There is a way to mount a share from a windows system as an NFS filesystem in AIX:

1. Install the CIFS software on the AIX server (this is part of AIX itself: bos.cifs_fs).
2. Create a folder on the windows machine, e.g. D:\share.
3. Create a local user, e.g. "share" (user IDs from Active Directory can not be used): Settings -> Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Advanced tab -> Advanced button -> Select Users -> Right click in right window and select "New User" -> Enter User-name, password twice, deselect "User must change password at next logon" and click on create and close and ok.
4. Make sure the folder on the D: drive (in this case "share") is shared and give the share a name (we'll use "share" again as name in this example) and give "full control" permissions to "Everyone".
5. Create a mountpoint on the AIX machine to mount the windows share on, e.g. /mnt/share.
6. Type on the AIX server as user root:

   # mount -v cifs -n hostname/share/password -o uid=201,fmode=750 /share /mnt/share

7. You're done!

Permanently change hostname for inet0 device in the ODM by choosing one of the following:

Command line method:

# chdev -l inet0 -a hostname=[newhostname]

# smitty hostname

# uname -S [newhostname]

# /etc/rc.net

# hostname [newhostname]

It may happen that a virtual terminal (vterm) from an HMC GUI only showes a black screen, even though the Lpar is running perfectly. Here's a solution to this problem:

• Login to the HMC using ssh as hscroot.
• Run lssscfg -R sys to determine the machine name of your lpar on the HMC.
• Run mkvterm -m [machine-name] -p [partition-name].
• You can end this session by typing "~." or "~~." (don't overlook the "dot" here!).
• Now go back to your HMC gui via WebBased System Manager and start-up a new vterm. It works again!

A very easy way to see what was installed recently on your system:

# lslpp -h

It is very easy to clone your rootvg to another disk, for example for testing purposes. For example: If you wish to install a piece of software, without modifying the current rootvg, you can clone a rootvg disk to a new disk; start your system from that disk and do the installation there. If it succeeds, you can keep using this new rootvg disk; If it doesn't, you can revert back to the old rootvg disk, like nothing ever happened.

First, make sure every logical volume in the rootvg has a name that consists of 11 characters or less (if not, the alt_disk_copy command will fail).

To create a copy on hdisk1, type:

alt_disk_copy -d hdisk1

# alt_rootvg_op -X old_rootvg

# alt_disk_copy -d "hdisk4 hdisk5"

The AIX kernel has an "enter_dbg" variable in it that can be set at the beginning of the boot processing which will cause all boot process output to be sent to the system console. In some cases, this data can be useful in debugging boot issues. The procedure for setting the boot debugger is as follows:

First: Preparing the system.

Set up KDB to present an initial debugger screen

# bosboot -ad /dev/ipldevice -I

# shutdown -Fr

************* Welcome to KDB *************
    Call gimmeabreak...
    Static breakpoint:
    .gimmeabreak+000000     tweq     r8,r8    r8=0000000A
    .gimmeabreak+000004      blr
<.kdb_init+0002C0> r3=0
    KDB(0)> mw enter_dbg
    enter_dbg+000000:  00000000  = 42
    xmdbg+000000:  00000000  = .
    KDB(0)> g

************* Welcome to KDB *************
    Call gimmeabreak...
    Static breakpoint:
    .gimmeabreak+000000     tweq     r8,r8    r8=0000000A
    .gimmeabreak+000004      blr
<.kdb_init+0002C0> r3=0
    KDB(0)> mw enter_dbg
    enter_dbg+000000:  00000042  = 0
    xmdbg+000000:  00000000  = .
    KDB(0)> g

# bosdebug -o
# bosboot -ad /dev/ipldevice

It is possible to stop and start an LPAR from the HMC prompt:

# lssycfg -r lpar

# chsysstate -o osshutdown -r lpar -n [partition name]

# chsysstate -o on -r lpar -n [partition name]

# lsrefcode -r lpar -F lpar_name,refcode

An adapter that has previously been added to a LPAR and now needs to be removed, usually doesn't want to be removed from the LPAR, because it is in use by the LPAR. Here's how you find and remove the involved devices on the LPAR:

First, run:

# lsslot -c pci

# lsdev -Cl [adapter] -F parent

# rmdev -Rl [parentdevice] -d

# rmdev -Rl pci8 -d

When you encounter an issue where ssh through a firewall works perfectly, but when doing scp of large files (for example mksysb images) the scp connection stalls, then there's a solution to this problem: Add "-l 8192" to the scp command.

The reason for scp to stall, is because scp greedily grabs as much bandwith of the network as possible when it transfers files, any delay caused by the network switch of the firewall can easily make the TCP connection stalled.

Adding the option "-l 8192" limits the scp session bandwith up to 8192 Kbit/second, which seems to work safe and fast enough (up to 1 MB/second):

# scp -l 8192 SOURCE DESTINATION

The "Integrated Virtual Ethernet" or IVE adapter is an adapter directly on the GX+ bus, and thus up to 3 times faster dan a regular PCI card. You can order Power6 frames with different kinds of IVE adapters, up to 10GB ports.

The IVE adapter acts as a layer-2 switch. You can create port groups. In each port group up to 16 logical ports can be defined. Every port group requires at least 1 physical port (but 2 is also possible). Each logical port can have a MAC address assigned. These MAC addresses are located in the VPD chip of the IVE. When you replace an IVE adapters, LPARS will get new new MAC addresses.

Each LPAR can only use 1 logical port per physical port. Different LPARs that use logical ports from the same port group can communicate without any external hardware needed, and thus communicate very fast.

The IVE is not hot-swappable. It can and may only be replaced by certified IBM service personnel.

First you need to configure an HAE adapter; not in promiscues mode, because that is meant to be used if you wish to assign a physical port dedicated to an LPAR. After that, you need to assign a LHAE (logical host ethernet adapter) to an LPAR. The HAE needs to be configured, and the frame needs to be restarted, in order to function correctly (because of the setting of multi-core scaling on the HAE itself).

So, to conclude: You can assign physical ports of the IVE adapter to separate LPARS (promiscues mode). If you have an IVE with two ports, up to two LPARS can use these ports. But you can also configure it as an HAE and have up to 16 LPARS per physical port in a port group using the same interface (10Gb ports are recommended). There are different kinds of IVE adapters; some allow to create more port groups and thus more network connectivity. The IVE is a method of virtualizing ethernet without the need for VIOS.