PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 for AIX Standard Edition Release Notes

New functions and features
Software requirements
Hardware requirements
Installation and migration
Additional information

New functions and features

Support for ROHA in Cloud

Starting with PowerHA® SystemMirror® Version 7.2.6 SP1, Resource Optimization High availability (ROHA) in Cloud support is added for IBM® Power® Systems Virtual Servers. With this support, customers can configure hardware resources (processing units and memory) in PowerHA SystemMirror and hardware resources can be acquired or released dynamically based on the application availability.

Support for Logical volume encryption

Starting with PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 and IBM AIX® Version 7.3, the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) enables data encryption for data volume groups that are configured in the PowerHA SystemMirror environment.

PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6, or later, supports platform keystore (PKS) and key server authentication methods to enable the logical volume encryption. For more information about encrypting logical volumes, see Encrypting logical volumes.

EMC SRDF/Metro SmartDR configuration

PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 provides EMC SRDF/Metro SmartDR configuration, which is a two-region High Availability and Disaster Recovery (HADR) framework, which integrates SRDF/Metro and SRDF/Async replicated resources.

GLVM Configuration Wizard enhancements

PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 provides the following Geographic Logical Volume Manager (GLVM) Configuration Wizard enhancements:

You can dynamically update the cache size of the logical volume.
GLVM Configuration Wizard collects the Remote Physical Volume (RPV) mirroring statistics and stores the information in the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format. You can use the RPV statistics by using any tool that can display the JSON format. The RPV statistics data is automatically sent to the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI, which displays it in a graphical format.
PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 provides GLVM policies such as compression, io_grp_latency and no_parallel_ls.

Cloud RAS enhancements

For Cloud Backup Management, Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS) has been enhanced with improved logging process.

Standard to linked cluster conversion

In PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6, you can convert an existing standard cluster to a linked cluster by using the clmgr command. This feature is useful for converting a standard cluster to IBM Power Virtual Server (Power VS) cloud cluster. For more information, see Converting a standard cluster to a linked cluster.

PowerHA SystemMirror GUI

The following updates are new in the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI:

GLVM historical charts

GLVM historical charts provide information about cache utilization data in a graphical format. You can view the historical data about cache utilization, network utilization, and disk utilization for the specified date range and for different time intervals (minute, hour, day, week, and month).

Asynchronous cache size in GLVM

You can view and modify asynchronous cache size that is set during GLVM configuration.

GLVM policies

GLVM tunables that are used to configure mirror pool in the physical volume at the remote site. In PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6, or later, you can set the following GLVM tunable attributes:

Compression
I/O group latency
Number of parallel logical volumes

Multi-factor authentication

In PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6, or later, multi-factor authentication is enabled for non-root GUI users. PowerHA SystemMirror GUI uses IBM Security Verify Access account for multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication can be performed by using either mobile authentication or email authentication.

The mobile authentication method uses the login credentials (username and password). For the email authentication method, you must select either one-time password (OTP) that is delivered through an email or select the Short Message Service (SMS).

Note: You must create an IBM Security Verify application account to use the multi-factor authentication features.

Cloud Backup Management

In PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6, or later, the Cloud Backup Management feature allows you to create, view, edit, and delete backup profiles of a resource group on cloud. You back up volume group data and store it on cloud services. You can back up volume group data in IBM and Amazon cloud services.

Multiple Cross-Cluster Verification

In PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6, or later, you can use the Multiple Cross Cluster Verification feature to compare one primary cluster with multiple clusters in a one-step procedure. You can filter the comparison result that displays differences and similarities between different clusters. You can select many attributes for cluster comparison.

Software requirements

Before you install PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6, you must install all available service packs for AIX and PowerHA SystemMirror from the IBM Fix Central website.

PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 is supported on the following versions of the AIX operating system:

IBM AIX 7.3, or later
IBM AIX 7.2 with Technology Level 5 with Service Pack 3, or later
IBM AIX 7.2 with Technology Level 4 with Service Pack 4, or later
IBM AIX 7.2 with Technology Level 3 with Service Pack 7, or later
IBM AIX 7.2 with Technology Level 2 with Service Pack 6, or later
IBM AIX 7.2 with Technology Level 1 with Service Pack 6, or later
IBM AIX 7.1 with Technology Level 5 with Service Pack 9, or later

PowerHA SystemMirror GUI

PowerHA SystemMirror GUI is supported only on the following web browsers:

Google Chrome Version 57, or later
Firefox Version 54, or later

The PowerHA SystemMirror GUI requires that OpenSSL is installed on the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server to generate a unique set of security files (keys and certificate). Secure Shell (SSH) must be configured on the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server and on all nodes in the cluster. SSH is used to add clusters to the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI to restore snapshots, create new clusters from the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI, and to restore cluster snapshots. To perform these tasks from the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI as a non-root user, you must configure the sudo command on cluster nodes. For more information, see Logging in as a non-root user. After a cluster is successfully added to the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI, the root access or sudo access is no longer required to manage the cluster through the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI.

PowerHA SystemMirror GUI can also manage clusters that are running earlier versions of PowerHA SystemMirror. When you manage older clusters in the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI, you can use only the capabilities that are associated with the PowerHA SystemMirror version of the cluster. For example, with PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 GUI server, if you select a cluster in the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI and that cluster is running PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.3, some of the PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 capabilities might not be available for the selected cluster.

Hardware requirements

PowerHA SystemMirror graphical user interface (GUI) requires IBM POWER7® or later technology-based servers.

Installation and migration

For more information about migration, see the Upgrading a PowerHA SystemMirror cluster topic.

For more information, see Supported upgrade PowerHA SystemMirror versions.

Support matrix for PowerHA SystemMirror Smart Assists

The following table describes the versions of middleware that can be configured and managed with PowerHA SystemMirror Smart Assists. For information about supported PowerHA SystemMirror version, see PowerHA SystemMirror for AIX Reference Information.

Table 1. Support matrix for PowerHA SystemMirror Smart Assists. The table describes the middleware application versions that are supported on PowerHA SystemMirror with different versions of the AIX operating system.
Middleware application	AIX 7.2	AIX Version 7.3
AIX print subsystem, DHCP, and DNS	7.2	7.3
Oracle Database Server	19C	19C
SAP Netweaver	7.52	7.52
Db2®	11.5	11.5
WebSphere® MQSeries®	9.3	9.3
IBM Tivoli® Directory Server	6.4	6.4
IBM Lotus® Domino® Server Note: Support is withdrawn for this product from PowerHA SystemMirror 7.2.8 or later.	NA	NA
SAP liveCache Hot Standby Note: Support is withdrawn for this product from PowerHA SystemMirror 7.2.8 or later.	NA	NA
MaxDB	7.9.08	7.9.08
IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Note: The product is now known as IBM Spectrum® Protect™.	8.1.8	8.1.8

Additional information

PowerHA SystemMirror GUI

If you cannot add a cluster to the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI, or create a new cluster from the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI, consider the following points:
- Verify that the nodes in the cluster have a boot IP or persistent IP that can be routed to the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server. You cannot use a service IP to manage a cluster.
- If you have trouble adding a cluster to the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI, verify the SSH connection from the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server to the remote system that you are trying to connect is working. For example:
```
# ssh 172.19.67.49 /bin/hostname
The authenticity of host '172.19.67.49 (172.19.67.49)' can't be established.
ECDSA key fingerprint is 41:19:ea:f6:4f:46:91:29:f5:a0:fd:89:91:f7:28:97.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?
```
  In the current version of PowerHA SystemMirror GUI, you must also respond to the prompt to establish the SSH connection. You must respond by entering yes to add the host to the ~/.ssh/known_hosts file of the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server. After adding the host name to the hosts files the prompt is not displayed again.
- Only a root user can create or add a cluster. After the cluster is added in the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI, a non-root user can also manage clusters through the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI. If you do not have root credentials, a root user must configure the sudo command such that it can be run on one of the nodes in the cluster. For more information, see Logging in as a non-root user. If you have root credentials, Secure Shell (SSH) service must be configured on the cluster to allow root access. The value of the PermitRootLogin parameter must be set to yes in the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file. You must restart the SSH service after you modify the sshd_config file.
- The SSH service can be used with a key or with a password. For a key, the key must not have a passphrase. The configPasswordAuthentication parameter must be set to yes in the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file. You must restart the SSH service after you modify the sshd_config file.
If the status of a cluster is incorrect in the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI, consider the following points:
- The PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server does not poll the cluster nodes for status. The PowerHA SystemMirror GUI listens for status change notifications from each node as indicated in the following actions:
  - Core PowerHA SystemMirror GUI events are sent to the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server immediately after they occur.
  - When the clmgr command is used to modify the configuration of a cluster, a notification is sent to the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server.
- Verify that the network and firewall settings are allowing traffic between the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server and PowerHA SystemMirror GUI agents by checking the following items:
  - The default port for the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server is 8080. You can specify a different value for the port in the /usr/es/sbin/cluster/ui/server/configuration-server.json file.
  - The default port for the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI agent is 8081. You can specify a different value for the port in the /usr/es/sbin/cluster/ui/agent/configuration-agent.json file.
  For more information about changing the values for the ports, see the Changing ports.
- Synchronize the cluster by running the following command:
```
clmgr synchronize cluster
```
  After you synchronize the cluster, if the sync PASSED event does not appear in the event viewer for that cluster or if the cluster status in the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI is not correct, the problem might require IBM Support assistance.
  
  See Troubleshooting the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI for more assistance.
The option to authenticate by specifying an SSH key is not available from the open terminal feature. SSH authentication is supported only though a password.
You do not need to install the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server in a PowerHA SystemMirror cluster, but the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI agent must be installed in a cluster. If the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server is installed within a PowerHA SystemMirror cluster, the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI can be used to keep the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server highly available.
The PowerHA SystemMirror GUI can manage AIX clusters concurrently, and with full multi-tenancy support. For more information, see Cluster zones.
If you install the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server within a cluster, you must install it on only one of the nodes in the cluster unless you are configuring the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI for high availability. For more information, see Configuring the GUI to be highly available.
By default, the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server uses the IP address that is associated with the default host name of the system on which it is running. The PowerHA SystemMirror GUI agents use the IP address of the server's host name to communicate the cluster status to the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server. If you want to use an alternative IP address for the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI communication, specify the IP address in the serverAddress property in the /usr/es/sbin/cluster/ui/server/configuration-server.json file. For more information, see Configuring the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI.

You do not need to install the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server in a PowerHA SystemMirror cluster, but the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI agent must be installed in a cluster. When you migrate a PowerHA SystemMirror GUI agent, an attempt is made to restart the agent service when the migration completes. When you migrate a PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server, an attempt is made to maintain the original state of the agent service. If the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server is active when the migration begins, an attempt is made to restart the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server when the migration completes.

After you install filesets that are available on the PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 for AIX media, or migrate to PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 from PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.3, or earlier, you must run the /usr/es/sbin/cluster/ui/server/bin/smuiinst.ksh command to complete the installation process. The smuiinst.ksh command automatically downloads and installs the remaining files that are required to complete the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI installation process. These downloaded files are not included in the PowerHA SystemMirror filesets because the files are licensed under the General Public License (GPL).

You must migrate the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server before you migrate any cluster that is managed by the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server. New clusters cannot be managed by an earlier version of the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server. If the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server is configured for high availability, you must disable high availability of the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server before you migrate the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server. You can enable the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server for high availability after the migration process is complete. For more information, see Configuring the PowerHA SystemMirror GUI server to be highly available.

Documentation

To view the latest updates to the documentation, see the What's new in PowerHA SystemMirror Version 7.2.6 for AIX topic.

To view the documentation in PDF files, see the PowerHA SystemMirror for AIX PDFs topic.

Man pages

The man pages for the PowerHA SystemMirror commands are provided in the cluster.man.en_US.es.data fileset. To view the man pages, from the command line, enter man command_name (where command_name is the name of the command). You can also view the man pages in the IBM Knowledge Center, PowerHA SystemMirror commands.

You can use the clmgr command to perform most of the PowerHA SystemMirror operations. For more information about the operations that you can perform by using the clmgr command, see the clmgr command: Quick reference topic.