Preparing SUSE LINUX Enterpise Server for server upgrade

Complete the steps in this topic to upgrade and prepare your SUSE Linux® Enterprise Server 9 for the upgrade.

1. Ensure that your i5/OS is running Version 5 Release 3.
2. Upgrade Linux to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 before migrating to your target server. To upgrade to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, perform the following steps:
   1. Obtain a copy of the SLES 9 installation CDs.
   2. Vary off the Linux server by completing the following steps:
      1. Type WRKCFGSTS *NWS and press Enter.
      2. Type 2 next to the NWSD that you want to shut down, and then press Enter.
   3. Place the first CD into the CD-ROM drive of the iSeries® partition that is sharing its resources.
   4. Change the NWSD of the Linux server to point to the installation stream file of the CD by completing the following steps:
      1. Enter CHGNWSD
      2. Specify the following information:

         NWSD (servername)
         IPLSRC (*STMF)
         IPLSTMF ('/QOPT/SU90.001/ISERIES64')
         IPLPARM (*NONE)

   5. Open a virtual console session to the Linux server.
   6. Vary on your NWSD. Complete the following steps to vary on your NWSD:
      1. Type WRKCFGSTS *NWS, and then press Enter.
      2. Type 1 next to the NWSD that you want to start, and then press Enter.
   7. Follow the distribution documentation to complete the steps in YaST.
3. After you have upgraded to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, vary off your NWSD by completing the following steps:
   1. Type WRKCFGSTS *NWS, and then press Enter.
   2. Type 2 next to the NWSD that you want to shut down, and then press Enter.
4. Change the NWSD of the Linux server to point to the NWSSTG. Enter CHGNWSD and specify the following information:

   NWSD (servername)
   IPLSRC (*NWSSTG)
   IPLSTMF (*NONE)
   IPLPARM ('/root=/dev/iseries/vda')

5. Vary on your NWSD. Complete the following steps to vary on your NWSD:
   1. Type WRKCFGSTS *NWS, and then press Enter.
   2. Type 1 next to the NWSD that you want to start, and then press Enter.
6. Locate a Linux distribution kernel that is compatible with an IBM® System i® model.
   Note: Even though you are upgrading from an IBM iSeries model, you need to install a pSeries® Linux kernel to ensure the compatibility with an IBM System i model.
7. Obtain access to an installation kernel through either of the following methods:
   1. Linux installation CDs
   2. Network-based installation source
8. Mount the CD-ROM by entering the following command:

   mount /dev/iseries/vcda /mnt/cdrom

   Note: Enter in the appropriate name for your virtual device in the previous command.
9. Download the latest pSeries kernel to your partition's virtual disk.

   A pSeries Linux kernel is required to ensure the compatibility with the IBM System i model. If you have upgraded your Linux server to SLES 9, you are still running the iSeries kernel and must obtain the pSeries kernel. For SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, this kernel might be on the second installation CD under the /suse/ppc directory. The following is an example of how to download this kernel. Enter the first command, and then the second command to retrieve the name of your Linux kernel. Enter the last command to copy the kernel.

   cd /media/
   find . -name "kernel-pseries*"
   cp cdrom/suse/ppc/(name of your pseries kernel) /root/

10. Shut down your Linux logical partition.
11. Save the entire server using option 21 of the GO SAVE command. For more information, see the GO SAVE topic. Specify the following options:
    1. Vary off the network server...*ALL
    2. Unmount file systems..........Y
    Note: Create two copies of the backup media.
12. Using Linux backup tools, save any critical data contained within the virtual disk.