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