AIX - What Have We Got ?

So I was keen to confirm the "bitness" of my AIX 7.1 box ( a p710 ), so a quick Google search brought me to this: -

How to determine if AIX uses a 32-bit kernel or 64-bit kernel

$ getconf KERNEL_BITMODE
64

$ getconf HARDWARE_BITMODE
64

$ oslevel -q
Known Maintenance Levels
------------------------
7.1.0.0

$ oslevel -s
7100-03-02-1412

$ oslevel -qs
Known Service Packs
-------------------
7100-03-02-1412
7100-03-01-1341
7100-03-00-0000
7100-02-04-1341
7100-02-03-1334
7100-02-02-1316
7100-02-01-1245
7100-01-09-1341
7100-01-08-1334
7100-01-07-1316
7100-01-06-1241
7100-01-05-1228
7100-01-04-1216
7100-01-03-1207
7100-01-02-1150
7100-01-01-1141
7100-00-10-1334
7100-00-09-1316
7100-00-08-1241
7100-00-07-1228
7100-00-06-1216
7100-00-05-1207
7100-00-04-1140
7100-00-03-1115
7100-00-02-1041
7100-00-01-1037

Nice :-)

AIX - How to Include the Current/Working Directory in your Command Prompt

From this useful site / article: -

How to Include the Current/Working Directory in your Command Prompt (the PS1 shell variable)

...

Another desirable command prompt customization is to display the current directory (also known as the working directory) as part of the prompt. When the cd command is used to change to another directory, the prompt should automatically be updated to reflect the change.

...

In essence, I needed to add: -

export PS1=[${LOGNAME}@$(hostname)]'$PWD>'

to .profile.

Nice :-)

Setting up a NFS Server on AIX 7.1

Please please note that this is very much as-is and I have NOT NOT NOT considered security here - this is for an internal demo environment. Your mileage may/will vary.

So these are my notes from a quick setup of a NFS server on AIX 7.1: -

Edit /etc/exports

Add the file system(s) to be shared via NFS: -

$ vi /etc/exports

- I added /opt/IBM/SWGRepo

NOTE I'm not specifying any access control here - anyone can access this share :-(

Start the NFS daemons

$ startsrc -s nfsd
$ startsrc -s mountd

Export File Systems

$ exportfs -a

Show What's Exported

$ showmount -e

Mount ( from another box )

$ mkdir /tmp/nfs
$ mount P710_05_LPAR1://opt/IBM/SWGRepo /tmp/nfs

Job done :-)

For the record, I believe the NFS server can support v2, v3 and v4 clients, based upon the following: -

$ rpcinfo -p | grep nfs

...

   program vers proto   port  service
    100003    2   udp   2049  nfs
    100003    3   udp   2049  nfs
    100003    2   tcp   2049  nfs
    100003    3   tcp   2049  nfs
    100003    4   tcp   2049  nfs

...

How to determine the version of NFS

WebSphere Application Server on AIX - 64 bits, no buts

( with apologies to the AS/400 CISC > RISC migration programme for nicking their marketing phrase - 64 bits, no buts )

So I was seeing this exception earlier, whilst trying to install WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 8.5.2 onto a 64-bit of AIX 7.1 on a p710: -

ERROR: The 32-bit IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment package cannot be installed in a 64-bit package group.

Interestingly, I'd seen something similar earlier with IBM Installation Manager 1.6.2: -

ERROR: The 32-bit IBM? Installation Manager package cannot be installed in a 64-bit package group.

It took me a while to crack it, but the problem was in my response file.

This was what I had had: -

WAS

...

<profile id='IBM WebSphere Application Server V8.5' installLocation='/opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer'>
<data key='eclipseLocation' value='/opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer'/>
<data key='user.import.profile' value='false'/>
<data key='cic.selector.os' value='aix'/>
<data key='cic.selector.arch' value='ppc64'/>
<data key='cic.selector.ws' value='motif'/>
<data key='cic.selector.nl' value='en'/>
<data key='user.select.64bit.image,com.ibm.websphere.ND.v85' value='true'/>

...

IIM

...

<profile id='IBM Installation Manager' installLocation='/opt/IBM/InstallationManager/eclipse' kind='self'>
<data key='eclipseLocation' value='/opt/IBM/InstallationManager/eclipse'/>
<data key='user.import.profile' value='false'/>
<data key='cic.selector.os' value='aix'/>
<data key='cic.selector.arch' value='ppc64'/>
<data key='cic.selector.ws' value='gtk'/>
<data key='cic.selector.nl' value='de,no,fi,ru,hr,fr,hu,sk,sl,sv,ko,el,en,pt_BR,it,iw,zh,es,cs,ar,zh_HK,zh_TW,th,ja,pl,da,tr,nl'/>
</profile>
...

The solution was simple, if not self-evident.

The problem was with this line: -

...

<data key='cic.selector.arch' value='ppc64'/>

...

Even though I was installing a 64-bit version of the software onto a 64-bit OS, I needed to change the line to: -

...

<data key='cic.selector.arch' value='ppc'/>

...

Once I did this, the installation went as smooth as a silk glove sliding down the silky smooth back of a silk-worm that's just used silky-smooth shampoo :-)

AIX - Fun with the tar command

I hit an issue today with a fresh install of a number of IBM software products ( WAS, DB2, BPM etc. ) on AIX 7.1.

Whilst trying to unpack a file using the gunzip command ( the file was TAR'd and GZIP'd with a .tar.gz extension ), I was seeing issues such as this: -

tar: 0511-169 A directory checksum error on media; -252676160 not equal to 44916.

which suggested that the file was somehow corrupted.

This was the command I was using: -

gunzip < file.tar.gz | tar xvf -

Source: [AIX] How to extract a tar.gz or .tgz file?

However, I also did a quick Google search, which drew me to this Technote: -

AIX tar command is not able to uncompress CI0I7ML_OP6.0.1 media package

which, in essence, says: -

When using AIX tar the package is not able to uncompress its contents. AIX TAR doesn't uncompress files with long names, and OP_6.0.1_Non_Embedded_DVD_1.tar.gz contains several files with long name patterns.

and provides a link from where the AIX Toolbox may be downloaded: -

IBM AIX Toolbox download information - Open Source packages available for installation on AIX

I looked for, and downloaded, TAR: -

and installed the new RPM: -

tar-1.22-1.aix6.1.ppc.rpm

which I then installed onto the AIX box: -

rpm -ivh tar-1.22-1.aix6.1.ppc.rpm

resulting in a new binary: -

-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     system       530022 Jan 21 2013  /opt/freeware/bin/tar

PS This page was also of use in getting me to the right version of GNU tar

Making GNU tar your default extraction program

This got me further forward, but I still saw similar exceptions during the tar process :-(

I re-downloaded the images, and compared the file sizes to those on the AIX box, and they were, as one might expect, different.

So I then uploaded some of the images to the AIX box: -

$ scp BPM_Adv_V85_AIX_* root@P710_05_LPAR1:/tmp/Downloads
root@p710_05_lpar1's password:
BPM_Adv_V85_AIX_1_of_2.tar.gz                 100% 1292MB  46.1MB/s   00:28  
scp: /tmp/Downloads/BPM_Adv_V85_AIX_1_of_2.tar.gz: File too large
BPM_Adv_V85_AIX_2_of_2.tar.gz                 100% 1361MB  48.6MB/s   00:28  
scp: /tmp/Downloads/BPM_Adv_V85_AIX_2_of_2.tar.gz: File too large

Can you spot the problem ?

Yes, I saw it as well :-)

Thankfully, as ever, Google had the answer, Google is my friend.

This developerWorks forum post: -

gzip: aix51ml9.tar: File too large ?

which states, in part: -

Could you have run into a user resource limit?

Check the fsize (maximum file size allowed) entry /etc/security/limits. Setting this to -1 will allow unlimited file sizes. You can also make changes via ulimit and possibly smit.

If you edit /etc/security/limits directly, you might have to reboot for the change to take effect; however, with ulimit you should not have to reboot.

Here's a link to the pubs for ulimit: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/pseries/v5r3/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.aix.cmds/doc/aixcmds5/ulimit.htm

'ulimit -a' will print the current user resource limits.
'ulimit -f <num>' will set the file size limit, where <num> is the file size limit in blocks.

Well, the answer was there ....

This was what I did: -

$ cd /etc/security
$ cp limits limits.original
$ vi limits

- changing fsize = 2097151 to fsize = -1

$ diff limits limits.original
37c37
<       fsize = -1
---
>       fsize = 2097151

Once I rebooted, the upload worked perfectly, and GNU tar did the rest.

Nice :-)

IBM BPM 8.5 - More about Databases

So a quick splurge ( aka aide memoire ) as I'll be setting up IBM BPM 8.5 and DB2 as part of a PoC tomorrow.

So here's the formal IBM documentation: -

Running the generated DB2 database scripts

If you run the BPMConfig command with the property bpm.de.deferSchemaCreation set to true, or if you used the Deployment Environment Wizard and cleared the Create Tables option, you must run the generated database scripts manually to create the database tables.

Before you begin

Before you begin this task, you must have run the BPMConfig command or the Deployment Environment Wizard to generate the correct SQL scripts.
If the property bpm.de.deferSchemaCreation is set to false, or if you used the Deployment Environment Wizard and did not clear the Create Tables option, the SQL scripts are run during configuration of the deployment environment.

About this task

The database SQL scripts are generated in the dmgr_profile_name/dbscripts folder by default.

So this is what I did: -

( as db2inst1 )

cd /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/Dmgr01/dbscripts/PCCell1/DB2/CMNDB./createDatabase.shdb2 connect to CMNDB
db2 -tvf createSchema_Advanced.sql

cd /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/Dmgr01/dbscripts/De1/DB2/CMNDB
db2 connect to CMNDB
db2 -tvf createSchema_Advanced.sql
db2 -tvf createSchema_Messaging.sql

cd /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/Dmgr01/dbscripts/De1/DB2/BPMDB

./createDatabase.sh
db2 connect to BPMDB
db2 -tvf createSchema_Advanced.sql
db2 -tdGO -vf createProcedure_Advanced.sql

( NOTE that the command for the Stored Procedure is different because the SQL script uses different separators )

cd /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/Dmgr01/dbscripts/De1/DB2/PDWDB
./createDatabase.sh
db2 connect to PDWDB
db2 -tvf createSchema_Advanced.sql

I also needed to do this: -

$ db2 update db cfg for BPMDB using LOGSECOND 40

DB20000I  The UPDATE DATABASE CONFIGURATION command completed successfully.

$ db2 update db cfg for BPMDB using LOGFILSIZ 2048
DB20000I  The UPDATE DATABASE CONFIGURATION command completed successfully.

as per my previous experiences: -

CWMCB0046E seen during the bootstrap of an IBM BPM Advanced 8.5.0.1 environment

Then I ran the bootstrap process: -

Bootstrap the Database for the AppTarget Cluster

cd /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/Dmgr01/bin ./bootstrapProcessServerData.sh -clusterName BPM85Advanced.AppCluster

which returns: -

Bootstraping data into cluster BPM85Advanced.AppCluster

and then we're good to go :-)

Codename: BlueMix - What did I learn today ?

So IBM are running a series of events for partners, including Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and Systems Integrators (SIs), codenamed 200 BlueMix Days: -

Come learn about IBM's new cloud development platform: Codename: BlueMix.

BlueMix is an open-standards, cloud-based platform for building, managing and running apps and services of all types (web, mobile, big data, new smart devices). Capabilities include Java, mobile backend development, application monitoring, as well as capabilities from ecosystem partners and open source — all through an as-a-service model in the cloud.

The 200 BlueMix Days include Meetups, BlueMix Advantage sessions, and Hands-On BlueMix Workshops.

200 BlueMix Days

I attended a run-through of one of the events at IBM Hursley Park this morning, and got my hands dirty.

This event was hosted by the IBM Innovation Centre for Business Partners ( IIC ), where I used to work back in the early-mid noughties :-)

So what did I learn ?

• Codename BlueMix is IBM's new ( announced at Pulse a few months back )
• BlueMix is a cloud-based Platform-as-a-Service offering
• BlueMix fits into the DeveloperOperations - DevOps - suite of solutions
• BlueMix runs on IBM SoftLayer
• Currently BlueMix is free to use, via a self-registration beta service
• Eventually BlueMix will become a fully functioning IBM-hosted offering
• BlueMix is an implementation of the open Cloud Foundry PaaS offering
• BlueMix ( and, of course, Cloud Foundry ) provides an up-in-the-clouds collaborative development / run-time environment
• BlueMix provides a series of target run-times, including Java ( powered by the WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile ), node.js and Ruby on Rails
• node.js and Node-RED both look very very interesting
• BlueMix enables a developer to create an application via a self-assembly model, bringing applications and services together in one place
• As an example, there's a number of database services, including mySQL, PostGreSQL and, of course, IBM's DB2
• BlueMix gives one the ability to rapidly create an application that leverages one of these databases ( or the new crop of no-SQL databases including MongoDB and IBM's recent acquisition, Chordiant )
• BlueMix can work alongside IBM DevOps Services, formerly known as Jazz.net to provide a collaborative development AND run-time environment

So what did I end up doing ?

Via the excellent labs that were included as part of the workshop, I installed a bunch of new software onto my MacBook Pro, including: -

CloudFoundry

git

Eclipse Kepler ( I chose the Java EE package )

BlueMix Plugin for Eclipse Kepler

The last two items are purely optional, as one can actually develop and upload code to BlueMix using a command-line tool :-)

What version of Cloud Foundry do I have: -

$ cf -v

cf version 6.1.1-7d2b86f

How do I log in ?

$ cf login -a https://ace.stage1.ng.bluemix.net

How do I get help ?

$ cf -help

How do I create a MySQL service ?

$ cf create-service mysql 100 NickAndDave

How do I upload my code ?

$ cf push myupload-NickAndDave --no-manifest --no-start -c "node app.'s"

How do I bind my service ?

$ cf bind-service myupload-NickAndDave NickAndDave

How do I start my application ?

$ cf start myupload-NickAndDave

Now, for someone like me, that's absolutely perfect, as I can easily script it.

However, one does not HAVE to use the command-line.

The web GUI is absolutely spectacular, and does all the things that one might require. Equally, one can use Eclipse ( hence why I downloaded the plugins for Eclipse Kepler ), or develop the code in IBM DevOps Services ( fka Jazz.net ) and have it automatically "publish" / deploy to BlueMix, each time something changes.

Now I didn't get in to node.js, but that's definitely something for another day - server-side JavaScript, what's not to like ??

So some references: -

Codename: BlueMix

BlueMix Developers Community

Getting Started with BlueMix and DevOps Services using Node.js

Developing BlueMix applications in Java with Eclipse and DevOps Services

UrbanCode Deploy Plug-in For Eclipse Development

plus this really interesting blog post on node.js: -

What is Node.js? Node isn't always the solution, but it does solve some important problems.

So, in conclusion, that was a really really useful day out.

Thanks @IICHursley, you rock :-)