HMC

I get that as part of upgrading or updating HMC code one should reboot first and Save Upgrade Data.  However with vHMC and the ability to take a snapshot is "Backup HMC Data" prior to the upgrade obsolete?

Hi Robert,

it is not "Backup HMC Data", but "Save Upgrade Data". You can do backups by taking snapshots - it is a good method. But upgrade data you do are not a normal backup. man saveupgdata:

So if you'd like to have empty HMC after the upgrade, you could skip the step. But my last HMC upgrade even didn't start because I forgot to issue saveupgdata ;-)

I get that as part of upgrading or updating HMC code one should reboot first and Save Upgrade Data.  However with vHMC and the ability to take a snapshot is "Backup HMC Data" prior to the upgrade obsolete?

I get that as part of upgrading or updating HMC code one should reboot first and Save Upgrade Data.  However with vHMC and the ability to take a snapshot is "Backup HMC Data" prior to the upgrade obsolete?

Hi Robert. 

"Save upgrade data" is always required when upgrading your HMC/vHMC. It can't be replaced by a snapshot.

Best practice will always be to do a full HMC backup ("Backup Management Console Data") before any upgrades or updates. And "Save upgrade data" just before you reboot to upgrade from the new image.

Please also be aware that if you run vHMC on Power (not x86), cloning or "backup" with storage based snapshots will not boot correctly. Development is looking in to this issue.

I get that as part of upgrading or updating HMC code one should reboot first and Save Upgrade Data.  However with vHMC and the ability to take a snapshot is "Backup HMC Data" prior to the upgrade obsolete?

So is the snapshot issue solely with vHMC on Power and not with vHMC on X86?

Is "Backup Management Console Data" the term used on deprecated versions of the HMC for what is now called "Backup HMC data"?

Hi Robert. 

"Save upgrade data" is always required when upgrading your HMC/vHMC. It can't be replaced by a snapshot.

Best practice will always be to do a full HMC backup ("Backup Management Console Data") before any upgrades or updates. And "Save upgrade data" just before you reboot to upgrade from the new image.

Please also be aware that if you run vHMC on Power (not x86), cloning or "backup" with storage based snapshots will not boot correctly. Development is looking in to this issue.

I get that as part of upgrading or updating HMC code one should reboot first and Save Upgrade Data.  However with vHMC and the ability to take a snapshot is "Backup HMC Data" prior to the upgrade obsolete?

Robert

Have a good day!

Backup HMC Data on a vHMC x86 may be a very good alternative backup method, taking snapshot with the hypervisor techniques (ie. VSphere - virtual machine snapshot).

Only is to evaluate/consider: 

1. using HMC - you got the control. Inmmediate access. 
2. using snapshot - depends of other skills and people, storage space, reclaim-cleanup hypervisor policies and hypervisor infraestructure availability.

I have been used the snapshot on vHMC with assistance of Virtualization guy and in the case of need a roll-back is too fast.

Best Regards

So is the snapshot issue solely with vHMC on Power and not with vHMC on X86?

Is "Backup Management Console Data" the term used on deprecated versions of the HMC for what is now called "Backup HMC data"?

Hi Robert. 

"Save upgrade data" is always required when upgrading your HMC/vHMC. It can't be replaced by a snapshot.

Best practice will always be to do a full HMC backup ("Backup Management Console Data") before any upgrades or updates. And "Save upgrade data" just before you reboot to upgrade from the new image.

Please also be aware that if you run vHMC on Power (not x86), cloning or "backup" with storage based snapshots will not boot correctly. Development is looking in to this issue.

I get that as part of upgrading or updating HMC code one should reboot first and Save Upgrade Data.  However with vHMC and the ability to take a snapshot is "Backup HMC Data" prior to the upgrade obsolete?