Troubleshooting problems with installation from mksysb backup

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These troubleshooting tips apply to reported problems with installations from a mksysb image.

  • Check that you have sufficient free blocks in the file systems to write temporary files.
  • Check that each file system has at least 500 blocks free when the mksysb backup image is made. The system needs workspace in each file system when installing from a mksysb backup image.
    Note: Depending on the type of data or files in the file system, you might need additional blocks free. For example, if the file system has a lot of small files, an extra 4 KB is automatically allocated to allow for metadata expansion.
  • Check that you are using the correct tape type for the density setting that you selected.
  • Check that the tape is not write-protected.
  • Clean the tape drive at the recommended intervals and use only approved data-grade tapes (not video tapes for 8 mm).
  • Check that 7206 4-mm Digital Audio Tape (DAT) tape drives are using only DAT tapes marked with the Dataphone Digital Services (DDS) symbol. Any other DAT tapes (for example, voice grade) cannot be used.
  • Check the /smit.log file for any errors from SMIT.
  • Check that your mksysb backup image contains an image.data file. If you create the mksysb backup image through SMIT, it is done automatically. If you run mksysb from the command line, you must either run the mkszfile command first, or use the -i flag with the mksysb command.