I NEVER thought this would happen! But, “NEVER SAY NEVER!”.  IBM just announced that AIX 5.3 can now run on POWER8.

 

http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?subtype=ca&infotype=an&appname=iSource&supplier=872&letternum=ENUSAP16-0152

 

As you’d expect, there are some caveats!

 

A special PTF (U86665.bff) provides POWER8 support on AIX  5.3 with the following limitations:

 

 

The only supported AIX 5.3 POWER8 installation methods are:

 

 

All POWER8 systems are supported with the following restrictions:

 

 

Other restrictions:

 

 

 

I tested this in my lab and it all worked as expected. I installed the PTF on an existing AIX 5.3 LPAR on a POWER7 750 and rebooted the partition.

 

[root@53gibbo]/ # lspv

hdisk0          00f603cdcd9ba6de                    rootvg          active

 

[root@53gibbo]/ # oslevel -s

5300-12-09-1341

 

[root@53gibbo]/ # lsconf | more

System Model: IBM,8233-E8B

Machine Serial Number: 1003CDP

Processor Type: PowerPC_POWER7

Processor Implementation Mode: POWER 6

Processor Version: PV_6_Compat

Number Of Processors: 2

Processor Clock Speed: 3550 MHz

CPU Type: 64-bit

Kernel Type: 64-bit

LPAR Info: 3 53gibbo

Memory Size: 2048 MB

Good Memory Size: 2048 MB

Platform Firmware level: AL730_142

Firmware Version: IBM,AL730_142

 

[root@53gibbo]/tmp/cg/aix53p8 # inutoc .

[root@53gibbo]/tmp/cg/aix53p8 # ls -ltr

total 35808

-rw-r-----    1 root     system      8994816 Feb  8 09:35 U866665.bff

-rw-r-----    1 root     system      8994816 Feb  8 09:37 bos.mp64.5.3.12.10.U

-rw-r--r--    1 root     system       328592 Feb  8 09:37 .toc

 

[root@53gibbo]/tmp/cg/aix53p8 # update_all -d .

install_all_updates: Initializing system parameters.

install_all_updates: Log file is /var/adm/ras/install_all_updates.log

install_all_updates: Checking for updated install utilities on media.

install_all_updates: Processing media.

install_all_updates: Generating list of updatable installp filesets.

install_all_updates: The following filesets have been selected as updates

to currently installed software:

 

   bos.mp64 5.3.12.10

 

   << End of Fileset List >>

 

install_all_updates: Performing installp update.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                    Pre-installation Verification...

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Verifying selections...done

Verifying requisites...done

Results...

 

SUCCESSES

---------

  Filesets listed in this section passed pre-installation verification

  and will be installed.

 

  Selected Filesets

  -----------------

  bos.mp64 5.3.12.10                          # Base Operating System 64-bit...

 

  << End of Success Section >>

 

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                   BUILDDATE Verification ...

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Verifying build dates...done

FILESET STATISTICS

------------------

    1  Selected to be installed, of which:

        1  Passed pre-installation verification

  ----

    1  Total to be installed

 

installp:  bosboot verification starting...

installp:  bosboot verification completed.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                         Installing Software...

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

installp: APPLYING software for:

        bos.mp64 5.3.12.10

 

 

. . . . . << Copyright notice for bos.mp64 >> . . . . . . .

 Licensed Materials - Property of IBM

 

 5765G0399

   Copyright International Business Machines Corp. 2000, 2015.

   Copyright William Erik Baxter, 2004.

   Copyright RSA Data Security, Inc. 1991-1992.

 

 All rights reserved.

 US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure

 restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

. . . . . << End of copyright notice for bos.mp64 >>. . . .

 

Finished processing all filesets.  (Total time:  3 secs).

 

installp:  bosboot verification starting...

installp:  bosboot verification completed.

installp:  bosboot process starting...

 

bosboot: Boot image is 45802 512 byte blocks.

0503-292 This update will not fully take effect until after a

        system reboot.

 

    * * *  A T T E N T I O N  * * *

    System boot image has been updated. You should reboot the

    system as soon as possible to properly integrate the changes

    and to avoid disruption of current functionality.

 

installp:  bosboot process completed.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                Summaries:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Installation Summary

--------------------

Name                        Level           Part        Event       Result

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

bos.mp64                    5.3.12.10       USR         APPLY       SUCCESS

 

    * * *  A T T E N T I O N  * * *

    System boot image has been updated. You must reboot the system

    after install_all_updates completes to properly integrate the updates.

 

install_all_updates: Checking for recommended maintenance level 5300-12.

install_all_updates: Executing /usr/bin/oslevel -rf, Result = 5300-12

install_all_updates: Verification completed.

install_all_updates: Log file is /var/adm/ras/install_all_updates.log

install_all_updates: Result = SUCCESS

 

[root@53gibbo]/tmp/cg/aix53p8 # oslevel -s

5300-12-09-1341

 

[root@53gibbo]/tmp/cg/aix53p8 # lslpp -l bos.mp64

  Fileset                      Level  State      Description

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Path: /usr/lib/objrepos

  bos.mp64                 5.3.12.10  APPLIED    Base Operating System 64-bit

                                                 Multiprocessor Runtime

 

Path: /etc/objrepos

  bos.mp64                  5.3.11.2  COMMITTED  Base Operating System 64-bit

                                                 Multiprocessor Runtime

[root@53gibbo]/tmp/cg/aix53p8 # at now

shutdown –Fr

 

My POWER8 system was an S824 running the latest firmware (840_056), with VIOS running the latest code (2.2.4.10) and the latest HMC code (8.4).

 

p8vio1:/home/padmin# lsconf | head -20

System Model: IBM,8286-42A

Machine Serial Number: 214F55V

Processor Type: PowerPC_POWER8

Processor Implementation Mode: POWER 7

Processor Version: PV_7_Compat

Number Of Processors: 2

Processor Clock Speed: 3525 MHz

CPU Type: 64-bit

Kernel Type: 64-bit

LPAR Info: 101 82861_vio1

Memory Size: 18432 MB

Good Memory Size: 18432 MB

Platform Firmware level: SV840_056

Firmware Version: IBM,FW840.00 (SV840_056)

 

On my NIM master I created a new lppsource and SPOT for AIX 5.3 TL12 SP9 and included the required PTF U86665.

 

# lsnim -t spot | grep 53

spotAIX53TL12SP9     resources       spot

 

# lsnim -t lpp_source | grep 53

AIX53TL12SP9             resources       lpp_source

 

# nim -o showres spotAIX53TL12SP9 | grep bos.mp64

  bos.mp64                 5.3.12.10    C     F    Base Operating System 64-bit

 

# nim -o showres AIX53TL12SP9_P8 | grep bos.mp64

  bos.mp64                    5.3.11.2                   I  b usr,root

  bos.mp64                    5.3.12.9                   S  b usr

  bos.mp64                    5.3.12.10                  S  b usr

 

I took a mksysb on the 5.3 LPAR to my NIM master. I then used the mksysb to perform an NIM mksysb install (restore) to a new partition on the S824. This worked flawlessly. The partition was configured in POWER6 mode with SMT2 only.

 

[root@53gibbo]/ # oslevel -s

5300-12-09-1341

 

[root@53gibbo]/ # lsconf | head -10

System Model: IBM,8286-42A

Machine Serial Number: 214F55V

Processor Type: PowerPC_POWER8

Processor Implementation Mode: POWER 6

Processor Version: PV_6_Compat

Number Of Processors: 2

Processor Clock Speed: 3525 MHz

CPU Type: 64-bit

Kernel Type: 64-bit

LPAR Info: 2 53gibbo

Memory Size: 2048 MB

Good Memory Size: 2048 MB

Platform Firmware level: SV840_056

Firmware Version: IBM,FW840.00 (SV840_056)

Console Login: enable

Auto Restart: true

Full Core: false

 

[root@53gibbo]/ # smtctl

 

This system is SMT capable.

SMT is currently enabled.

SMT boot mode is not set.

SMT threads are bound to the same virtual processor.

 

proc0 has 2 SMT threads.

Bind processor 0 is bound with proc0

Bind processor 1 is bound with proc0

 

 

proc2 has 2 SMT threads.

Bind processor 2 is bound with proc2

Bind processor 3 is bound with proc2

 

[root@53gibbo]/ # lparstat -i

Node Name                                  : 53gibbo

Partition Name                             : 53gibbo

Partition Number                           : 2

Type                                       : Shared-SMT

Mode                                       : Uncapped

Entitled Capacity                          : 0.20

Partition Group-ID                         : 32770

Shared Pool ID                             : 0

Online Virtual CPUs                        : 2

Maximum Virtual CPUs                       : 4

Minimum Virtual CPUs                       : 1

Online Memory                              : 2048 MB

Maximum Memory                             : 4096 MB

Minimum Memory                             : 1024 MB

Variable Capacity Weight                   : 128

Minimum Capacity                           : 0.10

Maximum Capacity                           : 4.00

Capacity Increment                         : 0.01

Maximum Physical CPUs in system            : 24

Active Physical CPUs in system             : 24

Active CPUs in Pool                        : 14

Shared Physical CPUs in system             : 14

Maximum Capacity of Pool                   : 1400

Entitled Capacity of Pool                  : 1160

Unallocated Capacity                       : 0.00

Physical CPU Percentage                    : 10.00%

Unallocated Weight                         : 0

Desired Virtual CPUs                       : 2

Desired Memory                             : 2048 MB

Desired Variable Capacity Weight           : 128

Desired Capacity                           : 0.20

 

The example above shows you how to migrate an AIX 5.3 system using NIM and mksysb. But you don’t have to do this, as LPM is fully supported. The migration effort for many customers is as easy as kicking off an LPM operation to move their (updated) AIX 5.3 partitions from their older Power servers to POWER8. Easy!

 

So I guess customers that still need to run AIX 5.3 on POWER8 now have an alternative to AIX 5.3 Versioned WPARs. But please keep in mind the performance and support considerations when making your decision.

Additional README information available here:

https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/blogs/cgaix/resource/U866665README.pdf