Performing AIX live
update with Ansible
I recently tested AIX Live Update (aka Live Kernel Update or
LKU) with Ansible.
The IBM Power development team provided support for LKU in
v1.9.0 of the IBM AIX Ansible collection. See links below.
Explore What's New: AIX Ansible collection version 1.9.0
available now !
https://community.ibm.com/community/user/power/blogs/shreyansh-chamola/2024/07/10/availability
lku – Performs live kernel update
https://ibm.github.io/ansible-power-aix/modules/lku.html
module > lku
https://galaxy.ansible.com/ui/repo/published/ibm/power_aix/content/module/lku/
At the time of writing this post, the latest version of the
AIX Ansible collection was 1.9.2. This is what I installed on my Ansible
controller.
# ansible-galaxy
collection list ibm.power_aix
#
/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections
Collection Version
-------------
-------
ibm.power_aix
1.9.2
I review the provided lku
demo playbook that came with the collection:
/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections/./ibm/power_aix/playbooks/demo_lku.yml
Note that this module, currently, only supports live update operations on AIX VMs managed by PowerVC.
The module uses the geninstall -k command for live kernel update.
I created my own playbook to test this new module.
lku_quark.yml:
|
--- - name: Perform live
kernel update operation on AIX hosts: quark gather_facts: false collections: - ibm.power_aix vars: PVC_name: pvc PVC_password: abc123 PVC_user: root directory: /tmp filesets_fixes: IJ45274s1a.230207.epkg.Z tasks: - name: To install all the updates and
interim fixes that are available in the
"{{ directory }}" directory lku: PVC_name: "{{ PVC_name }}" PVC_password: "{{ PVC_password
}}" PVC_user: "{{ PVC_user }}" directory: "{{ directory
}}" filesets_fixes: "{{
filesets_fixes }}" register: result - name: Display result debug: var=result |
Note the ifix (IJ45274s1a.230207.epkg.Z) was copied to the /tmp directory on the AIX host (not the controller)
.
I ran my live update (lku) playbook from my Ansible
controller.
# ansible-playbook
lku_quark.yml
PLAY
[Perform live kernel update operation on AIX]
************************************************************************************
TASK
[To install all the updates and interim fixes that are available in the "/tmp" directory]
***************************************
[WARNING]:
Module did not set no_log for PVC_password
ok:
[quark]
TASK
[Display result]
*****************************************************************************************************************
ok:
[quark] => {
"result": {
"changed": false,
"cmd": "geninstall -k
-d /tmp IJ45274s1a.230207.epkg.Z",
"failed": false,
"msg": "Live Kernel
Update operation has been performed successfully.",
"rc": 0,
"stderr": "",
"stderr_lines": [],
"stdout":
"\n\n+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+\n Pre-Live Update
Verification...\n+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+\nVerifying
environment...done\nVerifying /var/adm/ras/liveupdate/lvupdate.data
file...done\nComputing the estimated time for the live update
operation...done\nResults...\n\nEXECUTION
INFORMATION\n---------------------\n
LPAR: quark\n PowerVC:
10.8.12.120\n user: root\n\n Blackout time(in seconds): 20\n Total operation time(in seconds):
1172\n\n << End of Information
Section >>\n\n+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+\n Live Update Requirement
Verification...\n+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+\n\nINFORMATION\n-----------\nINFO:
Any system dumps present in the current dump logical volumes will not be
available after live update is complete.\n\n
<< End of Information Section
>>\n\n+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+\n Live Update Preview
Summary...\n+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+\nThe
live update preview succeeded.\n\nNon-interruptable live update operation
begins in 10 seconds.\n\nInitializing live update on original
LPAR.\n\nValidating original LPAR environment.\n\nBeginning live update
operation on original LPAR.\n\nRequesting resources required for live update.\n............\nNotifying
applications of impending live update.\n\nCreating rootvg for boot of
surrogate.\n................................................................\nStarting
the surrogate LPAR.\n........................................................................................................................................................\nCreating
mirror of original LPAR's
rootvg.\n........................................\nMoving workload to surrogate
LPAR.\n........\n\tBlackout Time started.\n\n\tBlackout Time end.\n\nWorkload
is running on surrogate
LPAR.\n................................................................................\nShutting
down the Original LPAR.\n........................\nThe live update operation
succeeded.\n",
"stdout_lines": [
"",
"",
"+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+",
" Pre-Live Update
Verification...",
"+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+",
"Verifying
environment...done",
"Verifying
/var/adm/ras/liveupdate/lvupdate.data file...done",
"Computing the estimated time
for the live update operation...done",
"Results...",
"",
"EXECUTION INFORMATION",
"---------------------",
" LPAR: quark",
" PowerVC: 10.8.12.120",
" user: root",
"",
" Blackout time(in seconds): 20",
" Total operation time(in seconds): 1172",
"",
" << End of Information Section
>>",
"",
"+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+",
" Live Update Requirement
Verification...",
"+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+",
"",
"INFORMATION",
"-----------",
"INFO: Any system dumps
present in the current dump logical volumes will not be available after live
update is complete.",
"",
" << End of Information Section
>>",
"",
"+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+",
" Live Update Preview
Summary...",
"+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+",
"The live update preview
succeeded.",
"",
"Non-interruptable live update
operation begins in 10 seconds.",
"",
"Initializing live update on
original LPAR.",
"",
"Validating original LPAR
environment.",
"",
"Beginning live update
operation on original LPAR.",
"",
"Requesting resources required
for live update.",
"............",
"Notifying applications of
impending live update.",
"",
"Creating rootvg for boot of
surrogate.",
"................................................................",
"Starting the surrogate
LPAR.",
"........................................................................................................................................................",
"Creating mirror of original
LPAR's rootvg.",
"........................................",
"Moving workload to surrogate
LPAR.",
"........",
"\tBlackout Time
started.",
"",
"\tBlackout Time end.",
"",
"Workload is running on
surrogate LPAR.",
"................................................................................",
"Shutting down the Original
LPAR.",
"........................",
"The live update operation
succeeded."
],
"warnings": [
"Module did not set no_log for
PVC_password"
]
}
}
PLAY
RECAP
****************************************************************************************************************************
quark : ok=2 changed=0
unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0
rescued=0 ignored=0
The lku module handles all the steps required to perform a (PowerVC-based) live update operation. This includes authenticating with the PowerVC server. For example, I noted that before I ran the playbook, the AIX host to be updated, had not yet authenticated with the PowerVC server (which something you would typically do with the pvcauth command, before starting live update). A few moments after started running the playbook, the host had successfully authenticated with PowerVC, and then the live update process began on the host.
root@quark / # pvcauth
-l
root@quark / # pvcauth
-l
Address : 10.8.12.120
User name: root
Project : ibm-default
Port : 5000
TTL : 5:59:59
root@quark / #
Broadcast message
from root@quark (pts/1) at 23:07:22 ...
Live AIX update
in progress.
root@quark / # ps
-ef | grep geninstall
root
8716586 8978832 0 23:06:39
pts/1 0:00 /bin/ksh
/usr/sbin/geninstall -k -d /tmp IJ45274s1a.230207.epkg.Z
PowerVC deployed the surrogate VM and then live migrated the workload from the original VM to the surrogate. When it complete, the original VM was removed. All of which is expected with live update.
The playbook performed exactly as I hoped it would. After
the live operation was finished, the ifix was installed and active on my AIX VM
(quark), without a reboot!
# uptime
; emgr -l
12:36AM
up 108 days, 23:05, 3 users,
load average: 1.98, 1.92, 1.42
ID STATE LABEL INSTALL TIME UPDATED BY ABSTRACT
===
===== ========== ================= ==========
======================================
1 S
IJ45274s1a 08/08/24 23:19:41
Ifix for APAR IJ45274
STATE
codes:
S = STABLE
I look forward to seeing how the team further enhances this particular Ansible module for AIX live update.