Red Alert - File systems inaccessible after using BPXWMIGF utility

Date: 2019.01.24

Title:

File systems inaccessible after using BPXWMIGF utility

Abstract:

Access to file systems will be lost after the BPXWMIGF migration utility has been used to migrate an HFS file system to a zFS file system, and the source HFS file system had child file systems mounted at the time of the migration. After an LPAR is subsequently IPLed in the shared file system environment, these child file systems will no longer be accessible by that LPAR.

Users Affected:

All users of z/OS UNIX for z/OS 2.3 (HBB77B0) in a shared file system environment (sysplex) using the BPXWMIGF utility to migrate HFS file systems to zFS file systems.

Description:

When all LPARs in a shared file system environment are at z/OS 2.3, it is possible to use the z/OS UNIX migration tool, BPXWMIGF, to transparently migrate an HFS file system to a zFS file system. If the source HFS file system had any active child file systems mounted at the time of migration, the entry in the OMVS couple data set (BPXMCDS) for each child file system is corrupted after the migration. There is no external indication of this corruption at the time of the migration. The corruption becomes evident when any LPAR at any z/OS release level is IPLed (new system or re-IPL of existing system) in the shared file system environment following the BPXWMIGF migration. The catchup mounts for the affected child file systems will fail on the system being IPLed.

Recommended Actions:

Monitor APAR OA56827 for fix availability and possible recovery actions.

Do NOT use the BPXWMIGF utility to migrate any HFS file system with active child file systems mounted under it until the fix for APAR OA56827 (once available) is installed on all systems in the shared file system environment.

Without the fix for APAR OA56827 installed, the BPXWMIGF utility can still be used for migration of HFS file systems that do NOT have active child file systems mounted.

If you have already used the BPXWMIGF utility to migrate HFS file systems with active child file system mounts, it is recommended that you avoid IPLing any systems in the shared file system environment until the corruption in the OMVS couple data set (BPXMCDS) has been recovered or until the fix has been installed on all systems. Please contact z/OS UNIX support for assistance.

Sign up for free notification of Red Alerts from My Notifications!