Just wanted to add to this - I'm also a z/OS person turn z/VM person. Yeah these are two different OS'es but the z/OS maintenance/upgrade is so easy sometimes when the OS is just on a few disk volumes and you take the LPAR down, point to the new sysres, and bring it back up. To back off, you do the reverse. All the user data is on non-OS volumes and is retained across.
I seriously struggled through my z/VM 5.2 to z/VM 5.3 migration. I just don't have a handle on things like being able to carry my spool volumes with me between releases (I just left all my data behind and started new). And being able to segregate out my own config files and users to carry those through to the new system. It's a major shift from how z/OS does it. And with all of the z/VM shops doing it differently it makes it hard for newbies. Isn't there a single best practice that can be documented for shops running only Linux? Some way to lay out the minidisks and users to make this easier? Yes there are some IBM scripts and utilities that are making strides towards simplification, but it seems we are a long way off from where we could be. My own upgrade process ended up being many steps and it just seems like there should be a simpler way, hopefully someone that found the light can share with others. __________________________________ Tom Stewart Infrastructure Analyst John Deere - z/OS Support Services em: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ph: (309) 765-9405 __________________________________ -----Original Message----- From: Linux on 390 Port [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Peter E. Abresch Jr. - at Pepco Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 1:05 PM To: LINUX-390@VM.MARIST.EDU Subject: z/VM 5.1 to 5.3 upgrade ( a little handholding requested) z/VM 5.1 to 5.3 upgrade handholding We are starting our upgrade from z/VM 5.1 to z/VM 5.3. We use z/VM strictly for Linux. We are all old MVSers that originally installed z/VM 5.1. Now we are rethinking our z/VM installation and maintenance methodology. We have talked to various VMers but have become overwhelmed with the many methods of accomplishing this. Here is what we wish to do. We wish to install z/VM 5.3 as a second level guest in our current z/VM 5.1 system. We wish to develop an environment where we can test the hell out of it and once we are happy with it, we wish to implement it into production by simply changing the IPL address for our z/VM LPAR. This methodology will hold true for z/VM maintenance as well. Another words, we will always have a production and a test z/VM. This is not uncommon as we all know. We have chosen to install second level using FTP from the install DVD on a Linux server. We are calling our second level VM VMTESTSV and created the following entry (please provide comments if this entry is not all that it can be). USER VMTESTSV VMTES530 256M 256M BG ACCOUNT SYSTEMS IPL CMS MACH XA OPTION LNKNOPAS CONSOLE 0009 3215 NICDEF 0600 TYPE QDIO LAN SYSTEM VSWTCH00 SPOOL 000C 2540 READER * SPOOL 000D 2540 PUNCH A SPOOL 000E 1403 A LINK MAINT 0190 0190 RR LINK MAINT 019E 019E RR MDISK 0191 3390 371 25 VMUSR0 MR MDISK 2222 3390 241 5 VMUSR0 MR MDISK 22CC 3390 246 5 VMUSR0 MR MDISK 2CF1 3390 251 120 VMUSR0 MR We will install z/VM to the following DASD volsers: Pack Type Prod Test RES 530RES (can we change this volser?) SPOOL VMSPLP VMSPLT PAGE VMPAGP VMPAGT USER1 VMWK01 VMWK01 (shared) USER2 VMWK02 VMWK02 (shared) USER3 VMWK03 VMWK03 (shared) I know, we have to migrate our customization and users over after we install. Let?s say we do all that and completed our testing and are ready for production implementation. We wish to copy the RES volume to another volser and IPL the LPAR from that address. Is this possible and what will be involved? Are we on the right track? Go slow, remember we are old MVSers and very young VMers. Thanks as always. Peter This Email message and any attachment may contain information that is proprietary, legally privileged, confidential and/or subject to copyright belonging to Pepco Holdings, Inc. or its affiliates ("PHI"). This Email is intended solely for the use of the person(s) to which it is addressed. If you are not an intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivery of this Email to the intended recipient(s), you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this Email is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please immediately notify the sender and permanently delete this Email and any copies. PHI policies expressly prohibit employees from making defamatory or offensive statements and infringing any copyright or any other legal right by Email communication. PHI will not accept any liability in respect of such communications. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: INFO LINUX-390 or visit http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: INFO LINUX-390 or visit http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390