IBM AIX on POWER IP over InfiniBand (IPoIB)
This paper describes the performance results for TCP/IP over the second generation InfiniBand (IPoIB) communication driver, using benchmarks running on IBM Power Systems with InfiniBand adapters and InfiniBand switches.
IBM AIX Operating System Release and Service Strategy
IBM enhanced the AIX® operating system (OS) Release and Service Strategy in 2007 as part of the ongoing effort to improve the manageability and stability of the AIX operating system for our clients.
IBM AIX Operating System Service Strategy Details and Best Practices (PDF, 121KB)
Understand the practical aspects of the AIX Release and Service strategy and the best practices for applying patches and maintaining the AIX operating system.
Using AIX with Microsoft Active Directory
This paper describes how the AIX LDAP client can be use Microsoft Active Director as a user and group repository and authentication source.
Understanding the AIX Virtual Memory Manager
Overview of how the AIX® virtual memory manager (AIX VMM) works and how to use tunable parameters to adjust the operation of the AIX VMM
Workload Partitions in AIX 6
Determine the value that WPARs can provide in your environment. What can WPARs do that Logical Partitions (LPARs) could not? How and when should you use WPARs?
Live Application Mobility in AIX 6
This article explores how and when to use Live Application Mobility and how to configure a system and its applications to run it.
Storage Protection Keys on AIX Version 5.3
This paper will describe a new hardware feature called storage protection keys, or storage keys for short, that will assist the application programmer in locating these inadvertent memory overlays. The storage protection keys application programming interface (API) for user space applications is available in AIX® Technology Level 5300-06 and is supported on all IBM System p™ POWER6™ processor-based servers running this technology level.
Guide to Multiple Page Size Support on AIX 5L Version 5.3
AIX 5L Version 5.3 with the 5300-04 Recommended Maintenance Package provides rich support for an application to utilize the different page sizes provided by the POWER5+ processor. Larger page sizes can be used for an application's memory without any application changes, allowing applications to easily utilize the performance efficiencies of larger page sizes like 64KB.
Configuring AIX 5L for Kerberos Based Authentication Using Windows Kerberos Service
This document describes the use of Kerberos as an alternative authentication mechanism to AIX using Windows 2000/2003 Server Kerberos Service.
Configuring AIX 5L for Kerberos Based Authentication Using Network Authentication Service
This document describes the use of Kerberos as an alternative authentication mechanism to AIX. Kerberos technology combined with LDAP user/group management provides a robust, centralized and scalable authentication and identification mechanism for AIX.
Using tiebreaker disks with GPFS V2.3 and AIX 5L
This document addresses technically oriented readers having experience with GPFS clusters based on AIX 5L. The GPFS V2.3 product documentation briefly covers the setup and installation of a two node cluster using tiebreaker disks with file system data and metadata replication. Therefore this document serves as supplement and cookbook.
AIX 5L NFS Client Performance Improvements for Databases on NAS
Running a database over a file system structure is now a popular alternative to the traditional storage method using raw logical volumes. The performance issues of buffered I/O and concurrency have been solved with evolving file system technology and are now available on NFS with the latest level of AIX 5L V5.3 ML 3.
Using the Geographic LVM in AIX 5L
This book provides complete planning, installation, configuration and usage information for GLVM in an HACMP/XD environment. This white paper provides some additional information you may find useful to manage a standalone GLVM configuration without HACMP.
Experiences installing Oracle Application Server 10g (9.0.4) Cold Failover Cluster on AIX 5L
The objective of this document is to provide assistance to those involved with the installation of Oracle Application Server 10g (9.0.4) (AS10g) "Cold Failover Cluster" (CFC) solution on IBM AIX 5L (5200) operating system. This paper addresses the preparation of the hardware infrastructure for a CFC deployment of AS10g, the installation of the Oracle AS10g software stack, and some validation tests for installation.
Installing AIX 5L on the IBM eServer BladeCenter JS20
This white paper explains how to install AIX 5L Version 5.2, ML5 (or higher) and AIX 5L V5.3, ML1 (or higher) onto an IBM eServer BladeCenter JS20. It also covers how to install the prerequisite firmware level required to install AIX 5L as well as how to backup the JS20.
Service Update Management Assistant (SUMA) on AIX 5L
The Service Update Management Assistant (SUMA) moves the system administrator away from the manual task of retrieving maintenance updates from the Web. SUMA, which is included in the base AIX 5L Version 5.3 operating system, provides clients with flexible, policy-based options allowing them to perform unattended downloads of all AIX 5L updates from the IBM eServer Support Web site.
Virtual Networking on AIX 5L
Virtual Ethernet technology is supported on AIX 5L V5.3 on POWER5 hardware. This technology enables IP-based communication between logical partitions on the same system using a VLAN capable software switch in POWER5 systems.
Advanced Accounting for AIX 5L Version 5.3
AIX 5L V5.3 introduces a new mainframe-inspired accounting subsystem containing many new advanced features like interval accounting, data aggregation, system administrator defined billable entities and dynamic classification of accounting data. The name of this new subsystem is Advanced Accounting for AIX 5L V5.3.
IBM eServer p5 - AIX 5L Support for Micro-Partitioning and simultaneous multi-threading
IBM eServer p5 servers with POWER5 processors contain new technologies called simultaneous multi-threading and optionally, Micro-Partitioning. AIX 5L Version 5.3 contains support for these new technologies. This white paper describes these new technologies and the AIX 5L support for them.
IBM AIX 5L Version 5.2 for POWER, the On Demand UNIX Operating System
AIX 5L V5.2 is a 64-bit UNIX operating system for enterprise computing from IBM that delivers compelling value for customers in the on demand world and AIX 5L supports multiple industry standards to create an open and flexible environment including affinity for Linux applications. This paper provides an introduction to AIX 5L v5.2 on IBM eServer pSeries, eServer p5, RS/6000 and eServer i5.
IPV6 on AIX 5L
This paper describes the IPv6 protocol and describes how IPv6 is configured and managed on the IBM AIX 5L™ operating system.
Using LDAP for Naming Services in AIX
A new NIS_LDAP mechanism, supporting RFC 2307, was implemented in AIX 5L version 5.2 to support naming resolution for hosts, networks, protocols, services, netgroups, and rpc. This paper provides an introduction to what the NIS_LDAP naming service is, and how to configure AIX systems to use such service.
Improving Database Performance With AIX Concurrent I/O
A new file system called "Concurrent I/O" (CIO) was introduced in the Enhanced environments, particularly commercial relational databases. In many cases, the database performance achieved using CIO with JFS2 is comparable to that obtained by using raw logical volumes. This paper details the implementation and operational characteristics of CIO, and presents the results of our performance evaluation of CIO with Oracle9i Database.
Configuring an AIX Client System for User Authentication and Management Through LDAP
This paper focuses on configuring AIX systems as clients of directory servers, both IBM Directory servers and third party LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) servers, to provide readers with a complete picture of how to configure and exploit the AIX LDAP security solution.
Configuring an IBM Directory Server for User Authentication and Management in AIX
AIX was among the first few operating systems to exploit LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) for user authentication. AIX has improved its LDAP implementation in the AIX 5L Version 5.2 release by supporting the use of IBM Directory servers with user and group schema as defined in RFC 2307. This paper outlines how to configure IBM Directory server to support user authentication LDAP with both the AIX specific and the RFC 2307 schema.
IBM eServer pSeries and AIX performance considerations
This paper outlines the results obtained from the analysis of AIX 5L v5.1 on maintenance level 5.1.15. This is designed to characterize the performance of AIX 5L v5.1 and, where possible, provide comparisons with previous versions of AIX. All testing was conducted in a laboratory environment. Note that actual performance results in user environments will vary.
Multi-path I/O for AIX 5L Version 5.2
AIX 5L Version 5.2 Multi-path I/O (MPIO) is an enhancement to the base OS environment that will provide support for multi-path Fibre Channel storage subsystems. AIX 5L v5.2 MPIO will automatically discover, configure and make available every storage device path. This paper is intended to be a guide for the reader to understand, sell, plan and deploy AIX 5L v5.2 MPIO storage solutions.
AIX 5L 64-bit Kernel Planning Guide
AIX 5L for POWER provides a new, scalable 64-bit kernel in addition to the previously available 32-bit kernel. The support for both 32-bit and 64-bit applications provides customers with the flexibility to plan for smooth migrations to large system environments where the 64-bit kernel becomes a necessity. This guide outlines the considerations and recommendations for determining how to make use of this flexibility.
Configuring the AIX Security Subsystem to Use IBM's SecureWay Directory (LDAP)
IBM SecureWay Directory is a highly scalable and robust Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)—a distributed hierarchical directory-service access protocol used to access repositories of users. The AIX Security Subsystem’s use of the SecureWay Directory allows for centralized security authentication, as well as access to user and group information through use of the mksecldap command. This paper provides an overview of the mksecldap command, with examples and troubleshooting.
AIX Support For Memory Affinity
AIX 5L for POWER Version 5.1 with the 5100-02 Recommended Maintenance package contains optional memory affinity support. This memory affinity support recognizes the relationship between processors, memory and multichip modules (MCMs) in IBM POWER4 machines such as the IBM eServer pSeries 690—the features of this support are outlined in this paper.
AIX Support for Large Page
The POWER4 processor in the IBM pSeries 690 system supports two virtual page sizes: the traditional 4KB and the new 16MB page size. This paper describes the AIX 5L POWER Version 5.1 which contains support for 16MB 'large' pages. It focuses on how customers may configure a POWER4 system to use large pages, and how applications request large pages to back their virtual storage requirements.
Strengthening AIX Security: A System-Hardening Approach
AIX is an open UNIX operating environment that achieves increased levels of integration, flexibility and reliability—which means many of its services are immediately available when you finish installing the operating system. Without correct configuration, the system is vulnerable to several security exposures. This paper outlines the process of System Hardening, which uses minimization procedures to create a system with the fewest opportunities for exploitation.
Quick Reference: Solaris to AIX
Use this reference to contrast the AIX Version 5.1 and Solaris 8 operating systems.
Quick Reference: Linux to AIX
Use this reference to contrast the AIX Version 5.1.0 and Linux (Red Hat) operating systems.
Quick Reference: Linux or Solaris to AIX
Use this reference to contrast the AIX Version 5.1.0, Linux (Red Hat), and Solaris operating systems.
Backing Up and Restoring Your AIX System
The AIX operating system lets you, the system administrator, easily make backups of your systems using your choice of window-based interfaces or a command-line interface to execute a very flexible set of commands.
Paging Space Policies and Practice
This paper is intended for system administrators who are interested in evaluating the use of paging space. The paper is presented in two parts. The first part provides background information on paging space and the Virtual Memory Manager (VMM).The second part of this paper provides rules-of-thumb for approximating paging space. It also describes tools that are available to evaluate and tune paging space needs.
System Management Interface Tool (SMIT)
The AIX System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) provides an alternative to the typical method of using complex command syntax, valid parameter values, and custom shell path names for managing and maintaining your operating system configuration.
AIX Benefits for System Administrators
This paper discusses some of the benefits that AIX offers system administrators. All of the function discussed in this paper is native to the base operating system and is shipped and installed as a part of the base operating system.
HOW TO: Easily Configure TCP/IP on Your AIX System
With AIX, you can configure your TCP/IP network with a single command, mktcpip. On other systems, setting up TCP/IP might involve creating and editing multiple files, executing a number of commands, setting various variables, locating values for persistence after reboot, and starting several daemons.
Quick Reference: AIX Logical Volume Manager and Veritas Volume Manager
This document will help system administrators co-manage AIX systems from the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) (as part of its Advanced Interactive Executive (AIX) operating system) point of view. A table of limitations that affect both Veritas Volume Manager (VxVM) and LVM operations is included. Where values differ greatly, an explanation is given from the LVM point of view as to why LVM differs from VxVM.
Quick Reference: AIX Journaled File Systems and Veritas File System
This paper will help administrators of VxFS learn and manage JFS and JFS2. Functional differences and commonality among these file systems will be listed, with a brief discussion about the differences. This paper provides only an overview of differences to the system administrator who is familiar with VxFS systems.