of the products are as follow:
    • Director Platform Agent for IBM® Systems Director on AIX
    • Director Common Agent
    • Common Agent Services Agent (cas.agent)
    • Lightweight Infrastructure Runtime (lwi.runtime)
    • System P console (sysmgt.pconsole)
    • INed editor (bos.INed)
    • Solution Install software (bos.installers)
    • Performance Workbench (bos.perf.gtools)
    • Eclipse Integrated Tool Platform (eclipse2)
    • Network Data Administration Facility (ndaf)
    • PEX_PHIGS
    • Pegasus CIM Server and sysmgt.cim providers
    Note: Java™ 5 software is also removed, but there is an option to retain it in the Base Operating System installation menus and in the bosinst_data resources for network migrations.

In most cases, user-configuration files from the previous version of a product are saved when the new version is installed during a migration installation.