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Solaris to AIX - A Quick Reference guide

Published 30 Nov 2000 | 8 minute read | 2010 views | Solaris

This article is an extension to my older post Common Solaris and AIX sysadmin tasks to contrast the Solaris 8 and AIX 4.3.3 operating systems.

This article provides information on Solaris and AIX in the following categories:

[Packaging] [Installing] [Booting] [User Management] [Devices] [Network] [Printers] [File Systems] [Virtual Disks] [Logical Volumes] [Additional Location Information]

Packaging

Table 1 — Solaris and AIX packaging details.
Units	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Smallest installable unit	package	fileset
Single installable image	package	package
Logical grouping of packages	software cluster	bundle
Logical grouping of packages	Software configuration clusters: Core: Required operating system files End-User System Support: Core plus window environment Developer System Support: End-User plus the development environment Entire Distribution: Developer System plus enhanced features Entire Distribution Plus OEM: Entire Distribution plus third-party hardware drivers (on SPARC only)	Bundle offering App-Dev - Application Development Environment Client Pers-Prod DCE-Client Media-Defined

Installing and Upgrading tasks

Table 2 — Solaris and AIX installing and upgrading tasks
Tasks	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Install packages	pkgadd	installp -a smitty install_latest
Display installed packages	pkginfo pkgparam	lslpp -L smitty list_installed_sw
Remove software	pkgtm	installp -r installp -u smitty remove
Verify correct installation	pkgchk	lppchk smitty check_files
Install a patch	patchadd	instfix smitty update_by_fix
Remove a patch	patchrm	installp -r smitty reject
Display installed patches	showrev -p	instfix -ia
Install OS (alternate disk install)	Live Upgrade	alt_disk_install
Create install server (network installation)	setup_install_server install_dir_path	nimconfig
Create boot server for network install	setup_install_server -b boot_dir_path	smitty nim_config_env
Setup a client for network install	add_install_client	nim -o bos_inst

Booting and Shutting Down

Table 3 — Display process and locations for booting and shutting down
Tasks/Locations	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Boot process	Phases: Boot PROM: Display system information, run POST, load bootblk, locate ufsboot Boot Programs: bootblk loads and executes the ufsboot Kernel Initilsiation: ufsboot loads and executes the core kernel, initialises core kernel data structures, loads other kernel modules based on /etc/system file, starts /sbin/init program init: Starts other processes based on the /etc/inittab file	Phases: Read Only Storage (ROS): Check the system mother board, perform Power-On Self-Test (POST), locate the boot image, load the boot image into memory, begin system initialization and execute phase 1 of the /etc/rc.boot script Base Device Configuration: Start Configuration Manager to configure base devices System Boot: Start init process phase 2, switch to hard-disk root file system, start other processes defined by records in the /etc/inittab file and execute phase 3 of the /etc/rc.boot script
Kernel modules directory	Kernel modules are stored in three directories: /platform/sparc/kernel or /platform/i86pc/kernel /kernel /usr/kernel	Kernel and kernel extension modules are stored in two directories: /usr/lib/boot /usr/lib/drivers
Create and stop processes and services for a current system run level based on the /etc/inittab file.	Set the default environment variables as defined in /etc/default/init.	Set the default environment variables as defined in /etc/rc.
System run levels	Eight run levels: 0: Power-down state s or S: Single-user state 1: Administrative state 2: Multiuser state 3: Multiuser state with NFS resources shared (default run level) 4: Alternative multiuser (not in use) 5: Power-down state 6: Reboot state	Defined run levels: 0-1: Reserved for future use 2: Multiuser state with NFS resources shared (default run level) 3-9: Defined according to the user's preferences m,M,s,S: Single-user state (maintenance level) a,b,c: Starts processes assigned to the new run levels which leaving the existing processes at the current level running Q,q: init command to reexamine the /etc/inittab file Note: When a level from 1 to 9 is specified, the init command kills all processes at the current level and restarts any processes associated with the new run level based on the /etc/inittab file.
Determine system run level	who -r	who -r
Change a system run level	Choose one of the following: halt init poweroff reboot shutdown telinit uadmin	telinit level number
Startup script	/sbin/rc run-level number	/etc/rc
Display boot information	N/A	bootinfo
Display or alter the list of boot devices	boot	bootlist

User Management Tasks

Table 4 — Display process and locations to perform user management
Tasks/Locations	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Run multiple tasks in a GUI environment	admintool	smit (smitty) or wsm
Add a user	useradd	mkuser
Remove a user	userdel	rmuser
Change a user	usermod	chuser
List users	listuers	lsuser
Password files	/etc/passwd /etc/shadow	/etc/apsswd /etc/security/passwd
Group files	/etc/group	/etc/group /etc/security/group
Process resource limits for users	/etc/system	/etc/security/limits
Systemwide environment file	N/A	/etc/environment
Environment attributes for users	N/A	/etc/security/environ
Configuration information for logging into system	/etc/default/login	/etc/security/login.cfg
Configuration information for user authentication	/etc/pam.conf	/etc/security/login.cfg
Profile template	/etc/skel/local.profile	/etc/security/.profile

Device Management and Configuration

Table 5 — List of tasks used for device management and configuration
Tasks	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Run multiple tasks in a GUI environment	admintool	smit (smitty) or wsm
Configure a device	Choose from the following: drvconfig devlinks disks tapes ports	cfgmgr
Define a device	Choose from the following: drvconfig devlinks disks tapes ports	mkdev
Remove a device	rem_drv	rmdev
change a device	N/A	chdev
List devices	sysdef	lsdev
Display device	prtconf	lscfg

Network Management and Configuration

Table 6 — Tasks employed to perform network management and configuration
Tasks	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Run multiple tasks in a GUI environment	admintool	smit (smitty) or wsm
Configure TCP/IP	ifconfig	mktcpip
Display interface settings	ifconfig	ifconfig
Configure interface	ifconfig	ifconfig
Change name service	edit /etc/nsswitch.conf	chnamsv
Unconfigure name service	edit /etc/nsswitch.conf	rmnamsv
Display name service	cat /etc/nsswitch.conf	lsnamsv

Printer Management and Configuration

Table 7 — Tasks involved in printer management and configuration
Tasks	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Run multiple tasks in a GUI environment	admintool	smit (smitty) or wsm
Add a printer	lpadmin	mkdev
Start a printer	enable	qadm
Stop a printer	disable	qadm
Add a printer class	lpadmin	N/A
Disaply printer queue status	lpstat	lpstat
Cancel a print job	cancel	qcan
Add printer queue	lpadmin	mkque mkquedev mkvirprt
Change printer queue	lpadmin	chque chquedev chvirprt
Remove printer queue	lpadmin	rmque rmquedev rmvirprt
Display printer queue settings	lpadmin	lsque lsquedev lsvirprt

File System Management

Table 8 — Tasks that are employed when performing file system management
Tasks	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Run multiple tasks in a GUI environment	admintool	smit (smitty) or wsm
Foramt a disk	format	N/A
Check a fle system	fsck	fsck
Mount a file system	mount	mount
Display available file sytem space	df	df
Partition a disk	format	N/A
List a volume's table of contents	prtvtoc	lchangelv
Add a file system	newfs mkfs	crfs
Unmount a file syetem	umount	umount
Backup file system files/directories	ufsdump	backup
Restore file systems file/directories	unfrestore	restore
Change a file system	tunefs	chfs
Remove a file system	N/A	rmfs
Display a file system	cat /etc/vfstab	lsfs

Virtual Disk Management

Table 9 — Tasks used when implementing virtual disk management
Tasks	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Run multiple tasks in a GUI environment	metatool	smit (smitty) or wsm
Expand a file system	growfs	cgfs smitty chjfs
Delete metadevice	metaclear	N/A
Configure metadevice	metainit	N/A
Modify metadevice	metaparam	N/A
Rename metadevice	metarename	N/A
Displat status of metadevice	metastat	N/A

Logical Volume Management

The information in this table includes Solaris 8 and the Veritas Volume Manager (VxVM). IBM includes its Logical Volume Manager (LVM) in AIX Version 4.3.3.

Table 10 — Tasks used when performing logical volume management
Tasks	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Storage Structure	A disk is composed of partitions/slices. A file system is placed onto a partition. A subdisk (somewhat similar to AIX physical partition) is composed of partitions/slices. A plex (similar to AIX logical partition) is composed of subdisks. A volume (similar to AIX logical volume) is composed of plexes. A VM disk is composed of subdisks. A disk group (similar to AIX volume group) is composed of VM disks.	A disk is composed of physical partitions. A physical volume is the same thing as a disk. A volume group is composed of physical volumes. A volume group is divided into logical volumes. A file system is placed onto a logical volume.
Run multiple tasks in a GUI environment	vxva	smit (smitty in non-GUI) or wsm
Move logical volume to another physical volume	vxassist move	migratepv
Create logical volume	vxassist make	mklv
Extend logical volume	vxassist growto	extendlv
Remove logical volume	vxedit rm	rmlv
Set up sysboot information on VM disk	vxbootsetup	N/A
Manage VM disks	vxdisk	N/A
Create volume group	vxdg init	mkvg
Add disks under volume manager	vxdiskadd	extendvg
Administer disks	vxdiskadm	redicevg extendvg
Setup disks	vxdisksetup	extendvg
Change logical volume settings	vxedit set	chlv
Create configuration records for storage structures	vxmake	mkvg mklv
Manage plexes or volume groups	vxplex	chvg mkvg
Display volume group	vxprint	chvg lsvg
Change size of volume	vxresize	lchangelv
Manage subdisk or physical volume	vxsd	chpv
Display statistics for storage structures	vxstat	lspv lsvg lslv
Manage volumes	vxvol	chlv mklv rmlv
Backup up operating system	ufsdump	mksysb mkcd
Restore operating system	ufsrestore	restore

Troubleshooting and Additional Location Information

Table 11 — Troubleshooting and additional location information
Tasks	Solaris 8	AIX 4.3.3
Change a hostname	Edit: /etc/nodename /etc/hosts /etc/hostname.* /etc/net/*/hosts	chdev -l inet0 -a hostname=hostname
List of well-known networking services and port numbers	/etc/services	/etc/services
List of well-known protocols	/etc/protocols	/etc/protocols
Provide interface-level packet tracing for Internet protocols	snoop	iptrace
Display network status	netstat	netstat
Display NFS and RPC statistics	nfsstat	nfsstat
Display statistics on network I/O and network CPU usage	N/A	netpmon
Display a snapshot of virtual memory	N/A	svmon
Display virtual memory statistics	vmstat	vmstat
Display I/O statistics	iostat	iostat filemon
Report system activity	sar	sar
Display simple and complex lock contention information	N/A	lockstat
Report CPU usage	N/A	tprof
Simulate a system with different memory sizes for performance testing	N/A	rmss
Display system error log	dmesg	errpt -a
Display/Set dump device	dumpadm	sysdumpdev
Display paging/swapping space	swap -l	lsps -a
Specify users who have access to cron (Every user has access to cron if the access file does not exist.)	/etc/cron.d/cron.allow	/var/adm/cron/cron.allow
Specify users who have no access to cron	/etc/cron.d/cron.deny	/var/adm/cron/cron.deny
Specify remote users and hosts that can execute commands on the local host	/etc/hosts.equiv	/etc/hosts.equiv
Information about mounting local and remote file system	/etc/vfstab	/etc/filesystems
Display information about the current mounted file systems	mount /etc/mnttab	mount
Default superuser log	/var/adm/sulog	/var/adm/sulog
Configure syslogd logging	/etc/syslog.conf	/etc/syslog.conf
Display physical RAM	prtconf	bootinfo -r