I have a problem while trying to upgrade to more current EMC powerpath software on AIX 5.3 - respectively uninstalling the existing one.
I tried to deinstall the powerpath software with removed disks - was working perfectly fine on 12 servers - but number 13 is failing with errors:
installp: bosboot verification starting...
installp: An error occurred during bosboot verification processing.
And following filesets seem still to be there:
lslpp -L | grep -i emc
EMCpower.base 5.1.1.2 C F PowerPath Base Driver and
EMCpower.consistency_grp 5.1.1.2 C F PowerPath Consistency Group
EMCpower.migration_enabler
EMCpower.mpx 5.1.1.2 C F PowerPath Multi_Pathing
A forced overwrite with the new packages doesn�t work and a simple bosboot is failing too ... with following error:
bosboot -ad /dev/hdisk1
0301-154 bosboot: missing proto file: /etc/emcp_registration
bosboot -ad /dev/hdisk0
0301-154 bosboot: missing proto file: /etc/emcp_registration
The file is indeed not there - but it isn't on any of the other boxes either - not with and not without installed Powerpath stack.
Does anyone how I can get rid of the old powerpath software or get the new one onto the box.
oslevel -s
5300-08-06-0918
I did raise this issue with our storage engineering, IBM and EMC but did not get any help - they tell me 'ODM corruption' and 'ask IBM / EMC / engineering' - depending on who I asked - and that's it. Is anyone able to assist?
Tricky one, should EMC sort it out because it is their code misbehaving, or IBM because it is their OS, as you found each will say it is the others problem and in a way they are right.
Probably best is to push IBM AIX support, they should be able to tell you how to manually remove the fileset install information from the ODM (and fix the bosboot) which should allow you to install the later level OK BUT obviously this will come with no guarantee because they have no real way of knowing exactly what the EMC code might have done to the system integrity.
AFAIK IBM and EMC actually have a fairly good relationship at the higher levels of support and obviously in development of the EMC device drivers so if you can push your local AIX support to push it far enough up the support chain you are likely to get a good solution eventually.
I've seen a few cases where an uninstall of third party drivers goes wrong and it can usually be overcome with a bit of careful ODM manipulation but this is always best done under the direction of IBM support.
I had to create the missing file and copy the content of a valid license file into this file to deinstall the remaining files ... afterwards bosboot and install of the new files works properly.
The solution is btw selfmade - I did not get any solution from IBM and EMC within one week.
zxmaus,
Well done for finding the solution and for posting back here.
What did IBM and EMC have to say?
How did you "create the missing file and copy the content of a valid license file into this file" because someone else may have this problem some day.
Do you know why only one of your many systems was affected?
the solution I put in place was just create a file and copy the content of the original license file in - when you extract it, you can read it - and no I could not install the original license file back - that was part of the problem
cat << _EOF_ >> /etc/emcp_registration
# DO NOT EDIT! EMC PowerPath Registration data. VER 100
xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx
_EOF_
After putting this in place, I had no more issues to drop the packages and install new ones. BTW - after patching about 300 AIX boxes by now I was running into this issue exactly 4 times - this helped each and every time.
