After applying Fix Pack to my VIOS 2.1 server, I thought I’d try out the new viosbr command.

$ ioslevel

2.1.2.10-FP-22

The man page for viosbr states that this command can be used to backup and restore the virtual I/O server configuration.

$ man viosbr

viosbr command

Purpose

     Performs the operations for backing up the virtual and logical configuration, listing the configuration,

     and restoring the configuration of the Virtual I/O Server.

     The viosbr command can be run only by the padmin user.

…..

First I attempted the -view and -list options and found that the default location for these backup files was in padmin’s home directory under cfgbackups.

$ viosbr -view -list

/home/padmin/cfgbackups/ not found

From the man page:

-list

     This option displays backup files from either the default location /home/padmin/cfgbackups or a user

     Specified location.

So I created this directory and ran a viosbr backup.

$ mkdir cfgbackups

$ viosbr -backup -file bvio83_vios_config_bkp

$ viosbr -view -list

bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz

A tar/gzipped file was created in the cfgbackups directory.

$ ls -ltr cfgbackups

total 8

-rw-r--r--    1 root     staff          2959 Dec  9 09:47 bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz

This file is in XML format.

$ r oem

oem_setup_env

# set -o vi

# pwd

/home/padmin

# cd cfgbackups

# ls -ltr | tail -1

-rw-r--r--    1 root     staff          2959 Dec  9 09:34 bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz

$ gzip -d bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz

$ ls -ltr | tail -1

-rw-------    1 root  staff      24576 Dec 09 09:36 bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar

$ tar -tvf bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar

-rw-r--r--   0 1    23021 Dec 09 09:34:07 2009 bvio83_vios_config_bkp

$ tar -xvf bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar

x bvio83_vios_config_bkp, 23021 bytes, 45 media blocks.

$ vim bvio83_vios_config_bkp

<vios-backup>

        <general>

                <xml-version>1.0</xml-version>

                <xml-ch-date>0</xml-ch-date>

                <backUpDate>2009-12-09</backUpDate>

                <backUpTime>09:34:03</backUpTime>

                <backUpPrPID>389216</backUpPrPID>

                <aix-level>6.1.4.0</aix-level>

                <vios-level>2.1.2.10-FP-22</vios-level>

                <code-list>

                        src/bos/usr/ccs/lib/libc/__threads_init.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/virtualcfg/virtualcfg.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/virtualcfg/backup.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/virtualcfg/backup_restore_utils.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/virtualcfg/hash_utils.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/virtualcfg/xml_writer.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/virtualcfg/xml_utils.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/virtualcfg/view.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/virtualcfg/saxParser_utils.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/virtualcfg/restore.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/virtualcfg/restore_utils.c

                        src/rspc/usr/lib/methods/cfg_vt_common/cfg_vtdev_common.c

                </code-list>

        </general>

        <controller>

                <name>lhea0</name>

                <state>AVAILABLE</state>

                <locCode>U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1</locCode>

                <unique_type>adapter/chrp/IBM,lhea</unique_type>

                <type>LHEA</type>

        </controller>

        <controller>

                <name>ent0</name>

                <state>AVAILABLE</state>

                <locCode>U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-T6</locCode>

                <unique_type>adapter/IBM,lhea/ethernet</unique_type>

                <type>LPHEA</type>

        </controller>

        <controller>

                <name>ent1</name>

                <state>AVAILABLE</state>

                <locCode>U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-T7</locCode>

                <unique_type>adapter/IBM,lhea/ethernet</unique_type>

                <type>LPHEA</type>

        </controller>

....

The –view flag allowed me to view the configuration information stored in the backup file.

$ viosbr -view -file /tmp/bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz

Controllers:

============

Name                Phys Loc

----                --------

iscsi0

sissas0             U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-T5

pager0              U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C7-L0-L0

vasi0               U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C7

usbhc0              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1

usbhc1              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1

vbsd0               U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C7-L0

usbhc2              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1

sata0               U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-T5

lhea0               U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1

ibmvmc0             U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C2

ati0                U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C5-T1

fcs0                U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1

fcs1                U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T2

vts0                U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C10

fscsi0              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1

ent0                U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-T6

fscsi1              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T2

ent1                U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-T7

ent2                U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C3-T1

ent3                U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C4-T1

ent4                U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C5-T1

ent5                U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C6-T1

sas0                U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-T5

Physical Volumes:

=================

Name                Phys Loc

----                --------

hdisk0              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-D1

hdisk1              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4000402D00000000

hdisk2              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4000404B00000000

hdisk3              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4001404B00000000

hdisk4              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4001404C00000000

hdisk5              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4000408000000000

hdisk6              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4001408000000000

Optical Devices:

================

Name                Phys Loc

----                --------

cd0

Tape Devices:

=============

Name                Phys Loc

----                --------

Ethernet Interfaces:

====================

Name

----

en0

en1

en2

en3

en4

en5

en6

Storage Pools:

==============

SP Name                       PV Name

-------                       -------

rootvg                        hdisk0

Shared Ethernet Adapters:

=========================

Name                Physical Adapter    Default Adapter     Virtual Adapters

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

ent6                ent0                ent2                ent2

Virtual Server Adapters:

========================

SVSA                Phys Loc                      VTD

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

vhost0              U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C11      vtscsi2

                                                  vtscsi1

                                                  vtscsi0

The –mapping flag provided me with VTD and SEA mappings (same as lsmap –all and lsmap –all –net)

$ viosbr -view -file /tmp/bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz -mapping

SVSA                Physloc                            Client Partition ID

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

vhost0              U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C11           0x00000003

VTD                      vtscsi0

Status                   Available

LUN                      0x8200000000000000

Backing Device           hdisk1

Physloc                  U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4000402D00000000

SVSA                Physloc                            Client Partition ID

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

vhost0              U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C11           0x00000003

VTD                      vtscsi1

Status                   Available

LUN                      0x8400000000000000

Backing Device           hdisk2

Physloc                  U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4000404B00000000

SVSA                Physloc                            Client Partition ID

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

vhost0              U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C11           0x00000003

VTD                      vtscsi2

Status                   Available

LUN                      0x8100000000000000

Backing Device           hdisk5

Physloc                  U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4000408000000000

SVEA    Physloc

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

ent2    U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C3-T1

VTD                      ent6

Status                   Available

Backing Device           ent0

Physloc                  U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-T6

The –detail flag provided extended configuration information.

$ viosbr -view -file /tmp/bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz -detail

Controllers:

============

Name                Phys Loc

----                --------

iscsi0

Attribute Name      Attribute Value

--------------      ---------------

initiator_name      iqn.bvio83.hostid.0a03496c

sissas0             U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-T5

Attribute Name      Attribute Value

--------------      ---------------

bus_io_addr         0x80000000

intr_lsi            289

dual_init_cfg       default

serial_number       YL3000000001

pager0              U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C7-L0-L0

vasi0               U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C7

usbhc0              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1

..etc..

The –type flag allows you to select details for a particular type of device for example, just SEA configuration information.

$ viosbr -view -file /tmp/bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz -type sea

Shared Ethernet Adapters:

=========================

Name                Physical Adapter    Default Adapter     Virtual Adapters

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

ent6                ent0                ent2                ent2

$ viosbr -view -file /tmp/bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz -type svsa

Virtual Server Adapters:

========================

SVSA                Phys Loc                      VTD

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

vhost0              U7998.61X.10071FA-V1-C11      vtscsi2

                                                  vtscsi1

                                                  vtscsi0

Listing PV only information.

$ viosbr -view -file /tmp/bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz -type pv

Physical Volumes:

=================

Name                Phys Loc

----                --------

hdisk0              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-D1

hdisk1              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4000402D00000000

hdisk2              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4000404B00000000

hdisk3              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4001404B00000000

hdisk4              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4001404C00000000

hdisk5              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4000408000000000

hdisk6              U78A5.001.WIH074C-P1-C6-T1-W500507630608059A-L4001408000000000

The –restore and –validate flags validate the devices on the server against the devices in the backup file.

$ viosbr -restore -file bvio83_vios_config_bkp.tar.gz -validate

Dev name during BACKUP                  Is Valid?      Is Deployable?

======================                  =========      ==============

iscsi0                                  YES            NO

sissas0                                 YES            NO

pager0                                  YES            NO

vasi0                                   YES            NO

usbhc0                                  YES            NO

usbhc1                                  YES            NO

vbsd0                                   YES            NO

usbhc2                                  YES            NO

sata0                                   YES            NO

lhea0                                   YES            NO

ibmvmc0                                 YES            NO

ati0                                    YES            NO

fcs0                                    YES            NO

fcs1                                    YES            NO

vts0                                    YES            NO

fscsi0                                  YES            NO

ent0                                    YES            NO

fscsi1                                  YES            NO

ent1                                    YES            NO

ent2                                    YES            NO

ent3                                    YES            NO

ent4                                    YES            NO

ent5                                    YES            NO

sas0                                    YES            NO

hdisk0                                  YES            NO

hdisk1                                  YES            NO

hdisk2                                  YES            NO

hdisk3                                  YES            NO

hdisk4                                  YES            NO

hdisk5                                  YES            NO

hdisk6                                  YES            NO

en6                                     YES            NO

ent6                                    YES            NO

rootvg                                  YES            NO

vhost0                                  YES            YES

This tool looks like a great way to backup and restore your VIOS configuration.

Of  course backupios will also do this but it will take an image of the entire system not just the virtual and logical mappings.

Maybe we could automate the configuration of a VIOS using this tool.