save_base command

Purpose

Saves information about base-customized devices in the Device Configuration database for the boot device.

Syntax

save_base [-path Directory][-file File][-verbose]

Description

The save_base command stores customized information for base devices to use during phase 1 of system boot. By default, the save_base command retrieves this information from the /etc/objrepos directory. However, you can override this action by using the -o flag to specify an ODM directory. The save_base command is typically run without any parameters. It uses the /dev/ipl_blv special file link to identify the output destination.

Alternatively, use the -d flag to specify a destination file or a device, such as the /dev/hdisk0 device file. To identify a specific output destination, the -d flag identifies the file to which save_base writes the base customized device data. This file can be either a regular file or a device special file. The device special file identifies either a disk device special file or a boot logical volume device special file.

A disk device special file can be used where there is only one boot logical volume on the disk. The save_base command ensures that the given disk has only one boot logical volume present. If neither of these conditions is true, save_base does not save the base customized device data to the disk and exits with an error.

When a second boot logical volume is on a disk, the boot logical volume device special file must be used as the destination device to identify which boot image the base customized device data will be stored in. A boot logical volume device special file can be used even if there is only one boot logical volume on the disk. The save_base command ensures that the given device special file is a boot logical volume and it is bootable before saving any data to it. If either of these checks fails, save_base exits with an error.

The save_base command determines what device information to save using the PdDv.base field corresponding to each entry in the CuDv object class. Specifically, the PdDv.base field is a bit mask which represents the type of boot for which this device is a base device. The save_base command determines the current type of boot by accessing the boot_mask attribute in the CuAt object class. The value of this attribute is the bit mask to apply to the PdDv.base field to determine which devices are base.

Note:

Base devices are those devices that get configured during phase 1 boot; they may vary depending on the type of boot (mask). For example, if the mask is NETWORK_BOOT, network devices are considered base; for DISK_BOOT, disk devices are considered base. The type of boot masks are defined in the /usr/include/sys/cfgdb.h file.
The -m flag is no longer used by the save_base command. For compatibility reasons, the flag can be specified, but is not used.

Flags

Flag name	Description
-path Directory	Specifies a directory containing the Device Configuration database. Note: By default, the save_base command retrieves this information from the /etc/objrepos directory.
-file file	Specifies the destination file or device to which the base information will be written.
-verbose	Specifies that verbose output is to be written to standard output (STDIN).

Exit Status

See Exit status for Virtual I/O Server commands.

Examples

To save the base customized information and see verbose output, type the following command:
```
save_base -verbose
```
To specify an ODM directory other than the /usr/lib/objrepos directory, type the following command:
```
save_base -o /tmp/objrepos
```
To save the base customized information to the /dev/hdisk0 device file instead of to the boot disk, type the following command:
```
save_base -d /dev/hdisk0
```

Last updated: Wed, November 18, 2020