How to collect test case for VIOs Issues

How to Collect Testcase for Problem Determination on a PowerVM Virtual I/O Server Environment

This article describes how to gather a testcase on a PowerVM Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) environment to diagnose issues related to

Virtual SCSI
Virtual Ethernet
Virtual Fibre Channel (NPIV) and/or
Active Memory Sharing (AMS) also known as virtual memory

Note: This applies to VIOS level 2.2 and above.
There are some know issues you can check here Link

Testcase collection involves below steps

1. How to gather snap from VIO server(s)
2. How to gather snap from AIX client(s)
3. How to gather virtual mapping (lshwres) data from
HMC or IVM
4. How to package the testcase
5. Where to submit the testcase

NOTE: If the testcase being collected is to diagnose issues specific to virtual SCSI, it is very important that you FIRST collect the snap from the VIO server(s), and then the AIX client(s) in question.

1. How to gather snap from VIO server(s)

How to gather snap from VIO server(s)

$ snap

Upon completion, this will create /home/padmin/snap.pax.Z. If this file exists prior to running snap command, it will be deleted and recreated.

Repeat this for any additional VIO server.

Next, rename the compressed file using the following naming convention if you are submitting snaps for more than one vio server:

$ mv snap.pax.Z vios#.snap.pax.Z

2.How to gather snap from AIX client(s)

How to gather snap from AIX client(s)

Login to AIX server, as root and run

# snap -r (this will remove any previous snap)
# snap vfc_client_collect (for virtual fiber channel adapter mapping)
# snap -ac (this will create /tmp/ibmsupt/snap.pax.Z)

Rename the compressed file using a naming convention similar to the the VIO sever snap (i.e vioc#.snap.pax.Z).

Repeat this for any additional AIX client.

3.1 How to gather virtual mapping (lshwres) data from HMC

The following procedure requires access to an AIX host with secure shell (ssh) configuration to access the HMC. Note: the HMC must be configured to accept ssh connections.

How to gather virtual mapping (lshwres) data from HMC

Login to AIX server, as root, and issue

# script -a /tmp/lshwres.out
# ssh -l hscroot

Once logged in to the HMC issue
# lshmc -V
# lssyscfg -r sys -F name (to list all managed system names)

Run the appropriate lshwres command that relates to your problem

    To gather virtual SCSI mapping, run
    # lshwres -r virtualio -m --rsubtype scsi --level lpar

    To gather virtual fiber channel (NPIV) mapping, run
    # lshwres -r virtualio -m --rsubtype fc --level lpar

    To gather virtual memory sharing (AMS) mapping, run
    # lshwres -r mempool -m
    # lshwres -r mempool -m --rsubtype pgdev

    To gather virtual ethernet mapping, run
    # lshwres -r virtualio -m --rsubtype eth --level lpar

# exit (from the HMC)
# exit (to end the script)

3.2 How to gather virtual mapping (lshwres) data from IVM

How to gather virtual mapping (lshwres) data from IVM

Login to IVM (VIOS) server, as padmin, and run

$ lssyscfg -F name -r sys (to list all managed system names)
$ oem_setup_env
# script -a /tmp/lshwres.out
# su - padmin

Run the appropriate lshwres command that relates to your problem

    To gather virtual SCSI mapping, run
    $ lshwres -r virtualio -m --rsubtype scsi --level lpar

    To gather virtual fiber channel (NPIV) mapping, run
    $ lshwres -r virtualio -m --rsubtype fc --level lpar

    To gather virtual memory sharing (AMS) mapping, run
    # lshwres -r mempool -m
    # lshwres -r mempool -m --rsubtype pgdev

    To gather virtual ethernet mapping, run
    $ lshwres -r virtualio -m --rsubtype eth --level lpar

$ exit (from padmin shell)
# exit (to end the script)

4. How to package the testcase

Once the files on section 1-3 have been created, ftp them to a host (i.e. AIX server) to compress them into a single file as follows:

How to package the testcase

In AIX host, as root:

# mkdir /tmp/viotc (ftp the files to this directory)

# cd /tmp/viotc

# ls -la (ensure all files are listed: vio server snap(s), client snap, and lshwres.out)

To create a single file, you can use either the pax or tar command:

# pax -wf pmr#.branch#.countrycode.pax ./* OR

# tar -cvf pmr#.branch#.countrycode.tar ./*

For example, if your pmr is 12345.999.000 (where 12345 is the pmr#, 999 is the branch#, and 000 is the US country code), you would do something similar to the following

# pwd

/tmp/viotc

# ls -la

total 44848

drwxr-xr-x 2 root system 256 Sep 04 08:27 .

drwxrwxrwt 12 bin bin 4096 Sep 04 08:27 ..

-r--r--r-- 1 root system 880 Sep 04 08:07 lshwres.out

-rw------- 1 root system 7648755 Sep 04 08:10 vioc1.snap.pax.Z

-rw------- 1 root system 7648755 Sep 04 08:09 vios1.snap.pax.Z

-rw------- 1 root system 7648755 Sep 04 08:09 vios2.snap.pax.Z

# pax -wf 12345.999.000.pax -x pax ./*

# ls -la

...

-rw-r--r-- 1 root system 22958080 Sep 04 08:36 12345.999.000.pax

...

This is the file you need to send in.

# tar -cvf 12345.999.000.tar ./*

a ./lshwres.out 2 blocks.

a ./vioc1.snap.pax.Z 14939 blocks.

a ./vios1.snap.pax.Z 14939 blocks.

a ./vios2.snap.pax.Z 14939 blocks.

# ls -la

...

-rw-r--r-- 1 root system 22958080 Sep 04 08:29 12345.999.000.tar

5. Where to submit the testcase

Where to submit the testcase

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

To Upload the Testcase via Secure File Transfer

-> Go to https://testcase.software.ibm.com/
-> click on toibm, then aix
-> browse for the file and click on 'Upload File (Binary)'