Installing AIX Lpars using NIM server

Activate Lpar profile , go to SMS menu and then configure remote IPL settings by defining client IP address, Server IP address and gateway IP address. You can additionally execute ping test as well as shown below.

PC Firmware

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Main Menu

1. Select Language

2. Setup Remote IPL (Initial Program Load)

3. Change SCSI Settings

4. Select Console

5. Select Boot Options

Select Ethernet Adapter as below screen .

PowerPC Firmware

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NIC Adapters

Device Location Code Hardware

Address

1. Port 1 - IBM 2 PORT 10/100/100 U787B.001.WEBDEV-P1-C1-T1 001a6491a656

Now select 1 for IP Parameters as follows

PowerPC Firmware

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Network Parameters

Port 2 - IBM 2 PORT 10/100/1000 Base-TX PCI-X Adapter : U787B.001.WEBDEV-P1-C1-

1. IP Parameters

2. Adapter Configuration

3. Ping Test

4. Advanced Setup: BOOTP

Now fill up the parameters as below

PowerPC Firmware

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IP Parameters

Port 1 - IBM 2 PORT 10/100/1000 Base-TX PCI-X Adapter : U787B.001.WEBDEV-P1-C1-

1. Client IP Address [10.86.125.150] 

2. Server IP Address [10.86.125.152 

3. Gateway IP Address [10.86.124.1]

4. Subnet Mask [255.255.240.0]

Now go back previous menu and select Ping Test (option 3)
Make sure you get a ping success; else, the NIM will fail. If ping failure, check the address info entered; check if the adapter is correct and if the adapter is connected into the network. When ping test OK, proceed to next step:

Type menu item number and press Enter or select Navigation key:3

PowerPC Firmware

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Ping Test

Port 1 - IBM 2 PORT 10/100/1000 Base-TX PCI-X Adapter : U787B.001.WEBDEV-P1-C1

Speed, Duplex: auto,auto

Client IP Address: 10.86.125.150

Server IP Address: 10.86.125.152

Gateway IP Address: 10.86.124.1

Subnet Mask: 255.255.240.000

Protocol: Standard

Spanning Tree Enabled: 0

Connector Type:

1. Execute Ping Test

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Navigation keys:

M = return to Main Menu

ESC key = return to previous screen X = eXit System Management Services

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Type menu item number and press Enter or select Navigation key:1

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| Attempting Ping... |

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| Ping Success. |

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Go back to Main Menu and Select 5 for Select Boot Options

Main Menu

1. Select Language

2. Setup Remote IPL (Initial Program Load)

3. Change SCSI Settings

4. Select Console

5. Select Boot Options

Now Select 1 Select Install/Boot Device and Select 6 for Network. Then Select Adapter # from previous step as option 2

Multiboot

1. Select Install/Boot Device

2. Configure Boot Device Order

3. Multiboot Startup

PowerPC Firmware

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Select Device Type

1. Diskette

2. Tape

3. CD/DVD

4. IDE

5. Hard Drive

6. Network

7. List all Devices

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Navigation keys:

M = return to Main Menu

ESC key = return to previous screen X = eXit System Management Services

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Type menu item number and press Enter or select Navigation key:6

PowerPC Firmware

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Select Device

Device Current Device

Number Position Name

1. - Ethernet

(loc=U787B.001.WEBDEV-P1-C1-T1 )

Now select Normal Mode Boot and Select 1 to Exit System Management Services

PowerPC Firmware

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Select Task

Ethernet

( loc=U787B.001.WEBDEV-P1-C1-T2 )

1. Information

2. Normal Mode Boot

3. Service Mode Boot

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Navigation keys:

M = return to Main Menu

ESC key = return to previous screen X = eXit System Management Services

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Type menu item number and press Enter or select Navigation key:2

PowerPC Firmware

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Are you sure you want to exit System Management Services?

1. Yes

2. No

1.2.5. After Lpar boots and get AIX bootable image from NIM server , mksysb restoration will automatically start. You may have point to correct destination disk for mksysb restoration purpose.

1.2.6. After mksysb image has been restored on client Lpar , it will automatically get its hostname and IP address as defined on NIM master server. You can change that IP address , if needed.

1.2.7. If no TCPIP change is required , go to smitty nim and then configure client communication services where you have to specify nimsh as “future” communication protocol between NIM master server and NIM client.

FCOE - A new Trend in Storage world

FCOE or Fiber channel over ethernet is one of the newest technology which was introduced as convergence for ethernet and Fiber traffic. What it actually means in simpler words that hosts or servers are using some special type of adapters or Modules ( in Blade center world ) which is capable of carrying ethernet and FC traffic on same set of physical ports.
The Host OS is usually running some device driver for these special adapters which present this adapter as two virtual adapters. One virtual adapter is for ethernet traffic while other virtual adapters is for FC traffic.

Now these FCOE adapters usually connect to special kind of Ethernet Switches with FCOE ports . Example would be Cisco 5000 series switches.

The Cisco switches can then be configured in NPV or Switch mode where VLAN to VSAN mappings allow FC traffic to flow towards SAN switches ( like Cisco MDS or Brocade switches). Connections between Ethernet and FC switches can be either FCOE or FC , although FC connections are more preferred as having FCOE connections between ethernet and FC switches will result in FCOE hops which might impact on performance if not properly sized.

Islamic Concept of GOD

While living in non muslim part of the world , one question which i came across very often is that what is Islamic concept of GOD? Unfortunately most of my non muslim friends believes that Muslims worships some "arabic" God. In other words , they believe that Islamic concept of GOD is very different from christian or Jews concept of GOD.

Let me correct the concept.  We have to look into the original concept of GOD in Christianity and Judaism .The original concept of GOD in all of these religions were same, which is one and only one GOD.

We ,as Muslim, also believe in one and only GOD. We believe that GOD is one and only one ( no son , no father) and he is GOD of all humanity and  prophets ( prophet Moses, prophet Christ  Prophet Jones , prophet Noah  Prophet David , Prophet Abraham and Prophet Muhammad). All of these prophets came with same message and message was initially same "come to one GOD, he who is the one creator of whole universe and all mankind". With the passage of time ,when human beings kept confusing and kept making changes in this message on their own ( like concept of 3 Gods instead of one was introduced by christian scholars and priests long after Christ ) , GOD kept sending same message again and again with his messengers or prophets. This process ended with Prophet Muhammad till the day of judgement.

For some non Muslim friends , the name "ALLAH" is confusing. They think that Muslims worship a different GOD. Let me clarify this point as well. In fact , name ALLAH is a arabic name of GOD , which actually points to one and only one GOD. The almighty GOD , the almighty ALLAH, creator of whole universe, human being , mountains , rivers and lakes is the GOD of all beloved prophets.

Coming back to the name "Allah", It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.

The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Quran, which is considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads:

"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Say (O Muhammad) He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone."

Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully. He is not loving and kind. Nothing can be farther from truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Quran begins with the verse: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate." In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) we are told that "God is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child."

But God is also Just. Hence evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment and the virtuous, His bounties and favors. Actually God's attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His sake and people oppressing and exploiting other people all their lives should not receive similar treatment from their Lord. Expecting similar treatment for them will amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negating all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this world. The following Quranic verses are very clear and straightforward in this respect:

"Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord. Shall We then treat the people of Faith like the people of Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you?" (68:34-36)

Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created the human beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves and get His favor through virtue and piety only.

The concept that God rested in the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against mankind, or that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic point of view.

The unique usage of Allah as a personal name of God is a reflection of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God which is the essence of the message of all God's messengers. Because of this, Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a deadly sin which God will never forgive, despite the fact He may forgive all other sins.

[Note that what is meant above applies ONLY to those people who die in a state wherein they are associating others with God. The repentance of those who yet live is acceptable to God if He wills. - MSA of USC]

The Creator must be of a different nature from the things created because if he is of the same nature as they are, he will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, then he must be eternal. But if he is eternal, he cannot be caused, and if nothing outside him causes him to continue to exist, which means that he must be self-sufficient. And if the does not depend on anything for the continuance of his own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore eternal and everlasting: "He is the First and the Last."

He is Self-Sufficient or Self-Subsistent or, to use a Quranic term, Al-Qayyum. The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.

"God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth." (39:62, 63)

"No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God. He knows its lodging place and it repository." (11:6)

Reference : www.allah.org

Displaying Performance Statistics across pSeries CEC

In last few days , i was trying to find out a simple way to display performance statistics across multiple Lpars in one Pseries CEC or in more simpler words across whole Pseries Lpar.

Quite recently -C parameter is added to both topas and nmon command which displays performance statistics across multiple Lpars in one CEC or pseries Server.

One of the useful tip of using CEC capability with Nmon Analyzer is available at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/wikis/display/WikiPtype/nmon but the fact is that -C parameter is available on real time view of topas and nmon command as well.