Migrating iSCSI attached servers from SLES9 on i 5.4 to SLES10 on i 6.1

Migrating iSCSI attached servers from SLES9 on i 5.4 to SLES10 on i 6.1

On IBM i 5.4, SUSE® LINUX Enterprise Server 9 (SLES9) is supported on iSCSI attached servers. However, SLES9 is not supported on iSCSI attached servers on i 6.1, but SLES10 is supported on 6.1. Therefore, if you upgrade your IBM i system from 5.4 to 6.1, any iSCSI attached SLES9 servers on the system must be upgraded to SLES10.

This web page describes the process required to migrate iSCSI attached SLES9 servers that were installed on i 5.4 to SLES10 servers on i 6.1. The migration process described below preserves your Linux disk drives, including the applications and data that are installed.

Note: In the IBM i commands in the sections below, the example Linux server NWSD name used is mylinux which has a system drive named mylinux1 and an install drive named mylinux2. An example tape device with device description name tap01 is also used. When performing the migration steps below, you need to replace these items with the ones that are appropriate for your environment.

Perform these steps on your IBM i system after upgrading it to i 6.1.

Note: These steps are required to migrate any SLES9 servers on the i 6.1 system to SLES10. IBM will not provide service support for SLES9 servers on i 6.1.

Important: There must be no customer applications or data stored on the "install" drive (the second linked storage space, which is device /mnt/sdb1 when viewed from Linux). The install drive is reserved for use by the Linux integration support and will be replaced during the following migration process. Any customer applications or data stored on the install drive will be lost during the migration, so you must move them to a different drive before continuing with this migration process.

Migration steps:

1. Make sure the following IBM i software is installed on i 6.1:
   • 5761-SS1 option 29: Integrated Server Support
   • 5761-LSV: IBM i5/OS Extended Integrated Server Support
2. Apply the latest Linux integration PTFs to your IBM i system. See the IBM i PTFs page.
    
3. Run the following command and record the link information (link type, sequence and access) of all storage spaces associated with your Linux server:
    
      WRKNWSSTG NWSD(mylinux)
    

4. Run the following command to print the NWSD attributes:
    
      DSPNWSD NWSD(mylinux) OUTPUT(*PRINT)
   

   When you run the INSLNXSVR command in step 7, use this as a reference for the values to specify. At a minimum, you will need to know the following:

   • Network Server Host Adapter. This used for the storage and virtual Ethernet paths.  Name mynwsh is used to refer to this object in later steps.
   • Remote system configuration object. Name myrm is used to refer to this object in later steps.
   • Service processor configuration object. Name mysp is used to refer to this object in later steps. This object is listed in the Remote system configuration object. Display the Remote system object with DSPNWSCFG NWSCFG(myrm) and look for the object listed for the SP configuration name.
   • Connection security configuration object. Name mycn is used to refer to this object in later steps.
5. Back up the system drive storage space associated with your Linux server as follows:
    
      SAV DEV('/QSYS.LIB/tap01.DEVD')
          OBJ(('/QFPNWSSTG/mylinux1'))
    
   Note: In this example, storage space mylinux1 is saved to tape. Alternatively, you could save the storage space to a save file or to a virtual tape. The SAV command in this step and the RST command in the restore step later on would then refer to the save file or virtual tape instead of the physical tape device description.
    
6. Delete your Linux server NWSD and associated objects. The easiest way to do this is to delete the Linux server with the following command:
    
      DLTLNXSVR NWSD(mylinux)
    
   Note: Make sure you have backed up your Linux server's system drive storage space as described previously, since this command will delete it.
    
7. Run the INSLNXSVR command, using the original NWSD name to create a new NWSD and associated objects.
   Notes:
   • Use the minimum system storage space size of 1024 MB.
   • From step 4:
     • Use the Network Server Host Adapter object for both the storage and virtual Ethernet paths.
     • Use the Remote system configuration object.
     • Use the Service processor configuration object.
     • Use the Connection security configuration object.
   • When the INSLNXSVR command prompts for the Linux CD, choose 'C' to cancel. Your server will not vary on.

   Below is an example of the INSLNXSVR command, using object names referenced in step 4:

      INSLNXSVR NWSD(mylinux) LNXSVRDST(*SLES10)

         SVRSTGSIZE(*CALC 1024) STGPTH(mynwsh)

         VRTETHPTH((*VRTETHPTP mynwsh))

         RMTNWSCFG(myrm) SPNWSCFG(mysp) CNNNWSCFG(mycn)

8. Unlink the newly created system storage space then delete it as follows:
    
      RMVNWSSTGL NWSSTG(mylinux1) NWSD(mylinux)

                 RENUMBER(*NO)
    
      DLTNWSSTG NWSSTG(mylinux1)
    
   Note: You should not unlink and delete the server's new install storage space mylinux2.
    

9. Restore your Linux server's original system storage space then link it to the NWSD as follows:
    
      RST DEV('/QSYS.LIB/tap01.DEVD')
          OBJ(('/QFPNWSSTG/mylinux1')) ALWOBJDIF(*ALL)
    
      ADDNWSSTGL NWSSTG(mylinux1) NWSD(mylinux)
    
   Note: You should not restore and link the server's original install storage space mylinux2.
    
10. If necessary, use the ADDNWSSTGL command to link any additional storage spaces (except the install storage space mylinux2) that you originally had linked into your Linux server.  Make sure that each storage space is linked with the same link type, sequence and access parameters as before.  Otherwise your Linux server may not boot.  See the information you recorded in step 3 above.
     
11. To migrate from SLES9 to SLES10 follow these steps.
    Note: These steps were verified with SLES10 SP2.
    1. Insert the SLES10 CD/DVD media into the BladeCenter or System x CD/DVD drive.
    2. Vary on the Linux Server NWSD from IBM i.
    3. Select Installation from the menu on the integrated server console.
    4. During the installation, the following are required responses:
       1. At the Installation Mode screen, select Update.  The installation will automatically determine the partition to update.
       2. Do not modify the partition on /dev/sdb1.  You will see a message that indicates that /dev/sdb1 could not be mounted since it is already mounted.  Click Continue.
       3. When prompted to apply online updates, choose No to skip.
    5. Continue through the rest of the installation.

12. Open a shell prompt and run the following command to complete the migration:
    

       /mnt/sdb1/install/ibmsetup.sh <address>

    where <address> is the host name or IP address of you IBM i system.