[PaulClayton]

Hi,

Here is my scenrario. We have a P570 with 28 LPARS. I am testing a mksysb image recovery at our DR site to a P550 LPAR using a nim server.
I have created the SPOT, and resources, and the mksysb builds the server. Unfortunately thats were it ends. On reboot, it hangs on starting the kernel. I went into maintenance mode, and noted, that my rootvg on hard disk contained no volumes. I am using AIX 5.3 ML4.

regards

[ross.mather]

Possible problem with device drivers not being available for the selected hardware in the p550.

Remember mksysb is only intended to work when you restore to identical hardware.

Things you can do to help:
1. Ensure that your build mksysb contains all device drivers.
2. Test the p550 by installing from an lpp_source
3. Upgarde your mksysb to the latest TL is 7 Sp3 is out for that so you are quite a ways behind.
4. Login to the console of the LPAR via the HMC using the command:
mkvterm -m p550 -p <partition>
and use the a logging facility to capture all the output of your restore. That may give you a clue.
5. Review the NIM logs in /var/adm/ras tosee if there is an obvious error.
6. Do you have the same disk setup on the p550 as on the p570, size and number of volumes - that can also cause it problems.

[PaulClayton]

I tried a different approach. Allocated the 5.3 ML4 lpp source, and the build went through fine, but still no boot. When I went into service mode, the volumes were present, and mountable. I ran a bosboot -ad on my disks, and rebooted. Still get this message "starting kernel". The logs show no obvious errors.

[ross.mather]

Did you syncvg ; syncvg the volumes after creating the bosboot.

[kierong]

We had something similar happen to us and it turned out to be the reboot filling up /var while creating /var/adm/ras/bi.log which disappears after the reboot. Check if you have an option to auto grow filesystems and set it to do so, that might help. Our guys tried various different methods and finally used a mksysb tape.