Reducing Default Paging Space in AIX (hd6)

 

 

This document describes how to reduce the size of the default paging space

(hd6). This information applies to AIX Version 4.x.

 

 

WARNING: Please do not use this document if the system is a /usr client,

diskless client, or dataless client.

 

 

 

Procedure to reduce default paging space

Procedure to reduce default paging space AIX version before 5.1

1. First check if your paging space is mirrored.

lslv -m hd6

 

If it is mirrored, then you will need to break the mirror. For

example:

lslv -m hd6

PV1         PV2

hdisk0      hdisk1

rmlvcopy hd6 1 hdisk1

lslv -m hd6   (Now it should only show one copy)

PV1

hdisk0

 

2. Determine how many paging space logical volumes exist on your system.

Enter:

lsps -a

 

 

 

If there is more than one paging space in rootvg, note their names

(listed in the Page Space column) and go to Step 3.

 

 

If there is just one paging space in rootvg (it will be be named

hd6), continue with Step 2.

3. Check how many free physical partitions (PPs) are available. Enter:

lsvg -p rootvg

 

 

 

Create a paging space to use temporarily with the following command.

X is a number between 1 and the total number of free PPs shown in the

lsvg output.

 

 

mkps -s X -a rootvg

 

 

 

Run lsps -a again and note the name of the new paging space (probably

paging00).

4. Change the characteristics of the default paging space (hd6) so that

it is not active at the next reboot. Enter:

chps -a n hd6

 

5. Edit the file. Enter:

"/sbin/rc.boot"

 

 

 

Change the line swapon /dev/hd6 to swapon /dev/pagingXX, where XX is

the number of one of the paging spaces found in Step 1, or the number

of the new paging space created in Step 2.

6. Determine which disk is the boot disk with the lslv command. The boot

disk will be shown in the PV1 column of the lslv output.

lslv -m hd5

 

WARNING: Do not proceed further if the system is a /usr client,

diskless client, or dataless client.

7. Now, run the bosboot command, using the hdisk# determined in Step 5.

Enter:

bosboot -a -d /dev/hdisk#

 

8. The system needs to be rebooted in order to inactivate the hd6 paging

space. Enter:

shutdown -Fr

 

9. The default dump device is set to hd6. hd6 cannot be removed while it

is the dump device. Check the dump device. Enter:

sysdumpdev -l

 

If the primary or secondary dump device is set to hd6 then reset the

pointer. Enter:

sysdumpdev -P -p /dev/sysdumpnull

 

10.      Because certain scripts are currently hard-coded to activate

/dev/hd6, it is recommended to create the new paging space under the

same name. Remove hd6 and create a new hd6 of smaller size, with the

following commands (<PS size in logical partitions> is the number of

LPs to allocate to hd6):

rmps hd6

mklv -y hd6 -t paging rootvg <PS size in logical partitions>

 

11.      Edit the file. Enter:

"/sbin/rc.boot"

 

 

 

Change the swapon line back to swapon /dev/hd6.

12.      Run:

lsps -a

 

to see if hd6 is marked to be automatically swapped on at boot time.

This is determined by a y under the auto column for hd6. If an n is

under the auto column, run:

chps -a y hd6

 

to change the characteristics of the default paging space.

13.      Run the bosboot command, using the hdisk# determined in Step 5.

bosboot -a -d /dev/hdisk#

 

14.      If a temporary paging space was not created, this is the end of

the procedure. Otherwise, continue with the following steps.

15.      Change the characteristics of the temporary paging space (which

is assumed to be paging00 in these steps), so that it is not active

at the next reboot. Enter:

chps -a n paging00

 

16.      The system needs to be rebooted in order to inactivate the

temporary paging space. Enter:

shutdown -Fr

 

17.      Remove the temporary paging space. Enter:

rmps paging00

 

18.      If the dump device was changed in Step 8 then reset the dump

pointer. Enter:

sysdumpdev -P -p /dev/hd6

 

19.      If you broke the mirror to hd6 in Step 1, then replace the

mirrored copy.

 

For example:

mklvcopy hd6 2 hdisk1

lslv -m hd6

PV1         PV2

hdisk0      hdisk1

 

Procedure to reduce default paging space AIX version 5.1 or above

1. First check if your paging space is mirrored.

lslv -m hd6

 

If it is mirrored, then you will need to break the mirror. For

example:

lslv -m hd6

PV1         PV2

hdisk0      hdisk1

rmlvcopy hd6 1 hdisk1

lslv -m hd6   (Now it should only show one copy)

PV1

hdisk0

 

2. Check if you have APAR IY19145 installed.

instfix -ik

IY19145

 

If this APAR is not installed, the system may crash when reducing

paging space with AIX 5.1.

3. Reduce default paging space hd6.

chps -d <number of logical partitions> hd6

 

4. If you broke the mirror to hd6 in Step 1, then replace the mirrored

copy.

 

For example:

mklvcopy hd6 2 hdisk1

lslv -m hd6

PV1         PV2

hdisk0      hdisk1