Problem(Abstract)
=================
This document describes how to enable and capture debug from a Virtual I/O Server in an HMC managed environment to diagnose Installation and Migration failures.

This document applies to VIOS 2.x

Symptom
=======
VIOS Installation, Migration, or Restore is failing after reaching certain percentage.

Resolving the problem
=====================

REQUIREMENTS

1. A program where console terminal logging can be enabled will be needed. The following procedure uses PuTTY (a Windows ssh client program) as the means to open an (ssh) console session to capture the boot debug data to a file. It’s available for download at http://www.putty.org

2. HMC must be configured to accept ssh connections. If you need assistance setting this up, please, contact your HMC Support Representative by calling 1-800-IBM-SERV before continuing.

3. Ensure you are using appropriate VIOS media.

PROCEDURE

1. How to configure console logging to capture debug data to a file
2. Open a console session
3. Enabling BOSINST_DEBUG
3.1 During a VIOS Installation
3.2 During a VIOS Migration
3.3 During a VIOS Restore
4. Where to send the testcase

1. How to configure console logging to capture data to a file

1. To capture console output to a file, open an ssh session via PuTTY to the HMC as follows

Under Category -> Session
-> Type in the full domain to the HMC in the Host Name and Saved Sessions box
-> Select SSH protocol
-> Click on Logging
-> Select “All session output” on the right
-> Specify the filename in the “Log file name” box as shown in Figure 1
Under Category -> Terminal
-> Click on Keyboard
-> Select Control-H for the Backspace key
-> Click on Open. You will get a PuTTY Security Alert Window
-> Click No to connect just once
-> Type in hscroot ID and password. You should get something similar to Figure 2.

2. Open a console session

From the HMC prompt, open a console session to the VIOS partition as follows
lssyscfg -r sys -F name (to list the managed_system names)

mkvterm -m -p
3. Enabling BOSINST_DEBUG

3.1 Enabling Debug During Install

NOTE: Ensure you are using the VIOS Installation media, and not the Migration Media

Boot VIOS partition to the “Welcome to Base Operating System” Screen

-> Define the System Console
-> Select Language
-> The next screen will display the “Installation and Maintenance” menu. Type 911 to enable the debug and proceed with the install, as in the example below.

…
…
——————————————————————————
Welcome to the Virtual I/O Server.
boot image timestamp: 22:27 03/25
The current time and date: 13:32:42 05/13/2009
processor count: 4; memory size: 1024MB; kernel size: 24426123
boot device: /pci@800000020000201/usb@1/hub@1/hub@1/hub@2/cdrom@3:\ppc\chrp\bootfile.exe
——————————————————————————
******* Please define the System Console. *******

Type a 2 and press Enter to use this terminal as the
system console.
…
…
>>> 1 Type 1 and press Enter to have English during install.
…
…
Welcome to Base Operating System
Installation and Maintenance

Type the number of your choice and press Enter. Choice is indicated by >>>.

>>> 1 Start Install Now with Default Settings
2 Change/Show Installation Settings and Install
3 Start Maintenance Mode for System Recovery
4 Configure Network Disks (iSCSI)
5 Select Storage Adapters

88 Help ?
99 Previous Menu

>>> Choice [1]: 911
Welcome to Base Operating System
Installation and Maintenance

Type the number of your choice and press Enter. Choice is indicated by >>>.

>>> 1 Start Install Now with Default Settings
2 Change/Show Installation Settings and Install
3 Start Maintenance Mode for System Recovery
4 Configure Network Disks (iSCSI)
5 Select Storage Adapters

BOSINST_DEBUG enabled

88 Help ?
99 Previous Menu

>>> Choice [1]: 2
System Backup Installation and Settings

Either type 0 and press Enter to install with the current settings, or type the
number of the setting you want to change and press Enter.

Setting: Current Choice(s):

1 Disk(s) where you want to install …… hdisk0
Use Maps……………………….. No
2 Shrink File Systems………………… No
3 Import User Volume Groups…………… No
4 Recover Devices……………………. No

>>> 0 Install with the settings listed above.

+—————————————————–
88 Help ? | WARNING: Base Operating System Installation will
99 Previous Menu | destroy or impair recovery of ALL data on the
| destination disk hdisk0.
>>> Choice [0]:

Installing Base Operating System

Please wait…

Approximate Elapsed time
% tasks complete (in minutes)
+ [[ overwrite = overwrite ]]
+ Log Scrub_Drives
+ [ -z ]
+ Log Shrink_It
+ + /../usr/lpp/bosinst/bidata -i -g logical_volume_policy -f SHRINK
SHR=no
+ + /../usr/lpp/bosinst/bidata -i -g image_data -f PRODUCT_TAPE
PT=no
+ [ no = yes -a no = no ]
+ [ no = yes -a 0 = 1 ]
+ return 0
+ + /../usr/lpp/bosinst/bidata -b -g control_flow -f CREATE_JFS2_FS
CREATE_JFS2_FS=Default
+ bootinfo -a
+ 2> /dev/null
+ [ 3 = 3 ]
+ [[ Default = [Yy][Ee][Ss] ]]
+ [[ Default = [Dd][Ee][Ff][Aa][Uu][Ll][Tt] ]]
+ CREATEJFS2=yes
+ Log Prepare_Target_Disks
+ typeset CURR_PVID=
+ typeset NEW_PVID=
+ typeset PAGELV=
+ typeset RLV=
+ typeset FS=
+ + Get_Primary_blv
+ typeset ERROR=eval return 1
+ typeset BLV=
+ typeset TYPE=
+ + /../usr/lpp/bosinst/bidata -i -g lv_data -f LOGICAL_VOLUME -c LABEL -v primary_bootlv
BLV=hd5
+ [[ -z hd5 ]]
+ + /../usr/lpp/bosinst/bidata -i -g lv_data -f TYPE -c LOGICAL_VOLUME -v hd5
TYPE=boot
+ [[ boot = boot ]]
+ print hd5
PRIMARY_BLV=hd5
…
…

3.2 Enabling Debug During Migration

NOTE: Ensure you are using the VIOS Migration media, and not the Installation media.

Boot VIOS partition to the “Welcome to Base Operating System” Screen

-> Define the System Console
-> Select Language
-> The next screen will display the “Installation and Maintenance” menu. Type 911 to enable the debug and proceed with the install, as in the example below.

Welcome to Base Operating System
Installation and Maintenance

Type the number of your choice and press Enter. Choice is indicated by >>>.
>>> 1 Start Install Now with Default Settings
2 Change/Show Installation Settings and Install
3 Start Maintenance Mode for System Recovery
4 Configure Network Disks (iSCSI)
5 Select Storage Adapters

88 Help ?
99 Previous Menu

>>> Choice [1]: 911

…proceed with the migration..

3.3 Enabling Debug During Restore

NOTE: Ensure you are using a mksysb image created via backupios.

Boot VIOS partition to the “Welcome to Base Operating System” Screen

-> Define the System Console
-> Select Language
-> The next screen will display the “Installation and Maintenance” menu. Type 911 to enable the debug and proceed with the install, as in the example below.

Welcome to Base Operating System
Installation and Maintenance

Type the number of your choice and press Enter. Choice is indicated by >>>.
>>> 1 Start Install Now with Default Settings
2 Change/Show Installation Settings and Install
3 Start Maintenance Mode for System Recovery
4 Configure Network Disks (iSCSI)
5 Select Storage Adapters

88 Help ?
99 Previous Menu

>>> Choice [1]: 911

…proceed with the restore..
4. Where to send in the testcase

Once the failure is reproduced, rename the log file to reflect the PMR#, Branch#, and Country Code
(i.e 12345.678.000.vios_install_debug.log, where 12345 is PMR#, 678 is the Branch#, and 000 is US Country Code) and upload it to:

ftp testcase.software.ibm.com
login: anonymous
password:
ftp> cd /toibm/aix
ftp> prompt
ftp> binary
ftp> put .log
ftp> quit