Restoring an AIX client with network boot
Note:
Review the secure communication compatibility support matrix for BMR table to know more about the supported master, boot server, client, and SRT versions for Linux, Windows, Solaris, AIX, and HP-UX environments. See Secure communication compatibility matrices for BMR for NetBackup 8.1.1 and later releases.
Note:
If NetBackup access control management is used in your environment, you must provide the appropriate credentials when prompted so that NetBackup can restore the client files.
An AIX boot (either network boot or media boot) may set the network interface configuration, speed, and duplex mode to auto-negotiate or 10 half duplex. This setting may cause the BMR restore to run much more slowly than expected. To achieve normal restore performance, manually set the network interface configuration through the firmware before a BMR restore.
AIX system restore requires certain information and resources.
The information to be configured in the firmware varies according to architecture, but can include the following:
Network adapter type
BMR client IP address
BMR client subnet mask
BMR boot server IP address
BMR client gateway address
Here is sample screenshot showing the required entities configured in the target hardware firmware so that it can be BMR restored automatically upon a network boot.
After you perform the network boot procedure, the remainder of the restore process is automatic and requires no manual intervention. After the restore finishes and the client reboots itself, it is completely restored.
You can network boot an AIX system that has AIX installed, which does the following:
Updates the NVRAM with the proper addresses for the BMR boot server, client, and gateway address.
Boots by bootp from the BMR boot server. If the boot server does not answer the bootp request, the computer boots from the hard drive.
The network boot only works when the BMR client is properly prepared for restore.
Warning:
Do not perform this procedure unless you intend to do a restore. When you prepare a client for restore, the process may result in a restore.
To restore an AIX client with network boot
- Prepare to restore the client.
- Boot from a network interface according to the procedures in the IBM hardware documentation.
Due to the automatic recovery parameter set during prepare to restore, the restore operation attempts to retrieve the host-ID based certificate and validate the Certificate Authority (CA) certificate. This recovery is time bound. For more information about the automatic recovery during prepare to restore, See Preparing a client for restore.
Note:
If you abort the restore operation or if the restore operation fails, either run the prepare to restore operation again to restart the automatic recovery or manually set the Allow Auto Reissue Certificate option using the NetBackup Administration Console or command-line interface.
For more information about manually setting the Allow Auto Reissue Certificate option, see Allowing automatic reissue of a certificate section within the NetBackup Security and Encryption Guide
The restore begins.
After a successful completion of restore, the host ID-based certificate is copied on the client that is restored. The automatic recovery parameter is reset. For more information about the automatic recovery, See Preparing a client for restore.