You can use a DVD-RAM to create a system backup. To do so, enter:

# smitty mkdvd

To retrieve a list of all recent commands:

# history -100

A little script to rotate a log while not upsetting the process which is logging to the file. This script will copy and compress the log file, and then zero the log file out. Then the script will search for older log files and remove them after +3 days since last modification.

DATE=`date +%d%h-%I%p` 
BASE_DIR='/var' 
if [ -f $BASE_DIR/logname.log ]; then 
    cp $BASE_DIR/logname.log $BASE_DIR/logname.log.$DATE 
    > $BASE_DIR/logname.log 
    compress $BASE_DIR/logname.log.$DATE 
fi 

find $BASE_DIR -name 'logname.log.*' -a -mtime +3 -exec rm {} \; 

Using FAST IPL only works on some RS6000 systems, like SP's or J/G/R30/40's.

To configure FAST IPL:

# mpcfg -cf 11 1

# mpcfg -df

First, install OpenSSH and OpenSSL on two UNIX servers, serverA and serverB. This works best using DSA keys and SSH2 by default as far as I can tell. All the other HOWTOs I've seen seem to deal with RSA keys and SSH1, and the instructions not surprisingly fail to work with SSH2.

On each server type ssh someserver.example.com and make a connection with your regular password. This will create a .ssh dir in your home directory with the proper permissions. On your primary server where you want your secret keys to live (let's say serverA), type:

# ssh-keygen -t dsa

# scp ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub serverB:.ssh/authorized_keys2

# ssh serverB

How to copy a filesystem from one server to another:

Make sure you can execute a remote shell on the target host (by adding an entry of the source host in the /.rhosts file). Login to the source system as root and enter:

# (cd LOCAL_MOUNTPOINT && tar cpvBf - . ) | rsh REMOTEHOST 'cd REMOTE_MOUNTPOINT && tar xpvBf -'

# tar -cf - myfiles | ssh user@host "umask 000 ; cat | tar -xpf -"

• Login as root on the Linux system.
• Mount the CD-ROM:

  # mount /mnt/cdrom
  # cd /mnt/cdrom
  

• Tar the contents:

  # tar -cvf - . | ssh userid@hostname "cd /path/to/where/you/want/it/on/the/target/system ; cat > filename.tar"

• Unmount the CD-ROM:

  # cd /
  # umount /mnt/cdrom
  

A "how-to" restore a mksysb through NIM:

• Create a mksysb resource in NIM: Logon to the NIM server as user root. Run smitty nim, Perform NIM Administration Tasks, Manage resources, Define a resource, select mksysb, type name mksysb_, enter "master" as Server of Resource, enter the full path to the mksysb file at Location of Resource: e.g. /backup/hostname.image.
• Add the mksysb resource to the defined machine in NIM, together with the original SPOT and LPP source of the host: Run: smitty nim, Perform NIM Administration Tasks, Manage Machines, Manage Network Install Resource Allocation, Allocate Network Install Resources, select the machine, select the mksysb resource defined in the previous step, along with the correct SPOT and LPP_SOURCE of the oslevel of the system.
• Do a perform operation on the machine in NIM and set it to mksysb: Run smitty nim, Perform NIM Administration Tasks, Manage Machines, Perform Operations on Machines, select the machine, select bos_inst, set the Source for BOS Runtime Files to mksysb, set Remain NIM client after install to no, set Initiate Boot Operation on Client to no, set Accept new license agreements to yes.
• Start up the system in SMS mode and boot from the NIM server, using a virtual terminal on the HMC. Select the disks to install to. Make sure that you set import user volume groups to "yes". Restore the system.

# smitty nim_bosinst

You can automatically forward all error report entries to your email. This next part describes how to do that.

Create a file like this:

# cat /tmp/mailgeorge
errnotify:
  en_name="mailgeorge"
  en_persistenceflg=1
  en_method="errpt -a -l $1|mail -s \"errpt: $9\" george@email.com"

# odmadd /tmp/mailgeorge

# errlogger "My coffee is cold"

# errpt -a
----------------------------------------------------
LABEL:          OPMSG
IDENTIFIER:     AA8AB241

Date/Time:       Tue Oct  6 15:57:58 CDT 2009
Sequence Number: 585
Machine Id:      0004D6EC4C00
Node Id:         hostname
Class:           O
Type:            TEMP
Resource Name:   OPERATOR

Description
OPERATOR NOTIFICATION

User Causes
ERRLOGGER COMMAND

        Recommended Actions
        REVIEW DETAILED DATA

Detail Data
MESSAGE FROM ERRLOGGER COMMAND
My coffee is cold

# errclear 0

# odmdelete -q 'en_name=mailgeorge' -o errnotify

When you suspect a performance problem, PerfPMR can be run. This is a tool generally used by IBM support personal to resolve performance related issues. The download site for this tool is:

ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/aix/tools/perftools/perfpmr

For copying a logical volume, the cplv command can be used. Using the -v flag, you can enter the name of the volume group you wish to copy to.

Once the logical volume has been copied, the trick is to get the file system in it back online:

Copy the stanza of the file system in the logical volume you copied to a new stanza in /etc/filesystems. Modify this new stanza; enter the correct jfs log, mount point and logical volume name. After this, do a fsck of your new mount point. Make sure your new mount point exists. After the fsck, you can mount the file system.